“So what are you doing here?” he asked. “I guess something to do with the clinic, huh?”
“You could say that,” I replied.
Jordan rubbed his arm. “Honestly, I was a little surprised when I saw you two sneaking in. Tonight was a meetup night, and Max didn’t show up, so I thought maybe something happened with his work. I came here after the meeting, but the place was closed, and then I saw two people go inside and I was pretty sure one of them was Max, so I just waited out here...”
As he spoke, his heart began to race. The tangy scent of anxiety radiated off him, similar to the scent Maxwell gave off frequently when he first arrived at the mansion. It made me realize just how far Maxwell had come in regards to his nerves. Hell, earlier he’d stood up to Adriel one-on-one. That was no easy task for anyone, much less a human omega. I didn’t know any other human, besides Adriel’s own mate, who would stand up to such a powerful vampire and get away with it.
But with Jordan’s increased pulse also came the quickened flow of blood in his veins. The rapid beat of his heart in my ears and the scent of blood lurking beneath the surface of his skin made me shudder. I recalled the bright red spill of blood on the floor inside the clinic. My instincts gnawed at me, tempted me to do something I would regret--
But I wouldn’t let it happen. I clenched my eyes shut and brought back the image that now served as my grounding tool: the thought of Maxwell and our non-existent baby. Instantly, all my rash urges disappeared, replaced with the powerful instinct to protect my family.
My family…
“Um, are you okay?” Jordan asked.
I opened my eyes and shook myself off, clearing the tension from my body. “Yep. Just fine. Anyways, Maxwell is okay. Sorry he missed the meeting. Things have been… hectic in his life lately.”
Jordan nodded, rubbing his arm. “I get it. Thanks for letting me know. So, you and Maxwell, huh?”
I smiled. “That’s right.”
Jordan returned the gesture, even though it was a bit shy. “I’m happy for him. He always seemed too busy to find a partner, or maybe even disinterested. It’s kind of hard to tell with him sometimes. But I’m glad to know he has somebody.”
I nodded. “I’ll always be there to take care of Maxwell. Don’t you worry about that.”
“Has this been going on for very long?” Jordan asked. “I mean, a few months ago when he was still away and we texted back and forth, he seemed pretty happy. He talked about you a lot.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“Uh huh.” Jordan smiled. “I could tell he thought you were a pretty amazing alpha. Not an asshole like a lot of them can be.”
So he’s an omega, too,I realized. I’d been too busy smelling his blood and anxious energy to notice the mild notes of omega biology beneath that--or maybe his omega scent was dulled somehow. I wondered if claiming Theo as my mate made it easier to ignore other omegas’ scents.
“Thought about kids or anything yet?” Jordan asked with a nervous chuckle.
“It’s crossed my mind,” I admitted.Very recently, though.
“Oh, really? That’s cool.” Jordan nodded.
“You seem a bit surprised,” I commented.
Jordan glanced away shyly. “Well, y’know. Since he’s a doctor and all, I thought he’d be too busy to raise kids.”
A ball of dread knotted in my stomach. I hadn’t even considered that. I’d only been thinking about my fantasy.
But then I remembered Maxwell’s earlier proposition to prove to Adriel that our relationship was serious. He’d been the one to bring up kids in the first place, not me. My chest fluttered with anticipation and hope. Maybe it wasn’t completely off the table like Jordan thought.
“I guess we’ll see,” I said.
Jordan glanced back at the clinic’s front door. “So, er, whereisMaxwell?”
