I felt like crap. Complete, unadulterated crap. I knew I would with my heat coming. My doctor recommended I double my suppressant dosages when I asked his advice about taking time off from work. My last heat had been bad, and he was the one who had prescribed this suppressant, so why I was listening to him and taking his advice instead of just taking time off was beyond me. No, that’s a lie. I knew why. It was Wyatt. I wanted to make his life easier, especially when he was down a tech at work.

I sat up with a groan. It wasn’t unbearable. More like a really bad hangover. I could work with that. I took a shower, hoping it would alleviate some of my pounding headache. It was a fail, but at least I was clean. I could already hear Chloe and Wyatt in the kitchen making breakfast, meaning my quick shower had taken much longer than I intended.

As I made my way to the kitchen, their laughter filled me with joy, making the pain in my head a bit less awful.

“Good morning.” I forced my voice to sound cheerful but came up short. I grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee. Maybe it would help.

“Morning, Oliver.” Chloe was on the stool scrambling the eggs in a bowl. “I’m making scrambled eggs. I made extra for you.” She paused to give me a bear hug.

“Thanks, Chloe bear.” Her bear hugs were the best. I kissed the top of her head before plopping on a stool. It was going to be a long ass day.

“Oliver, are you okay?” Wyatt leaned in close so only I could hear, his worry evident.

“I’m fine,” I lied. “Just a bit of a headache.”

“I can call in if you need a sick day.” He spoke the words as if it was as easy as grabbing an apple from the bowl in front of us, but I knew the truth. Wyatt calling in was a huge ordeal that impacted many lives, including those of his patients. There was no way I would ask him to do that for something like a bad heat cycle.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Will you call if you change your mind?” He still sounded unsure. And then it hit me why. He didn’t know it was heat related.

“I will call if I change my mind, if I feel like Chloe is not getting the best attention, or if I get worse,” I reassured with my best happy face or at least not dying face. “Deal?”

“Deal,” he agreed less than wholeheartedly.

Chloe called to let us know she was ready for the eggs to go in the pan. I watched them as they finished cooking breakfast. It didn’t go unnoticed that Wyatt’s eyes kept wandering my way. He was worried. I put “text Wyatt numerous times so he doesn’t worry” on my to-do list for the day.

We ate and I listened to Chloe babble on and on about her puppy. Wyatt was correcting her less and less about the puppy not belonging to her. I knew he would cave. They still had a week before they could come home, which was good news for me because I knew squat about them and would have to read up since the odds were increasingly in Chloe’s favor.

After Wyatt went to the clinic, I offered to let Chloe watch her favorite movie. She jumped at the chance since we normally reserved movies for rainy days. I sat in the comfy chair that had slowly become mine as she enjoyed the silly tale about a girl who became a monster and got to live in a castle.

About half way into the movie, I texted Wyatt.

Chloe is watching her favorite movie.

It was only moments before I saw him replying. I hope that means you are resting.

Leave it to me to have the only alpha boss encouraging laziness. I teased, hoping to decrease his worry. It was sweet, actually, but the guilt of making him worry about me instead of his job weighed heavy on me. I am resting. I just didn’t want you to worry.

I was. Take some headache medicine please.

Why hadn’t I already done that? I know and I will.

I put the phone away and followed his recommendation to take some medicine and become a lazy fool. Chloe was down with the being lazy plan. She watched three videos before lunch and was beyond happy when I suggested we eat ramen for lunch. By the time her nap came around, I was so ready for my own.

Chloe’s going down for a nap now. I sent him my third “don’t worry” update for the day.

I hope you are too.

Yes, alpha. I sent it before thinking it through and immediately regretted it. I didn’t call him alpha. He wasn’t mine. He was my boss. What had I been thinking? I hadn’t.

I put the phone down and began to get ready for my nap with a quick bathroom break and trip to the kitchen to get a glass of water, but I didn’t make it out of the bathroom before the real pain hit. My stomach clenched and I could no longer stay standing. Fuckity fuck fuck. I lowered myself to the ground, allowing the coolness of the tile to comfort my throbbing head. I grabbed for my phone and cussed again at leaving it on my nightstand. I was in no shape to take care of Chloe if she were to wake early. What had I been thinking?

I pulled myself to stand, failing miserably just as the door opened. His cedar and coffee scent hit me, immediately relieving my worry over Chloe. I closed my eyes, no longer needing to keep them open. My alpha was here and my sweet girl was safe. That was all that mattered.