Chapter 4: : Chapter 3

Being a mom is something I’ve always wanted. I’m lucky enough to have a stable career that I can do anywhere with an internet connection. Graphic design might not be my passion, but it keeps me afloat, and that’s what really matters.

I’ve gone through a lot of misery the last few months. Not that I regret my choices. Luna is the best gift I could ask for. It just hurts when I think about her dad, but I’m an adult. I shove those feelings down deep and keep trucking along.

There’s not much else I can do.

It’s unreal that I managed to get pregnant outside of a heat, while taking birth control. Okay, it may have been ineffective because of the antibiotics for my teeth, but even then, it shouldn’t have mattered because of the whole heat thing.

Unfortunately, my doctor pointed out that, in the last ten years or so, things have changed and even the medical professionals don’t know for certain why that is.

Their best guess is it’s an evolutionary counterbalance to suppressants. With them being widely available and so many omegas using them, it started to impact birth rates. I was also under the impression that evolution was a slow process that took hundreds of years to catch up, but my doctor politely mentioned that the reality of the situation is they just don’t know at this point. It’s all educated guesses and assumptions, but the fact is, female omegas are conceiving outside of heats at much higher rates than they used to.

It would have been nice if society as a whole could have updated the masses about that. It also would’ve been nice if Luna’s dad didn’t go and die on me, but here we are.

I sigh, shaking my head to refocus my attention.

The house is incredible. Without the money Clark left, I never would’ve been able to get out of the city. Hell, I probably would have been saving up for another year or two just to be able to afford the first, last, and security deposit that was required to lock this place in.

I wasn’t able to make the drive up to see this house before I signed the rental agreement, but it’s in good shape. I knew coming into this that the interior was dated, but structurally, it’s sound.

It’s also beautiful.

Basically, it’s my dream home. And if things go well, the owner might agree to sell to me one day.

Unfortunately, the heating system leaves something to be desired. I tuck the quilt tighter around my shoulders as I briefly consider turning it up.

When I first turned it on, it smelled like something was burning, but according to a quick internet search, that can happen sometimes. I’m still not sure I should risk it.

I’d probably be in better spirits if I had a yummy dinner on the way. It was a stark realization that there are zero places available for delivery. That’s kind of an exaggeration. There were a couple of options, but they all cut off delivery to my area at seven during the winter.

It’s totally bizarre.

I’m used to living in a decent-sized city where I could get Chinese and pizza delivered at midnight if I wanted to. Then again, this place is much safer than the neighborhood I’m moving from.

It’s just something that will take a little getting used to.

There are snacks, but they’re out in my car. I also brought a cooler full of drinks, but I haven’t had the energy to lug it in to stock the fridge.

I silently apologize to Luna for being a shit mother, but chips and granola bars will have to do for tonight. There’s no way I’m driving ten or fifteen minutes into town right now. It’s not far, or it didn’t seem like it on the ride in, but I’m exhausted to the point that even the walk to my car seems like a lot of work.

The house is strangely silent, since I don’t have a television yet. I brought my laptop, but it’s basically useless until they turn on my internet service the day after tomorrow. I could use the hotspot on my phone, but that also seems like a hassle right now.

I’ll probably just go to bed early and pray my stuff arrives on time in the morning.

A loud, echoing knock on the front door catches my attention, and I jolt.

The bay window is a decent size, just a few feet longer than me. I’ve been stretched out on it, since the air mattress seems impossible to get down on if I ever want to get back off of it.

I wiggle my toes and move my feet to the floor before tossing the quilt off my shoulders. My feet are still swollen and sore, but elevating them seems to have helped a little.

My head tilts as I stare at the door. It’s after eight. If the neighbors wanted to come say hello, they could’ve waited until tomorrow.

Then again, I’ve always dreamed of living somewhere with actual neighbors. The kind that wouldn’t scoff if you needed to borrow a cup of sugar or an egg for a recipe.

A slow smile still crosses my face. I’m in a real neighborhood now. Hopefully, there will be other children for Luna to grow up with and other moms who want to make mom-friends.

Coming to a stop at the door, I peek out the peephole and gasp.

It’s Kase and another guy.

A really hot guy.

Okay, so, they’re both very attractive.

I’m in my pajamas.

Oh, and as big as a damn house.

The man I don’t recognize has a takeout container in his hand. My stomach instantly reminds me that I skipped dinner, but I’m an omega.

It’s unsafe to open the door to two random alphas, right?

Yeah, it probably is.

Damn.

My slipper taps against the floor as I try to determine what to do.

“Chelsea? It’s Kase. We met earlier. So, I realized there’s no way you’ve eaten, since the fridge is empty and you don’t have pots and pans or even plates. Then my instincts wouldn’t let it go. I know it probably seems super sketchy, but if you could just grab the takeout, I promise we’ll leave you alone.”

“Damn, man, you actually managed to make that sound more sketchy than it probably looked to begin with,” the other guy says, laughing. “That takes skill.”

I undo the deadbolt and flip the bottom lock before pulling the door open slightly.

