AllFreeNovel
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I don’t see my brother ever sharing a pack bed like our fathers do.
The light in the attached bathroom is on, and I fall back against my pillows. That makes sense. Maybe she had to pee.
I lie awake for a few minutes, but as I become more coherent, I catch on to a faint sound. I shove myself off the bed and aim for the door. I get close and pick up the sound of sniffling or maybe crying.
My head tilts, and the longer I listen, the tighter my chest feels. What the hell happened? Is she upset about the gifts? Does she feel unwell?
My fists clench at my side as I try to figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do now. Fitz is drooling against his pillow. War is an option, but I feel like that would be shitty.
If I want to be her alpha, then I need to be around for all the things.
Not just the good times.
I’ve spent a lot of my life bouncing when things get complicated.
I knock gently and don’t get a reply. I try a second time, and when she doesn’t respond, I turn the handle. She’s sitting on the closed toilet lid with a towel in her hands, and she’s crying into it.
My stomach aches, and my impulses urge me forward.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” I try to keep my voice low and soothing, but it’s gravelly from sleep.
She jumps, and her red eyes meet mine. “I’m okay. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
I squat down in front of her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she says weakly, glancing away.
“Don’t lie to me.”
“I-I…” Her head shakes and a sob rattles out.
I pull her into my lap and scoot back until my ass hits the wall. She cries against my chest. I yank the towel out and toss it aside. That’s when I catch sight of the pile of clothing in the corner. I’m still baffled, but I run my hand down her back as the other cradles her head.
“Just tell me this—are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she chokes out. “Nothing is wrong with me, except I got my hopes up.”
“I’m lost here, shortcake. I’m feeling like the dumbass everyone always accuses me of being.”
“Omegas still have a period until we present.” She clutches at me even tighter. “Once our heat cycle starts, then instead of it being monthly, it changes to the week following the heat if conception doesn’t occur.”
I nod, holding her while trying to force myself to purr. I managed to do it earlier. It shouldn’t be this goddamn hard, but knowing she’s upset makes me feel like I could claw out of my skin.
I know how shitty it felt when War popped a knot six months before I did. Despite everyone assuring me I would present, I felt like a failure—like I didn’t measure up to mytwin’salphaness.
I get why she’s upset. She’s been having symptoms that led her to think she’d start her heat soon.
“It’s stupid,” she whispers, shaking her head.
“It’s not.” I go on to tell her how I felt when Warrick presented first. “I understand. It feels like a giant piece of you is missing, but you’ve never had that part to begin with.” I frown, because a heat isn’t exactly like a knot, but hopefully the analogy translates.
“Exactly. I know my designation shouldn’t define me as a person, but I have a whole lot of the traits that make up being an omega. It’s hard to fail at something I can’t control,” she says weakly.
“You’re not failing at anything,” I assure her, nuzzling my cheek to the top of her head. “Tell me how to make you feel better.”
“I’m okay, really, I am. It’s just…” She exhales heavily. “It’s disappointing. Only a small percentage of omegas can conceive outside of a heat. I know I’m young. Everyone says there’s plenty of time, but the doctors were so negative about it. Not negative, I guess, they’re just used to laying out the facts. And the fact is there’s no guarantee. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spew all of this at you.”
“You’re not. I want to be here for you. Would you be open to adoption?”
