ΩMEGA

Chapter Thirty-Five

Kian

"Kian, you need to tell Bridger," Jenna says softly as I stare at myself in the mirror. My shirt is rolled up to my chest and my belly is out. Sometimes, when I let myself imagine that everything is okay and I'm not crazy, I wish for a bigger belly to show off.

"Why am I so small?" I ask, "and the pup barely moves."

"The healers say you're healthy and your Angel file would have stated otherwise," Jenna reasons, "but you need to tell Bridger. You said it's been roughly four months since you and Bridger...but that means that you're to give birth very soon. I had Hal when I was nearing six months. It is unfair to a good man like Bridger."

I look over at Hailey who's lying on her back on my bed. She has a teething toy in her hand as she lazily kicks her fat legs in the air. Humming to herself, she makes grabby hands at nothing in particular. Hailey is already five months now. She eats applesauce and mashed potatoes and can scream at someone when they're not paying her any attention. For some reason, she's grown attached to Vic which I don't like, but Jenna doesn't seem to mind as she needs someone to watch her baby while she's training as an iota. She trusts Vic and I do too, even though I don't really like him.

"I'm going to tell him," I say defensively, "I'm not hiding it."

Jenna looks at me through the mirror. She knows what I'm not telling her, but she doesn't say anything. I'm grateful. I love Jenna, but I really wish Peyton was here with me. He had seen me through my other two pregnancies and I just really want him here with me now to help me stop being so crazy. He was the wolf I didn't have and while he had his own trauma that he never got to work through, he was there for me. He would understand me better, too. If the entire world went against me, Peyton would be there too. Peyton was always there.

I turn back to face the mirror. I close my eyes, placing my hand against my stomach. I don't want to cry so I focus hard on the little one inside. I can hear the heartbeat. It's strong and fast. Dathump-dathump-dathump.

There is a baby inside my belly right now who is alive with a strong heartbeat and will be ready to come out very soon. And this pup is mine and will not be taken away from me ever. I will hold my pup; my pup will eat from me; I will take care of my pup.

'No one is taking my pup' I don't realize I've said it aloud until I catch Jenna quick movement as she rises.

"Kian," Jenna snaps me out of my thoughts. It's then that I realize the growling and a yellow tint in my dark eyes. "Call Bridger right now."

I look at her through the mirror. Her green eyes pierce through me and hold me still as she stands. She has my phone in her hand and I wonder how she got it since I swear I had it in my pocket.

I don't say anything to her as I stare at my reflection. I can imagine my pup inside my belly; curled up with its eyes closed, ready to come out and meet me. I used to do this a lot when I was pregnant with the girls. I liked them in my belly because for those short months, they belonged solely to me and no one else. They relied solely on me and they loved me because I was all they knew. And I loved them. I loved them so much.

"Kian."

"Jenna–"

"Bridger. Now," she wiggles my phone in front of her. "There's no reason you should be hiding this from him. I have been on your side all these months and I still am, but whatever this is, it's getting out of hand. No one can hurt you now."

"He's busy," I don't mean to snap at her, but she's making me nervous. She wouldn't try to take my pup away from me, would she? No, no, she knows what that's like. She would never do that to me, right?