by Esme Beal
“Then come here, Omega. Let’s rest.”
He smiled and moved closer to me. He rested his head on my chest and I wrapped an arm around him to make sure that he didn’t go anywhere. There was nowhere I wanted him to be than right here with me.
“Marshall.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“I always knew it was you. I wanted it to be you because I felt it. I just could never prove it until now.”
“I felt the same way. There are no more doubts anymore.”
I ran my fingers through his hair and massaged his scalp.
“Now get some rest. You’re gonna need all your strength to make it through your pregnancy.”
“Yes, Alpha…”
I kissed him on the top of his head and sank deeper into my seat. I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh of relief. I wanted to enjoy this moment with Spencer for as long as I could but I’d lost every bit of strength I had. All I could do was succumb to my fatigue. I slept well knowing that tomorrow, my time with Spencer in Snow Falls was only getting better.
Chapter 18
SPENCER
I drizzled syrup on the stack of pancakes then spread some butter over them with my knife. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself as I cut a healthy portion of the stack. I took in a mouthful but it wasn’t enough. A couple of chews of crispy bacon and then half-a-spoonful of fried potatoes joined the pancakes I was already chewing on.
“You know, you don’t have to eat so fast. The food isn’t going anywhere.”
I looked up at Marshall and the smirk on his lips. I smiled back at him, my mouth full. It took me a few seconds to swallow before I could finally respond.
“Sorry,” I said with a shrug. “I’m just… hungry.”
“Understandable. A pregnant Omega is feeding more than himself.”
“I’ve been around pregnant Omegas before. I always laughed at their appetites.”
“You laughed at my appetite. Yet here you are, stuffing your face more than I’ve ever seen anybody eat.”
“I can’t help it. I’m only gonna be pregnant for a month. I might as well enjoy it, right?”
I gave him a big grin then stuffed another generous portion of pancakes into my mouth. Marshall chuckled then helped himself to his own food.
After spending the night with him, I woke up with an undeniable hunger. Marshall was more than willing to take me to the diner for breakfast. We’d been around each other for so long that this wasn’t a big deal. The only difference was the amount of plates that crowded our table. Marshall had a couple to himself and I had the rest. There was so much food but I still felt like it wasn’t enough.
“Do you plan on finishing all of this?” he asked.
“We’ll see,” I said with a shrug. “You know, it’s not just the baby that’s making me so hungry. Last night was pretty exhausting. You can’t blame me for needing to refuel.”
“It was something,” he sighed. “It’d take an Omega in heat to pull something like that out of me again.”
“Maybe after I give birth, we can do it all over again.”
“So eager to have children. How many do you think we should have, Spencer?”
“Let me see…”
I took a moment to gorge myself on more of the crispy bacon. Food tasted a lot sweeter and saltier than usual. Even with Marshall in front of me, I was distracted by my hunger.
Marshall stared at me with a growing smirk. It was nice to see he took some amusement in how hungry I was. I washed everything down with a gulp of orange juice and let out a sigh.
“…I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “It’s not often that an Omega finds his proper mate… I figure we should take advantage of it. We can start with five.”
“Five?” he exclaimed. “You want to have five children?”
“Just at the start… Then we’ll see where we’ll go from there… I…”
I cut myself off when the sudden realization hit me. Marshall might have been the Alpha I was destined to be with but he was still his own man. I knew what he did and what he was. It would be wrong of me to force him to stay behind in Snow Falls, even if he was my Alpha.
“Spencer?”
“It’s nothing,” I said. “How about we just focus on the baby on the way? I’m sure that will be more than enough work for me.”
“You’ve got your hands full at the shelter already, so that makes sense.”
“Not to mention that I haven’t been to work in a bit at Paradise. They’re probably wondering where I’ve been.”
“You’re not seriously considering going back to work, are you?”
“With all of the smoke in that place, I suppose you have a point.”
“Speaking of which, I guess I’m quitting now…”
I couldn’t read what else Marshall was thinking. He didn’t say much else, eating with more of the fervor I was used to seeing. I didn’t think much of it though because my hunger couldn’t be ignored.
I polished off a plate of pancakes and another plate loaded with breakfast potatoes before moving onto another plate filled with scrambled eggs. Marshall and I exchanged giddy smiles with one another. We didn’t have to say anything to let one another know how we felt. Even with as rough and rugged as Marshall was, I’d only grown more comfortable around him. He was still just as intimidating as ever with the tattoos and how tall he was.
It felt like I was only just getting started with breakfast when a familiar face walked up to me.
“Well, look who it is,” Noah said. “The two of you having breakfast together. What a cute couple.”
I laughed knowing Noah couldn’t tease me about Marshall.
“What are you doing here?” I said.
“I was on my way to work and I saw Marshall’s bike parked outside. I figured I would stop in and say hello.”
“Work… You’re still at Chan’s?”
“That’s right. They’re watching Felix at the shelter.”
“You still work, huh?” Marshall joined in.
