Not His Omega To Love by GS Holmes

23Cody

“Nervous?”

“A little,” I admitted to Ethan in the car. I was more than a little nervous. Last night I’d been worried, and I’d crawled into his bed in the middle of the night when Reggie was already sleeping. After having sex with him, I’d relaxed. I’d even devoured breakfast this morning, but now the waffles Ethan had heated up for me threatened to come out again. My anxiety hadn’t started until we were on our way.

“Remember, no one can give you a hard time for being pregnant,” Ethan told me. “I spoke with my lawyer, who made contact with the school to advise them of our nuptials. If anyone tries to make life difficult for you, let me know, and I’ll drop everything to be here and lose my alpha shit on anyone who steps on your itty-bitty toes.”

I laughed, but my heart swelled with love for this man. If only he weren’t driving, so I could fling my arms around him and hug him for being so perfect and knowing what to say to ease my worries.

“I love you,” I said as he slowed down to merge with the traffic leading to the school.

“I love you too.” And nothing his ex-bondmate said would change that.

“Do you need me to bring you lunch?” he asked me.

“Nope. Now that the morning sickness has stopped, I can eat at the cafeteria again. Wouldn’t want anyone to be jealous that they don’t have a bondmate to bring them food while they’re at school.”

He shook his head, an indulgent smile curling his lips. “All right. Be safe. And remember—”

“To call you if anything goes wrong. I will.” And because I couldn’t kiss him when he parked, I squeezed his hand. “Pretend that’s me kissing you with a whole lot of tongue.”

He squeezed back. “Pretend that’s me returning the kiss.”

He let me go, and I got out of his car, pulling my bag onto my shoulders. I tugged my shirt down over my belly, but even so, it could no longer hide that I was going to give birth in another two months.

When I walked inside, I ignored the whispers. It was getting rather stale by now. Piper wasn’t waiting for me at my locker as I’d expected, but Rhett was.

“Holy shit, is that a ring?” Rhett took my left hand and stared at the band. “Did I miss this at the ceremony because I don’t remember you exchanging rings”

“That’s because we bought them on our honeymoon.”

“Honeymoon?” His mouth dropped open. I hadn’t spoken to him or Piper since I got hitched. I’d been too busy enjoying my honeymoon. Then Matthias had screwed with my mood yesterday when he’d shown up as a surprise. Thankfully, he’d left and hadn’t breathed a word to Reggie about the little display between Ethan and me he’d witnessed.

“Yes, we went to a nice little hotel where we spent the weekend, but I won’t say anything else for now, or I’ll only have to repeat it when Piper and Izzy show up.”

“That’s not fair. I can’t wait. She said she’d be late because she had a doctor’s appointment.”

“Then I’ll tell you all about it at lunch.”

Rhett pleaded with me, but I wouldn’t budge. I made it through my first period with ease, but the class before lunch didn’t go as smoothly. The teacher was late, and as soon as I took my seat, an omega, Stephany, turned toward me.

“Did you really get bonded over the weekend?” She spoke so loudly that other students swiveled in their chairs to listen in.

“Yeah.” I didn’t need to give any more explanation than that.

“Some people think it was a real bonding ceremony.” She smacked her gum. Gross. “Of course, I told them that it has to be fake. You wouldn’t be that dumb as to get hitched to someone while you’re so young, would you? I mean, it’s bad enough you got knocked up, which was stupid, by the way, but to get bonded at nineteen? Talk about ruining your life. Everyone knows the best part is college.”

I gaped at her in complete shock. She’d never talked to me before for the whole school year. I couldn’t believe she would be this blunt about something that wasn’t her concern.

“It’s really none of your business, now is it, Stephany?”

Mrs. Lane rushed into the room, saving me from Stephany’s response. I turned my back to her, seething at her audacity. Who asked her opinion anyway?

Class was easy. Graduation was next week, so mostly we engaged in discussion about what we would do after. All the same, I was relieved when the bell rang, and I hurried to the cafeteria. My friends already stood in the line. Usually, there was a no-cutting policy, but the teacher in charge of cafeteria duty took one look at me and didn’t bother to send me to the back of the line.

“Lemme see!” Piper grabbed my left hand and studied my ring. “Oh, it’s so pretty. What exactly does this mean?”

“After,” I whispered.

We bought our lunches and located an empty seat in a corner of the room reserved for the losers. We didn’t mind sitting there, though, as it gave us privacy.

I unwrapped my burger, fished out the pickle and tomatoes, which I hated, and took a big bite. They both stared at me in disbelief. I swallowed the bite. “What? I’m starving.”

“Isn’t your sexy DILF feeding you?” Rhett asked.

I threw the pickle at him. It smacked him in the forehead, then slithered down his cheek. “Don’t talk about my alpha like that.”

