26. Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Bennett

August rolled into Sweet Alps with a heatwave that made everyone irritable. Maybe I was just the irritable one, but the heat made me grouchy AF. Wiping my brow as I walked from the parking lot back into the coolness of the hospital, I sighed in relief.

My clothes were sticking to me just from the brief amount I had been in my car and the walk back inside. Even with the car's AC blasting, when the temps were almost one hundred, with the humidity level matching, it couldn't keep up.

Why had I thought going out to pick up tacos was a good idea? Just because I was craving them, I wasn't sure they were worth putting myself through it. Stepping out into the sunshine had felt like walking straight into a sauna. Something I did not enjoy .

My shirt clung to me, my body overheated, as I clutched my bag tightly. The aroma of the tacos had my stomach growling in anticipation. Which was a nice change after the last few weeks. My stomach had been playing hell with me, no doubt a combination of exhaustion and stress.

But I had woken up needing tacos and I hadn't been able to concentrate all morning thinking about them. My concentration had been filled with nothing but visions of tacos. My breakfast hadn't even tasted good, because all I wanted was chicken tacos, smothered in onions, cilantro, and sprinkled with lime juice.

I had wanted them so much I had risked going out into the heat and humidity to get them. Even if I was regretting my life choice now, I knew the first bite would make it all worth it.

Almost to my office, Carrie called my name, and I turned with a scowl on my face. She stopped, her face a mask of indecision. "Um, sorry? Are you okay? You look really…upset."

My stomach rumbled, painfully demanding. I hadn't been all that hungry the last few weeks, barely able to eat much of anything. But these tacos sounded so good! I still had half an hour left of my lunchtime to enjoy them, and I really, really didn't want to be interrupted.

Blowing out a breath, I tried to not look so annoyed with her. "I was about to eat lunch. What's up?"

"Oh, um," she looked confused, as I rarely ever was bothered by having my lunch time interrupted. Our job could be very boring one minute, and then unpredictable the next. You never knew what the E.R. could bring, or what the patients already admitted might need in way of services.

"Mrs. Johnson's daughter has some questions about the rehab facility she's being transported to. Since you're more familiar with the facility I thought you would be able to answer her questions better. But I'll tell her you are on lunch and do my best. Sorry to have bothered you, Bennett." Her voice was timid, and I internally kicked myself for coming across like a grumpy asshole.

Well, fuck!

I was aware I had been extra snappy since I had returned from my forced vacation, and I instantly regretted being short with Carrie. I strived to be the kind of supervisor that my employees could come to with questions, and used these instances as teachable moments. Hadn't I even been the one to preach to my direct supervisor, Bill, that I didn't want him reprimanding Carrie for calling me in the night Shay landed in the E.R.? That technically, in my eyes, I wasn't on vacation yet, and that once upon a time, we had both been as green as Carrie.

The heat wasn't the only thing affecting my mood and making me short tempered, as I had been this way for a couple of weeks now.

Living next door to Shay and Lucas, seeing them in the yard many evenings when I pulled into my driveway, was killing me. They spent a lot of their free time outside, enjoying the sunshine, kicking a ball back and forth between them. Or doing some kind of yard work. Shay seemed obsessed with his yard. He was always mowing, trimming, watering, and tinkering.

Not that I was peeking out my windows or anything. Because I absolutely wasn't doing that. Just because the man tended to do yard work in nothing but a pair of cut off denim shorts that showed off his long, long legs and perfect ass, did not mean I was watching him. It wasn't my fault if I happened to look outside and he happened to be in his front yard, muscles rippling and sweat dripping .

Why was it so ever loving hot in this fucking building?

Waving a hand in front of my flaming face, I tried to get the air moving around me. My temperature felt like it had gone up instead of down, standing in the air-conditioned hallway. Thoughts of Shay usually did that to me, though, which was why I tried my best to push him out of my mind, especially during working hours.

Looking down sadly at the plastic bag in my hand with regret, I shook my head. "I'm sorry. Heat makes me snappish, and it's like the tenth degree of hell outside."

Unlocking my office door, I signaled with my head for her to follow. "Let me scarf down some food, and I'll be up to talk to her. I know they are concerned about their mom going to a nursing home. They just need some reassurance that this is a nice one, and that she'll be coming home as soon as her rehab is done. Breaking a hip is so hard on the elderly, even with a shifter's faster healing ability. But it is the best place for her to get the physical therapy and care she needs to heal properly."

Carrie beamed at me, looking relieved. "Thanks so much, Bennett. Don't worry about it; the heat is awful and is making everyone a bit cray cray."

Raising a teasing brow at her, I dug into my taco, moaning obscenely at the first bite. Oh, my Goddess, this was just what my body had been craving. This might be the best taco I had ever eaten. The chicken was tender and spiced to perfection.

"Not to say that you've been acting crazy." Carried looked horrified, and quickly tried to back track, "Just that…um…you've been a bit tense since you came back to work."