“Sure,” Noah replied. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“I figured with how rich Ashton is that he’d want his Omega taking as much time to watch over his children.”
“Just because I’m an Omega doesn’t mean I can’t fulfill my other obligations. My son is in good hands at the shelter. He’s still a baby but it’s nice for him to interact with others. Ashton and I will be there for him regardless.”
Noah looked down at the table then raised an eyebrow at me.
“That’s a lot of food,” he said. “Someone’s hungry.”
“Oh,” I said, immediately feeling sheepish. “Well, Marshall and I had a busy night and…”
He raised his eyebrows even more, the smirk on his face so huge that I started to blush.
“That’s not what I meant!” I said as I put my hands up. “I’m just saying that we didn’t eat much during dinner. And you see how big Marshall is. They don’t make Alphas like him in Snow Falls. He needs a lot to eat and—”
“You’re pregnant,” Noah cut me off.
“What?” I exclaimed. “Why would you say something like that?”
“I remember the first night after I had my heat. I woke up that morning wanting nothing more than to fill my belly and the baby inside of me. Thankfully, Ashton is as rich as he is because it felt like I could eat every piece of food in Snow Falls.”
I rolled my eyes at Noah then looked at Marshall. He gave me a shrug and smiled.
“I guess there’s no point in hiding it,” he said.
“Don’t worry,” Noah said. “I’m not gonna go blabbing. I’m not much for gossip. You know that.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t know if I can take much teasing from you,” I said. “To think that I’ll have to go through this for an entire month.”
“Oh, nonsense! It’ll be a lot of fun!”
Marshall’s phone started ringing.
“Sorry,” he said as he pulled it out. “It looks like Ashton Webb himself i
s calling me. I should probably take this.”
“You probably should,” Noah said. “He wouldn’t call you without good reason.”
Marshall got up from his seat and left the diner. I looked at him through the window while he spoke on his phone. Noah took his place in front of me. Even though Noah wasn’t the gossipy type, I knew he had a lot to say. I listened to him while I got back to the eggs I’d been neglecting for too long.
“I’m happy for you,” he said. “Really. Marshall really is the Alpha you were meant to be with.”
“You know,” I said, my mouth half-full. “I was beginning to think he wasn’t. I was spending so much time around him. I was attracted to him. But I started to consider that maybe it was just a physical thing. The kind of feeling you get when you’ve got a really hot hookup.”
“I think your days of hooking up are over.”
“It seems like it…”
My eyes were still locked on Marshall.
“What’s wrong?” Noah said.
“What?”
“The way you’re looking at him… It’s like something is on your mind.”
“It’s nothing serious. I mean, it is kinda serious. But…”
“But what?”
“Marshall… He’s amazing. The most amazing man I’ve ever met. He’s so strong. He’s tough. He’s smart, too. And he’s kind. You wouldn’t think that by looking at him.”
“After everything he did for Amy, that’s not surprising.”
“Ashton paid him a lot of money.”
“But that was just to make sure Amy was safe. He didn’t have to go after that guy.”
“That’s just it. Marshall is who he is. I feel like I’m asking so much more from him if… if I tell him to stay in Snow Falls.”
Noah shook his head, confusion tattooed all over his face.
“Why wouldn’t he stay in Snow Falls?” he said. “He just fathered your child.”
“Yes but I’m capable of taking care of the baby on my own. I’ve got a lot of experience with the children at the shelter.”
“But why would Marshall even think about leaving you?”
“It’s not about leaving me. It’s about going back to his life… the only life that he knows. He’s a mercenary for hire.”
“A mercenary who just got the biggest payday in his life.”
“I don’t think Marshall cares about just the money,” I said as I shook my head. “I think he enjoys what he does. It’d be wrong of me to deny him of that, even if he is my Alpha.”
Noah leaned back in his seat and sighed.
“I didn’t realize there was an issue,” he said. “Whatever happens you know that I’m always here. The shelter is, too. You’ll never be alone, Spencer.”
“Yeah… Thanks…”
Marshall finished his phone call and headed back inside. I went back to my breakfast and Noah got up from his seat.
“What was that?” I asked.
Marshall took a seat across from me and sighed.
“Ashton wanted to ask me if I was available for more work,” he said.
“What other work could Ashton have for you?” Noah said.
“Not him. Other people. Apparently, my deeds got out there. They weren’t in the papers but Ashton gave me some good word of mouth.”
“What did you say to him?” I asked.
My heart stopped in my chest for a moment. I worried that Marshall would be more than willing to jump on his next assignment. Even though I knew how selfish it was of me, I couldn’t deny that I just wanted to be with him.
“I told him that I can’t do anything,” he said. “Not with the shape my leg is in. I’m in no condition to be taking any assignments. And with a baby on the way…”
He gave me a smile to let me know everything he was thinking. I held back sigh of relief though it was certainly a weight off my shoulders.
“Good,” Noah said. “After everything that happened, you should still be celebrating. Speaking of which, we have to have another celebration.”
“What for?” I said.
