Chapter Thirty-One
Damien came right away, following Beau up to their rooms. Beau was relieved to see Griffin was still in bed, though he’d barely touched the glass of water. He hung back as Damien spoke to Griffin.
“So this all started three days ago?”
“Yeah.”
“Nausea, vomiting… any other symptoms?”
“I’ve been feeling a little lightheaded on and off.”
“He fell when he tried to stand up in the bathroom.”
“Did he lose consciousness?”
“No. I was just a little dizzy, that’s all,” Griffin snapped.
“He was awake the whole time,” Beau confirmed, ignoring the omega’s glare.
“No one else in the pack is sick or, if they are, they’re keeping quiet about it,” Damien said. “When was the last time you left the pack?”
“Over a week ago,” Griffin said, his anger fading, “before…” He trailed off and Beau answered. “Before I went into rut.”
It wasn’t common knowledge among the pack. Ronan, Mark, and Quinn had kept it between themselves and Noah. The pack in general thought that Beau had been struggling after what happened at the party and that he and Griffin had taken a few days to themselves.
“Oh,” Damien said. “Okay. So, Griffin you… shared Beau’s rut.”
“We spent it together,” Griffin confirmed. “It was his first.”
“I didn’t think I could.”
“And the bite mark on your neck… that was Beau.”
He could see Griffin was fighting the urge to snap at Damien.
“Yeah, I got a little carried away,” Beau said, taking the focus off Griffin who was so clearly struggling with having to share things he’d planned to keep between them.
“Did you go into heat, Griffin?” Damien asked softly.
Something hardened on his mate’s face. “You know I can’t. It’s just not possible.”
“My beliefs in possible and impossible aren’t as firm as they once were,” Damien replied, seemingly choosing his words carefully. “And I think, for peace of mind for everyone, the next step we need to take is a pregnancy test.”
“I can’t be-”
Damien held up a hand. “If I didn’t know about your scars and the story behind them, and you came to me with the time line and symptoms you’re presenting with, pregnancy would be first, second, and third on my list. I have some tests downstairs, I’ll go get one.” He went to leave but paused and turned back. “Extreme symptoms like this… if they are due to pregnancy, they aren’t a good sign.”
“I know,” Griffin said simply.
Beau didn’t. What the hell was going on?
Griffin called Ronan while they were waiting for Damien to return, asking the alpha to handle a phone call he was supposed to take that afternoon. The beta returned, handed over a small box, and gave a shrug. “I can wait outside if you and Beau want some privacy?”
Griffin didn’t answer, getting to his feet and heading for the bathroom. Sharing a look with Damien, Beau went to follow.
“I can manage,” Griffin called over his shoulder.
“I know you can,” Beau said, not slowing his steps. He closed the door, took a seat on the edge of the bathtub and kept his eyes on the floor as Griffin did what he had to do.
Then the omega crossed the bathroom and sat next to him, setting the test down on the floor between them.
“What did Damien mean by ‘not a good sign’?” As he spoke, he wrapped an arm around his mate, gratified when Griffin leaned into the embrace.
“If I was pregnant, well, it hasn’t been very long. I shouldn’t be showing symptoms at all just yet. It means my body isn’t handling this the way an omega is supposed to.”
“I’m sorry,” Beau said. “This is my fault.”
“Why? Did you know this was a possibility? Because I didn’t.”
“How long until…” He glanced down at the innocuous piece of plastic resting on the floor at their feet.
“Three minutes, so… another minute, I guess.”
“How do we know if it’s…”
Griffin let out a bark of laughter. “I haven’t the faintest idea. Damien?”
The beta peeked his head in the door. “Are you guys okay?”
“How do we know if it’s a positive result,” Griffin asked, indicating the test.
“Oh. They’re pretty basic. A little cross appearing in the window means positive. A single line is negative.”
“And how reliable is this?”
“They’re medical grade so pretty safe.”
“Even this early?”
“If your symptoms are being caused by a pregnancy, it’s safe to say the test will show us.”
Beau, his gaze still on the test, caught hold of Griffin’s hand. “I think it already has.”
All eyes turned to the white strip where a faint but clear cross had appeared.
“Fuck,” Griffin said softly, and he went limp against Beau.
He lifted his mate into his arms and carried him back to the bedroom. It was telling that, this time, the omega didn’t protest being carried.
Damien followed them out, taking a seat on the end of the bed.
Griffin recovered enough to sit up, Beau supporting him.
“What does this mean?” Beau asked. He knew it was bad but not why.
“First things first, as you’ve already guessed, more than likely this isn’t a cause for celebration. The surgery to prevent you from bonding should prevent pregnancy because you don’t produce the hormones necessary. Somehow, you’ve overcome that.”
“Doesn’t that mean it’s a good thing? We’ve beaten the odds?” He could see from the expression on both Damien and Griffin’s faces that he was missing something.
“It’s not just about getting pregnant, it’s about being able to stay pregnant. An omega needs to produce, and keep producing, a whole range of hormones to sustain a pregnancy.”
“And the production of those hormones originates in the mating gland in the neck,” Griffin said dully. “Mine had been damaged beyond repair.”
“So where do the nausea and dizziness come in?”
“This is where I hold up my hands and tell you I’m way out of my depth,” Damien told them. “We need to do more tests, gather more information. Griffin, you need to see a doctor.”
Beau could tell the omega wasn’t happy but had already come to the same conclusion.
“Do you remember the doctor we took Susie to?” Griffin asked.
Damien got to his feet. “Doctor Mackenzie, I remember. I’ll call her, set up an appointment.”
He stepped outside, leaving Beau and Griffin alone again. The omega turned his head into Beau’s chest and closed his eyes. Beau stroked his hair and then the back of his neck, kneading gently across the skin there. He could feel the tiny scars beneath his fingertips but only because he knew what he was looking for.
“I’m sorry, Finn.”
“It’s not your fau-”
“I know,” he soothed, “that’s not what I mean. I’m sorry that this happened to you, that it means you’re going through this.” Griffin cuddled closer, burying his face into Beau’s shirt.
“But I’m here with you,” Beau promised softly. “Every step of the way.”
When Damien returned ten minutes later, Griffin was almost asleep. His head jerked up when the door opened.
“Easy, it’s just Damien,” Beau said, rubbing his hand up and down Griffin’s back. The omega sat up, scrubbing a hand across his eyes.
“She wants to see you this afternoon,” the beta said.
“That soon?”
Damien shrugged. “I guess she doesn’t like the sound of this either.”
“How far is it?” Beau wondered.
“Three hours’ drive.”
Griffin sat up, swinging his legs off the bed. “The sooner we leave, the sooner we can come home.”
Beau followed the omega, reaching for him as he stood. Griffin waved him off.
“I can manage, Beau. Don’t hover.”
A little stung by the rejection, he stilled, his hand outstretched. His mate paused too, running a hand across his face.
“I’m sorry, I’m not trying to push you away.”
Beau let his hand fall to his side. “If you need space, that’s okay. I can stay here.”
It wasn’t what he wanted. Griffin, his mate, was sick and hurting. He wanted to be by his side.
Griffin breached the distance between them, taking Beau’s hand. “No, I need you with me. Now more than ever.”
“Then I’ll be here,” he promised, leaning in to inhale his mate’s scent.