Jarrett
Something was wrong with his mate. Something had been wrong for a couple days now. Jarrett was trying not to worry, but failing miserably. Most wouldn’t have even been able to tell from such tiny changes. For the last couple days, Avery had been just a little bit quieter, just a little bit less energetic, and had eaten just a little bit less. When Jarrett had gone into the bathroom the other morning, the faint smell of vomit had made his nose wrinkle. Avery had shrugged it off, saying he’d probably just eaten a bit of bad meat.
When Avery came down for breakfast that morning and breathed in the smell of eggs, he blanched and rushed to the bathroom. Apologetically, he asked if he could have something else. Jarrett made him a plate of fruit slices instead. That set Jarrett’s warning bells off. Avery loved eggs. When he’d lived in the forest, eggs had been a rarity, stolen in the early spring from birds nests. The smell of eggs making him sick was alarming.
Nibbling at his apple slices, Avery was again, much quieter than usual. Jarrett squeezed his hand. “Everything okay?”
He shrugged. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
Jarrett frowned. Avery had given him that line for a couple days now. Jarrett knew without a doubt that his mate was coming down with a flu or bug. He decided right then and there to drag him to Dinah to get him checked out.
“You wanna stay home today?” he asked. They had a hunt today, and he didn’t like the idea of Avery coming along when he obviously wasn’t feeling up to it, but Avery had been excited for it. His heat was over and it would be their first hunt in over a week. Despite his sudden lethargy, the omega was itching to get out into the forest.
Avery shook his head. “It’s fine. Really. I’m fine.” He gave Jarrett a bright smile as if that proved something.
Jarrett came very close to telling Avery that he didn’t have a choice. That he obviously wasn’t feeling well and that as his alpha, Jarrett was ordering him to stay home and get some rest. He swallowed the words back, though. If he did that, he knew for a fact that he’d be looking forward to a week of the cold shoulder and sleeping alone. “If you’re sure,” he said reluctantly. “Come on. We should get going.”
As they made their way to the gates, Avery was a bit slower than usual. Usually, the omega was practically bouncing with energy. It had taken Jarrett some getting used to, if he was being honest. Avery rarely ever stopped moving. Even when he slept his hand was either twirling in his hair, or his foot was twitching. To see him so quiet and still was jarring, almost worrying.
“You sure you’re up for this?” Jarrett asked again.
“Of course,” Avery said. “I’ve been dying to get out again.”
Jarrett nudged him playfully. “The pleasure of my company isn’t good enough?”
Avery grinned. “You figured it out then? I’m sorry, but you’re just so boring!”
It was almost brotherly, the way they teased each other, and Jarrett loved it. He loved that his mate was playful and had a good sense of humor. He loved that they could banter and make fun of each other. That Avery wasn’t too tired to take part in their teasing helped calm him a bit.
Their usual group was there waiting. Jack, Gerald, and this time, JJ. Avery looked around. “Where’s Cory?”
“He hunted yesterday. It’s his day off today,” Jack explained.
Avery nodded at the explanation, looking rather relieved, but Jarrett had stiffened when he saw his older brother there. He had meant to apologize to JJ a while ago, but between mating with Avery and dealing with Cory, he barely seen the pack alpha. He worried that the time had passed for a meaningful apology. Anything now would feel half-assed and cheap. He nodded to his brother, but kept his eyes averted. Shame crept up his neck, and he tried desperately to squash it back down.
“Come on,” JJ said. “Let’s get going.”
They stripped their clothes and shifted. Now Jarrett could properly appreciate his mate’s form. The sandy wolf nuzzled up against his shoulder. His bushy tail swayed contentedly and he let out a happy snort.
JJ took the lead, and they bounded after him. Jarrett could feel his stiff muscles stretch and reawaken. He was yet again reminded of how the forest was safe again, and that they were no longer confined to the walls of their village. They were hunting a moose today. Enough meat to feed several wolves. Moose could be deadly, though. It would take all of Jarrett’s self-restraint to not stick strictly between the beast and his mate.
Avery wasn’t doing anything to ease the overprotectiveness either. He was just keeping pace with Jarrett, and panting rather heavily. Jarrett was now completely convinced that Avery was coming down with something and was just too stubborn to admit it. To make matters worse, they were about to go up against a rather large animal. He had to turn them around. Avery was in no shape for this, and Jarrett would be a hindrance to the hunt if he was distracted. Avery was going to be angry, but Jarrett had to do what was best him.
