As I took several deep, measured breaths, something in my chest resonated, a sense of calm I hadn't felt in so long. For the first time in months, my omega felt at peace. Truly at peace.
Shuffling toward the edge of the nest, I inched closer to him. I did my best to keep quiet because I didn't want to disturb him, but I still wanted a better look.
He had lost weight. Maybe it was the dim lighting of my nest, but his face had a paler tone than I remembered.
Despite my anger at him for being away, I had to remember that he had been in a prisoner camp. Camp Bower wasn't a walk in the park. It was brutal.
It took prisoners who were probably not eating well anyway, who hadn't been exercising much, then threw them into firefighting, which was a rigorous and grueling job.
Everyone in the camp volunteered, they wanted it, but that didn't change the fact that it was physically draining.
On top of that, Preston knew he didn't belong there. He had gone in with an ulterior motive and had been watching his back for months.
His eyes cracked open and met mine as I was watching him intently.
“Hey,” he greeted softly.
“Hey.”
I wasn't sure what to say. After waiting for this moment for so long, words now failed me.
“Are you okay?” I eventually asked.
He sat up straighter. “Shouldn't I be asking you that?”
We were only a few inches away from each other, staring like we couldn't believe we were finally together.
“I think we've both had a pretty rough time the last few months.” I shrugged. “Is it over for good?”
He nodded. “I’m not going anywhere. I'm going to be stuck to your ass like a barnacle if you allow it.”
I nodded thoughtfully. “I have got an amazing ass. Definitely one worth being stuck to.”
“Unfortunately, I didn't get up close and personal with your ass last time.”
“That's what happens when you have a quickie in an alley.” I laughed. “God. Our whole situation is so stupid.”
Preston smiled. “Yeah, I'm looking forward to a bit of boring normalcy now.”
I hummed. “You know what? That sounds really nice. Though, I think my sense of normal is about to be shattered when this one enters the world,” I said, glancing down at my stomach.
“May I?” Preston asked, reaching out a hand. I was kneeling, so my bump was on display.
“Of course,” I said softly.
His large hand rested on my belly, and his eyes widened.
As I was only a few weeks away from giving birth, I had a considerable bump. According to Sunny, it was rather small, but I felt like a whale. Having my center of gravity completely different was also so jarring, and I still hadn’t got used to it.
I didn't have the best balancebeforeI got pregnant, so once I was off center, everything was worse.
“I’ve missed so much,” he whispered.
“You've mainly missed morning sickness and me complaining about back pain. Trust me, there's plenty more to come if what I've been told is true.” I chuckled.
“I thought you'd be angry at me.”
“Oh, I am. I just don't have the energy for that right now. I understand why you did what you did, but that doesn't change the fact that it put us in a very shitty situation.”
