Ashen's POV
It's been two weeks since Dominic and I... mated.
Two weeks since I stopped fighting the bond.
Two weeks since I allowed myself to feel what it meant to be his.
But now...
I stood in the bathroom, gripping the sink as another wave of nausea hit me. My body felt weak, trembling, and my head pounded with dizziness.
"What the hell is wrong with me." I whispered, splashing cold water on my face.
I've been feeling this way for days. Vomiting. Exhausted. My scent was... different.
I thought it was just my body adjusting to being off suppressants, but this... this felt wrong.
"Ashen!" Dominic's voice echoed from the other side of the door.
I didn't respond. I couldn't.
The door burst open, and there he was—my Alpha. His eyes narrowed with worry as he stormed toward me, catching me before I collapsed to the floor.
"You're burning up," he growled, lifting me effortlessly into his arms. "We're going to the pack hospital. Now."
I didn't fight him.
I couldn't.
I felt too... broken.
At the Pack Hospital
The doctor ran a few tests while Dominic paced the room like a caged beast.
My body was trembling, my head spinning as I lay on the hospital bed.
Why did I feel this way?
Then.
The doctor walked in with the results.
Her eyes widened in shock as she glanced between me and Dominic.
"What... what's wrong with me?" I asked, panic tightening in my chest.
She hesitated before speaking.
"You're... pregnant."
My world... stopped.
"What?" I breathed, my heart racing. "No... no, that's impossible. I'm... I'm a male."
My vision blurred.
I heard Dominic curse and lunge forward to catch me as my body collapsed.
Darkness pulled me under, but before I fully blacked out, I heard Dominic's deep, possessive growl.
"He's carrying my pup".
I woke up to the soft sound of steady breathing.
My body felt.strange. My stomach churned, my head still light from whatever the hell was happening to me.
Then...
It hit me.
"You're... pregnant."
My eyes snapped open as panic surged through me.
No. No, this had to be a mistake.
I turned my head slowly and saw him—Dominic.
My Alpha.
Sitting in the chair beside the hospital bed, head bowed, his hands clasped together as if he was trying to keep himself from falling apart.
The bond between us pulsed, raw and intense.
I could feel it.
His happiness. His fear. His overwhelming need to protect me.
And I hated it.
I felt weak.
I felt... broken.
How could this happen to me?
I'm a male. An omega... but this...
I clenched my fists, rage and fear boiling inside me as I sat up.
Dominic's head snapped toward me instantly, his eyes filled with relief.
"Ashen—"
"No," I cut him off, my voice trembling. "Tell me this is a lie. Tell me the doctor made a mistake."
I saw the way his jaw tightened, his eyes darkening with something dangerous.
"It's not a mistake," he said quietly. "You're carrying my pup."
My heart raced, my breathing uneven.
"No... no, this can't be happening," I whispered, swinging my legs off the bed.
I needed to get out of here. I needed air.
But before I could stand, Dominic was in front of me, caging me in with his massive frame.
"You're not running from this," he growled, his voice thick with dominance. "Not from me. Not from what's ours."
I glared at him, anger burning in my chest.
"You don't understand, Dominic. I've spent my whole life fighting to survive. Fighting to prove I'm not weak. And now... now I'm some... breeding omega?" My voice cracked with shame.
Dominic's eyes softened as he stepped closer, tilting my chin up to meet his gaze.
"You think this makes you weak?" he murmured. "You think carrying my heir, creating life... is weakness?"
I felt my walls crumbling, my emotions spiraling out of control.
"I don't know how to do this," I admitted, my voice breaking. "I don't know how to be... this."
Dominic's hand moved to the back of my neck, pulling me closer until our foreheads touched.
"You don't have to do this alone," he whispered. "You're mine, Ashen. And this pup... this pup is ours."
Tears burned in my eyes as the bond between us flared, pulling me deeper into him.
I hated how much I needed him.
I hated how safe I felt in his arms.
But more than anything...
I hated how badly I already wanted to protect the life growing inside me.
My pup.
Our pup.
I closed my eyes, letting myself melt into Dominic's warmth.
