I'd been about to make my excuses and slink out of this kind alpha's office when a stabbing pain pierced my gut. It felt like I was being lanced with a white-hot blade. When I bent over, clutching at my belly, I lost my balance and slid right off the slickly upholstered chair.

Austin was right there, easily lifting me up and cradling me against his chest as though I were a small child. He didn’t even speak, but instead started carting me off somewhere. I was vaguely aware of the sound of keys scraping against the wood as he passed the desk on our way out of the room. The concern radiating from him was palpable and thankfully, I was in too much pain at the moment to be mortified at being carried like this by the sexy guy.

I was so busy trying to breathe that it took me a moment to hear Austin muttering under his breath in a panicked tone. "It's definitely a better idea if I take him there myself. Yeah, calling an ambulance will take longer than it would to just drive him. Yes, okay. I've got this."

"Are you reasoning things out aloud or giving yourself a pep talk?" I asked in a weak voice. The pain had slightly lessened, and focusing on him was helping for the moment.

"Huh?" He glanced down at me with a startled expression as he spun around to use his back to push open the door to the parking area. "Oh, you heard all that? No, I was just trying to decide the best course of action right now. You obviously need help. We’re only a few minutes away from the hospital, and I was thinking it would take longer to call for emergency services and then wait for them than it would to just take you myself."

"Wait, do you really think I need to go to a hospital?" I rubbed my belly, the sharp pain lessening now to a dull cramp. "Surely there’s a free clinic or something that I could go to instead, right?"

He frowned and shook his head but didn't look at me, his attention firmly focused on where he was walking, as if he were afraid of dropping me or something. "You need to see a doctor, Owen. Don't even tell me that you're not in pain. The white paper on my printer is darker than you right now, that's how pale you are. I don't know about you, but I don't think that's normal—especially when it happened so suddenly. We need to make sure that your baby's okay."

My cheeks flushed hotly as a wave of shame spread over my body. "I wasn't… I mean, I didn't…" I took a deep breath when he stopped to open the door to a midsize SUV. As he deposited me on the passenger seat and leaned in to fasten the seatbelt for me, I shook my head. "What I'm trying to say is that of course, I'm worried about my baby. It's just that I don't have any insurance."

The seatbelt clicked, and Austin pulled back out of the car. "You don't need to worry about that right now. Let's focus on the baby first; everything else is secondary." He closed the door and rushed around the front of the car to his own side while I took a few steadying breaths. When he got in the driver’s side and started the engine, I glanced over at his tense profile.

"Thank you," I said softly once I found my voice. "You must think that I’m a horrible parent for not thinking of the baby before insurance. These past few months have just been so hard and I've been so busy pinching pennies that sometimes I forget the most important things."

Austin hesitated for a moment before reaching out to squeeze my hand where it rested on my thigh. "I don't think you're a horrible parent. I think that you've been dealing with a high-stress situation on your own, and it's easier to worry about money than to think that something might be wrong with your child. Don't worry, Owen. I told you I was going to do what I could to help you, and I meant that."

I was still processing the kindness of the stranger when I found myself lying on an exam table while the emergency room doctor conducted an ultrasound. Austin was sitting at my side, at my request. He'd been ready to take a seat in the waiting room, but I’d all but begged him to come back with me. I was afraid that I was about to find out that something had gone horribly wrong with my pregnancy and was too big of a wimp to hear the horrible news alone.

"It's just as I thought, everything is fine with the pregnancy itself. The sharp pain you felt was from the round ligament that supports the uterus," the doctor explained in a clinical tone.

"But why did he go chalk white though? And for that matter, why did it happen so suddenly?" Austin leaned forward, as if not willing to accept a quick answer.

The doctor merely chuckled. "The kind of pain he felt was probably worse than getting repeatedly kicked in the balls by a steel-toed boot. I defy anyone not to pale under that kind of pain." He sobered and pointed at the monitor where he'd made some measurements that were marked on the screen. "My main concern is with the size of the baby. Everything appears to be the way we'd want it to look right now, except that he’s much too small. He isn’t getting enough nutrients. At six months, he should be much larger than what we're seeing."

"He?" I asked quietly, my eyes searching the monitor for any signs of protruding genitalia. "It's a boy?"