Swallowing, I nodded. "Don't worry about it. You're right. I'm not sure what's causing it, honestly. Everything is just getting to me much more than it used to. The heat isn't helping though, but there's really no excuse for snapping like I have been. Please don't be afraid to come to me with issues, or if you need help problem solving. That's how you'll learn."

"Eh, it hasn't been that bad." She settled into one of the chairs in front of my desk, and I waved a hand over my food, silently offering her a taco. Why had I gotten six? Had I been so hungry that I really thought I was going to eat that many? Good thing they heated up fairly well. Tacos for dinner sounded splendid.

Carrie shook her head with a smile. "Thanks, but I had a salad from the cafeteria. Anyway, I was going to say you haven't been that bad, it's just you haven't been your usual self is all. My sister is pregnant right now, and you have nothing on her. Between pregnancy hormones and this heat, she is not pleasant to be around at all. Goddess bless her mate, she's the only one that can stand to be around her at the moment."

The mouthful of food I was chewing suddenly tasted like sawdust.

"Are you okay, Bennett?" Carrie stood up, leaning over me. "You went really pale. Should I get Bill? Or…someone?"

Pregnant.

The word swam around my brain, turning over and over, until I was nearly dizzy with it. Could I be pregnant? Was that what was causing my irritability? My tiredness, and upset tummy? Not to mention my unholy craving for tacos today.

No, I couldn't be. Could I?

My mind went straight back to that night between Shay and me. We had a ton of sex that night. He knotted me at least three times. But we were careful. He wore a knotting condom each time, and they hadn't broken. Had they? Honestly, I'd been a bit out of my mind with lust to even notice. Besides I was on the type of birth control that let me only have one heat a year, which was super helpful for planning life around it and preparing for it. No unexpected heats for me, and no having heats four times a year.

Oh. My. Goddess. I'd been out of my mind with lust that night. And heat. What had that book said about fated mates' first times together? That sometimes being around their fated mate could throw an omega into a spontaneous heat, or even what some omegas described as a mini-heat.

Had I had a mini-heat that night?

"Bennett?"

Carrie looked at me with stark concern and I wondered how many times she had said my name before I responded.

I couldn't be pregnant.

It was just being back to work and trying to catch up, plus the ungodly heat wave we were experiencing. Nothing more.

Blinking, I shook my head to clear it, putting my now very unappealing, half-eaten taco back in the Styrofoam container.

"What?" Pushing the container away, I felt dazed at the possibility that I could be pregnant. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"Bennett, you don't look good." Her tone was full of worry that I quickly brushed aside, pushing away from my desk and standing. "You went super pale, and now your face is all flushed."

"I'm fine. Let's go talk to Mrs. Johnson's daught–whoa!"

The floor beneath my feet moved, the room tilted crazily, and a wave of vertigo washed over me. Grabbing the edge of my desk, I held on tightly, waiting for it to pass. Heat flushed up my body, making me sweat, and my stomach rebelled against the tacos it had demanded just a few minutes ago.

Swallowing hard against the nausea, I breathed through my nose, as everything righted itself back to normal. Giving Carrie a wobbly smile, I whispered, "I'm fine. Just hot. Really hot. "

She didn't look at all convinced, and frankly, neither was I. Breathing in small, panting gasps of air, I felt odd, almost like I was floating outside my body. My legs trembled, and colors dimmed, gray floating around the edges of my vision.

"I think I need to sit down," I whispered, just before my knees gave out and everything went blissfully black. Blocking out the horrified screech Carrie let out as I began to fall.

Plucking at the ugly hospital gown at my neck, I huffed, "I'm fine. I just got overheated. I need to get back to work."

Meg Farrell looked unimpressed as her pen made a scratchy noise writing things in the chart she was holding–my chart–and pursed her lips.

"I'm sorry, are you the doctor?" She handed the chart to the nurse, rattling off a barrage of tests she wanted that I was sure were not necessary. "Last I checked I was the head of the E.R. and oh, a doctor. You just lay there and look pretty," she scrunched her nose as she looked me over, "well, that ship has passed. You just lay there and don't give anyone any trouble. I'll be the judge of whether you had too much sun, or if this is something else. Either way, you're done for the day."

Rolling my eyes in annoyance, I folded my arms over my chest. At least they had let me keep my underwear on when they had stripped me and put this gown on me. And at least I didn't remember any of it, so I might actually be able to look the staff in the eye tomorrow.

The privacy curtain whipped open with a flourish and Seth rushed in, clad in lilac scrubs with kittens on them. His hand went to his heart, and he gasped, "Thank the Goddess you aren't dead."

Meg stared at him open mouthed for a second, before muttering, "No one told you he was dead. Stop with the dramatics. I told you he had fainted, and you were listed as his next of kin. And that you probably didn't need to even come. But hospital policy and all that."