“What do you think? We need to have a big baby shower for you!”
“Oh, no!” I said as I put my hands up. “Please don’t… I don’t need more attention…”
“Oh, come on, Spencer! It’ll be fun. Balloons. Presents. There’ll be plenty of food, too.”
“Food… That’s tempting. But I don’t think I can handle something like that. I don’t want anybody making a fuss over me.”
“Nobody’s fussing over you. It’d just be a good time. Ashton is always telling me that he’s looking for a reason to have parties in the shelter. It puts everybody in a good mood and if there’s anybody who needs it, it’s them.”
I finished my plate of eggs, counting the seconds until Noah finally relented. I looked up at Marshall and he was smiling at me just the same as Noah.
“No escape,” I sighed.
“It would be nice to have another celebration at the shelter,” Marshall said.
“Any excuse to get pineapple and anchovy pizza…”
I looked up at Noah and shrugged.
“…Since I know I can’t get you to stop anyway, fine—”
“Yes!” Noah said as he pumped his fist. “It’s gonna be a lot of fun. I can’t wait!”
He patted me on the back with the enthusiasm of a child on his birthday.
“Okay, okay, okay!” I said, laughing as I pushed him off of me.
“You two enjoy the rest of your day.”
Noah winked at me then whistled as he left the diner. Marshall chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“Noah’s always in a good mood.”
“He is.”
“You think it has anything to do with him being a father?”
“If fatherhood turns me into someone like him, I’ll have to think twice about it.”
“Ha!”
There wasn’t much to complain about, so it was easy to share a laugh. I smiled knowing that breakfast with Marshall was only the start of my day. No matter what happened, I planned on enjoying the rest of my day with him.
Chapter 19
MARSHALL
Spending time around Spencer was already enjoyable enough but watching him stuff his face made my time with him even more amusing. In between Spencer’s sudden and frequent urges to satisfy the child inside of him, we toured Snow Falls like we usually did.
I’d spent more time in this city than I expected to. Even though Spencer and I headed out every single day, there was always something new to see. A new restaurant to sample food in. A new park to relax in and enjoy the scenery. A quiet place to have a drink, though Spencer couldn’t do any of that now. The weather was pleasant enough that I wasn’t uncomfortable. And having Ashton’s payment meant I didn’t have to worry about taking another assignment too soon.
A big breakfast and an even bigger lunch weren’t enough to fuel us with all of the energy we needed. Spencer and I headed back to the shelter to relax. But as soon as we stepped inside, all of the young Omegas rushed up to Spencer and dragged him into the sprawling playroom.
“Sorry,” he said to me as they tugged and pulled on him. “I can’t say no to the kids.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me. Maybe I can join you.”
“Sure. I’ll be waiting for you!”
I straightened out my outfit as best as I could, making sure to make myself as presentable as possible.
“Marshall.”
I turned and saw Ashton walking toward me.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I figured I’d clean myself up just a bit. I can’t imagine what a bunch of young children would think of someone like me.”
“The kids here aren’t as judgmental as adults. We teach them that it doesn’t really matter what someone looks like, it’s what’s inside that counts. Though I imagined they’d be a bit intimidated by someone like you.”
“That’s what I figured.”
“If you don’t mind, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Oh? It can’t wait?”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure the children will be just fine torturing Spencer in their own way.”
“Right,” I said with a laugh.
“This way.”
I followed Ashton down the hall. We got to the end and he pushed the door open. It was a small office. The place was nice, considering that we were in a shelter.
“I spend a lot of time here,” Ashton said. “What with Noah volunteering. I figure since I’m donating so much to the place, I might as well have somewhere I can get some business done.”
“Makes sense.”
“Have a seat.”
I looked around at the books on the shelves and the art on the wall. There was a framed photo on his desk of Noah and his son. Ashton walked over to the side then poured a drink for me.
“What’s this for?” I said.
“You and I aren’t Omegas,” he said. “It doesn’t come as naturally as us to care over the people in the shelter, though it’s not much of an issue. Still, watching over someone can be draining. I imagine being with Spencer can be a bit exhausting. Especially now that he’s pregnant.”
I nodded and smiled.
“Noah told you?”
“It’s not a big secret, is it? Not like we wouldn’t have discovered it in a few weeks.”
“Right.”
I took the drink from Ashton and he took a seat at his desk across from me. I sipped on the bitter alcohol then let out a satisfied sigh.
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
I laughed at his question and shook his head.
“It’s funny,” I said. “I’ve been out there on the field. I’ve had bullets zooming right by my head. I was inches away from death. I talked to men and women and had them disappear just the next day.”
“And you just faced a nomad biker gang and walked away with nothing more than a limp.”
“That, too. All of that yet it pales in comparison to what’s waiting for me. I… I’m almost ashamed to admit that I am a bit nervous about becoming a father.”
“There’s no shame in it,” he said. “Even the proudest Alphas would be lying if they didn’t say so. Fatherhood is a more important task than anything you’ve ever done.”