by Sarah Havan
“Did you drug us?” Mason asked, his little nose all scrunched up.
Mr. Jones laughed. “No, we did not.”
“This is just so. It’s gah. I don’t know.” Mason shook his head and watched the two pregnant people go by.
“It is a lot to take in at once. That’s why we encourage you to continue visiting, learn more, meet others. Decide if you want to stay for any duration in your pregnancy.”
“You guys are a cult.” Mason stopped walking and put his hands on his hips.
“No. No. We offer omegas and their mates a place to stay during the pregnancy for whatever reason. They’re not comfortable being out in the world. They need a calm environment. They’re tired of answering all the questions. They just want to get away and enjoy their pregnancy, and then of course, give birth at the hospital here. And people like us, often like sticking close to each other.”
“How expensive is that?” I asked. Mason had already been worried about the cost of going to the doctor in the first place and now all this other stuff, too.
“We help cover the costs of the accommodations and everything that comes along with them, and the hospital takes most major insurances.”
Mason tipped his head. “What’s the catch?”
“We have donors and sponsors. Mainly pairs giving back,” Mr. Jones said, walking along a path through the gardens.
Mason shook his head and looked up at Mr. Jones. “That’s kinda nice, but I can’t see hiding myself away here.”
“And that is perfectly fine. Do you think you’d like to give birth at The Health Center?”
“Uh, health center doesn’t sound like a place to be birthing a baby,” Mason said.
“It’s a fully functioning hospital. It’s over this way. We call it The Health and Education Center because we use the hospital to educate incoming alphas and omegas, but it’s still a fully functioning hospital.”
“I don’t know. It’s still too unreal to me.” Mason scrubbed a hand over his face.
“Would you like to see something? My phone is buzzing so it might be the perfect time.” Mr. Jones pulled his phone from his back pocket, typed something, and then slid it back in.
“What?” I asked.
“Some omegas sign up for the educational program so others can learn from them. They want to share their birthing experience to help other omegas feel more at ease about it. We have one young man who’s about to deliver. If we hurry, we should be able to see.” Mr. Jones had a huge smile on his face.
“See some guy give birth?” Mason asked, twisting his lips to the side and glancing over at me.
“Yes, there’s a viewing window. He’s sharing his delivery so others can see it can be done, and it’s safe and natural for people like you.”
Mason sighed. “Oh God, okay.”
Mr. Jones led us over to a small, two-floored brick building with large cement columns in front and wide stairs that led up to the entrance doors. We followed him inside to see a man give birth.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mason
Through the window was a man in his late twenties on a hospital bed with his feet up in stirrups, holding behind his knees with his hands. He curled in on himself and let out a scream that raised the hairs on the back of my neck.
“Aw, heck no.” I stepped away from the window.
“That’s just the nature of birth. Omegas might have a bit rougher of a time, but not much more. It just takes a bit more pushing and stretching.”
A man stood next to the omega and winced as the omega took his hand and crushed it in his. The omega bore down again and screamed.
“That’s James and his alpha, Derrek,” Mr. Jones said, standing to my left. Conrad to my right. My guess was that Mr. Jones was an alpha too because I felt shrunken standing between him and Conrad.
“If I could have this baby for you, Mason, I would. I don’t want you to have to go through that.” Conrad rubbed my back.
Mr. Jones smiled. “Such an alpha thing to say. Always wanting to care for and protect their omega.”
“I don’t think this is helping,” I said as James screamed again.
Mr. Jones patted my shoulder. “Something for you to think about.”
“Holy hell, they’re pulling the baby out. We just saw a person be born. From a man. Pushed out of his body,” Conrad said.
“What are they doing now?” I asked, squinting my eyes and leaning in closer to the glass.”
“They’re cutting the cord,” Mr. Jones said.
“Why are they taking his baby away?” They took his baby. They needed to give him his baby.
“Keep watching,” Mr. Jones urged.
James screamed and curled in on himself again, panting and sweating. His body relaxed some, but then he went back to pushing. After he pushed one more time, the doctor delivered another baby.
“Holy hell,” Conrad whispered. “Did that dude seriously just have twins? Any more in there?”
“No. But yes, he gave birth to twins,” Mr. Jones said in his deep, calm voice.
I watched them take the baby and put it on James’ chest. James and Derrek both sobbed, looking down at their newborn. They took the baby away and brought the other one to him. James and Derrek started crying again.
“That’s how I’m going to have my baby.” I knew for certain then that I was going to naturally deliver my baby, and my heart fluttered in excitement for the first time. I was going to have a baby.
“Best and healthiest choice for you,” Mr. Jones said.
“How can I be making these decisions after only finding out I’m pregnant a few days ago?”
“Your body knew what was going on for months. And even though you didn’t realize it, you knew this was natural. Your body wanted this, so it’s easy for you to accept.”
“I don’t think easy is the word.”
“But we have omegas make their birthing choice early before regular medicine tells you what you should do.”
