by Austin Bates
I shook my head. “We don’t have the information yet, but I hope we do soon.”
I pulled the box for the pregnancy test out of a brown paper bag and watched Timothy bite his lip. “Is that what I think it is? I don’t have any morning sickness yet. Is it a little too early?”
“Oh, we could have tested you three weeks ago and come up with solid results. I’m nervous about it, but I thought it was about time that we know for sure. We’ve got plans to make.”
In his deep, gruff voice, Blaze said, “At last! I’ve been on pins and needles since you brought Timothy home. I want to know whether I’m going to be Uncle Blaze.”
“By the way, what are the two of you cooking up there on the stove? It smells good.”
“Blaze is trying to teach me a few tricks of his trade, and I hoped we’d have a surprise for you, but you came home early.”
Blaze suggested, “Why don’t I finish this up? It’s a dessert with a cooked berry filling. Timothy’s done a great job, and I want to know about the test. I’ll stick this in the fridge, and it will be ready for dessert after dinner. That’s still a couple of hours away.”
Timothy reached out for the box with a trembling hand. I said, “Don’t worry. I’m as nervous as you are, but my gut tells me it’s good news. We just need to confirm that.”
Taking a deep breath, he said, “I hope you’re right,” and he left the kitchen headed for the bathroom.
I carefully lowered myself on to a chair at the kitchen table. Blaze asked, “Would you like some tea, Boss? How’d the clinic visit go? Did you take pictures with your phone? I ran into Rhonda at the grocery the other day, and she was excited.”
“Oh, it’s fantastic! And yes, tea sounds perfect. I have a few photos. Was Timothy okay while I was gone?”
Blaze chuckled. “He acted like he owned the house. It was fun to watch. I think maybe he needs a little more time on his own. I can take you to Strange Brew downtown, or we can stop by your staff’s homes and have a little social time. Timothy was more relaxed than I’ve seen him in weeks until you handed over that test.”
“It was a suggestion from the staff, and I agreed. I’ve started thinking about it more often, and I’m confident that Timothy does, too. We assume that he’s pregnant. If he’s not, the news will only be more devastating later.”
Blaze set my cup of tea on the table and pointed over my shoulder. “Here he comes. Now we’ll know for sure.”
I turned around and saw a frown on Timothy’s face. I clenched my teeth and prepared for the bad news.
He rubbed his right arm. “I took the test. I even did it twice to make sure I did everything right.” Suddenly a huge smile spread across his face. “I’m pregnant! We’re having a baby!”
Flinging himself across the kitchen, Timothy hugged me and nearly knocked me to the floor.
Blaze shouted, “Whoa! Whoa! Careful there. You don’t want to end the life of one of the parents early.”
Timothy giggled, and I kissed him hard. He swept his fingers up into my hair holding on tight. As he stared into my eyes, he asked, “Are you happy?”
“I’m ecstatic! Congratulations! Well, I guess congratulations to us! We made a baby.”
Blaze started to back out of the kitchen. He said, “I’ll be back in a few minutes to deal with dessert, but I think the two of you need some time to yourselves.”
I agreed, but I didn’t want it to be in the kitchen. I felt the sparkle in my eyes when I asked, “Do you want to go to the bedroom? I think we should celebrate somehow.”
A devilish grin flashed across Timothy’s face. “I was going to make the same suggestion.”
He helped me up out of the chair, and I followed down the hallway to my bedroom on my crutches. “We can cuddle together, or…”
After shutting the bedroom door behind us, Timothy shouted, “We’re dads!”
“Well, technically not yet, but yes, you’re having my baby. That’s phenomenal. I wonder what we would have thought when we were in eighth grade if someone told us this would happen.”
“I wouldn’t have believed it, would you?”
“No.”
I felt my cock swelling in my shorts as Timothy lowered himself to kneel in front of me. My breath caught in my throat. He whispered, “Let’s just call this my dinner appetizer.”
