My Omega was in severe neglect and I hadn’t even known. Except, that wasn’t quite true either, because according to the nurse practitioner that had been able to get Ari in for a same-day visit, Ari wasn’t an Omega at all. He was definitely pregnant -she didn’t have any doubt there- but she was adamant that he wasn’t an Omega.
“I really don’t understand,” I finally said when she’d finished her spiel. “How can he be pregnant and not be an Omega?”
“Are you familiar withequidistantatian?”
“No,” I huffed, turning the word over in my mind. “The act of being equidistant?” I guessed.
“More like the state instead of an act,” she explained calmly, ignoring my flippancy. “Basically, the state of being in between two things. Quite literally, Ari is caught between being full common human and being an Omega, so he doesn’t have heat cycles and has much lower levels of pheromones than Omegas have, but his body is physically capable of bearing young.”
Something was niggling in the back of my mind. “I think I’ve heard of that before,” I said slowly, trying to remember what I knew of the attack on Rafael Borrero of the Blood Valley shifter pack by an ex-lover a few years back. “I thought those were trans shifters?”
The nurse’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. “That descriptor for the condition has fallen into disuse as many people find it to be an offensive way to refer to someone.”
“I’m sorry,” I sighed. “I’m not trying to be offensive. Other than the lack of heat cycles and lower pheromone levels, what other differences are there between Omegas and Equidistants?”
“It can vary from individual to individual, but from what you’ve described, one key difference for your mate seems to be that he falls into neglect quite easily and, because he lacks the distress pheromones that most Omegas would produce to trigger the needed responsive behavior in Alphas, it isn’t evident until it gets to a dangerous level. For that reason, regular physical contact is going to need to be scheduled to ensure that the pregnancy remains healthy.”
“And?” I prompted, glancing over to where Ari was sitting quietly, counting on me to speak on his behalf.
“I think that’s probably the biggest issue,” she said soothingly. “As long as Ari gets more physical contact than the average Omega needs and you both keep an eye out for the early neglect symptoms, I believe everything will be fine. If the amount of physical contact needed ends up being a challenge due to time constraints, there are medical options available, but they aren’t as beneficial to the baby as the natural options.” She turned to flash a friendly smile at Ari. “I can tell you that a being with your condition -especially a full human- who is fertile is very uncommon, so you two must be doing something right.”
ChapterFourteen
Ari
Roger was pensive as we left the medical office. He didn’t seem angry, just concerned but that didn’t do much to allay the guilt I felt for the responsibility that I brought to his doorstep. Or for continuing to leech off him, all but moving into his home and greedily soaking up every touch I could get for my own physical comfort. How many times had my father and the Shaman railed against impure women who seduced unexpecting men and then used the offspring of those illicit relations to drain the men of their money and time? And here I was doing exactly that.
I spent the drive turning over the situation in my mind. Before I found out, I could have returned to Omega Destiny, International but now that I knew I wasn’t actually an Omega, I wasn’t entitled to any of the assistance that Jeremy and the rest had arranged for me through the various grants and programs designed to assist Omegas. Which meant I needed to notify them and find a way to reimburse whoever needed to be repaid.
I needed to find a job, obviously, as well as a place to live. And then there was the issue of the baby growing inside me. Pain spiked through my chest at the thought of handing our child over to Roger and then leaving, but he’d already made it clear that he wasn’t seeking a relationship with me. Since I knew I wasn’t in a position to support myself, much less a child, it wasn’t as though I was swimming in options.
“Ari?” The amused tone in Roger’s voice suggested it wasn’t the first time he’d called my name.
“Yes?” I turned away from the window I’d been staring out to look at him.
“I asked if you’re hungry,” Roger said warmly. “It’s almost lunchtime and we’re just down the road from The Hole in the Wall.”
I really was but hadn’t I just decided that I needed to stop accepting his support? Surely that included not allowing him to buy my meals, right?
When I didn’t respond, Roger’s smile began to slip.
“Ari? Are you okay?”
“Of course, I was just..” I started quickly and then realized that I didn’t know how to broach the topics swirling in my mind. “I was just thinking about the things the nurse said,” I finished weakly.
Roger nodded as though that made perfect sense. “It was a lot to take in,” he agreed, pulling into the familiar parking lot. “Why don’t we talk about it later?” he suggested, turning the truck off. “Everything will make more sense on a full stomach.”
We arrived before the daily lunch rush and the dining room was nearly empty. Roger led me to the same table we’d occupied on each of our previous visits and, after asking if I wanted a menu, ordered our lunch while I visited the restroom. When I returned to the table, I found a tall glass full of bubbly pink goodness and loaded with cherries waiting for me.
I bit down on my bottom lip, my desire for the sweet drink battling with the memory of how I reacted to them before.
“Ari?” Roger was watching me with a confused look. “Do you want something else to drink? I thought those were your favorite.”
I sighed, deciding I might as well get the first truth out there. “I do really enjoy them,” I agreed, trying to ignore the flush I knew was building on my cheeks. “But I don’t seem to have much control when I drink them,” I admitted, “so I probably shouldn’t drink alcohol.”
Roger’s brow crept up and when he coughed into his hand, I suspected he was hiding a laugh. “Ah, Ari? Are you talking about that amazingnapwe took after the last time?”
I nodded, keeping my eyes glued to the tabletop as my cheeks burned.
