Chapter Nineteen

My mate was looking paler than I liked, but he insisted he was fine. He had some other odd symptoms too, like suddenly turning off his favorite coffees and treats. He still continued to drink coffee, but he was avoiding the syrups and other flavors, basically anything sweetened. I couldn’t be too upset that he was cutting sugar out of his life. Too much of a good thing could after all be unhealthful, but the sudden change seemed odd.

The more concerned I grew, the more insistence that it wasn’t a big deal, maybe a bit of a tummy bug. But if so, it should be clearing up, and I saw no signs of that. I had already decided to give him one more day, when I walked into the back room for more mugs and found Pike coming out of the employee restroom looking at least 50 percent worse than he’d looked that morning.

“I’m taking you to the clinic.”

“No, you’re not.” He wiped a shaky hand across his lips. “I’m fine. It’s just a bug.”

“First of all, shifters rarely ever get bugs,” I told him authoritatively. “Second, it’s hanging on too long, and even if it is a flu or other virus, we need to get you some kind of treatment.”

We were well into this discussion when the bells above the door rang, and we were interrupted by Pike’s friend Bernard.

“Good morning, gentleman. Have I walked in on something?” He took a seat at his favorite table, hands crossed in front of him. “I hope it’s not something that went wrong with the brew?”

“Not at all.” Pike bustled to serve him while I continued to observe my omega. Although he was trying to act as if he felt okay, he did not. His color was bad and he had shadows under his eyes that could not be accounted for by late-night gymnastics. Oh, we still continued to have an active sex life—in fact, that was the only time he seemed himself. I just made sure we got to bed early so there was enough time for lovemaking and sleep.

My omega set the cup of coffee in front of Bernard and went to get him one of our newest cookies, a honey crisp inspired by my bear’s love of the sweet gooey stuff. When he returned, the older gentleman took a bite and smiled. After he chewed and swallowed, he sipped his coffee and sighed. “You certainly do have the best goodies, but maybe you should consider a ginger version.”

“That would be good,” I said, resting my elbow on the counter. “But what made you think of it?”

“Well, a lot of omegas like those ginger chew candies, claim they help with the symptoms.”

“The symptoms?” Another customer came in, and Pike went to help them, but I joined Bernard at his table. “You mean the stomach bug?”

He cocked his head, studying me as if I were completely dense. “No. Does he have a bug as well?”

Confusion filled my brain. What was this old man going on about? “As well as what?”

“Why, I remember when my omega was carrying our first son. He couldn’t keep down water until he found the ginger candies. Those and saltine crackers made all the difference, got him through the first trimester.”

“Oh.” Now I understood what he was trying to say. “You think he’s…no! Just an upset stomach, but ginger is good for that too.”

“Maxwell, I want you to take your blinders off and think. He looks like something the cat—and not his cat—dragged in. He has been sick to his stomach, and I saw his expression when he took a sip of a mocha. Tastes changing?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean…it couldn’t, could it?” My heart pounded in my ears. “Do you really think so?”

“I think you should run down to the corner and buy a test, and I’m not leaving until you officially get the good news.” He waved me toward the door. “Go! I’m so excited for you two, and I want to be able to say I was there when you got the good news.”

With my omega still distracted, I took the oldster’s advice. At worst, we’d be ruling out one possible cause of Pike’s discomfort. Because we had to do something about it, and if he wasn’t pregnant, we really did need to see a healer soon.

When I came back in the door, Bernard was still sitting there, and my omega was just handing a cup to another older man who’d come in. He sat at the table next to Bernard’s and they exchanged a few comments about this and that. I couldn’t really hear them, and I was pretty much focused on my omega.

I grabbed him by the hand and tugged him into the back room. “Here.” I handed him the plain brown paper bag. “Go in the bathroom and pee on this and let me know the result.”

“What?” He held up the bag. “You want me to pee on a bag?”

“Bernard thinks you’re pregnant, so I bought a test.”

He reeled back. “You and Bernard have been discussing whether I’m pregnant? You never thought to come to me and just ask?”

“You’re right. Even if it was someone else who suggested it, I should have given you the respect you deserve and asked you.”

“Well?” He perched one hand on his hip.

“Omega, do you think you might be pregnant?”

Instead of answering, he turned and flounced into the restroom. Three minutes later, he came out a whole new shade of pale. He held up the stick and I couldn’t help cheering. Until I remembered that we did not have a permanent understanding.

Then I turned pale too.