Seth blew her a kiss. Before he had gone to work for Asher, he had worked here in the hospital E.R. department. It was how we had met. It had been my first day, I'd been sitting alone in the cafeteria and Seth had plopped himself down at my table, without so much as a "Is this seat taken?" He'd then proceeded to regale me with his morning, not even letting me speak, declaring at the end of lunch that he was now my bestie. It had honestly been one of the best days of my life.

"You knew exactly what wheels you were setting into motion by making that phone call, Dr. Farrell." Seth pranced over to my side, waving a finger at her. "Don't even play like you didn't. Now, what's happening with my bestie?"

"It's just the heat." If I said it enough it would be true. The thing about working in a hospital–and passing out, not fainting, thank you very much–was that I knew they would routinely run several standard tests for a patient with my symptoms. Pregnancy being one of them. I guess I would have my answer soon enough.

Seth looked me over, his sharp blue eyes missing nothing. Today his eyeliner was a rich purple, that made his eyes pop more than normal. The false lashes he had on helped too. "You look like shit," he informed me without preamble.

The lab tech saved me from snapping an answer back, coming in at that moment to take vial after vial of blood. Good Goddess, what exactly were they planning to do with it all? Meg informed us she would be back when she had my test results, and hurried off to see to another patient.

Seth planted himself in the one uncomfortable looking chair in the room, reaching for my hand.

"I'm not dying," I groaned, leaning back against the pillow, feeling embarrassed. "The heat just got to me. I ran out at lunch to get something, and I should have just stayed in the AC. It's nothing. Everyone is making a fuss over nothing."

"Hmmm," Seth hummed, "you let us medical type people decide that, huh? Just because you work in a hospital doesn't make you qualified to diagnose yourself."

"Seth," whispering low, I plucked at the thin blanket they had insisted on putting over my legs even though I wasn't cold. "I think…I think I might be pregnant."

Seth's face, usually animated, for once remained absolutely blank. He just stared at me, not saying a word, until I finally cried, "Say something!"

He nodded, looking around, then nodded some more. "Okay. Okay. Okay."

"Stop saying ‘okay'!" I hissed, because he wasn't helping at all. "This is not okay! "

He took my hand, rubbing his thumb against my palm. "If you are, what do you want to do, B? Do you want this baby or…"

"I want it." There was no hesitation in my answer.

Maybe I was more okay with it than I had thought a second ago. Saying the possibility out loud to Seth made it real. Made me consider all my options, what I wanted. It was the worst possible timing, considering where things with Shay stood, but I knew one thing. I wanted this baby if I was pregnant.

Seth smiled, "Then that's that, isn't it?"

Tears filled my eyes, because he made it seem so easy, when I knew it wasn't going to be. Being a single parent was hard, no matter how responsible and financially stable I was. Shay couldn't handle an unplanned pregnancy on top of everything else he was dealing with right now.

Which was why, if I was pregnant, I didn't plan to tell him.

At least not right away. I would tell him, just not now. He had enough complications, with Edward, dealing with therapy, and getting himself into a good mental head space. He didn't need the added worry of me and an unplanned pup.

"I'm not going to tell Shay."

Seth's eyes widened, his grasp tightening on mine. "Bennett–"

His tone told me what he thought of that plan, and he didn't like it. He might not be thrilled–or even truly understand–Shay's reasons for taking giant leaps back from me and any relationship we might have, but he wasn't happy about my plan of silence either.

I shook my head, stopping when the action made me slightly dizzy. "I will tell him, in a couple of months. Not right now."

"Shifters only carry for seven months, Bennett," he reminded me, in case I had forgotten. "That doesn't give you that long. As tiny as you are, you might start showing soon," he warned me .

"I'll tell him, but he can't handle this now, Seth." My eyes pleaded with him to understand and accept my decision. "This is the last thing he needs. He…isn't in a great place, mentally."

That was more than I should have shared with him, since Shay's secrets weren't mine to share. Shay looked better every day, healthy and happy, but I knew it was the invisible scars that took the longest to heal from. Shay had told me himself he was barely hanging on and keeping it together.

No, this news would need to wait.

"Please, do not say a word about this to Asher. Or anyone. Shay should be the first person–besides you, obviously–to know. You have to trust me on this. This could hurt his case for Lucas. They could try to use this against him. Please," I urged, hoping that my gossipy bestie would keep his mouth shut for once.

Seth sighed loudly. "Fine, fine." He made a motion like he was sealing his lips closed tightly. "My lips are sealed. For the record, I'm not on board with this plan. But I trust you know what you are doing. I don't like the guy on sheer principle because he made you cry, but he has a right to know."

"Your concerns are noted," I told him. "And you'll be my birthing coach?"

He rolled his eyes at me, "Duh, is that even a real question? Plus, I'm going to be the most kick ass uncle that ever uncled."

Meg slipped around the curtain; her eyes focused on the chart she was holding. Which very well might hold the fate of the rest of my life in it. Looking up, she smiled kindly at me, but by the look in her eyes, I just knew .

"I have your blood work back and we know why you fainted."