Before Jarrett could make any sort of move though, all at once Avery swayed, tripped, and went down. Jarrett’s heart stopped as he dropped beside his mate, shifting back into his human form. The others skidded to a halt and hurried over.
To Jarrett’s relief, Avery’s eyes were open, if slightly glassy. Slowly, he managed to shift. His fur receded and Jarrett was alarmed at the flush on his cheeks and neck and the sheen of sweat that covered his skin.
“Dammit,” Avery said softly. “Sorry.”
Brushing his bangs out of his eyes, Jarrett shushed him. “Come on. Let’s go back.” He looked to his brothers apologetically. “Think you guys can manage yourselves?”
Jack let out a bark and JJ nodded. Jarrett sighed and pulled his mate into his arms, cradling him against his chest. Avery blinked, eyes clearing. “I can walk.”
“Humor me,” Jarrett said. His heart was still pounding as he walked back toward the village. “How are you feeling?”
Avery looked frustrated. “Tired. A bit dizzy. I thought I was fine.”
“We’re going to see Dinah,” Jarrett said firmly. “I want to be sure.”
“It’s probably just a small bug,” Avery protested. “I’ll be fine.”
Jarrett ignored him. They came to the bag that held their clothes, and he helped Avery change back. He called up the wall that they were back, and the gate opened up. Avery blushed crimson at being carried through the village. “Not crippled, you know!”
“Humor me,” Jarrett said.
Dinah was at home. Jarrett didn’t even knock, he just burst through the door, giving Merideth a scare. “Where’s your mom?” he asked. “Can you get her for me?”
She hurried off and Avery gave Jarrett a look. “You startled her.”
“She’s fine,” the alpha replied. He finally set Avery down on the couch. He was trying not to panic. His mate most likely just had the flu. But his heart refused to slow down and it was driving him crazy. He would have to ask his brothers if it was always like this. This overprotectiveness he hadn’t felt since Jack was a baby and he took his big brother duties very seriously.
Finally, Dinah appeared. She raised an eyebrow at Jarrett’s nervous pacing and Avery’s mortified face. “Really?” she asked with a huff.
“He’s been dizzy,” Jarrett said, ignoring her exasperated look. A doctor should know that you can’t be too careful. “His appetite has been off. He nearly passed out on the hunt today.”
He growled when Dinah ignored him and had Avery repeat everything he just said. She then handed Avery a cup. “Can you get me a sample?”
Avery nodded and headed for the bathroom. Jarrett wrung his hands nervously. “What do you think is wrong with him?”
Dinah gave him an unimpressed look. “He just finished his heat, right?”
Jarrett nodded. “Yeah, so?” He didn’t understand what that had to do with anything. His omega was sick! Seeing Avery sink to the ground like that had been terrifying. He didn’t want to ever see that again.
The older woman huffed. “Nevermind.” Avery reappeared and she slipped on a pair of gloves before taking the cup. “I’ll be right back.”
Jarrett was at Avery’s side immediately, ushering him to sit down. “You feeling okay? Any more dizziness? You getting hungry yet? You didn’t eat much this morning.”
“I’m fine.” Avery looked annoyed, but Jarrett thought a small part of him looked a bit pleased as well. Some part of him enjoyed being fussed over just a little bit. “I am actually getting pretty hungry.”
Finally, Dinah returned. She looked happy and completely unsurprised. Jarrett stood up anxiously. “What?”
“What do you think?” she asked.
Jarrett just gave her a lost look. At least she was smiling. “So it’s nothing serious, right?”
She shrugged. “Yes and no.”
Couldn’t she just get to the point? He growled again. “Come on, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, he has a little something growing in his stomach,” she patted Jarrett’s shoulder.
Jarrett was horrified though. “Like a tumor?”
The smile disappeared, replaced by a look of exasperation. “Really?” She looked toward Avery, who to Jarrett’s puzzlement, was staring at her with wide eyes, mouth parted. She swatted Jarrett’s shoulder. “I thought you were smarter than this.”
“What?” All he cared about was that his mate was sick. He didn’t have time for mind games. “Seriously, Dinah. What’s going on?”
