Brad was quick to explain. “I want a battery of different tests run, so the blood will be sent to different labs. The more of it we have, the better we’ll be able to understand what’s going on with youhormonally.”
“How long is it going to take?” Owen asked. He didn’t want to be in Brad’s office any longer than wasnecessary.
“A few weeks. I’ll try to put a rush on it, but it’s really not in myhands.”
“Are there private labs you could hire?” Crawford asked. “You know money isn’t an issue. If we can have the results earlier, I’ll pay handsomelyforit.”
Owen looked up at Crawford. He’d come to recognize sub space and the things it did to him, and right now he was as pliant and limitless as he was while pushed to his boundaries. It was a different kind of sensation—a little more dull and a little more panicked than the adrenaline rush he got from enduring punishment—but it was similar, and with Crawford there to guide him, Owen knew he wouldbefine.
“Give me a sec to pull up some resources,” Brad said. “It’s seldom we get anyone coming in who’s paying out of pocketthesedays.”
While Brad researched on the computer terminal across the room, Owen let himself relax. As frightened as he was, Crawford was there for him. Even if something were to go wrong, Crawford wouldprotecthim.
Crawford wasn’t the alpha from his childhood. Crawford would never abandon him when Owen needed himthemost.
If they were to get pregnant, Crawford would be the best father in theworld.
The thought distilled in Owen’s mind, and Owen turned his head to look up at Crawford. Dark features, a handsome face, good posture, and exceptional breeding. If they were to have a baby, it would be beautiful. Owen’s cheeks burned at the thought. After all he’d gone through, he’d told himself he’d never get pregnant again, but Crawford wastemptinghim.
Would it make Crawford happy if they had a baby? Owen didn’t know why else Crawford would be so concerned about his reproductivehealth.
Maybe next year they’dconceive.
“I can book a private lab to do the work and have the results in three days,” Brad said. “A rush order ispricey,but—”
“It doesn’t matter what it costs. Send itthere.”
“You got it.” Brad typed something in, then wheeled back to the examination table. “I’m going to hand this off to the nurse, then we’re going to get the rest of the examunderway,okay?”
“Okay.” Owen nodded. “I’mready.”
Brad took care of the samples, then brought over a machine with a screen. He laid a blanket over Owen’s lap, then lifted the bottom of Owen’s gown up to expose his belly. Cold gel met Owen’s skin, and Brad massaged it with a rounded apparatus. He pushed down firmly, and Owen winced as he adjusted to the suddenpressure.
He was sensitivethere.
“Alright, so we’ve got…” Brad trailed off. The probe pushed into a few differentplaces.
“What?” Crawford asked. Owen wanted to know the same thing. The images on the screen were gray and blobby. They meant nothingtohim.
“Well. We’ve got the uterus, looking as it should,” Brad said. “There appears to be a small amount of scar tissue toward the back, which I expected based on the medical history I’ve received. It’s not enough that it should cause any trouble or jeopardize a future pregnancy. But what I’m seeing is…bizarre.”
“Explain,” Crawford commanded. The low, rumbling notes of alpha influence carried in his voice. Crawford was looking out for him. It wasfantastic.
“Well, these here,” Brad gestured at the screen, moving the probe from side to side to show the areas he was speaking of. “Are ovaries. That’s where Owen’s ovum are stored. Heat is caused when one of the ovum reach maturity and detach from the ovary, sliding down into the uterus for fertilization. Most of the time, the ovaries are small. Owen’sarenot.”
“And what does that mean?” Crawfordinsisted.
“I’m not sure. It could reflect an imbalance in reproductive hormones that needs to be addressed, but I’d assume with an imbalance that would cause growth like this that there would be other feminizing aspects as well. Owen doesn’t have breasts, and he is certainly a lot more masculine in appearance than most of the omegas who come through these doors. We’ll have to wait for the blood tests to knowanythingmore.”
It was the longest three days ofOwen’slife.
* * *
The blood tests came back.Brad called them into hisoffice.
“You’d do best to sit down,”hesaid.
Owen had never wanted to run more in hisentirelife.
