Chapter 9

Riley

“Stupid bloody thing…”

The next morning I hissed as I struggled to close my bra clasp, my arms straining as I tried to get the hooks in the eyes.

“Let me.” Colt appeared behind me, fingers sliding down my spine before covering my hands and pushing them aside as he did the clasp up. He ran a finger along my bra strap and then pressed a kiss to the back of my neck. “There, done, but we might need to look at getting you a bigger bra.”

“I don’t need a bigger bra,” I grumbled, grabbing a light t-shirt and yanking it over my head.

That took some effort too, the hem having to be stretched to get over my tits. I sighed as I wiggled, wiggled, then threw it back off again, making a beeline for his suitcase. I pulled out a t-shirt and pressed my nose to it, intending to make sure it was actually clean, but the smell of Colt had my brain stuttering. Musky, woody, perfect, I just breathed it in and out. He was forced to prise it from my fingers before drawing it over my head much more gently, taking way too much time to smooth it into place.

“I don’t,” I said again as he just stared.

“OK.” He knew that mild tone infuriated me, smiling as I started to growl. “You want to walk around wearing my clothes for the rest of your pregnancy?” His touch was feather light as he traced the line of my shoulders. “I don’t mind. Maybe ones I’ve already worn. My scent on them? Should warn off those fuckers in the endocrine department.”

“The guys are not interested in me.” I tried to shove Colt back, but he just smiled. “Pretty sure no one is going to fancy this body.”

I’d woken up after a restless night feeling too heavy, too ungainly, and just too bloody awkward, and that put me in a foul mood.

Well, that and Eloise’s mysterious plans. She hadn’t said another word about it when they guys returned with plates laden with food. It was all generic ‘isn’t it nice we’re all back together’ stuff when her sons were in earshot.

“This body?” Colt twisted the hem of the t-shirt until the cotton was forced to tug tight around me. “This body?” He tied it in a temporary knot and then skimmed his palms over me. “This full, beautiful?—”

“Heavy,” I interjected.

“Swollen, lush?—”

“Clumsy, lumpy,” I countered.

“Beautiful body.” He pulled me in close for some of that alpha magic, because while beta Riley was peeved with her state, the omega preened when he kissed her soft and slow. “You are gorgeous, a fucking fertility goddess in the flesh.” I was kissing him back now, forgetting my shitty mood, right as his hand covered one breast. We’d done a fair job of christening this bed, the faint scents of the pleasure we’d experienced together perfuming the air. “A goddess that needs a bigger bra to be comfortable.”

I looked up at him with a scowl, but he just grinned.

“Riley, I have watched the development of your breasts with way too much interest, and even I know it's time. Something that fits you better.” He ran a finger down my cleavage. “That doesn’t leave painful red lines on your body.”

“OK, fine.” He knew I’d capitulate, and his smile made that clear. “But I’d like the record to reflect that I hate this idea.”

“Noted. Maybe we could go down main street and see what they have available here?” he asked.

“Can’t.” I forced myself to step back, because while I could get about stinking of sex and desire among beta circles without them really noticing, that wasn’t the case here. “Your mother?—”

“Knock knock!” Eloise’s breezy tones could be heard down the hall. “Riley, love, are you ready?”

“What’s going on?” Colt’s dark expression had my mood souring as he strode over to the door, then wrenched it open. Eloise blinked, then rallied quickly with a smile. “Where are you taking Riley?”

“It’s a surprise.” She tried to pat her son’s shoulder, then push past him, but that wasn’t happening. Out of all her sons, Colt was the one least likely to be moved, so instead, he stared her down, waiting for an answer. I drew closer, interested in what she’d have to say as well. Eloise let out an irritated huff and then peered past Colt to me. “I was going to show you the birthing pools.”

Betas knew very little about the birthing pools because we were never going to be allowed to use them. Cyrus, Valerie, and Cheryl would’ve been shown them when they first revealed as omegas.

“Oh, wow?—”

“Mum, we talked about it,” Colt growled. “Riley wants to birth in a hospital.”

I loved him. I always had, it was easy to admit that now, but it was a feeling I’d lived with my whole life. One that had me stepping closer and sliding my hand up his back. Every muscle was tensed because my mate, my Colt, was ready to throw down with his own mother if that’s what it took to honour my request, and that had me slipping my arms around his waist and pressing my face into his shoulder blades. He partially turned and looked down at me.

“Riley?”

“It won’t hurt to take a look,” I told him, looking everywhere but at him before he tipped my chin his way. “They can’t exactly trap me and force me to birth my babies there.”

“Our babies.” He said that with a curious mix of pride and passion. “Right now you, they, are our priority. You wanted to come back here even though I didn’t think it was a good idea?—”

“Colton!” Eloise spluttered, but he forged on.

“But I trusted you when you said this is what you need.” His hand spanned my back. “I trust you now.” But not his mother, that became apparent as he turned back to face her. “But Mum, you need to respect Riley, respect her limits. You’re not the one in charge, she is.”

“I know?—”

“No, Mum.” Colt’s tone was respectful yet contained a thread of iron that would not be denied. “You don’t get it. I need you to prove that you can respect Riley’s wishes.”

Because she hadn’t before, that went unspoken, but every person in the room heard it. Her expression turned mulish for a second, and I feared we’d have Omega Vanguard on our hands, but Colt’s mother reappeared. She nodded slowly.

“I understand, but I think I know what I’m doing.” Eloise looked past Colt to me. “You want to see how it's done in the alpha-run towns. We didn’t raise you as an omega, not understanding your true nature, but now…” Her eyes locked with mine. “Now you need to find out what you missed out on to decide how you will proceed with this pregnancy.”

“Yes.”

I answered before Colt could, not wanting this to devolve into squabbling, because that’s what it was. It’d just been an itch in my brain before, but when she said the words, it became clear. What would’ve happened if I had revealed at puberty? If the guys claimed me before everyone? I would’ve borne them sons at some point, so what would’ve happened? The rational side of me knew my children needed good medical care, sufficient nutrition, space to develop and grow, and carers who loved them, but I was more than the scientist now. Mention of the birthing pools stirred something in me, and like any good scientist, that needed exploring.

“I’m happy to visit the birthing pools and to learn more about how an omega births.”

Eloise smiled.

“Good. So the first thing you need to know is that if you had revealed at puberty, you would’ve been shown the pools with all the other omegas in town.” I felt a prickle of unease, memories of the trio of omegas I’d gone to school with haunting me like ghosts. “Valerie has moved on, but Cyrus and Cheryl…”

Were going to meet us there and help with my tuition.

Damn.