“Really?” Avery whispered.
Dinah nodded. “Yep. No doubt about it. Now explain it to your dummy of a mate.” She shook her head at Jarrett. “He grew up in a cave, and he still got it faster than you.”
“Got what? What’s wrong with him?” Jarrett almost yelled. He stilled when Avery stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Leaning up, the omega whispered into his ear.
All at once, Jarrett’s brain short-circuited. All coherent thoughts vanished and all he could do was stare at his mate. Avery was glowing, a bright smile stretched across his face.
“Oh,” was all Jarrett could say.
Jarrett sat at the bar, nursing a beer. Avery sipped on a glass of orange juice beside him. His mind was still more or less blank as he tried to process the revelation. The words ‘pups’, ‘father’, and ‘pregnant’ looped over and over in his head. Where was a tight feeling in his chest. A happiness and excitement he hadn’t felt in a long time warring with a deep feeling of terror.
Freddie and Avery were currently chatting excitedly. Jarrett heard snippets of the conversation.
“-remember when Hugo first came to us. He was two at the time, so we missed the early stages. But my God it was the best time of our lives.”
“-can’t even believe it. I never thought something like this would happen to me. I’d never even imagined having kids.”
“You’ll love it. When Hugo turned four-”
“-he going to be okay?”
“-be fine. He’s just-”
“Hey big brother! I suppose congratulations are in order!” A strong arm looped around Jarrett’s neck. Knuckles dug playfully into his head. Jarrett blinked as Jack took a seat beside him, grinning ear to ear. “Unless you still don’t know what’s going on, that is. I mean, I know JJ’s the smart one, but I didn’t think you were this slow.” He laughed.
Figures Dinah would tell them all in mortifying detail. “I worried,” he muttered. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”
Avery snorted. “You should have seen his face.” The omega was glowing. Jarrett had never seen him looking so happy. He found himself smiling, despite his younger brother’s ribbing. His mate was happy that alone was enough to cheer him up. That was honestly the only reason he hadn’t laid into the omega for insisting on a hunt and endangering his health. Jarrett still had to suppress a shudder at the bolt of anxiety that shot through him every so often.
A hand landed softly on his shoulder, making him start. He looked up at JJ, then looked away again. He knew he was being a complete coward now, but the last thing Jarrett had said to him was so fucking awful and he didn’t even know where to start.
“Hey, Avery,” Jack said, “wanna come over for tea? Riley made muffins this morning.”
“Sure,” Avery replied immediately. He gave Jarrett a peck on the cheek and hurried out with Jack, obviously sensing the tense atmosphere. Jarrett glared at them for abandoning him like this as he was left alone with his older brother.
JJ slid into the seat beside him. “So, you’re gonna be a dad, huh?” He sounded relaxed, not at all uncomfortable.
Jarrett fidgeted in his seat. “Yeah. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.”
“You’ll be a good dad.” JJ patted his shoulder. “Hell, if Jack could figure it out, you won’t have any problems whatsoever.”
They were avoiding the elephant in the room, and Jarrett felt about two inches tall. As little as he’d been looking forward to this talk, he liked even less how nice JJ was being. He should be angry. He should be giving Jarrett hell for being such an asshole. Jarrett swallowed. “Listen, I…uh…shit.” He couldn’t even get a half-assed apology out. He really was pathetic.
JJ sighed, but there was a soft smile on his face. “Don’t worry about it. Water under the bridge. I should have known you weren’t ready. Jack and I had our mates and our kids to keep us busy. To help us move forward. I forgot that you didn’t have that.”
Jarrett ran a hand through his hair. “I’m still sorry.”
“If it makes you feel any better, then, I forgive you.” He grinned. “Congratulations, by the way. A mate and pups on the way. Dad would be thrilled, you know.”
“Yeah,” Jarrett couldn’t help but return the grin. The thought of his dad still hurt, but not as much as before. He thought back to the embarrassing breakdown in front of Avery. Pink still tinged his cheeks at the memory, but he couldn’t lie to himself and say that he hadn’t felt lighter afterward. The hole in his heart was mending, slowly but surely. Talking about his father was so painful anymore. “He would, wouldn’t he?”
Whatever JJ was about to say next got lost as Jack came bursting back into the pub. His hair was a mess and he had an anxious look on his face.
“We got a problem.”