Julian got up before sunrise the next morning and drove to a pharmacy two towns over. He had discovered it was easy to get up early if you didn’t sleep at all.

He bought a three-pack of pregnancy tests from a sleepy cashier, hoping desperately not to run into anyone he knew. But for once, luck was on his side and he returned unseen to his apartment. His first training appointment of the day wasn’t until that afternoon, so he had a little time.

The Omega was still reeling from Eric’s reaction and how much it had affected him. Julian knew it was his fault for letting his guard down in the first place, for thinking that Eric was different, but it didn’t make it hurt any less.

He opened the package of tests and skimmed the instructions. Looked easy enough. He peed on the stick and balanced it gingerly on the edge of the sink, then scurried out of the bathroom.

Julian found himself unable to stand still. glancing at the clock every two seconds. Despite his jitters, he felt strangely calm. Maybe it was more of a numbness. Whatever it was, he was grateful not to be in panic mode. After a small eternity had passed, he peeked into the bathroom.

The little window on the test showed an unmistakable plus sign, and from that second, it was official.

Julian was pregnant.

He’d expected to be devastated by the news, but instead, he felt a different sort of change. A fierce protectiveness flowed into him suddenly, a new strength and determination. No matter what happened with Eric, from now on, Julian would put all of his energy into being the best parent he could be.

At the thought of the Alpha, he paused. He had to tell Eric, didn’t he? Part of him wanted to hold back the information since Eric had acted so strange and domineering last night. But even as the thought occurred to him, he knew it was wrong. Strange or not, the Alpha deserved to know that he had fathered a child. And if he left, well, Julian had known he was going to do that all along.

He wasn’t worried about his finances, especially when he realized that the money he had saved up toward the house could now go toward taking care of his child. He couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of it all. If some cosmic force was messing with him, Julian hoped it was enjoying itself.

The Omega glanced at the clock. He had a little time before work, so he might as well get this over with. He reached for his phone and tapped Eric’s name.

The Alpha answered on the first ring. “Well?” he said.

“Hi to you too,” Julian replied. He wasn’t going to be treated like that.

Eric huffed out an exasperated sigh. “I’m really not in the mood for games, Julian,” he said. His voice sounded terrible, flat and raspy. “Please tell me the truth.”

“The truth is I’m pregnant,” the Omega said.

There was a long silence. He could hear Eric breathing, and he braced himself for an argument. “Maybe we should talk in person,” the Alpha finally said.

Julian was on guard instantly. He wasn’t about to meet Eric alone until he figured out the Alpha’s true intentions. “Come by the gym after six, and we can talk then,” Julian said, knowing Logan and Gabe would both be there to back him up in case anything went wrong.

“You think I’m going to hurt you, Julian?” Eric asked. He sounded disappointed, but Julian wasn’t going to feel bad about that.

“You acted weird last night,” the Omega replied. “And I can’t afford to take any chances now.”

He’d expected the Alpha to argue, but Eric only sighed again. “I’ll explain more tonight,” he said quietly. “See you at six.”

The line beeped and went silent.

* * *

He’d wanted to go to work that afternoon and have things be normal, but Gabe took one look at Julian’s face and pulled him into his office. “What’s going on, Julian? Logan said you were acting strangely last night, and that he left you alone with Eric, even though he didn’t want to.”

Julian’s first instinct was to lie, to keep everything to himself, but Gabe looked so worried he couldn’t stand it. “I found out I’m pregnant,” he said, not knowing how else to start the conversation.

Gabe’s mouth dropped open. “I thought you said you and Eric weren’t…a thing?”

“I have no idea what we are,” Julian said. “But he’s coming here this evening to talk to me about the… situation.”

“Does he know?”

“He knows, but he’s been acting weird,” Julian said. Seeing the worried expression on Gabe’s face, he shook his head. “I don’t think he would hurt me. But I’m responsible for more than just me now, so I didn’t want to take the chance.”

Gabe nodded. “I think you did exactly the right thing. We’ll give you your privacy to talk, but you know Logan and I will be right here.” He peered down at Julian, looking worried. “You know, if you want to take the day off you can. Or if you don’t want to see any clients today, I can cover for you.”

“No, I wouldn’t mind the distraction. It will make the day go by faster,” Julian said. “Besides, my new client Melissa has been raving about my patented ‘Beach Peach’ workout. I don’t want to disappoint her.”

He’d hoped the joke would lighten the mood, but Gabe still looked worried. “Ok,” he said finally. “Just let me know if it gets to be too much and we’ll figure something out.”

Julian threw himself into his work, giving his clients his full attention. He even tackled the filing that he had been neglecting and dusted the tops of all the cabinets. So he was able to forget about everything for a little while, but when a dark blue pickup truck pulled into the parking lot, all the anxiety came rushing back.