An Omega for the Sheriff

by Rosling, Corie

  Belly dancing was a harder workout than most people thought. It took time and effort to learn how to isolate all those muscles which usually liked moving together. Seeing Todd dance was a wondrous sight. It made me happy that he wanted me to be part of his birthing team.

  Through all the contractions, Todd remained focused on rotating his hips and moving through the contractions. It wasn’t long before he’d dilated to a full ten centimeters and was ready to push. Todd had opted for a water birth so we helped him into the inflatable birthing tub which had been set up for him.

  Once he was ready to push, it didn’t take long before his son arrived into the world. It was a gentle birth, and I was amazed and honored to be a part of it. I instantly fell in love with the adorable baby cradled in Todd’s arms. Todd looked tired but happy. I couldn’t blame him. It was hard work birthing a little human.

  When Todd and baby were ready, we got them out of the tub and dried off before putting them in the bed. Phil tucked in next to his mate and I managed to take their first family photo with my phone. They were adorable.

  “Baby and fathers are doing well. It’s a boy!” I announced to the waiting room when I got there. Todd’s parents relaxed at the news and Todd’s mom started crying happy tears.

  Trygg wrapped his arms around me from behind, whispering in my ear. “How are you doing, omega mine?”

  “I’m fine. Really. It was good seeing Todd like that. He did so good.” I leaned back against my husband, secure in his arms. “Seeing him doing all the things we practiced and having it go so well gives me confidence our birth will be uneventful. I hope so anyway.”

  “We’ll be fine.” The baby kicked where Trygg’s hands rested on my belly, making me smile. Our little one agreed, hopefully. “No drama for us. Do you hear that, little one?”

  Trygg laughed and held me close. “I’m sure our little angel is listening and preparing to give us hell just for the challenge.”

  “Bite your tongue.”

  I rubbed my belly, hoping Trygg was wrong and we had an easy delivery. My stomach growled at me, reminding me it had been a long time since lunch. “How about we go scout out some food while the new parents rest? We can come back tomorrow to see the baby again. I could really go for some tuna and avocado with some potato chips smashed in. How about you?”

  Trygg made a face at my food combination. I didn’t think it was too strange. Not like some crazy food cravings I’d read about.

  “What? Tuna and avocado is a great mix.” They went together surprisingly well. I loved the taste of the seafood with the creamy green fruit. The potato chips added just the right amount of salty crunch needed to balance the whole thing out.

  “I’ll get you whatever your little heart wants. Just don’t expect me to eat it, too.” Trygg murmured against my ear.

  We said our goodbyes, and they assured me they would tell Todd we’d be by tomorrow to visit. Hopefully, it would be our turn in a few months and I’d be holding my own precious little bundle.

  23

  Rebel

  “I can’t do this.”

  “Yes, you can. You’ve got this, Rebel. You’re an amazing dancer and you’re going to go out there and show everyone just how special you are.”

  I must have been out of my mind crazy when I agreed to join my belly dance classmates for the charity talent show being put on by the Sugar Beach Community Center.

  “I’m as big as a whale right now. How had I not remembered I’d be eight months pregnant when this thing was happening? No one wants to see an omega dancing with a belly the size of a beach ball.” I groused. I felt uncomfortable showing my expanding baby bump, which was left exposed by the hip-hugging harem pants. The short vest I wore didn’t hide anything either, leaving me feeling vulnerable and edgy.

  “Stop that, omega mine. You are so damn sexy right now, I can’t even describe what seeing you in that outfit does to me.” Trygg stepped into me and wrapped his arms around me. Even as big as I was, my alpha could still hug me and make me feel completely secure. “You’ve got this. Go out there and wow those people. Give them a good show like I know you can.”

  He was right. I could do this. I’d promised my teacher I’d do this with our class. Gigi was counting on me, on all of us, to put on a great show for our part in the talent show. She had put up six months’ worth of dance classes for the silent auction, too, so we needed to show the crowd what they could do if they won her prize. I took a deep breath and pushed away from my alpha. It was time to put on my big boy pants and join the rest of my classmates.

