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“Leo, no! I can’t—I can’t take that test. Not now. Not here. Please!”
She was pushing against my chest, fighting against the circle of my arms. Tears puddled along her lash line, threatening to spill as she looked up at me.
“We need to know.”
My voice was rough, and a sob breaking from her stopped me from saying more. She quit fighting me and collapsed again my chest, crying quietly as I held her and forced out a purr.
Nicholas approached with a white box in his hand, holding it toward us from a safe distance. He was an omega too and wasn’t likely to trigger my instincts, but it was possible Cadence would react to his presence if he got too near since she was already distressed.
“You can take it home and do it there. The directions are on the box.”
His voice was soft and soothing, but Cadence curled tighter against me and refused to look at him or move to take the box. I held my hand out for it and he stepped forward to pass it over before retreating back to his desk. I knew he had questions burning at the tip of his tongue since he could scent that she was an omega, and that we weren’t bonded, but he knew not to voice them.
Giving him a nod, I scooped Cadence back into my arms and headed for the door and the car waiting outside.
The ride to my place was silent, Cadence sniffling as she stared out the passenger window. She refused to move or speak, even after we pulled into the parging garage and I walked around to open the door for her.
“Cadence.”
She didn’t seem to see my hand waiting for her, even after I called her name. I’d put a lid on my excitement, but the worry for my omega was harder to contain. This clearly wasn’t something she’d wanted or planned for, and it would upend her entire life, and part of my heart broke at the pain it would cause her if I was right.
“Blossom.”
The nickname seemed to get her attention, and she looked up at me. Worry shone from her face, and I hated that I couldn’t do more to help other than offer a calming purr. Now more than ever I wished we had a bond so I would know what she felt and what she needed from me.
Squatting, I brushed my knuckles along her jaw before cupping her cheek. The predominate thing radiating from her was fear, and I hated that I was part of the reason behind it.
“We’ll figure it out. We’ll find a way. But we need to know first, before we decide what comes next. I’ll be here no matter what.”
Her lips trembled as I brushed mine across them, the scent of salt overwhelming her natural sweetness with my nose so close to her cheeks. I wanted her so much it hurt every time she left, and this was a way to tie her to me for good, but I couldn’t be happy about it if it caused her this much anguish.
“Let’s go, little Blossom. Waiting will only cause more stress.”
Her arms crept around my neck, nails scraping my scalp as her hands curled. Sliding mine beneath her knees and around her back, I lifted her from the seat and kicked the car door closed behind us.
I’d carried her up to my suite enough times it was no problem to get my key out to get us into the elevator. Cadence shuddered in my arms, the cool spot growing on my chest and the increased scent of tears letting me know my omega was crying, and I squeezed her tighter, pouring my worry into purring for her.
This would change our course, but it was still debatable if it would be for the better or worse.
Chapter Nine
Cadence
My mind was surprisingly blank as Leo carried me into his bedroom and sat on the bed. The tears had slowed to nothing more than stinging in my eyes, exhaustion sucking away the emotions that had surged when Aelia’s comment first registered.
I was pregnant.
I didn’t need the test to confirm it. I could feel the truth of it burning through me, and I didn’t know how I hadn’t figured it out sooner.
Maybe it was denial. If I didn’t accept what was happening, it would go away. I’d noticed my breasts were sore, and I was constantly bloated, but it was too early for my scent to have changed enough for anyone to notice, and if I refused to acknowledge what was coming, I could still hope I was wrong.
I was an idiot.
“Are you ready?”
Leo’s question was soft, as if he was scared even the sound of his voice would set me off again. I ached from the knowledge that I was hurting him with my response to the possibility of being pregnant, but I’d never planned for this. There was no path to lead me through to the other side and the future I’d tried to imagine for myself.
What was I going to do?