The man I don’t recognize immediately zeros in on my stomach as his eyes widen.

I slide a hand down, yanking at the bottom of my pajama top, but that just makes my boobs pop out instead. I frown and try to pull the top back up, but then I can feel a cool breeze on my lower baby bump.

Life is hard being pregnant.

“I’ll bet,” Kase says, giving me an easy smile that shows off his perfect, white teeth.

My cheeks heat. I think I said that out loud.

God, he’s just as attractive as he was earlier.

“We brought takeout,” the other guy says, shaking the container. “But I’m kind of wondering where you’ll sit to eat it. By the way, I’m Lincoln.”

I give a polite smile. “Chelsea.”

He holds out his free hand, and we shake. “Holy shit, you’re freezing.”

“I was wrapped up in a quilt, but I ditched it to answer the door. I need to call someone to check on the furnace, but that’ll have to wait for tomorrow. Come in so that we can close the door.”

“I can try to take a look at it.” Kase steps inside as his nose twitches. “Is something burning?”

“Um, I hope not.” I glance toward the door to the basement. “I did smell smoke when I first turned on the unit, but that’s why I didn’t jack up the heat.”

“That doesn’t sound safe.” Lincoln follows Kase inside. “Tell me you’re not planning to sleep on an air mattress?”

“My furniture comes tomorrow.” I smile tightly, closing the door because it really is freezing. My slippers scratch against the floor as I aim for the bay window to grab my blanket. “We’re thinking of it as an adventure.”

“Do you have someone with you?” Lincoln asks. His brown hair is longer on top than the sides, and it falls over his forehead as he glances around. The Henley he’s wearing seems stretched to capacity over his strong chest, and those dark jeans sculpt to his thighs like they were made for him.

And I’m still in my pajamas.

I pull the quilt around my shoulders. “Just me and Luna.”

Kase smiles, nodding at my stomach. “Is that the baby?”

“Yep.”

“The thermostat says it’s fifty-nine degrees. That’s not safe. I mean, I doubt you’d freeze to death or anything, but it’s cold enough to cause concern.” Kase takes a few steps in my direction. “We’ve got a guest room. Why don’t you come stay at our house for the night?”

“What? No, I’ll be fine. I’m totally good. I’ve got two blankets and a quilt.” I glance between them. “That should be enough, right?”

“Where are you from, sweetheart?” Lincoln asks.

I take a step back, running a hand over my stomach as Luna wiggles around.

I let two strange men inside my house after dark. God, I’m such an idiot. This was a bad idea.

“Oh, hey, I know that look.” Linc lifts the hand not holding the takeout. “We’re right at the bottom of the mountains. It might not be freezing in here yet, but you give it a couple of hours without adequate heating, and you’re going to be cold as hell. That’s all I meant.”

“We do seem sketchy.” Kase sighs. “It’s fine. If you won’t feel comfortable coming to stay at our house, how about you let us carry over a real mattress and a couple of extra blankets?”

“No, goodness. That’s way too much.”

“It’s the bare minimum you’ll have to accept to get Kase out of your house. He’s a worrier. He’s going to stress all night that you’re over here, freezing to death.” Linc grins, waving the takeout box. “Your food is probably getting cold as we debate.”

“Would I be taking food from one of you if I eat that?” I pull the blanket tighter around my shoulders, but unfortunately, it’s not full-sized, so most of my front is still cold.

“No, we didn’t know what you might like, so it’s a small amount of a bunch of things. Half a burger, some fries, a couple of mozzarella sticks, and a few boneless buffalo wings.” Linc pops the lid, taking a few steps forward. “It’s not exactly healthy, but it will fill you up.”

The smell hits me, and my stomach lets out an embarrassing gurgle. I’m actually starving.

“Want me to video call my mom? She can vouch for us,” Kase offers, yanking out his phone.

“How about this?” Lincoln hands me the food container and digs in his pocket, tugging out his wallet. “Have you heard of Shadow Security? We do private security services, like personal protection and even installing security systems, which you need, by the way. And maybe a dog. A big, ferocious guard dog. It’s a safe area, but shit still happens.” He takes the box back and hands me a business card with his name and the words personal security specialist.

Okay, so, they’re probably not serial killers, then, right?

I’m doing my best to make a better life for Luna, but damn, it’s hard sometimes. I’m only twenty-four years old. Most of the time, I feel like I should be asking a real adult for advice. Only, I’m the real adult in this situation.

“At the very least, come over and eat with us,” Kase offers. “You’ll have a chance to warm up a little, and then you can see the guest room and decide. Or I can call my mom…”

I bite my lip, glancing between them.

What am I supposed to do?

They seem reasonably sane.

If they were here to kidnap me, then they could very well just do it. They’re big guys. If they wanted to, they could pick me up and tote me out. I could fight back, but I don’t have any delusions that I would be able to successfully get away.

I’ve already let them inside. Growing up needs to happen fast. I have to get my shit together before Luna gets here. This whole move was haphazard and thrown together at the last minute, but I didn’t have a lot of choices.

“Okay, thank you. That sounds great.”