“So, is Conrad like stuck with me for life now?” I asked since everyone kept talking about mates, and Dr. Matthews mentioned us being fated for each other.
“Most stay with their mates for the entirety of their lives.”
“Are you okay with that, Conrad? Being stuck with me?”
He laughed. “You’re the one stuck with me.”
“We’re only nineteen.” While I felt happy with having a baby, it was all the rest that was so undetermined.
“You are a rare breed within a rare breed,” Mr. Jones said. “Since you experienced puberty later, you didn’t go into heat until late, quite late. You’re a late bloomer. With most younger omegas, they learn to control that urge.”
“How?” Because I sure in hell couldn’t control it one tiny bit, so I needed to know.
“Mainly, through self-satisfaction. When you’re young, it works to tide you over. The need isn’t as strong for someone so young, and when they do have to have their needs met, they learn to be wise when doing the deed. Also, more than likely, they haven’t met someone they want to mate with yet so knotting won’t occur. But when you go into your first heat and you’re older, it will, more than likely, result in impregnation because the urge is so much stronger and chances are, you met your fated mate. You didn’t have that intro period where omegas kind of learn the ropes. So if you see a pregnant omega your age, that is more than likely the case.”
“Because they were so horny they couldn’t wait for their mate to put on a condom.”
Mr. Jones smiled. “Pretty much.”
“Great, now people will know that about me. Why do you keep saying heat? Aren’t I just ovulating?” I stopped speaking for a moment. “I can’t believe I just said that.”
“Yes, you are ovulating, but you only ovulate during a certain season. It’s called estrous, and because of this, you don’t menstruate either, and your urge to become with child is so much stronger. Your mate will smell when you’re in heat. He’ll be pulled to you, and you’ll be wait
ing for him. And depending, it’ll last from a day to a week where the urge doesn’t die down. That you need your alpha breeding you.”
“That sounds like it kind of sucks. How am I supposed to function then if I have a whole week where I want to do nothing but have sex? And not like normal. Like hardcore, he’s going to pound my brains out kind of sex.”
“Ha, yes. You won’t be in heat all year long or every week. It’s seasonal. So, for about a period of four months will be mating season. About once a month for however many days, you’ll be in heat. That’s when a lot of omegas use their sick days at work.”
“So, what? I’m just going to keep getting pregnant?” It sounded kind of dreadful.
“Some do or you just use protection,” Mr. Jones said so matter-of-factly.
“I have a feeling this dude would rip right through a condom.” I hitched my thumb in Conrad’s direction.
“We have special ones here in The Health Center that accommodate knotting.”
“I felt it in me. There was a lot,” I said, thinking of all of his come filling me.
“They balloon out to collect it all.”
“Can I just not have sex?” Sounded like a pretty good option to me.
“You can self-satisfy but when you’re fated, that need to feel your alpha’s knot is hard to fight,” Mr. Jones said, balling his fist and shaking it a bit. His arm and fist like that made me think of Conrad. It felt like he probably got that big.
“What if he’s out of town?”
“You’ll have a rough couple of days.”
“Joy,” I said. Conrad threw his arm around my shoulder and pulled me to his side.
“But alphas know when their omegas heat season is near, and they make sure to stay close.”
“What if you don’t have an alpha?”
“As I’ve said, the younger ones can do without, but for older ones, there are get-togethers if your needs have to be met. But the urge isn’t nearly as strong when you’re in heat and haven’t met someone you want to mate with.”
“How come it seems everyone else knows about this going into heat stuff, but not me? You said they learn to control it over time.” Some warning would’ve been nice.
“It generally runs in families, and the families know they carry the gene. Your family didn’t know. It must’ve become recessive long ago, but then decided to pop up just for you.”
“So, my baby will be like me?” I touched my stomach, looking down at it.
“No. It varies from child to child. Let’s walk again, shall we?” Mr. Jones waved his hand toward the end of the hallway.
“Also, you keep saying my fated mate, my mate, and someone to mate with. What’s the diff?”
“When you meet your mate, you’re fated. A lifelong bond is formed.”
“What if the guy is awful?” I think I got lucky with Conrad. He was the most wonderful person, and I was going to get to spend the rest of my life with him.
“Then you won’t form that bond. But if you haven’t found the alpha you’re fated for, you can have sex, mate with any alpha as long as you’re receptive, and he’ll still knot you, but you’re chances of becoming with child are very low.”
“Even with all of his sperm in you?”
“Yes, your cervix will close,” Mr. Jones said as we approached the elevators. For a moment, I was going to insist that I could take the stairs, but my head whirled with too much information, so elevator it was.
“But I’m guessing sometimes not tight enough?”
“Exactly.”
“So I would assume Mason would start seeing one of the OBGYNs on staff here?” Conrad asked as the elevator doors opened, and we stepped on.
“Yeah, because my other one probably won’t be cool with my delivery method,” I said, thinking of the reaction on her face if I suggested giving birth the actual way I was meant to deliver.
“We will contact your insurance and arrange an appointment. How does tomorrow sound?” We walked off the elevator and over to the front desk where a nurse sat.
