In July, approximately two months before my due date, we finally got around to setting Ben's guest room up as a nursery. We'd decided on an upbeat, green color for the walls along with an assortment of squirrel and bunny stickers for a friendly feel. The day after we got everything we needed from the DIY store, I woke up from an afternoon nap to the smell of fresh paint in the air. It was coming from the nursery, of course. I found my alpha there, paint brush in hand.

"I thought we were going to do this together," I scolded, looking at the walls. He was nearly done.

"I know..." He glanced at me and then back at the wall as if he was feeling shy about something. "I just... I wanted to keep myself occupied."

I waddled into the room, cringing only slightly at the thick smell of paint. We were going to have to air this room out—good thing it was summer. "Did something happen?"

Ben licked his lips. "Nothing much. Your phone rang while you were sleeping."

"Did it?" These days, nothing could rouse me while I was sleeping; I was like the dead as soon as my head hit the pillow. Well, nothing aside from the baby pressing down on my bladder anyway. "Who was it?"

He sighed and put the brush down. "Calvin. He wanted to know if the baby had been born yet." Ben rolled his eyes. "I told him she's not due to arrive before September and that we'd let him know when it was time."

"So, same thing as I told him last week."

"I think that guy's gotta be the most annoying of all your exes."

"Yeah." I ran a hand through my hair, feeling all hot and sweaty and not in a good way. I couldn't believe I still had to go until September before this baby would come out. "Is he worrying you?"

"Not exactly, just... What if it really is his baby?"

I shook my head at my alpha, even as a soft smile formed on my lips. "She's not his. He's not the one who spent the whole day painting her nursery, is he? There's more to being a dad than donating sperm. You're the one who's here for me and her. What's it matter who contributed to her genetic blueprint? We will be raising her. You and me."

"I know that. But still, I want him out of the picture." He rubbed his face with the heel of his hand—and proceeded to get green paint all over his nose and eyebrows. I burst out laughing. I couldn't help myself. "What?"

I whipped out my phone and snapped a picture of him. "See for yourself," I said, holding my phone out to him. He groaned. I laughed harder. Then I kissed him. Pretty sure I got some paint on myself as well, but I didn't care. "Don't worry about Calvin, okay? We'll deal with him if we have to, but I don't think we will. Call it omega's intuition, but I know this isn't his baby." Maybe if I'd actually spent Christmas Eve with Calvin as I'd originally planned... Ugh, the thought made me shudder now. Better not think about it for too long.

"I believe you." Ben was about to put his hands on my hips, but I stopped him.

"Wash up first." He could get paint on my skin all he liked, but I didn't want to do laundry today.

"Okay, okay. As you command." He walked off into the bathroom.

I followed. "It's funny, you know," I said, leaning on the door frame, "just a few months ago I would have thought you'd be happy to hear the baby wasn't yours."

"Well, things are different now." He splashed water in his face. "I can admit to what I really want now, and that's a life with you and our kid. Even my therapist said I should let myself have it. I hate the idea that someone else could take all that away from me."

"Silly alpha. No one can take that away from you. I'll always stick with you. I love you more than anything."

"I love you too," Ben gave back, looking at me while he washed his hands.

I took one of the older towels from the rack and tossed it at him. "Here. Use this to dry off."

Ben caught the towel in the air. "Thanks."

"You know... I looked into paternity tests. There's some you can do before birth. It might cost us a little more, but it might be worth it if all of this is stressing you out so much."

Ben didn't respond immediately. He dried his hands, put the towel away, and regarded me thoughtfully. "No," he said eventually. "You're right. I shouldn't let this bother me. If the baby's DNA doesn't matter to you, it doesn't matter to me."

"Of course I'm right." I bid him closer. "Now come here and kiss me."

I didn't have to ask him twice.