Sizzling for His Omega (Omegas of Oliver Creek #12)

Chapter Eighteen

Tobias

Thundering footsteps followed me as I raced from shadow to shadow, one hand cupping my swollen belly to keep it from swinging from side to side. My legs were sticks, my arms twigs, my chest concave, and I was barefoot on broken glass. The monster wanted the baby, and I didn’t know where to go for shelter. There was no shelter. And then the hand came around my throat and I woke myself screaming.

The dreams of early pregnancy had evolved from vivid and colorful into terrifying nightmares that woke me several times a night. It didn’t help that I was uncomfortable due to the changes in my body, and that my bear and I both wanted our alpha.

I was determined to stay independent, not to ever have to rely on someone for our living or comfort or sense of self, but we were truly not doing well without him. Whenever he came over and sat down with me on the sofa, I immediately fell asleep on his shoulder. Lying here on this night alone in my bed with images of my latest nightmare in my head, I knew it was time to change. Every night, the dreams got worse, and they were creatively horrible. Trolls, dinosaurs, demons…once, a giant clown made entirely out of cotton candy.

I couldn’t go on like this, and I knew why I was spinning out. When I fell asleep on Leon’s shoulder, it was in peace. My bear, my baby, and I all wanted to be with Leon. Full-time. I knew that in fighting being with my mate, I was bucking the plan of Fate, and if I didn’t want to be with him, that would be worth continuing this ridiculous battle.

But I did want to be with him. So much, my bones ached with the yearning. I reached for my phone and checked the time. When he asked me if I knew what time it was, I wanted to be able to say that I did. It was two thirty in the morning.

Leon came over every day to spend time with me. As I’d gotten deeper into the pregnancy, I didn’t feel much like cooking beyond what I did at work, and he brought me food. Anything he thought I might like. Then he sat with me and let me nap on him and went home when I said I was going to bed.

He asked nothing more than my company. He made sure I got the health care I’d been too stubborn to admit I needed. He fed me, refilled my water glass, and watched the reality shows I liked on TV, not even changing the channel when I was asleep and probably drooling on him.

I hadn’t really believed my ex was my fated mate. And I knew Leon was. First thing in the morning, I was going to call him and tell him I wanted to move in with him. Or he could move in with me. I couldn’t call now because how rude would it be to interrupt his sleep just to inform him that I’d been a stubborn ass who was finally seeing the light of day?

Pulling the blankets higher over my shoulders, I settled into the pillows to nap until a decent hour to call my mate. I closed my eyes but immediately opened them again. I didn’t want any more nightmares. What if my mate being here didn’t stop them? But it would because if I napped on my own even during the day, the dreams came, but if he was there, nothing. I knew I’d had some of those vivid dreams with him around, but they were actually very cool and not scary at all. Just a little psychedelic, and I could live with that. I reached for my phone again, but only ten minutes had passed.

And, suddenly, I realized something.

My mate would not want me to wait to let him know I wanted him here with me. Every night, when he went home, I saw the pain in his eyes. Why would I think he was sleeping any better than I was? If it was mate separation—which was a real thing—causing my sleeping problems, he might be in the same position.

At the very least, I could tell him to come for breakfast so we could talk. And gods help me, I couldn’t wait another minute. I hit his name on the screen and waited while it rang three times before he answered, “What’s wrong? Is the baby okay? Are you?”

“I miss you.” I was crying now, something I hadn’t seen coming, but it was hard enough that my shoulders shook and my voice was shaking. “Can you come over in the morning?”

“I’m on my way.” No questions, no Do you know what time it is? Just, he was on his way. Now. In the middle of the night. I tried to think if he’d sounded asleep, but it was hard to tell. And there was no turning back now.

I got out of bed and shoved my feet into slippers, pulled on a robe, and went to the living room to wait for my mate. I hoped I hadn’t waited too long.

Ten minutes later, I heard him pull up out front, and I opened the door and stepped onto the porch. By now, I was feeling foolish and probably looked worse with tear tracks down my cheeks and my hair all mussed and sweaty. But the man who hurried up the steps and swept me into his arms showed no signs of that bothering him. He guided me into the house and sat me on the couch then went into the kitchen and made a cup of herbal tea and set it in front of me then sat down. “Now, what’s this all about? You sure you’re okay?”

I sniffled. “I am now that you’re here.”

“Aww, mate, I’d be with you all the time if you let me.”

“Can I move in with you but still keep my house?” I rubbed at my swollen eyes. “Is that okay?”

He stared at me as if he’d never seen me before then hugged me so hard I squeaked. “Of course you can. Whatever you want. Now, what brought this on?”

I spilled what it was like without him. Not good. And how I was only happy when we were together. I told him all the details of that old relationship that made me so afraid of future ones. I had told him a little, but it was so embarrassing to relate and then it wasn’t anymore, and Leon was saying all the right things and making me feel comfortable in my own skin for the first time in a long time.

I eventually wound down and fell asleep, but when I woke up, I was snuggled against him in bed. He’d carried me there and I knew I’d made the right decision.