"Yes, that's what this little glob right here signifies," the doctor answered with an amused smile, tapping at the monitor to demonstrate. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a prescription pad and began scribbling. "I want you taking vitamins and iron pills. The blood work they did when you arrived shows that you’re borderline anemic. I also want you to make an appointment with an obstetrician. I noticed on your intake form that you haven't been getting any medical care during this pregnancy," he said, then paused to glance up at me with a reproachful look in his eye. "Regular doctor visits are a must during pregnancy, Mr. Grant."

"I know," I sniffled, feeling another flood of tears threatening. "The free clinic doesn't provide obstetrical care and without any insurance, I just haven't been able to afford to see someone since my first visit at the clinic when they diagnosed the pregnancy and did my first ultrasound."

The doctor shook his head. "Insurance issues can be a pain, I get that. But this is non-negotiable; you need to receive regular medical care, especially when the fetus isn't where we want it to be on the growth charts." He flipped the page on his prescription pad and jotted a name and number down on the next one before tearing both sheets off and handing them to me with a kind smile.

"That second page I’m giving you has the name and number for a buddy of mine, Dr. Hunt. He's really good about working with omegas in need. Give him a call, and make sure you tell him that Dr. Marks sent you so that he can contact the hospital for the record of our visit. Everything we've discussed, along with the ultrasound image, will be in your file."

After he left the examining area, Austin politely turned his back so I could dress. Blinking back tears, I carefully maneuvered myself off the table to pull on my sweatpants. After I'd removed the hospital gown and put my shirt back on, I sat down to put on my shoes.

"You can turn around now, I'm decent," I said as I struggled to get my swollen foot back into my shoe. "Sorry about having to see my bare belly in all its glory. I didn't think about the fact that they’d make me strip to my underwear and put on a hospital gown when I asked you to come back to hold my hand. See what you get for being kind to strangers?"

Austin smiled shyly as he knelt in front of me and pointed at my shoe. "Mind if I give you a hand?" When I shook my head, he took it from me and loosened the laces, pulling the tongue forward more to help me ease my foot into the sneaker. "Don't think of me as a stranger," he commented absently. "Think of me as a new friend you just hadn't met yet."

I waved a hand in front of my face as though it would magically keep me from crying. "You can't say things like that to a pregnant guy, Austin. That's how you make the waterworks start."

He chuckled and moved to my other foot. As he repeated the process of loosening the shoe before sliding it on my foot, he glanced up at me again. "I've gotten used to helping the different families that come through the center, but something about you seems to have awakened a latent alpha tendency toward protectiveness in me, I'm afraid. I'm not usually very alpha-like, so please don't think I'm weird for hovering."

"I'm not used to having alphas act protective with me, so this is a new situation for both of us, I'm afraid. I'll make a deal with you; I won't think you're weird for hovering if you won't think I'm weird for letting you." I wiggled my toes inside my shoes as I spoke, amazed to finally have breathing room in there. "I don't know what you did, but these shoes are fitting better than they have in weeks."

Austin shrugged. "You just needed to loosen them up a little." He hesitated for a moment, then stood and held out a hand in a silent offer to help me up. "Listen, I don't know about you, but I'm pretty hungry. The cafeteria here isn't anything to write home about, but we can at least fill our bellies. And while we’re at it, we can leave your prescriptions with the pharmacy to pick up on our way out. What do you say, would you be willing to have dinner with an overprotective, hovering alpha?"

"Well, I'd be a fool to turn down such a charming offer, now wouldn't I? Especially after Dr. Marks just insinuated that I've been neglecting my child by not eating enough." My cheeks flamed at the indignity of that.

Josh would've kicked my ass three ways to Sunday right now. I'd always had a bad habit of forgetting to feed myself, but I really needed to remember that I was eating for two. I might not have much money, but I could at least feed myself if I kept it cheap.

"For what it’s worth, I don't think he meant to insinuate that you were neglecting your child." Austin didn't release my hand as he led me out of the room. Keeping his firm grip on my hand, he chatted easily as we headed toward the main lobby where the pharmacy was located. "And you should go easy on yourself, Owen. Even if you weren't in a relationship with Joshua, he was still your best friend. I'm sure you've been grieving, and that's enough to kill anyone's appetite. Trust me, I know what it's like to suffer loss. My parents were killed in an accident when I was in college and I still get numb a few times a year."

"How so?" I asked curiously, wondering just how long I'd be feeling this awful loss that had been weighing me down since I'd gotten the news about Josh.

