Page 62 of Galaxy Between Us

With a soft smile, he accepts my color choice. It takes some convincing to pull him away from housework and into our bedroom.

“It’s early, Knox.”

“I just want to lay with you. Tell me how onboarding went.”

We climb into bed together, cuddled close in my house that is slowly acquiring more of his personal touches next to mine. His breath tickles my neck when he speaks.

“It was good. They’re a smart group and I know the company will appreciate their skills. I got to learn some new things myself. Those StarPoint systems are tricky to get the hang of with all the complicated buttons and knobs.”

“StarPoint?” my heart thuds in my chest, eyelids popping open wide, erasing any ounce of sleep that beckoned me closer.

“Yeah. It’s the main software our department uses throughout the assembly process. It’s how they operate any machinery at each station,” Ari explains casually through a yawn.

Shit.

I didn’t even realize which departments would be directly affected by the change. If we phase out StarPoint, that means Ari’s new operators might lose their positions. The new software within Dan and Kelly’s plan will require a degree that only Alphas can attain.

This might be the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.

“What’s wrong?” Arius whispers before pressing kisses to my cheek and lips.

Swallowing the emotions fast, I kiss him back deeply, keeping it in the back of my mind that I’ll need to fix this as soon as possible. If I can.

Early in the morning, I slip away to the balcony for a phone call while Ari is getting ready for work.

“Mr. Beckett…” my colleague’s tone is not light.

“I know it’s a lot to ask, but you have to understand, this is not the right move for the company.”

“Is that so? Or is it not the right choice for you? Personal affairs aside, Dan and Kelly have shown us every reason why this is the most suitable route for the company. There’s no backing out because of a handful of Omegas.”

The phone beeps with the tone of being hung up on before I can argue.

“Fuck!” I grunt under my breath, unable to appreciate the glorious sunrise as I pace anxiously. Ari is going to kill me.

“Knox!” he shrieks my name and my heart drops heavily.

Does he already know? Did someone tell him?

I rush inside, ready to apologize profusely, but I freeze, staring at my mate clutching his stomach with an agonized expression.

“Knox! I think the baby is coming!” he cries, breaths rampant as he curls in on himself.

I panic, left paralyzed by those daunting words.

My mouth goes dry. My stress levels rupture the scale. I forget every single thing that I had tenaciously studied for this exact moment. Hands splayed out uselessly, I stumble around him, unsure how to help in this situation.

“Uh, right now? Are you sure?”

He grips the edge of the bed and bares his teeth at me, evading my touch.

“Call Raul!” he yells.

“Oh, right! Yes, I’ll call him right now, just, hold it in for a minute,” I pull out my phone, only to realize it’s very much still in my hand which is trembling as I locate the doctor’s number.

“Knox, you did not just tell me to hold the baby in! Aaah!” he cries out again as the contractions heighten.

“Here, get up on the bed,” I move to help him with one hand while pressing the phone to my ear.