“But I just had an appointment.” My shoulders dropped. I was tired of all the appointments. It was making me feel like a bigger freak than I initially thought I was.
“Regular doctors tend to miss things. When someone with your condition visits a doctor not familiar with you, they’re quite inexperienced. Can I have the file folder for Mason Donnelly please, George?”
“Okay, I guess,” I said.
“Good. Just fill out these few forms here, and we’ll be ready to go.” Mr. Jones took some papers out of the folder George gave him and put them on a clipboard, handing it to me. And things were in motion for me to naturally deliver my baby.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Conrad
“So, wow,” I said as we got in the car and drove away. “That was a lot of info.”
Mason and I were meant to be together for life, and we had never even said out loud that we were boyfriends. Yes, we were in a relationship, but we never labeled it as anything. We were just together. It felt perfect and wonderful. And yet, I had never called my mate for life my boyfriend. No wonder he was worried at first if I wanted the baby. He didn’t even know that I’d stick around at first, but now with all the new info, he was mine forever.
“Well, it seems I’m going to push a human out of a tiny hole in my body. So, there’s that.”
“You’ll do great, Mason. And I’ll be there right by your side. Six months away.”
“This is going all so quick. I’m going to give birth,” he said, emphasizing the word birth.
“When we thought you were sick, you know pregnancy was the last thing we would’ve thought of.”
Mason ran a hand through his hair. “We have to start preparing for all of this.”
“I’m going to take good care of you.”
“My alpha. And I’m starving, but first, I need to pull down my pants,” he said, wriggling around in his seat. “They’re so damn tight.”
“Let’s go get you maternity clothes.”
“Heck no. If anything, I need a bra first.” He exhaled as he freed his stomach.
I reached over and rubbed his belly. “Okay, let’s go eat and then take a trip to the mall.
“Good, because these things are killing me, and my brain really needs a distraction.”
“This will be fun.”
“I swear to God, I’m going to stab you.”
“C’mon, let’s make the most of it.”
He threw a glare in my direction.
“If it helps at all, I love your boobs.” Loved his breasts, his belly, his body from head to toe, all of him inside and out.
“No, it doesn’t, but thanks. At least, one of us does.”
***
We walked into a bright pink shop that sold women’s underwear. Racks of bras and panties surrounded us.
“Hello, gentleman,” a cheery employee said, approaching us. She had her hair back in a bun and wore a blazer.
“Hi,” I said.
Mason might’ve growled.
“You looking for something special for your ladies?” She smiled and tilted her head to the side a little.
Mason shook his head.
“You looking for something special for yourselves?” she asked with an eyebrow quirked up.
Mason nodded.
Her eyes went wide for a moment, but she contained her shock pretty well. “You came to the right place. Are you both looking for something?”
“Just me,” Mason said softly.
“And what can I help you find?”
“I need a bra, but I’m at a total loss.” He bit his lip and looked at the floor.
“How about we first go get you measured and then you tell me more about what kind of bra you’re looking for. I’m Carly, and right this way.” She waved her hand over her shoulder. Me and Mason followed.
Back in the dressing room, from a little table, she grabbed a small pad of paper, a pencil, and from her pocket, pulled out a measuring
tape. “Step on in here.” She ushered Mason into a changing room. “Are you joining us?” she asked.
“I’ll wait out here. Okay, Mason?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
I sat on a little bench and glanced at the row of black doors with a single pink heart in the middle of each of them.
Mason and the sales associate, Carly, came back out. “Just give me a few minutes,” she said to Mason.
“34A.” Mason pointed to his chest.
After a bit, Carly returned with a few things for Mason to try on. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Okay,” Mason said.
She smiled and went to help someone else.
Mason forced a smile. “Care to join me this time?”
“Yeah.”
We went in, and Mason hung the bras he held on a hook.
“Which one you trying on first?” I asked.
“I guess this one,” he said, grabbing one that was a beige color. “She said it wouldn’t be as obvious through my clothes.”
“Want me to turn around?”
“We’ve had sex how many times? And you got me pregnant. How many times have these been in your mouth? So, really?” He slipped off his T-shirt and took the bra from the hanger. “How do I work this thing?”
“Just unhook the back and slide it on.”
He slid it on.
“Turn around.”
He turned his back to me, and I hooked it for him. “It fits you well,” I said over his shoulder, the two of us looking in the mirror at him.
“It kind of does.” He turned from side to side, checking himself out. “It makes my breasts feel nice. Like they’re good and snug.” He blew out a shaky breath and sucked on his bottom lip.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said, rubbing his back.
He covered his face and shook his head.
“You look nice.” He looked so handsome with his tummy sticking out and round, his breasts filling up the bra, his gorgeous face.
I was beyond attracted to him.
Part of me wanted to go stand on a chair in the middle of the store and shout how beautiful I thought he was, and that made me so happy inside because I stood there being perfectly comfortable being me. The me that was meant to love another man.
