Page 18

Kellan

I’d only been in the sanctuary a short time, was still settling in when I rushed to the healer’s office in a panic. “I have been sick to my stomach for the past few days, low energy and I’m afraid the blocker/suppressor might be at fault.”

Markus looked up from the thick medical book he was studying. “Have a seat and I will be with you in a moment.” With what the omegas in the labs were subjected to, he was constantly trying to learn more, even delving into human sources because of course, that’s who was doing these things to us.

“But what if I’m dying?” The way my stomach felt, I might well be. “Can you read later?”

“Sit.” He continued to peruse the volume for at least ten more minutes while I shifted in my chair and tried not to gag. Finally, he closed the book and looked at me. “Nauseated? Food aversions, too?”

“I cannot stand the sight or smell of broccoli, beans, and butter, if that’s what you mean. Is that a symptom of poisoning?”

“Butter, really?” He tsked. “That’s a new one for me. Yes, that’s what I meant, but it is not symptomatic of poison. Remember when I was pushing for you and a certain alpha not to rush things when you had all those meds in your system?”

“Vaguely. So you think our making love is making the meds affect me badly?” Shoot, and I was the pushy one, too. The alpha had been pretty honorable until I threw myself at him.

“No, I think that your making love is why you’re pregnant.”

Lucky I was sitting down. “Don’t you need to do a test to confirm that? It’s way too fast. I’ve only been here a few weeks and we didn’t even do the nasty until like the third day.”

“Oh, that’s right. Great restraint.”

“Sarcasm? Really?” I thought I’d get sympathy from the healer when I was feeling so awful.

“Sorry.” He didn’t sound it in the least. “Yes, we’ll do a test, but I can tell by looking at you that you’ve got a pregnancy happening.” He handed me a box. “Go pee on the stick.”

“I thought you’d do blood or urine or something.”

“Let’s start with this.” He showed me the way to the bathroom off the exam area and closed the door behind me.

“Least he could do was pretend to do a real medical test,” I grumbled as I opened the box and withdrew the stick. “Or be a little sympathetic to how sick I am.” I still didn’t believe I was pregnant, not really. Sure, we’d been in bed together every night and most afternoons if Locke could get away from his duties, but didn’t it take longer than this to get pregnant?

Maybe if I’d found something to do around the place, keeping me out of bed more, I wouldn’t be in this situation. Locke and I hadn’t even discussed children. Did he want any?

Oh gods, what if he didn’t.

I peed on the stick and left it on the sink because it was the only thing I could think to do with it. I wanted the results desperately, but I couldn’t think of a good reason to hold on to a stick I’d peed on.

Markus knocked on the door. “Kellan? Are you okay in there? Did you read the instructions?”

“Uh, yeah. They weren’t too complicated. Now I’m waiting for the results.”

“Open the door, and we can wait together.”

I did and came out to sit in a chair while the seconds counted down. “You really don’t think the suppressor could have made me sick?”

“It might have, but that would have been right after you got it. Not weeks later.”

“I see.” I looked up at the wall, watching the clock, the second hand ticking slowly around. “That’s good anyway.”

“But, what I’m concerned about is all the things you were injected with or given in your water or all the other things they might have done to you at the labs.” I’d sat with both Markus and my alpha for hours on end, telling them anything I could remember and disappointing them because I didn’t have nearly enough information.

“You don’t think that’s all out of my system?” If I’d been upset about what I suffered, the idea that their testing might affect my future children made me want to go back there and blow the damn place up. Of course, there were other omegas in there, and I wouldn’t want to hurt them.

“I don’t know. It’s hard to do tests for things we don’t have names for. Or information about. So, I’d say we watch this pregnancy closely.” He stood up and pointed at the clock. “If indeed there is one. Want to go check?”

I dragged my feet on the way into the bathroom, unsure what I wanted the results to be. I absolutely wanted children, but if there was something wrong with me that could affect the baby? Then I’d rather wait at least for a while. How long was the curse of these humans going to hang over my life?

Lifting the stick, I held it up to the healer who clapped his hands. “Positive. Now, go along and give the good news to your alpha. We’ll monitor you and do some tests later on, but for now, be happy and don’t borrow trouble. You are fine and fit, considering.”

“Thank you, Markus. I just hope the baby is okay.”

As I was leaving the healer’s place, I ran into my alpha coming in. He grabbed my shoulders and looked me up and down. “What’s wrong, omega? Were you just visiting our healer?”

“Not exactly.”

“Are you sick?” He towed me back inside. “Markus, what is wrong with my omega?”

The healer emerged from the back, wiping his hands on a towel. “Wrong? Nothing at all.”

“Then why is he here?” Locke’s voice climbed with each word, and I only wanted to ease his worries. “He needs the best treatment. One of the betas heard him getting sick earlier today.”

“Alpha, I’m pregnant.”

“No. Whatever is wrong with…did you say pregnant?”

“Yes.” I studied my shoes. “Are you okay with that?”

“Okay?” He lifted me in the air and spun around in a circle. “I’m over the moon. What a great idea!”

“Another one is stop spinning before I lose what’s left of my breakfast on your shoes.”

He stopped and planted a big kiss on me. “And I wouldn’t mind at all.”

I thought he probably would, but wasn’t it sweet of him to say he wouldn’t.