  “I can do this.” With more confidence than I felt, I bussed Trygg’s lips with a quick kiss and joined the girls. We were six strong, and we all walked with confidence to our places on the stage behind the curtain. The music sounded with the slow beat of drums as the curtain slowly parted. The stage was dark, with a single spotlight shining at the center of the stage. A pinpoint we all focused on as we stepped forward from different corners of the stage.

  The music filled me as I traveled forward, executing hip lifts to each beat of the drum. We were perfectly in sync, the six of us, as we traveled toward the center of the stage where the spotlight shone down, our arms performing snake arms as our hips lifted and fell. The drums beat faster and faster, our hips lifted and lowered, faster and faster, our arms isolated from our lower bodies in a way that made the audience gasp as we came to stop under the spotlight.

  The light went out, leaving us in darkness as the music changed. It was slower, softer. A soft light encompassed the stage as we became more visible to our audience, leaving them gasping as, one by one, we each executed belly undulations completely separated from our upper and lower bodies in a choreographed wave. The music shifted and we all add hip drops to the movement.

  I was in my element. I loved belly dance. It freed me in a way nothing else ever could. I lost myself in the music as I moved across the stage in a pattern well honed with my classmates over the last four months. We moved as a team, each of us synchronized to the other.

  In this moment, I didn’t think about my pregnant belly or what I looked like as the sole man in a group of women who glided about with such grace. I was one with my body. I controlled it, mastered it. The music filled me and I met each beat with a move designed to showcase that mastery. I felt sexy and glorious, even though my belly limited my movements and I wasn’t as fluid as I had been. The confidence I had in my body astounded and comforted me.

  The music ended, and we all came to a stop in the center of the stage again. For a moment, there was silence, the only sound our labored breathing. The applause was timid at first before it took off and the whole room rose to their feet, clapping their hands. I couldn’t help the smile that sprang to my lips as I looked out and saw my alpha, standing front and center. His support meant everything to me as he stood there clapping, smiling.

  I couldn’t help but notice the slight tenting of his pants. The man had no shame and didn’t bother to hide how affected he had been by the dance. Such a good alpha. I’d have to reward him later when we were alone again.

  The curtain closed, and I hugged my classmates. It was a good show. We moved offstage so the next act could take the stage. Our job was done for now. We would mingle and talk up the class, hope Gigi’s dance lessons earned a good bid for the community center.

  I would have preferred to have a chance to change but part of the mingling was to show off our outfits and give the people an idea of what it was like to be part of the class. If I was lucky, some other omegas would join Gigi’s studio and I wouldn’t be the only man there. To that end, I shimmied around the room, throwing my hips from side to side as the last act finished to another round of applause. I lost track of my alpha for a short while. The room was crowded, and as fatigue hit me, Trygg was suddenly at my side, ready to hold me up and give me his strength.

  He gave me a bottle of water, which I guzzled down. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was until the cool liquid hit my palate. Before I
knew it, the bottle was empty and Trygg traded it for another. This one I drank much slower.

  As soon as the auction ended, with Gigi’s dance lessons raising a record amount of money for the center, we packed things up and made our way home. I was exhausted but felt good. It wasn’t until we were halfway to the house that I doubled over in pain, gasping at Trygg to pull over. At eight months, it was too early for my baby to arrive. Even though we’d passed the critical weeks and our baby would survive being born, I knew the longer he or she stayed inside me the better.

  The pain passed, and I thought perhaps it was just a momentary thing until it happened again. “Birthing center,” I gasped. “I think now would be a great time to go to the birthing center.”

  Nodding, my alpha turned the car around and headed to Sugar Beach Birth House, the center we planned to use for our baby’s birth. I breathed through the pain, hoping beyond hope these were those Braxton Hicks pains everyone warned about. I hoped so. They fucking hurt and I couldn’t imagine anything that was considered practice hurting like this.