“You don’t have to sound like a smug bitch.” Rhett peeled off the pickle and stuffed it into his mouth. “So did you fuck on your honeymoon?”

I grinned but didn’t answer. Chomp. Chomp.

“You’re killing me here!” Piper cried. “Hurry up already and tell us everything.”

I devoured the burger and the fries, and when I felt like I wasn’t about to expire anymore, I turned to them. “Sorry, I was starving. And yes, Ethan fed me this morning, but I’m hungry all the time now.”

Piper held her phone to my lips. “Did you or didn’t you fuck your alpha on your honeymoon?”

“That’s private.” I pushed her hand away. “But I didn’t not do that.” I melted at the memory. “You guys, it was great. And of course, I can’t tell you all the details, but we’re bonded.”

“Well, yeah, we were there at the ceremony,” Rhett scoffed.

“No, I mean, like, fully bonded. We’re not going to fake it anymore. We’re in love, and he wants to adopt my baby.”

Piper wrapped her arms around me and hugged me. “I’m so happy for you. That everything’s working out.”

“That’s why we got the rings. After we talked about our relationship, he took me to a jewelry store and told me to choose, but this stays between us for now, okay? We aren’t telling Reggie yet until after graduation.”

“That makes sense,” Piper said. “How do you feel about everything?”

“Amazing. Ethan has always been there for me since he found out I was pregnant, you know? He’s kind and attentive, and when he kisses me… oh my god, Piper, you were right. It completely tilts my world.”

“I told you.”

Yes, she had, and I didn’t even mind her smug expression.

“Are you coming to the prom?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You have to come! We all planned to go together. We all saved up for the limo.”

“I was only going anyway because you two wanted me to. You know I don’t care about the stupid prom.”

“At least think about it.”

“Fine, I will.”

My phone vibrated, and I dug it out of my bag. Ethan.

“Look at him blush.” Rhett giggled. “It’s hot DILF.”

“Hey, Ethan,” I answered the phone. “Is everything okay?”

“Just checking up on you.” He was the sweetest. Piper tried to sneak up close to me to listen in on the conversation, but I gently pushed her back to the other end of the bench.

“I’m good. Having lunch with Rhett and Piper.”

“Say hello to them for me.”

“Ethan says hi,” I told them.

“Hi, Ethan,” they chorused.

Ethan chuckled. “I’m glad you have friends like them. I worry a fraction less.”

“No, you don’t. You worry just as much.”

“You’re right. I’m glad you’re blending in.” Hardly, given my belly. “I have to go now, okay, kitten.”

“Okay. I love you.” I fanned off Rhett, who had a sappy look on his face. They were killing me! New rule. Never answer Ethan’s call around Rhett and Piper.

“Love you too.’

“Ahh, that’s so sweet,” Piper said. “He called to find out if you were okay?”

My bladder chose that moment to remind me that I now had to go way more often than when I wasn’t pregnant.

“Need to use the restroom.” I climbed to my feet.

“Need company?” Rhett asked.

“No. I’ll be quick.”

I rushed out of the cafeteria to the closest bathroom, where I relieved my bladder. After washing my hands and staring at the ring on my finger for eternity, I headed back to the cafeteria. I still had twenty minutes before recess was up.

“Hey, look, Reggie, isn’t that your stepdad?”

I faltered at the voice from behind me, but I didn’t stop and picked up my speed.

“Cut it out, man,” Reggie said.

“Hey, you.” Footsteps pounded on the floor, and a body dashed around me and stopped in front of me. I halted just in time to avoid bumping into him. “Aren’t you going to say hi to your stepson? It’s rude to ignore him.”

“Especially after you fucked him, and now you’re fucking his dad.”

I inhaled sharply and took a step back.

“I said to cut it out.” Reggie pushed himself between me and his friend. “Don’t talk to him that way.”

The guy laughed. “Why are you defending him? Don’t tell me you and your dad are both banging him? Is that what’s going on in that—”

Reggie grabbed his friend by the shirt and shoved him against the wall. “Shut up, you dumb fuck! Don’t talk about him or my dad that way. Do you get that?”

“Hey, man, we’re just having a little fun.”

“It’s not fun. You’re harassing a pregnant omega who’s half your size. You’re a bully, that’s what, and if I catch you bullying or harassing him again, you’ll have me to deal with. Got that?”

I gaped at Reggie. He’d never stood up to his friends like that before when they’d picked on someone. He would go along with it and laugh. He had to know the group would ostracize him now.

He released the guy, who slinked away with his friends.

“Are you okay?” Reggie asked me.

I nodded. “Why’d you interfere? They’re your friends.”

“But you’re family.”

With those words, he walked off, leaving me staring after him, my jaw on the floor.