“About the middle of May,” Duke put in. His voice sounded perfectly calm, except for that deep undertone that said he starting to forget his human manners.
This time, the doctor noticed something off. He regarded Duke with an air of concern. “Are you going to be okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” Duke told him, but I could see the effort he spent to push away his urge to protect me, even though I didn’t need protecting.
The doctor watched him for a moment, then turned away to pull the ultrasound machine next to the head of the table. The gel was just as cold this time, but it was more than made up for by the images he showed us next. “This one is a girl here, and this one—” He moved the wand over my belly. “This is a boy. If you look right here, you can see what we call ‘turtle sign’. It’s basically his genitals—see how it looks like a turtle?” He drew an invisible circle on the screen with his finger. “So, one of each. Nice and even, though it means twice as many clothes if you hold with the pink and blue thing.”
“They’re more likely to just be wearing whatever’s clean,” Duke remarked absently, his gaze locked on the screen and our little ones. I hid a small smile—the ultrasound was a stroke of genius. Nothing like seeing your unborn children to soothe an anxious alpha.
The doctor printed out pictured for us again, then helped clean me up and let me pull my clothes back together. Once I was decent again, the doctor pulled a stool up to sit with us.
“So, it looks like Adelaide was right, and the tissue is separating prematurely under the stress of the extra weight. Bed rest is an absolute must, but I’m going to ask Adelaide to check on you twice a week for the foreseeable future. If that opening gets any bigger, I’m going to ask you to come here and we’ll admit you. As much for you as for the babies.” He turned his attention on Duke while I digested what he’d just told me. My stomach was churning, the medicine I’d taken completely overwhelmed. It was fear. I knew it, I could tell by the way my hands trembled. Some omega I was—I couldn’t even have a baby right.
The doctor turned back to me. “This isn’t unusual. Maybe you being omega is unusual, but a good part of my practice is keeping buns inside ovens until they’ve baked long enough. Your babies are healthy and I’m not going to let anything happen to them.”
I nodded and leaned against Duke for comfort. He put an arm around me and held me, loaning me his strength like an alpha was supposed to do. And then we got up to leave, to face an uncertain future, but at least we were facing it together.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Well, I really sucked at being an omega. Not two weeks after my last doctor’s visit, I was back in the van, this time with Duke and two suitcases full of clothes and other personal things. Because I was being admitted to hospital.
The gap in my omega line had doubled in size and now the doctor was worried that I’d have the babies too early. At this point, they probably wouldn’t survive, but every week I could keep them inside improved their chances of living a lot. He said that if I could get to three weeks before my expected due date, that I wouldn’t need to worry so much, because they shouldn’t need much extra care even if they were born that early. And if I could manage another two weeks, then even if my omega line did give way, there were things he could do to keep them alive.
So I got to have my bed rest in the hospital, in a room where I could be locked away from the rest of the patients. Because, obviously, sixteen-week-pregnant me was going to run fast enough to hunt down humans and do whatever it was they were afraid I’d do. Probably lick them to death like a puppy, seeing as how I was omega. It made me mad, and I nursed that anger, because it was better than the guilt that was eating away at me. But even more, I was afraid.
I sat quietly in my hospital bed, listening to the pack histories, while Duke put my things away. He couldn’t stay with me, but he could be here most of the time. The Kentucky pack enclave wasn’t far outside the city, so he’d stay there at night, and come back as soon as curfew lifted in the morning.
Eventually, Duke closed the last drawer and came to perch on the edge of my bed. “How’s the mattress?”
I put the recorder aside and attempted a smile. “Not as nice as ours at home, but it’ll do.” I almost said that I hoped I wouldn’t be there long, but caught myself before the stupid words could happen. I wanted to be there for another ten weeks. Ten weeks meant our babies would be full term. They’d be healthy.
I wouldn’t have failed them.
Duke rubbed my thigh. “It’ll be okay. Maybe I should learn to knit, or sew. Since you’re the one bringing home the venison.”
The picture of Duke sitting in the chair in the corner with a pair of knitting needles making baby clothes made me laugh.
A nurse came through the door as our giggles were dying down. “Well, I’m glad you’re finding this so funny.” She frowned and I immediately got the feeling that she hated us. Made worse because neither of us knew how to respond, so we just stared at her in surprise while her mouth tightened and her expression grew darker and darker. She stomped closer and even I could smell the fear on her, behind the blood-rich smell of anger. “You’re supposed to be lying down flat.” She reached below the bed, never taking her eyes off either of us, and lifted a rail into place. The click it made sounded like a smaller version of the locks on the enclave gates closing, trapping me in the bed. At the same time, she did something so that the back of the bed lowered and I was left with nothing to look at but the ceiling. Oh, this was going to be a fun ten weeks if that was all I was allowed to do. At least I had a couple of pillows—maybe I could figure out a way to prop my head up so I could watch the television in the corner of the room.
She left without raising the rail on the other side. I thought she might have been afraid to go too close to Duke, who was doing his possessive looming thing again. She did give us an angry backwards glance as she turned away from us to scuttle out the door, as if she was afraid we’d suddenly come after her, fangs bared. As if she thought we weren’t a civilized people in our own right. Though, with the way the humans treated us, I was beginning to wonder if there was something to it. After all, shouldn’t there have been something that started it?