"The first year is the hardest. After that, it's just the anniversaries that grab you by the balls. For me, it's my parents’ birthdays, their wedding anniversary, and the day they died. The rest of the year I can function normally, but those days and the week leading up to them are always hard for me." He gave my hand a light squeeze as he flashed me a sympathetic smile. "It takes time, but I promise you won't feel this numbing ache forever. I'm sure it'll be hard when you give birth and he's not there to see it. If you were in the market for a new friend, I'm sure I can probably find a hovering alpha who'd be willing to offer some support, though."

"I've had a run of bad luck lately, but I'm starting to think that running into you tonight might have been the best thing that's happened to me in a while." I winced at the memory of exactly how I’d literally run into him earlier. Glancing up at the taller man, I flashed a chagrined smile. "Sorry about that, by the way. The running into you part, I mean. I hope you're feeling better." I waved a hand vaguely in the direction of my own balls in reference to how I'd inadvertently injured him.

Austin shook his head with a grin as we reached the pharmacy window. "I'd almost forgotten about that, thanks for reminding me. But how about we put it behind us and pretend it didn't happen?"

I handed the prescription over to the person on the other side of the window and smiled with relief at Austin. "We can definitely pretend that never happened. Especially if we have any hope of becoming friends."

We chatted easily after we’d left the prescriptions to be filled and headed for the cafeteria. I didn't know if it was the easy way that Austin treated me, or the events of this crazy evening, but I didn't usually befriend people this easily. It was weird, but it truly felt like I'd known Austin forever, despite the fact that we were virtually strangers. It was just one of those instant friend connections that happened from time to time.

"Are you a picky eater or are you craving anything in particular? Because unless you have any special dietary needs, why don't you go ahead and snag us the table while I get our dinner?" Austin waved a hand at the half-empty room. "I'd feel better knowing that you were off your feet while I deal with the line at the counter."

Before I could respond, a petite omega walked up with a tall blond man trailing behind, carrying a loaded tray. "There you are, Austin. Don't you ever answer your phone? I've been trying to reach you for the past hour." The omega stranger paused and looked at me curiously, his bright eyes taking in every inch of me before turning back to Austin with a smirk. "Well, now. It appears as though my big brother has been busy." Returning his attention to me, he held out a hand. "Hello, doll. I'm Houston, this big lug's better-looking brother. And who might you be, honey?"

"Back off, Houston. This is Owen, he's a new friend of mine and he's having a bad day, so give him a break. Now tell me, how are things going with operation baby? Has Gideon delivered yet?" Austin easily changed the subject, discreetly herding us toward a table as he spoke.

"Hell, no. That little princess is taking her sweet damn time." Houston rolled his eyes dramatically as he took a seat at the table where Austin had stopped to pull out a chair for me. Houston watched with interest as I took my seat and Austin pushed my chair in, but thankfully kept his thoughts to himself on the matter.

"Don't they always take their time?" The tall blond chuckled at Houston's comment before taking his own seat and holding a hand out to me. "Hey, there. I'm Cody, this one's husband." He spoke in a slow Georgia drawl as he tipped his head toward Houston.

"I'm Owen Grant. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said politely, shaking his hand. I noticed Austin pulling a small bottle of Purell out of his pocket. He squirted some in his palm and put the bottle away before briskly rubbing his hands together.

"Bitch, please. Again with the hand sanitizer?" Houston lifted an elegant brow at his brother. "Do you realize you’ll probably need to take a bath in that shit by the time you leave here? I hate to break it to you, Mr. Germaphobe, but hospitals are the worst places when it comes to bacteria."

Austin visibly shuddered at that one. "Trust me, I'm well aware. But I'm not going to get our food with dirty hands." Austin turned his attention back to me with a questioning look on his face. "So you never had a chance to answer, food allergies—yay or nay? Anything you can't or won't eat? Or, on the other hand, was there anything in particular that you’ve been craving?"

I shook my head, fighting the urge to laugh at the adorable way he was hovering again. "Anything you want to feed me is good, Austin. I'm not picky. Although, I wouldn't complain if a fat piece of chocolate cake landed on my tray."

Austin grinned and nodded. "I can work with that." He wagged a finger at Houston as he turned to leave. "No interrogating Owen while I'm gone. I wasn't exaggerating when I said he’s had a bad day."

