FIFTY
After everything was settled, Sam’s main prerogative was to meet my doctor. He wanted to know everything there was to know about my condition from a professional and not from the horror stories he read online. And because the other two don’t want to be left out, they decided to come along for the ride as well.
That’s how we end up packed tight like sardines in my doctor’s tiny examination room. After spending thirty minutes asking countless questions, we’re finally alone again, huddled together and waiting patiently for my hormone levels to be tested.
“What if it’s close?” I speculate, practically biting my nails as I blink at the boring off-white wall. “My scent has been so unpredictable.”
“I know you’re worried about being out in public,” Kit sympathizes. “But we will do this at your pace. If you want to be a hermit in the house until your heat starts, we can do that.”
“And if you need to go somewhere, you don’t have to go alone,” Thatcher reasons, his hand firm on my shoulder. Hishulking body stands behind me in the corner, stuffed between the wall and the examination table I’m sitting on. He stands out so much in this tiny office, and the sight makes me smile.
“I think that’s a good compromise.” I grab his hand and squeeze, recognizing his support.
I’m still nervous about the doctor sharing my results. For all I know, I could go into heat tonight. At the same time, things aren’t like they were last year. There won’t be any locked doors or the stale scent of sanitation in the air to drive me crazy. No, I have my very own haven tucked away for me at home, waiting for me to christen it with my new pack mates. Ones who are eager to bond.
“I think waiting to bond is for the best,” Sam says.
Kit pouts. “I know it is, but I wish we could have our heats together.”
The sentiment makes me smile while shaking my head. “As the only one between the two of us to have had a heat, trust me, we need to wait.”
The other omega returns my amusement and flicks my nose. “You may be able to laugh about your experience, Pebble, but we still haven’t gotten over that little tidbit yet.”
“Agreed,” Thatcher grunts.
Their scents are a mutual mix of anxiety. Their exteriors look calm and patient, but I know they’re freaking out just as much as I am. Still, whatever happens can’t be changed, and my men will learn to accept things the way I did.
“I am going to be like this for the rest of my life,” I tell them, definitively. They all turn to look at me with a serious expression. “After we bond, my heat cycles might regulate, but I’ll still have flare-ups. I’ll still need to take my medication to keep my hormones regulated. It’s just something that life has dealt me, and that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
Sam immediately turns his body and takes my hands in his. “Correct. There isnothingwrong with you. None of us think that. We’re just trying to make sure you have everything you need. I want to do right by you this time.”
His hand touches my cheek and I place my own on top of his. His green eyes still scream of anxiety, like he’s still holding onto the guilt. I think he will be for a while because of who he is. His strive for perfection is still prevalent in his actions, still trying to be the perfect prime and leader. But he already is; he just needs time to see it himself.
“You already have,” I tell him, and some emotion pokes through at those words. Before I can say any more, there’s a knock at the door and Dr. Wyatt walks in, clipboard in hand.
“Good afternoon, Opal,” she tells me. “I need to double check, but you’re okay with your pack hearing the results?”
I nod. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Great.” She sits on the chair in front of the computer and turns to us. “So, the test shows that your heat is relatively close. I’d predict anywhere from one week to a month.”
“Okay, that sounds right,” I respond. “My scent has been all over the place, and my temperature levels have been fluctuating.”
She nods. “Those are rather common, even for bonded omegas with an upcoming heat. I’d say to start paying attention when the cramps or migraines begin. Those are positive indicators that you’re a few days away from your heat.”
“What about her medication?” Sam asks. “She mentioned that her doctor withheld them the last time she had a heat.”
“Yes, and that was very dangerous,” she says, annoyance in her tone at remembering my old asshole of a doctor. “She needs to continue to take the same dose every morning so she can keep her hormones regulated. Not doing so could result in an even longer and more painful heat.”
“You’ll have to make sure I take it,” I tell them. “We need tomove them so they’re in the nest. I don’t know if I’ll let any of you leave once it starts.”
My doctor looks at each of us, professional but also kind. “Do you have any more questions for me?”
“Yes,” Sam says. “We’ve already discussed waiting to bond so we can go through Opal’s heat first and then Kit’s later. We just want to confirm that it’s the correct decision.”
“It’s a very wise choice,” she agrees. “Often, packs with two omegas find themselves very overwhelmed and exhausted by the end of mutual heats.”
I quirk a brow. “There are studies about that?”