I could tell Duke wasn’t happy without even looking at him. And when I did, his face looked strained, and he looked ten years older than he actually was. “Keep your head down around her when I’m not here, okay?” he said to me, his eyes still fixed on the now closed door. “She smells like trouble.”
I nodded. It was coming home to me now that I wasn’t safe here, even in this place that I’d been told I’d be safe. My hands went automatically to the mound of my belly, as if they were enough to keep the babies secure from harm.
Duke put his hand over mine. “I don’t think anything bad will happen, as long as you’re careful with her. And they’re here to help babies, so they won’t do anything that would hurt them, Adelaide tells me.”
“Human babies,” I said. I wasn’t convinced that Adelaide’s assurances applied to shifter babies too.
I’d hoped that Duke would correct me, but instead he nodded. “Human babies. But babies are cute, and twins are even cuter, I’m told.” He grinned at me, and it was mostly free of any anxiety or nervousness. “So, between my mate being cute, and twins being cute, and babies being cute, I think we’ll be okay. If it gets really bad, I’ll talk to that lawyer friend of Garrick’s and send him after them. I bet his bite is worse than mine.”
I laughed dutifully and reached out to touch his cheek. “I’m sorry for all this.”
“Not your fault.” He turned his head so he could kiss my palm. “And soon we’ll be home with our pups, and you’ll be telling me everything’s all my fault.” He raised his eyebrows and grinned cheekily at me.
“And you say I’m the brat.” I rubbed my fingers over his cheek, wishing he could stay overnight with me, but the hospital wouldn’t allow it. But it was only mid-afternoon. We’d have until about nine before he had to leave to ge
t back to the enclave before curfew started. “I might nap a little. Want to lie down with me.”
“I probably just sit here and keep an eye on you,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m ready to relax yet.”
Neither was I, but after everything that had happened the past few weeks, I was exhausted. So I patted Duke’s cheek and pulled the covers up to my chin and fell right to sleep.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Daytime in the hospital wasn’t that bad. I’d discovered that the hospital had internet that I could get on with the laptop and I’ll admit that I blew the first couple of days just randomly clicking links to see where they took me, reveling in the freedom of no data restrictions.
The day nurses were nice and, after they got over their shock that I was pregnant and male, they treated me like any other patient. I hadn’t realized that humans didn’t have omegas, which I found kind of a shock myself, but once one of the nurses—Kristy, who always wore burgundy or purple—explained it to me, I began to understand why I had so many nursing visitors. They seemed curious and friendly and I tried to answer as many questions as I could and, where I couldn’t, I’d poke Duke and make him answer them, even when the answers turned him bright red with embarrassment.
The nurses found that adorable and soon began to treat him like any other mate in the place, sending him on errands for me, and recommending places he could go to find me books, or food, and loaned us a deck of cards to keep us entertained. Once, Kristy sent him off to buy me flowers, because I was being such a good patient and deserved some. I don’t think she understood that we couldn’t afford them, but Duke somehow managed to kill two birds with one snap of teeth and came back with a single rose. Apparently, humans thought that was particularly romantic. I just raised my eyebrows at him and he winked, which made me laugh.
The nightime nurse, or Nurse Cranky as I dubbed her, was still a pain in my ass. Half the time, she didn’t actually do whatever it was she was supposed to do, because if I even moved the wrong way, she’d drop everything and leave. She actually started bringing a security guard with her after this one time when I was dozing and didn’t hear her come in. The first I knew she was there was when a rough hand grabbed my wrist and I jumped and swatted at her. So ever since, some guy in a blue uniform hung out in the door watching me in case I decided to eat her.
Naw. She was an old biddy. Even if I was in wolf form, she’d be too tough to chew. Phhht.
The doctor came to visit me a couple times a week. He seemed pleased with us, and complimented me on keeping to the letter of his instructions, as well as the spirit.
“I don’t want them to fall out,” I told him sharply. I’d been stuck in this one room for three weeks now, and I was getting a little cranky.
“Well, I think you’re doing an excellent job. At this point, every day we gain is a win. And if you can go another three or four weeks, then we’re almost in the clear. Most of what human babies are doing in the last month is putting on weight—I assume it’ll be the same for shifter babies. We’ll do another ultrasound in a week to check on their growth, but the nurses tell me you’re eating well and I can see,” he eyed my now massive belly, “that the babies are using at least some of that.”
He pulled the sheet back and asked me to loosen the string of my pajama bottoms so he could check out how things were doing down there. The pajamas were one of the pairs that Bax had given me the day after my mating, huge baggy things with a drawstring waist so I could just keep letting them out as I grew. I loved them. Was thinking about keeping on wearing them after the babies came. Seriously considering never wearing anything else for the rest of my life.
Lady of Wolves, I was getting lazy.
I untied the knot and slinked them down until he could see. Duke still looked uncomfortable having someone else stick their face in my crotch, but he took it well. I could feel the doctor pushing at the skin on either side of my line, and then he stood up again.
