Perhaps it was exactly the time to discuss it.
"Your job… it doesn't pay well?"
"It pays fine," she mumbled. "Life is just expensive."
I hummed, not agreeing or disagreeing. Inflation in recent years had been above the acceptable average. And the service that Eva provided, while enrapturing, was still considered non-essential. Well, to some, I suppose. Loneliness was a powerful motivator. Almost as powerful as the urge to procreate. Though even I wouldn't cross into that thought path while the omega had snot on her sweater.
A man had limits.
"And I'd saved enough to be able to rent a little space to set up my studio, but now…" she sniffed, voice going tight, and the alarm bell that she was going to start wailing again went off inside my mind. "I won't be able to afford it and a new car.”
Half panicked, my nervous system shot, the longer this went on, I blurted out the first thing that I could think of. "If you had my pack's baby, I'd set you up for life."
"If you hadmy pack's baby, I'd set you up for life."
I think I was in shock. I had to be. What other reason would there be for him to ask if I would have their baby? That had to be it, I was like, hallucinating.
"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" I asked. "I think I misheard you."
I wasn't sure why he looked so panicked. Though thinking about it, coming to save a hysterically crying omega probably wasn't very high on his list of to-dos.
The car behind us wailed its horn as we sat frozen at the green light. I jumped, but the sound didn't seem to worry Cameo in the least. He just started moving the car easily.
"Listen," he started, drawing my attention again. "You want a studio space and a new car, right?"
"Yeah, but that's not going to happen now. E-e-everything's ruined."
The sobs started coming back, even when I tried to stop them.
"Then I will get those things for you," he said quickly. "I just need a favor."
I took a deep breath. "The baby?" I repeated the nonsense I was sure moments ago had been made up.
"Exactly," he clarified. "My pack has been talking about having a baby. And we think you'd be perfect."
My mind swirled. Me? Have their baby? "But why?" I was sure there were better options. And with the rate he was asking, it seemed like it wouldn't be hard to get a donor.
"Going through the normal channels is a pain, and as long as your medical history is sound, you're perfect. Plus, I'd love the chance to play with you again. And I don’t think I’m alone in that."
My face heated, remembering exactly what he meant. "And you would what? Buy me a new car and pay for my studio?"
His hands curled a bit on the wheel. "That and whatever else you needed."
The car stopped, and I realized we were in front of my apartment building. "So you're offering me a blank check to have a baby for you?"
He nodded. "And offering up free use for the whole pack."
My eyes widened, my breath quickened. Free use was one of the things I'd read about on one of my endless swaths of research. It was an agreement to be fucked anywhere, anytime. Obviously, there was more nuance to it, and there were safe words and conversations that had to happen first, but that was the general gist.
And it had landed pretty high on my list.
I started doing the mental math. I was being offered a blank check, big enough to pay for the start of my studio and replace my car. And maybe if I were lucky, I could sneak a few months of rent into there. And I would give up approximately a year of mylife. For a few minutes, I thought about pulling out my calculator and doing the hourly on it, but that seemed excessive.
And something I could do in the comfort of my own home.
But in the moment, it seemed like a good deal. Especially considering how many streams I would have to do, like the other night, to make the amount of money he's talking about.
"Can I think about it?" I finally asked.