“Let me sit.” I relaxed onto the bed and Timothy took the crutches, setting them to the side. “And before anything else, stand up for a minute and come close.”
Timothy knew what I wanted. He stepped forward and held the hem of his polo shirt up exposing his slim belly. I held my hand against the flesh.
He said, “It won’t be flat like this for long. I’ll have to start a whole new series of shows for my blog. They’ll find out all the details about paternity clothes. Oh, hell! They still don’t know that I went to the clinic. Damn, I’ve got some explaining to do.”
I chuckled softly while I rubbed Timothy’s belly. “Now you can get back to what you were doing.”
He licked his lips and fell to his knees once more. As he pulled my shorts down over the brace and dropped them to the floor, my cock was already rock hard. I could have easily fucked my amazing boyfriend, but it was the celebration of the baby he was carrying, so I wanted him to choose.
I hissed, “Oh, damn, soo fantastic!” as I felt the head of my cock enveloped by Timothy’s warm, wet lips and tongue. He flicked his tongue across the slit. The fluttering was almost unbearable as I gripped the edges of the bed.
He pulled back and whispered again, “I want to show you how I feel about you. As I saw that color change in the bathroom, I nearly cried because it’s not only about the baby, it’s the connection between us.”
My breath caught in my throat again when Timothy sucked my cock deeper into his mouth. He had a gag reflex, but it relaxed quickly. He knew how to massage my cock with his throat. The one time I received a blow job in college, the sensations didn’t come close to what Timothy could produce.
I tangled my fingers into his blue-tipped hair and started to rock his head up and down. I heard a moan rumble up from his throat muffled by the presence of my cock.
It didn’t take long for my balls to start churning. Coupled with the excitement about the pregnancy announcement, I knew that I wouldn’t last for long. Timothy gripped the base of my cock and sucked my head deeper into his throat.
As he swallowed, I dug my fingertips even further into the mattress and threw my head back. A heated growl worked its way up from the back of my throat until I erupted in Timothy’s mouth. Gasping for breath, I smiled when I thought about our child carried in his body. A few short months ago, the idea of a partner and a baby were only dreams I entertained in the dark corners of the night. Now the dreams were on their way to coming true.
15
Timothy
I looked up at Blaze as he placed breakfast plates in front of both Inteus and me. “Have I ever told you how happy I am that you spoil us like this? It’s a mind-boggling luxury to know that every meal will be fantastic morning, noon, and night. Who gets to live that way? This man! That’s who!”
Blaze and Inteus both chuckled softly. The big, burly chef said, “It’s a great arrangement for me, too. I was a mess when Inteus met me. Working with food settled my life, and I’ve got somewhere I belong. Thanks for the compliments. I appreciate it.”
Inteus asked, “So what’s in the plans for today? I’ll be chained to the desk in my office here at the house for most of the day. They sent over a bunch of papers related to the building that I need to review and sign. Fortunately, they came with a bunch of photos of progress, too. I can’t wait to take a closer look at those.”
“I thought I’d go shopping for the baby. I know you offered to have that bedroom next to yours…”
“Ours,” corrected Inteus.
“Yes, our bedroom. You said you would hire someone to paint that room for the nursery, but I wanted to pick out some toys and decorations.”
“I’ll go with you.”
I sipped my coffee and shook my head. “No, if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to do this on my own. I’m going to shoot a little film of my independent project so I can ease the concerns of my fans. I’ll show them I’m still my own man even when I’m sleeping with the best man.”
“Do they know you’re pregnant yet?”
“Not quite yet. I’m going to present all of this together in a week-long series. I think some of it could go viral, so be prepared. Some of my online friends had to field questions from news reporters after their work hit viral nerves.”
Inteus bit into a crispy strip of Blaze’s bacon. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I’ll miss you while you’re gone, but it’s fine to go shopping on your own. I trust your taste and instincts on what the baby needs. I think most omegas know what will please their newborn child. I’m a klutz when it comes to decorating.”
