Page 64 of Omega's Fever

“Ready?” Milo emerges from behind the curtain, fully dressedbut somehow looking more fragile than he did in the paper gown.

“Yeah.”

We’re quiet on the way to the pharmacy. This time I drive. His car is a beauty. I’ve never been behind the wheel of a drive this smooth and expensive. Milo is used to this kind of thing. I’m not. I have no idea what our future together is going to look like even if we get past this court case.

I’ve never been a high earner. I don’t know how I’m going to keep Milo in the style to which he’s accustomed. Is he going to be the earner? And I’ll... I have no idea what I’ll do.

Milo stares out the window while I navigate traffic. The ultrasound picture is burning a hole in my pocket. Seven weeks. Size of a blueberry, according to the chart on the wall. A blueberry with a heartbeat.

“Thank you for coming with me,” Milo says suddenly.

There was never any other option. “Of course. How are you feeling?”

“Scared,” Milo admits. “For the baby, for you. Because my whole life has been upended and I don’t know what to do about it.” He’s silent for a moment, then he says, “Are you scared?”

I consider lying. Consider playing the stoic alpha, unmoved and unshakeable. But he deserves better than that.

“Terrified,” I admit. “I don’t know how to be a father. Don’t exactly have a good model to follow.”

“Neither do I.” He’s quiet for a moment. “I barely remember my dad and my uncle isn’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type.”

“We’ll figure it out,” I say. “Do better than what we had.”

“You really believe that?”

I pull into the pharmacy lot, park, turn to face him fully. “I know I’m not what you planned. Ex-fighter facing life in prison isn’t exactly prime father material. But Milo, I swear to you, I’ll do whatever it takes. Win this case. Build a life. Be the man youand this baby deserve.”

He’s quiet for so long I think I’ve overstepped. Then, soft: “What if I’m bad at it? Being a parent. Being... yours.”

The last word hangs between us. Being mine. My mate. My omega. He didn’t get to choose it. I wish he had.

“Then we’ll be bad at it together.” I reach over, cup his face gently. “But I don’t think you could be bad at anything you set your mind to. I’ve watched you in court. You’re brilliant. Fierce. You fight for what you believe in, even when everyone’s against you. This baby’s lucky to have you.”

He leans into my touch, eyes closing. “I want to believe you.”

“Then believe.”

A car honks somewhere in the lot. The moment breaks. Milo pulls away, swipes at his eyes.

“Come on,” he says. “Let’s get these prescriptions before I completely fall apart in a CVS parking lot.”

Inside, the pharmacist goes over the medications in excruciating detail. Safe for pregnancy, take with food, may cause drowsiness. Milo nods along, but I can see his attention fragmenting. He’s thinking about court tomorrow. About facing everyone without suppressants. About what this means for his career.

I’m thinking about Cobb. I can no longer just keep my head down and avoid dealing with him. There are people I need to speak to. I have a family to protect now. That changes everything.

20

Milo

I try to ignore how Kellen’s eyes track my every movement as I button my shirt. Court’s in recess for two days, which means I need to catch up at the office. I need to pretend everything’s normal when nothing about my life resembles normal anymore.

I haven’t been fired. Yet. But that doesn’t mean I can slack off. I am a damn good lawyer. They hired me for a reason. It might be time to remind them of that.

“I’ll be back by six,” I tell him, reaching for my tie. My fingers fumble with the silk. Everything feels too sensitive lately, like my skin’s been stripped raw. “There’s food in the fridge, and—”

“I’m coming with you.”

The tie slips through my fingers. “What?”