Page 30 of Temporary Omega

“Don’t even finish that sentence, I’m not sorry and it terrifies me that you could have been alone,” Linc dragged his hand through his hair and pulled it at the thought.

Fuck, what if Luca had been in that ratty apartment alone? Lincoln was certain none of the people there would have done a thing to help. Okay sure, it hadn’t been more than the uterus stretching to accommodate the baby, which was apparently common in the second trimester, but it could have been worse and that thought scared him.

There must have been a look on his face that had Luca feeling like he needed to reassure him, because Luca sat up in bed and looked him square in the eye, “I’m fine. Do you hear me? Fine.”

“Right yes, fine...” Linc turned away from the bed and took a deep breath before walking unsteadily to the cot he’d forced them to give him after claiming to be Luca’s fiancé. He was surprised how easy the words had come out of his mouth.

He wasn’t sure why seeing Luca curled up in pain, his eyes glassy and unfocused, his hands wrapped around his belly, and whispering for his baby, tears running down his face had affected him so deeply. When they’d tried taking Luca away at the hospital, all his alpha instincts had rebelled having the omega out of sight. Linc knew he wasn’t the one in the hospital bed but seeing Luca awake and alert, his cheeks pink with health, had him briefly shutting his eyes and breathing in deeply. And sending gratitude that Luca would be going home once they’d done the ultrasound in the morning.

He took a seat on the cot and met Luca’s eyes again, smiling his relief. His smile widened at the grin on Luca’s face.

“So maybe I should get your last name and date of birth at the very least,” Linc winked at Luca. “Not that I don’t mind sharing Wentworth with you. Luca Wentworth does have a nice ring to it, but I think most people would find it weird that I didn’t know my fiancé’s full name, don’t you think?”

“Oh my,” Luca murmured.

And that was how they spent the rest of night getting to know each other better.

Luca drifted off during their conversation and Linc stood and made sure he was properly covered. He swept his thumb over Luca’s cheek, leaned down and a placed a kiss on his forehead, “Sleep tight.”

Lincoln decided to stretch his legs and exited the room. He looked back at the door debating if he should leave. “I’ll keep an eye over your omega for you,” the nurse from before said with a wink.

Why was it sounding less and less like fiction, Luca as his omega? And why didn’t he feel the noose around his neck that usually appeared at the thought of settling down and letting an omega into his life?

What made Luca different…special?

16

Luca

Luca couldn’t wait to see his little one, he’d been to the free clinic earlier to confirm that he was actually, a hundred percent pregnant, but since then he was ashamed to say that he hadn’t been to any more checkups.

Luca knew that he should have done better but a part of him felt guilt getting free prenatal care when it was supposed to be for the less fortunate, and people with nowhere to turn. He felt like a fraud even though he was currently unable to pay. A voice said there were people worse off than he was. People who truly needed free care more than he did. So this would be the first time Luca got a scan of his baby and he couldn’t wait.

An irrational part of Luca felt like Frankie should be there with him, to experience their child’s first scan. But that was just the hormones speaking. Lincoln had more of a right to be there than Frankie since the man had treated Luca with more compassion and care in the past couple of days than Frankie ever did after the money train had left the station.

But Luca knew some feelings weren’t rational.

Clearly Lincoln understood family and what it meant and Luca couldn’t think of a better person to share the moment with. He’d gotten to know the alpha pretty well during the early hours of the morning when they chatted till Luca had fallen asleep.

He knew Lincoln was an only child born to two loving parents. He went to school here till college, and then moved to England for his master’s degree with his other friends, including Riley’s alpha, Grayson. He knew that Lincoln missed his alpha father, so much.

Luca hadn’t missed the way Lincoln’s features had changed the minute he mentioned his dad. He wasn’t sure the alpha had been aware of the gesture but he’d pressed a fist to his chest almost like he was trying to keep the hurt in. He could tell that Lincoln hadn’t had a chance to really grieve his father, jumping into the position he’d left in the family company. Trying to make sure his papa was doing fine. The man probably hadn’t taken a moment to miss someone Luca could tell, even after knowing Lincoln for a short period, meant the world to him.

He’d wanted to wrap the alpha in his arms and tell him it was okay and that he had someone to lean on now.

Luca couldn’t wait to meet Linc’s papa either, from the way Lincoln spoke of him, he could tell he loved his papa deeply. Was worried about him and would do anything to make him happy.

Although the fact he’d made the arrangement with Luca should have been indication enough.

All in all, Lincoln was a good man, a good alpha and any omega would be lucky to have him. And why did Luca feel like clawing some unknown, unnamed omega’s eyes out at the thought of him even being with Lincoln?

Luca knew he was treading into the dangerous ground even thinking it; thinking of Lincoln as more than friends was not a road that he should travel down. Besides what would someone as put together as Lincoln want to do with a mess like him.

Lincoln probably only saw him as a friend or even worse, a mess, and that wasn’t someone you decided to build a life with. Luca had always wanted kids, a husband, a home. And maybe a nice little restaurant that was all his.

But now, was not part of the plan. Frankie’s turning out to be an unreliable bastard was not part of the plan. On the flip side Lincoln wasn’t part of the plan and so far he was… well he was turning out to be a good thing.

So maybe Luca needed to stop planning.