Chapter 19

Time went by slow and fast all the same, and it was weird.

The omega was shaking now, hugging her arms around her knees, which she had drawn up to her chest. Allie was trying to take some deep and calming breaths, tears burning behind her eyelids.

His lack of response was biting at her skin. Silence blanketed them. They reached to the point where she felt overwhelmed and scared, the omega didn't know what to do or even what to think. Allie refused to move, seated in the corner of the bed with her eyes pressed shut forever, preferably.

"You're pregnant?" The Alpha croaked out, eventually, and she was rather grateful that the silence broke finally, even if the question was a bit nonsensical.

"Yes," The omega replied nonetheless, nodding her head once, twice jerkily. On instinct she dragged her right hand to her bump, softly letting those fingers caress over the thick fabric

The Alpha watched her movements with hawk eyes and then as if his worst fears had been confirmed, buried his head in his open palms.

Allie began to think that, maybe, she made a mistake. Should have prepared him more before bombarding him with the news. Nate obviously couldn't handle this at all, couldn't bear look at her. Then again, it's not like she's the only one responsible for the baby in her stomach.

Both of them played an equal role.

"I think I'll go now," Allie breathed loudly, finding it impossible to watch the Alpha silently freak out. Nates knees were shaking for crying out loud.

She should leave. That's the right thing to do rather than watch Nate in this state. Allie swallowed hard as she threw another glance at a deadly still Nate. No reaction or no movement from his side. Even though she wanted out of this room as fast as possible, it still took a lot of effort actually to turn and walk away.

She was so stupid! What did he expect? The omega should have known that Nate wouldn't be overjoyed with this news. Somehow, she really thought he would be only to realise how naive that was.

Heading towards the room door, her grip white-knuckled around the knob of the oak door. Her heart was bleeding inside her ribcage, growing more and more painful with every single beat.

Allie was so annoyed with herself. But she was annoyed with the Alpha too. This hadn't been easy for her, telling him and hoping that he wouldn't judge her for anything. He said nothing at all, speaking nothing apart from asking a dumb question and hiding his head in apparent despair wasn't really the kind of reaction that supported those words.

As the omega took a step out of the door, she heard his voice.

"Allie! Wait, please!" His voice was husky and deep as he called out.

Allie faltered in her steps, stood rooted to the spot, unsure of how to proceed. The omega wished that she and Nate could have some kind of conversation, but also — she was so afraid of getting hurt further. Fuck, she wanted to stop trembling, but her whole body appeared to be vibrating with fear and uncertainty.

There was a hand, suddenly, gripping at her shoulder softly and turning her around. Nate took her hand in his.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please don't leave. Don't leave right now, I'm sorry. Just...this news. I never anticipated anything like this. But here you are — here you are pregnant with my — with my baby. With our baby." He sounded astonished, in awe, but so nonplussed, too.

And honestly, Allie was so, so relieved that he still hadn't asked her about the other thing. Her real wolf gender and her pregnancy on the first try. It took betas a long time to fall pregnant, getting their bodies used to the Alpha knot. Opposite with omegas. A pure omega at that. They are considered to be more fertile and more desirable for a reason.

"I am shocked too," Allie murmured, her voice choked with tears. She was fisting the material of her dress in between her fingers, clawing at his intense stare on her.

"I — I don't even know how — what — just, please, sit down, yeah? Let's talk, please. Can I get you something?" The Alpha tugged at his hair. "A cup of tea?"

"Umm...sure."

The Alpha asked her to wait, sit back and relax on his bed while he stumbled down the kitchen. Amidst the silence in the room, she could hear the clattering of mugs and spoons. Slowly, loud footsteps approached the room followed by Nate walking in, holding a tray in between his hands.

He took a seat next to Allie on the bed, way closer to her than previously, so that their knees were almost touching. Nate looked wrecked, somehow, betrayed, too, and there was a shimmer to his eyes that alluded to absolute overwhelming. He handed the omega a fresh mug of tea.

"I still can't believe it Allie. How?" Those were the words he uttered eventually, voice sounding hollow. He indeed seemed kind of out of it.

"What kind of question is that?" The omega asked humourlessly, her lips pressed together in a line.

"I just don't understand...I mean we just had one night together. How is that possible, Allie?" Nate questioned rapidly, and she knew there were a hundred more questions on his mind which would possibly lead to the obvious conclusion.

She needed to get out of here.

Nates eyes were red and wild, his curls a bloody mess on his head, his button-down rumpled on his limp shoulders. The Alpha looked so undone, but not in the right way.

Allie stood up immediately. "Nate, maybe I should go now, yeah? You look — well, you should sleep a bit, okay? If you want we can, I don't know, meet up again. Sometime, if you want. I'm sorry, I know this isn't — this can't be easy for you."

"No—"

"I'll see you soon" With that, she dashed out.

***

The next morning Allie awoke to the smell of freshly cooked breakfast and herbal tea, early sun rays tickling her eyelashes. She could also smell something comforting and familiar, something discernible. The omega felt cosy and content, cuddled up under the duvet, even if there was a light headache building up behind her forehead which she could undoubtedly attribute to all the snorting and sobbing of the previous night.

"Morning, Allie," Rachel's voice muttered from somewhere near the door, apparently having noticed that the omega was in the beginning stages of waking up.

Stretching and yawning before finally blinking her eyes open, Allie turned lazily to look at her room mate, Rachel entering her room. Mostly towards the foot of bed, a tray of delicious food in her hands. "I know you haven't been feeling well lately, so I thought to make something nice for you."

Rachel put the tray down on an even part of the bed, where the sheets weren't as rumpled as elsewhere. "I didn't pour the maple syrup on pancakes because I know how much you don't like that."

"Thank you. You're the love of my life."

Allie sat up, pressing a hand against her head. The pain grew with every waking second, but she was intent on blinking it away. The omega extended her arm and grabbed onto one of the mugs, blowing into the steam rising from it, before taking a mindful swig.

"Did you sleep okay?" Her roommate asked as she took a seat on the bed as well, opposite Allie, picking a plate with scrambled eggs and buttered toast for herself.

Allie nodded and then winced since the movement only made her head hurt more.

"What's wrong?" Rachel inquired instantly, lowering her fork back onto the plate.

Allie forced a smile. "Just a bit of a headache."

"Really?" She narrowed her eyes.

Maybe it's time. There's only so many days she could hide the truth from her.

"I'm pregnant!" As soon as the words burst out of her, the omega slapped her hands on her mouth. She could already feel the tears threatening to leak. For fuck's sake, this hadn't been the plan. This hadn't been the plan at all.

Allie buried her face deep in between her hands as the silence continued to fill the room.

Then, finally, Rachel let out a low whistle from between her teeth. "Wow! That is kind of unexpected."

"You think?" The omega asked with a bitter laugh. "Ask me how I felt when I first found out."

"But how?"

That made Allie blink her eyes. "Are you asking me for a detailed description right now or?"

Her friend rolled her eyes, scooting closer to Allie to lay a warm hand atop her thigh. "I meant, how are you pregnant? Like, who is the guy?"

"Nate, of course."

"Oh," Rachel gasped, her eyes wide. "That must be tough."

"You don't know the half of it."

***