  The ride passed in a blur, and before I knew it, I had an IV tube hanging from my hand and fetal monitor hooked to my belly. The reassuring beeps of the baby’s heartbeat played in the background. Nurses had been in and out several times before the doctor popped her head into the room.

  “Hello. I’m Doctor Gaines. How are you feeling tonight?”

  “Uh, mostly fine except when the searing pain hits.” I tried not to be snarky, but it just popped out of my mouth.

  “Yes, I’m sorry about that. We’ve established you aren’t in labor. What you are experiencing are Braxton Hicks. It just means your body is getting ready to deliver your little one.” The doctor wrote in her chart before continuing. “I understand you’ve been dancing tonight?”

  “Yes.” I nodded my head as I answered.

  “That and possible dehydration are the likely culprits in bringing on the Braxton Hicks contractions. I suggest you go home and take a nice long bath. Warm water, not hot. Drink plenty of fluids. The pains should subside as you relax. Drink some warm tea or milk. If the pains get worse or become regular, please come back in and we’ll reevaluate you.”

  “That’s it? We can go home?”

  “I’m afraid so. Other than trying to relax, there isn’t much more you can do right now. But please call or come in if your symptoms change or worsen.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.” Trygg shook the doctor’s hand before turning to me. He looked worried even as he tried to hide it. “Let’s get you home.”

  I liked the sound of that. Home and a warm bath with my alpha. I rubbed my belly, soothing the tight skin as a nurse came in to unhook me and give me my release papers. As much as I wanted to meet my baby, I could wait a few more weeks.

  24

  Trygg

  The text from an unknown number surprised me. It had been so long since I’d gotten one, I almost didn’t check the incoming message. I knew it was Aggie as soon as I saw the message. I’d long since handed over being Aggie’s contact when my leg put me out of commission. The last thing Aggie needed was unreliable backup when he was so deep undercover. As much as I didn’t like handing the assignment over to another officer, I knew it was in Aggie’s best interest to have someone at his back who wasn’t hampered by an injury.

  As soon as I saw the text, I knew something had gone wrong and Aggie needed me. He’d reached out by phone, something he never did, and not meeting him was not an option. I didn’t know what had happened to the officer who had replaced me and that worried me. So many things could go wrong with an undercover operation. While Aggie had backup from the bureau, the closest FBI office was too far away to get to Sugar Beach quickly enough when seconds could be the difference between life and death.

  I wasn’t about to let Aggie down, so I left a note for Rebel that I’d be back soon. Ever since the Braxton Hicks incident, I hadn’t gone far from his side. I wanted to be there when my omega went into labor. So far, we’d gone from thinking the baby was coming way too early to pushing past Rebel’s due date. He was getting crankier by the minute. Not that I could blame him. He was waddling around, doing everything he could to get the baby moving. Yoga, belly dancing, sex. So far, nothing had worked. Today, he was walking with Todd and Phil, checking out the greenhouses.

  When I made it to the coordinates in the text message, no one was around. The old Peterson house looked empty. There hadn’t been any other signs of life since that one day when I had helped Rebel fix the fences. I had confirmed the son was still the owner with no plans to sell, despite the fact he planned to stay in New York.

  It was an odd place for Aggie to want to meet, and I couldn’t help but think there was more going on with this place. It was something I’d have to discuss with my supervisor now that I was back at work. Desk duty only, but it was better than nothing. I knew I wasn’t ready to get back in the field, despite the fact that was exactly where I was right now.

  About ten minutes later, as I was thinking Aggie was going to be a no-show, the sound of plants rustling hit my ears. A moment later, Aggie walked out of the woods at the side of the house. He looked tense and more tired than the last time I’d seen him.

  “Trygg.” Aggie’s voice was raspy, and I noticed a bruise on his throat. I stepped forward, worried. “I’m okay. I had a run-in with someone who didn’t take too kindly to me rescuing a certain omega.”

