“I want to die,” I whined as I lay in bed, another wave of nausea swimming up my body like some crazed toxic alien squid intent on my demise. I knew I was being a total and insufferable pain in Seth’s ass – but I couldn’t help it.

“If there’s a Hell,” I said, turning to my mate, who was seated loyally at my bedside. “This is what it’s like.”

He smiled down at me and patted my head, gently dabbing at my sweaty forehead with a damp washcloth.

“I think if this was Hell you’d also have a fever.”

“You sure I don’t?” I asked him, putting a hand on my forehead. “I can’t tell.”

“You’re not hot,” he replied. “Well – at least not that way.”

Osana entered, a cup in her hand.

“Iced tea,” she said happily. “Ginger. Helps with nausea during pregnancy.”

“Oh, God, give it to me!” I gasped, holding out my hands like a toddler. The glass was tall, but I gulped it down as fast as possible.

“Oh, sweetie, go slowly!” Osana tried to warn me, but there was no stopping me. As I lifted the glass from my lips and took a breath, I understood what she meant.

“Oh!” I yelped as the intensity of the ginger flooded through my mouth and throat. “Wow, that’s strong!”

“Yes, I’m sorry, I should have warned you!”

I coughed as the ginger sensation started to fade, but I could already tell the tea was helping. The nausea had been off and on all morning, but really hit just after lunch, which of course I’d had to skip anyway as I knew there was no chance I’d be able to keep anything down.

“You’re already looking better,” Seth said, stroking my cheek. It had been almost two months now, and my baby bump was enormous. Osana had offered several times to take me in for an exam and let me know the gender, but Seth and I just hadn’t taken her up on it yet.

I did want to know, but at the same time I didn’t. It was like Christmas, when you really want to open your presents early, but at the same time you are in love with the eagerness and anticipation leading up to the big day.

We’d been going over names, though. Neither of us was really that concerned about the gender. So far we’d come up with Grace, Rose or Autumn if it was a girl, and Graham, Conner or Brian if it was a boy. They didn’t have any real significance to either of us – we just liked the names.

“Don’t lie to me, Seth,” I said, embarrassed and feeling like a disgusting swamp monster. “I’m fat, sweaty and ugly, and you know it!”

“Babe,” Seth cooed, sliding onto the bed beside me. “You’re gorgeous, and just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you’re fat. You know how much I love your pregnant body. I’ve told you that a million times!”

“He’s just being nice,” I whined, turning to Osana who was obviously trying not to laugh.

“I am not!” Seth protested, taking my chin and bringing my face to his. “You are more beautiful than the day I met you – and that’s saying something.”

He kissed me, and like it always did, everything felt suddenly better. That was Seth’s gift. No matter what was going on in my life, he was able to get me focused and back on truck and lift my spirits. Just like the first night I met him, when he rescued me from the back of that truck, he never stopped being able to take my mind off everything when I needed it most.

“You’re like magic, you know that?” I asked my mate as I stared up at him with eyes that let him know he was my entire world. But of course, he already knew that. “All you’ve done since I met you, is make my life better.”

“Yeah, well, that goes both ways, babe,” Seth replied. As he looked down and we locked eyes, I slipped away into that space with him, that space where he and I were alone in the world and nothing else mattered. It was something I doubted I’d ever be able to describe to anyone who hadn’t experienced it, but it was bliss. Pure bliss.

But then, the crazed toxic alien squid monster pummeled my belly again and a fresh wave of nausea swam through me.

“Ack,” I groaned, feeling my mouth go hot with saliva. “Any more of that tea, Osana?”

“Of course! Coming right up!” Osana snatched up my glass and headed back to the kitchen. It wasn’t as bad this time, but it was still there. And there was nothing more I hated in the world than throwing up. That feeling of being out of control while your body took over, expelling your breakfast or whatever you’d eaten that day – I hated it.

“Hang in there, my omega,” Set said soothingly. “Is it as bad as before?”

“No, not quite as bad,” I replied, closing my eyes and laying back on my pillow. “But, ugh. I hate this feeling.”

“I know you do,” he replied. “And I hate to see you this way. But it will pass. Just think about our beautiful baby that’s on the way.”

I smiled. He was right. All this was simply a road bump in our long journey to happiness. Soon, our first pup would be born and we’d be a family – a real family.

Tate had almost finished a crib for us, made from Brazilian cherry that he’d picked up somewhere especially for our project. It was beautiful, with beveled legs and rounded edges so our baby wouldn’t hurt him- or herself. All that was left was the finish and it would be ready to move into our room.

Osana returned with a fresh glass of tea, and I took it eagerly. This time, I didn’t chug it like some crazed alcoholic with his first beer of the day, but sipped it slowly.

The ginger opened my head up and I felt the nausea start to fade as the cool liquid reached my stomach. Osana was a firm believer in all-natural remedies for things, resorting to more mainstream medications only if all else failed. As a result, she had a wealth of information and an enormous cabinet filled with teas for every ailment known to man.

“Is it working?” She asked me. I nodded, taking another sip.

“You’re a miracle worker, Osana,” I smiled, only half joking. Seth took my hand as I kept sipping the cool, ginger iced-tea.

“Hang in there, babe,” he told me. “It won’t be long now before we’re holding our beautiful little baby in our arms.”