After washing my hands, I stood in front of the sink for several minutes, studying my reflection in the sparkling mirror.
There was no denying the dark circles under my eyes, but I only looked tired, not unhealthy, if that makes sense.
In the short time that Kade had been caring for me, my cheeks had plumped up, my skin was glowing, and, other than the aforementioned dark circles, my eyes were bright and alert. And, not only did I look better, I felt better.
I was still thinner than I should have been, but my body was definitely making good use of the calories Kade had been pumping into me. I was still skinny, but none of my bones were visible any longer. Compared to the dull eyes, waxy skin, and sunken cheeks that had screamed exhaustion when Kade found me, it was an incredible improvement.
There was no denying that, slowly but surely, I was feeling better about my situation and it was all due to the amazing Alpha waiting in the other room.
Running wet fingers through my hair, I tried to tidy it up a little and splashed some cold water on my face before rejoining Kade and Mr. Keir. When I walked back down the short hall into the open reception-area, I hesitated when I saw Kade’s cheeks were wet with tears.
“Everything’s okay, Jeremy,” Mr. Keir assured me. “Apparently I said something funny.”
Okaaay.
I walked over to join Kade on the sofa and was relieved to see that he really was laughing, warmth shining in his face as he made room for me to cuddle up to his side.
“Do you need anything, Jeremy?” Mr. Keir asked, his voice kind. “A snack? Some water?”
I started to shake my head and then noticed Kade’s brow furrow the tiniest bit. Right, it was time for my scheduled snack, but why wasn’t Kade saying anything?
“Um, actually, it’s time for my snack,” I said slowly. “It’s in the camper, though. I’ll go get it.”
Kade was on his feet before I was finished talking. “I’ve got it, Jem.”
I blinked up at him, surprised. “Oh, okay.” I reached out to squeeze his hand. “Thank you.”
Kade winked at me and left the room, leaving me alone with Mr. Keir.
“He’s trying to adhere to our house rules,” Mr. Keir said gently. “Our mission is all about empowering Omegas and part of that is not allowing Alphas to boss them around or control them,” he explained. “So you can expect him to defer to your decision on matters that concern you while you’re here.”
“Oh.” I chewed on my bottom lip, feeling my brows scrunch as I mulled that over. “But we just got married,” I mumbled. “And I’m pregnant.”
Mr. Keir nodded encouragingly and I sighed. “But IlikeKade taking care of me,” I huffed. “I don’t want him to back off!”
A snort from behind me had me stifling a groan. Ofcourse,Kade would walk back in as I was being a whiny baby.
Fuck.
Mr. Keir seemed to be hiding a grin as he nodded seriously. “And there’s nothing wrong with that, Jeremy,” he said. “As long as it’s a conscious decision on your part.” He smiled at me. “There is nothing at all wrong with a pregnant Omega wanting their partner to take care of them.”
“So I can still let him boss me around?” I asked hopefully.
Kade didn’t even try to stifle his laugh so I turned to glare at him. “Shush, you! This is important!”
And that made Chuck Keir choke trying to hold back his laugh. “Of course, Jeremy,” Mr. Keir agreed with a wide smile. “Just know that you always have the right to say no and to change your mind, okay?”
“I understand,” I agreed, making grabby hands over my shoulder in Kade’s general direction. “I thought you were bringing me food?”
The cool bag of vegetable slices plopped into my lap. A neatly wrapped sandwich was placed on the table in front of me. I sighed, my heart warming up a little more. “Thank you, Alpha.”
“Anything for you, Jem,” Kate murmured sweetly, pecking at my cheek. “Now, Chuck needs to talk to you alone for a few minutes.”
I stopped with the sandwich halfway to my mouth and looked at him in surprise.
“It’s okay,” Kade continued, “I promise. It’s part of their intake process is all. Chuck will tell you where to find me when you’re done, okay?”
I gave a jerky nod.