  “You found Mitch?” That was unexpected news. “Is he okay? Where is he?”

  “Yeah. He’s okay. Scared. Pregnant. He’s been through a lot, but he’s doing okay. He’s not ready to leave the safe house I have him stashed at quite yet.” He paused and looked around as if worried someone was about to jump us. “I need you to get word to the bureau. Bernard’s got something big going down tomorrow night. I think this is what we’ve been waiting for. They need to get their asses in gear. Send them to this address tomorrow night just after midnight. Whatever is going down is happening at 1 a.m.”

  Aggie handed me a piece of paper with an address written in hasty, but legible, script. The address looked familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Nodding my head, I agreed to hand off the information. “What happened to the officer who took my place? Why didn’t you contact him?”

  Aggie scowled at the question. “I tried to contact him yesterday with this information. He never showed. I don’t know where he is or what happened to him. You can tell your sheriff I expected better when they decided to replace you. Even with the leg still not a hundred percent, you’re here. That’s more than I can say for your replacement. I have to get back to Mitch. Get the bureau here tomorrow night.”

  “Will do. Be careful. We’ve been partners for almost two years now. I’m not ready to give up our friendship if you go and get yourself killed. I wish I was going to be there, but I’d only be a liability right now.” I clapped Aggie on the back.

  “I’ll see you on the other side of this, don’t worry. I’ve just found out I have a lot more to live for than I thought I did. I’m not ready to go out guns blazing quite yet.” Aggie smiled before turning and walking away. As tired as he looked, I couldn’t remember seeing him happier than he was in that moment.

  The drive to the Sugar Beach Sheriff’s Substation didn’t take long. After talking to the captain, I was on the phone with the local FBI office to relay Aggie’s information and the address. They seemed excited, and it wasn’t long before a liaison showed up to coordinate the plan of attack. Considering it was an FBI sting, the department was lucky they were being nice enough to include us in the plans.

  After determining the reason our officer didn’t meet with Aggie the day before, it turned out to be a communications error and the officer had been at the wrong meeting place. By the time he’d gotten to the correct location, Aggie had been gone. While I wasn’t happy about it, there wasn’t much I could do. These things happened. Luckily, this time, no one got hurt. It could have been so much different if it had been a different kind of message
Aggie had been trying to deliver.

  “Trygg! Phone call, line two!” someone called out.

  I picked up the phone, giving my name to the caller. “Officer Mann.”

  “Trygg! Dammit, why aren’t you answering your cell phone? Rebel’s in labor. Like actual labor. His water broke and everything. You need to meet us at the birthing center.” Phil’s voice yelled into my ear and I had to pull the receiver away slightly.

  “Damn, I don’t even know where my phone is right this minute. I’m on my way. Tell Rebel not to have the baby without me.”

  “Yeah, right. I’ll be sure to tell him. Get your ass over here.”

  I hung up and grabbed my keys. I turned to tell the captain I had to leave only to find him waving me off. “Go! Good luck. Let us know what happens.”

  Nodding, I ran out as fast as my leg would let me. “Yes, sir! As soon as I know anything I’ll call.” I found my phone on the floor of the jeep when I opened the door. Figuring it must have fallen out of my pocket, I tossed it into the cup holder. I could read the messages later. I had a baby to go meet.

  25

  Rebel

  I breathed through the pain of the latest contraction, not wanting to do this alone. I needed Trygg, and I had no idea where he was. He should be here with me, not working. That sounded selfish but fuck it. If I couldn’t be selfish while I was in labor, when could I be? I wasn’t supposed to be doing this alone.

  The monitor beeped with the baby’s heartbeat and a graph showed the strength of the contraction was at its peak and beginning to wind down. I hated being confined to a bed when my whole birth plan was the complete opposite. This wasn’t what I had envisioned at all. I had a plan. I’d written it out. No one was doing what we had planned, and I couldn’t figure out how to get the doctors and nurses on board with me.