Shopping for baby items necessitated a drive to Portland a little over half an hour away. I’d checked online about the best options in Maine, and I found a couple of stores dedicated to everything for babies. They specialized in the needs of infants from onesies to stacking blocks. I was excited to get there.
Standing in front of the entrance to the store, I filmed myself for my fans. I told them about my excitement and the fact that I’d started to see a change in the size of my belly. The food cravings were beginning, too. They weren’t specialized yet, but I felt like I wanted to eat everything in the refrigerator. I couldn’t seem to satiate my hunger. After I finished filming, I stored the clip for future release.
Once I entered the store, it didn’t take long for a salesclerk to descend on me. A dark-haired young man approached and said, “You’re an omega, aren’t you? I can see it in your eyes. I’m an omega, too. Are you pregnant?”
I grinned. “Just took the test. We do often recognize each other, don’t we?”
“It’s in your rosy cheeks. Is this your first?”
“Yes. I’m a late bloomer.”
The young omega’s mouth expressed surprise as it shaped itself into a perfect round “o.” He said, “You don’t look much older than me. What are you? Twenty=seven? Twenty-eight? And, by the way, I’m Jesse.”
“Oh, bless you. I’m thirty-three. Timothy here. My biological clock was ticking away. Since the test showed positive, my alpha and I are so excited.”
“I have three kids. My sister babysits during the day, and I can’t ever get enough of the baby stuff. I guess I’m sort of an expert on it now. Is there anything in particular you need?”
“Nothing specific. I’d like to browse first, but if you can point me in the direction of nursery wall decorations and toys for a newborn’s crib…”
Jesse walked at my side and kept up a friendly banter while he showed me to the right section of the store. “If you need any more help, I’ll be up by the register. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything. I’m here to help.”
There were so many options that I found it almost overwhelming. I knew that Inteus would opt for something gentle and relaxing while I loved classic cartoon characters and little baby animals. As I walked up and down two different aisles, I sensed that someone was watching me.
It was possible that someone heard the conversation with Jesse and decided to check me out. People are always fascinated with pregnancy. Peering over the top of a shelf, I didn’t see anyone else, but that prickly feeling on the back of my neck persisted.
I squatted down to check out some items on the bottom shelf in the store. A shuffling noise sounded to my right. Turning my head quickly, I saw the back of a foot as someone walked away. I didn’t rise to my full height fast enough to see anything else. That was the last I heard of strange noises in the store, and I shrugged it off.
Jesse smiled when I arrived at the checkout with arms full of purchases. He said, “You should have taken a cart with you. Was there anything else back there you wanted? I can help you retrieve it.”
“No, it’s all good. Inteus will be shocked at how much I have as it is.”
“Inteus?”
“Oh, right. Yes, that’s my alpha.”
Jesse stopped checking the items out and stared at me for a moment.
“Is something wrong?”
“Oh, no, not at all, and I think I figured it out. You went to that clinic up in Harbor, right? That name is distinctive, and I remember it from the news reports. They talked about him after the explosion. He’s handsome if he looks anything like the photo they showed on TV.”
I blushed. “Yes, that’s Inteus, and he’s stunning in person. I’m one incredibly lucky omega.”
“I’ll say you are.”
Jesse finished checking out my purchases, and he piled them into a cart that I could wheel out the door to the car.
As the wheels of the cart rattled across the asphalt parking lot, I whistled to myself. It was hard to believe the dream of my life was coming true. I was having a baby, and the father was the most handsome man I’d ever kissed. He was a warm, gentle alpha, too. Those were rare.
While I loaded the purchases into the trunk of the car, I heard rustling behind me. The parking lot was nearly empty in the late morning hours. Turning slowly on my heel, I looked for the source of the sound. Suddenly, a hand clamped over my mouth, and an attacker wrenched my right wrist up behind my back.