“You can pull your pajamas up again. It looks like the gap has opened farther and a couple of the stitches seem to have pulled through. I’m going to put the sling back on you and maybe a pressure bandage. The staples I put in when you first got here are holding. I can do more of those, but I’m honestly not sure it would do any good. We don’t want the babies stuck in there if there’s an opening to the world, that’s just asking for infection. In fact, I might just take the staples out, since they really aren’t doing any good. Hang on, while I get the tool I need.” He patted my knee and left the room.
I looked up at Duke. His face looked grim, but as soon as I turned to him, he slid onto the edge of the bed and pulled me into his arms. “It’ll be all right,” he murmured. “The doctor said three or four more weeks, that’s all. You can do it.”
“He absolutely can,” the doctor said, coming in through the door with a grin. Kristy came behind him, carrying a tray with some stuff on it. The doctor motioned for Duke to get off the bed, and for me to lie down and drop my pajamas again. “This will only take a second.” I felt pressure and some twisting, then heard a ping, and the pressure at that spot on my belly disappeared, only to reappear an inch to the side. “I have a favor to ask you,” he said as the twisting began. The staple pinged and he looked up at me. “You know we’re part of the medical school here, or they’re part of us, whatever. One of the reasons why we have facilities for shifters. I was wondering if you would mind meeting some of the medical students that will be doing rotations next year. If you’re willing, and if Mercy Hills or Jackson-Jellystone is willing, we might be able to convince one to do a short rotation in one of those packs. Get a feel for shifter culture and the medical differences between you and us.” Ping. “But I perfectly understand that, under the circumstances, you wouldn’t want to do it. It’s not required.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted more strangers goggling at me, but I knew this was something that Abel would be really excited about. And, with everything he and Bax and Holland had done for us, I felt like I kind of owed it to them. I had opened my mouth to say yes when Duke cut me off.
“Can we talk about it?” he asked.
The doctor looked up from layering soft hospital gauze over my omega line. “Oh, of course. This isn’t something I’d expect an immediate answer to.” He held his hand out and Kristy laid a wide roll of stretchy elastic fabric in it. “I’m going to need you to lift your hips a little, good, now you can relax.” He pinned the fabric. It was tight, but not uncomfortable. I could feel it holding my belly in place, even more than the sling had.
“Thank you,” I told him. “It already feels better.”
“Well, we have to keep those pups inside for at least another month.” He looked over at Duke. “You keep doing your job, Dad, like you have been, and it’ll be smooth sailing.” He nudged Kristy. “Not too often the nurses sing the significant other’s praises, but they are, right, Kris?”
“You behave,” she told him sternly, though the words were spoken through a smile. “Anything else you want changed?”
“No,” he said. “I’m going to head out, I’ve got someone in labor right now and I should be getting ready.” He turned back to us. “You two have a good day, and don’t worry. You’re going to be fine.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Duke watched the humans leave, then, when Bram wiggled over on the bed, he kicked his sneakers off and climbed in with him.
“I’m so tired of this,” Bram murmured against his chest. “I’m doing everything they’re asking me. Why won’t it stop?”
“Shhh, it’s okay. You’re the bravest shifter I know.” He had to stay strong for Bram. His mate was putting on a good show, but Duke thought Bram didn’t realize how much the strain showed on him. “You don’t have to let him have the students in.”
“Yeah.” Bram rested against him for a moment. “Abel would want me to.”
“Abel doesn’t get a say in this.” He paused to rub Bram’s back, making his mate moan and settle against him in boneless contentment.
“And we can still open the invitation, if Adelaide is willing to take on a medical student. You saying no doesn’t mean it can’t happen. It just won’t happen that way.”
“Yeah.” Bram sighed, and Duke held him, and soon Bram’s breathing deepened into the even rhythm of sleep. He waited a few minutes to make sure his mate was truly asleep, then he fumbled his phone out of his jeans pocket and dialed Mac.
Mac dispensed with the usual greetings. “Hey, how are things? How’s Bram?”
“He’s holding up, but he’s getting tired. I don’t know how much longer we can keep this going. The doctor was in today and has him all wrapped up now to keep the pressure off.
“Jason was thinking we could come down to visit for a couple of days, if there’s space for us to stay.”
“He’d appreciate that. It’s kind of lonely down here, they’ve got him in a room all by himself and since he’s not allowed out of bed, all he gets to do is watch television and work on the omega project. And make lists of baby names.”
“I’ll see if I can set it up then. I found a car to replace the other one and it wouldn’t hurt to take it for a good run and make sure it’s not going to break down.”
“By taking it for a run and trying to make it break down?”
“At least I can probably fix it, if it isn’t too bad. Don’t worry,” Duke could hear the grin in Mac’s voice. “I’ll make sure it’s in top shape before we go.”
Duke chuckled quietly, then shot a guilty glance at Bram, but his mate was still sleeping. “The doctor says if he can hang on to the babies another three or four weeks, then it won’t matter so much if they come early. I just wish it was over.”
Duke's Baby Deal (MM Mpreg Shifter Romance) (Mercy Hills Pack Book 3) Page 20