As soon as Austin walked away, Houston leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table as he rested his chin on his entwined hands. "Okay, honey. Why don't you go ahead and just spill your story for me so I don't have to interrogate you and upset my brother? It'll go so much easier that way, if you’d be so kind."

"Now, don't start badgering the poor guy, fancy. Your brother is right, give the man a break," Cody chided his husband.

"It's okay." I smiled reassuringly, fighting the urge to sigh at the thought of baring my secrets yet again. "I met Austin a few hours ago when I stopped by the TAB foundation looking for help. I had an incident in his office and he insisted on rushing me to the emergency room."

"Oh, honey. I'm so sorry." Houston leaned back, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you recently widowed?" His eyes flashed down to my stomach as he lowered his voice. "And is everything all right with the baby?"

I quickly decided to just rip the Band-Aid off and went for blunt honesty. "Josh was my best friend, but we weren't involved. We were just what you'd call friends with benefits. He was killed in action a few months ago. I'm carrying his child, but there aren't any military benefits I can get since we weren't married, and they won't do a paternity test until after the baby is born. I mean, I know you can get them, but the military doesn't care about proving paternity, only I do." I rubbed my belly absently, frowning as I thought about the bills that would soon be piling up with no way to pay them. "I was living in his apartment, but his parents closed it down and pretty much left me on the streets in the process."

Houston clucked his tongue. "But the TAB foundation will be able to help, right?"

I shook my head. "No, it goes back to the same thing—I wasn't married to Josh, and even a charity foundation like that one has rules in place that have to be followed."

"Rules were made to be broken, honey." Houston sniffed. "My big brother Beaumont is the one who runs the place. Why, it's his baby. Once he hears your story, I just know he'll want to help. But tell me, is everything okay with the baby? You never answered that question."

A tray full of food was gently set in front of me as Austin answered for me. "The baby is fine, Houston. So much for not interrogating, hmm? And no, Beau won't be able to do any more for him than I could. We have rules in place for a reason. If we break them for one person, no matter how much we want to, we’d have to do it for everyone. But don't worry, Owen has already agreed to accept the sudden appearance of the latent alpha protectiveness that decided to emerge tonight. I'm going to see what I can do personally to help him."

"No, you can't do that," I argued before taking a bite of the lukewarm cheeseburger I found on my tray. I eyed the big piece of chocolate cake that had indeed appeared along with my meal, but made myself eat the real food first and save it to savor at the end.

Houston shook his head. "Don't turn Austin down, honey. It's about damn time he discovered he's an alpha, anyway. Besides, the living situation is easy enough to fix. Right, Austin? Why, just yesterday you were talking about how you’ve been needing to hire a live-in housekeeper, now weren't you?" Houston fixed a steady gaze on Austin's face as though challenging him to argue.

"I was?" Austin asked quizzically, then startled as he realized what Houston was trying to do. "Oh, that's right! I was, wasn't I?"

I almost choked on the bite of burger as I swallowed while fighting back a laugh at their transparent attempt to make me not feel like a charity case. "No, you can't do that. I’m sure I'll figure something out. And once I can paint again, I'll have money coming in from the gallery I use."

"Ooh, you're an artist? Which gallery shows your stuff, honey?" Houston perked up with interest. "What kind of stuff do you paint? I'm always in the market for pretty new things to decorate my lair."

Austin held up a hand. "Let’s not get sidetracked." He turned back to me with an easy smile. "Look, I honestly could use a little help around the house. I live alone in a big place. There's plenty of room for both you and the baby, until you get on your feet. Come stay with me, I mean it. I promise I'm not a creeper and I won't make you feel weird or anything. Hell, the bedroom doors have locks if you're worried about it. But think about it like this, if you’ll let me hire you then I can get you insurance. I own my own business, so I have access to things like that. Seriously, let me help you."

I was torn. As much as I wanted to accept his offer, I'd only known the man for a few hours. But on the other hand, he’d shown himself to be nothing but kind and compassionate. And honestly, it wasn't like I could really afford to turn him down. I needed a safe place to find my feet again and it wasn't like I could bring the baby home from the hospital to live in the back seat of my car.

Houston leaned forward and spoke in a stage whisper. "Come on, honey. Just say yes, do it for the baby. Won’t somebody please think of the children?"

A giggle bubbled up from my throat at the dramatic way he’d spoken. I glanced at Austin and tentatively nodded. "I guess we can give it a try. I mean, I can't really say no after that statement Houston made, now can I?"