A dark ski mask muffled the voice, but the words were clear. “No sudden moves. Quiet, Timothy. I won’t hurt you if you follow orders.”
My nostrils flared, and I found it hard to breathe. The stranger began to drag me toward a van less than ten feet away. It was one of only two other vehicles parked in the lot.
I tried to speak through the hand holding my mouth shut, but only grunts and moans escaped. I wanted to say that I was the wrong person, and I wanted to scream for help. I didn’t want to disappear into the back of an unmarked van.
Doing my best to backpedal to avoid being dragged, I tried to cooperate. I always heard that was the best strategy. Those who fought back were often the unlucky ones who lost their lives.
When we were two steps from the van, the back door opened up, and another man appeared. Despite a reflexive attempt to struggle, they lifted my body into the van and slammed the door shut. Seconds later I found myself bound hand and foot, staring at a second man with a dark ski mask over his head. He pulled his hand away from my mouth.
“Please, oh, man. Let me go. I’m the wrong guy. I have to be! I’m here to shop for my baby.”
“Timothy Coleman?”
I didn’t know whether to confirm my identity or stay silent. I’d seen enough movies to know that captured soldiers gave name, rank, and serial number, but that wasn’t me. I didn’t know the rules for civilian abductions.
The stranger slapped my face, and the sound echoed through the van. The impact stung. “Yes, that’s me. What do you want?”
“I’m not in charge. You’ll have to ask the boss about that.”
I struggled. They tied me with rope and wrapped a cloth for a blindfold over my face. The ropes were tight, and I couldn’t figure out how to begin executing a serious attempt to escape.
The stranger threw cold water on my efforts. “Don’t bother trying to get free. You can’t.”
With a growl to show my resistance, I tried to think rationally about what was going on. I didn’t have any enemies, and I didn’t have money either. What if it has something to do with Inteus? Confused and terrified, I asked again, “What do you want?”
16
Inteus
The house was unusually quiet with Timothy gone. It wasn’t like he made a lot of noise, but I could always sense his presence. Settling myself into my office, I pulled out the stack of papers and photos related to the construction project.
The construction project was over budget, but it wasn’t a big surprise. All of my colleagues warned me to expect the unexpected. Our original structure exceeded the negotiated figures, too, by almost 15 percent.
Looking at the photos, I daydreamed about the new structure. We were already planning an expansion that would add 20 percent more space when the explosion happened. Now, we had the opportunity to add even more. The OBU financial reserves were more than enough to fund the construction, but additional contributions amounted to almost 50 percent of the cost. Grateful omegas and sympathetic individuals opposed to violence eagerly opened their wallets.
My phone rang. It was Daniel. When I answered with a hearty “Good morning!” he sounded nervous in response.
“I’ve got news, and I hope it’s not bad.”
“I hope so, too. What’s up? I’m looking through construction photos. They’re exciting. It looks like most of the walls are up, and we’ll move on to decisions about furniture soon.”
The words were difficult. That much was apparent. “You know how much I want to be a father, right? I’ve been in the database as a hopeful alpha for the last couple of years.”
“Yes, and Mary said you’ve been trying online dating. Did you find somebody? That would be good news!”
“Well, sort of.”
“You don’t know? Clear up my confusion, Daniel.”
“As you know, I took a trip to California a couple of weeks ago. I told the truth when I said I visited relatives, but there was another part to the trip that I didn’t mention.”
“Another part?”
Daniel continued, and the nerves caused him to stumble over some of the words. “Since I knew we wouldn’t be up and running for a few more months, I stopped in at a clinic and made a donation. It was a rash decision.”
I put two and two together. “You came up as a match at the clinic out there?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I hate myself for it now.”
Daniel’s fear that I’d see his participation in the work of another AI clinic as a betrayal was apparent. Despite his fears, I didn’t see it that way at all. His calm, gentle alpha nature was welcome in the world. I hoped he would find a way to pass the genetic components of his personality on to a new generation. In short, I was happy for him.