"I'm scared," I whispered.
Dominic's arms tightened around me protectively.
"Then let me be strong for both of us," he murmured. "I'll protect you... and our pup. No one will ever touch what's mine."
My breath hitched.
I was falling deeper... and I couldn't stop it.
Maybe...
Maybe I didn't want to anymore.
Two weeks.
Two weeks since I found out I was pregnant. Two weeks since I felt like my entire world flipped upside down.
I could barely process the fact that I was carrying Dominic's pup. An omega like me... pregnant.
It didn't make sense.
I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. My body felt weak, my emotions all over the place, and worst of all... my heat kept coming in waves despite stopping the suppressants.
Dominic was doing everything he could to help me, but I knew he was worried. I could feel it through the bond.
I needed answers.
So, here we were, standing in front of the one person who helped me when the suppressants first started failing Eira, the old herbalist who lived deep within Blackridge territory.
She was the only one who knew more about omegas than any pack doctor ever would.
I felt Dominic's warm hand resting on my lower back as we stepped into her small wooden cabin. The smell of herbs and burning incense filled the air, calming yet strange.
Eira looked up from her table, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly as she took me in.
"I've been expecting you," she said, her voice calm but firm.
I swallowed hard as Dominic guided me to sit down.
"I need answers," I said quietly.
Eira nodded, walking toward me with slow, calculated steps.
"You stopped your suppressants, yet your heat keeps returning. And now… you're carrying a pup."
I flinched at her words, shame burning in my chest.
"How is this possible?" I asked, my voice trembling. "I'm... male. I'm not supposed to be able to—"
"You're not like other omegas, Ashen." Eira cut me off, her eyes piercing into mine.
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
She let out a sigh and grabbed a small wooden bowl filled with strange herbs, crushing them as she spoke.
"You're what we call a Primordial Omega," she explained. "A rare bloodline that hasn't been seen in centuries. Your body was created to produce life... even without a female's biology. It's why your suppressants never fully worked. Your body rejected them because it was designed to carry an Alpha's heir."
My heart pounded in my chest.
A... Primordial Omega?
I felt Dominic stiffen beside me, his eyes darkening as he processed her words.
"So... this was always meant to happen?" I whispered, my throat tight.
Eira nodded. "Yes. The bond between you and your Alpha awakened your true nature. That's why your heat is more intense now... because your body craves your mate. And that's why... you're already carrying his pup."
I lowered my head, my hands trembling as I tried to process everything.
I stared at the old woman like she had just spoken a death sentence.
No. This couldn't be happening.
I shot up from my seat, panic clawing at my chest as I backed away from her.
"You're wrong," I hissed, shaking my head. "This... this isn't possible. I'm not some... breeding omega meant to carry an Alpha's pup!"
Dominic stood immediately, concern flashing in his eyes as he reached for me, but I stepped back.
"Don't," I warned, my voice trembling. "Don't touch me."
His jaw clenched as he lowered his hand.
"I'm not weak," I snapped, my breathing uneven. "I've spent my whole life fighting to survive, fighting to be more than what this damn pack labeled me as. And now you're telling me... that all of that was pointless? That I was destined to... to... carry your pup like some pathetic omega in heat?"
The room fell into a tense silence.
Dominic's eyes darkened, but he remained calm.
"You think this makes you weak?" he asked quietly.
I clenched my fists. "Doesn't it?"
"No," he growled, stepping closer. "What makes you weak is hiding from what you are. You've been running from your nature because of the lies they fed you. But I see you, Ashen. I see your strength. And this..." His gaze dropped to my stomach. "This pup isn't proof of weakness. It's proof that you belong to me. That you're mine in every way."
My breathing hitched, but I fought against the bond pulling me toward him.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to reject this... reject him.
But I couldn't.
Because deep down... my omega side craved him. Craved his protection. Craved the safety only he could give me.
And that terrified me.
"I can't do this," I whispered, turning toward the door. "I can't be what you want me to be, Dominic."
"Ashen—"
I pushed past him, storming out of the herbalist's cabin and into the dark forest.