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His omega was in pain. Tiberius could tell by the white lines around his mouth, the paleness of his face, the stiff way he held himself, the way his face tightened from time to time.
False pains, Reese had said. Normal, he’d said. Sure. Tiberius had googled it every and each way, and okay, it seemed valid.
But how did you know when the false pains turned real? Tiberius was on high alert, his alpha instincts screaming at him to make a nest for his Mate and stash him inside until the babies came. A nest or a fortress maybe, something defensible.
From what, he couldn’t tell. It was his wolf howling at him, demanding he protect a vulnerable Reese from other wolves, other dangers.
From Reese himself. Because his pretty omega was pushing himself too hard. He’d made up his mind to finish his studies and he wouldn’t sit down and relax until he did. Even if he could barely walk.
He got an omega’s attention and ordered some food, then led Reese to their corner, helped him lower himself into a seat.
Reese leaned back with a sigh, wrapping both arms around his belly.
Yeah, his Mate couldn’t fool him. He was in pain. “Reese... are you in labor?”
“No.” Reese scowled and looked away.
That was categorical and emphatic. “Okay.”
Tiberius was a bit confused. He could have sworn Reese was. His scent was mixed with the sourness of fear and stress.
Then again, he had just taken a difficult exam and was about to take another, so... it could be that.
“Let’s eat,” he decided. Maybe part of the discomfort his omega felt was hunger.
Just then their food arrived, and Reese glared down at the plate of spaghetti Tiberius had ordered him as if it had offended him. “I’m...”
“You don’t want spaghetti?”
Suddenly Reese was struggling to get up. Alarmed, Tiberius stood to help him. “Bathroom,” Reese managed.
He looked green.
Damn.
“Out,” Tiberius decided. He tried to pick Reese up but Reese shoved at him so he gritted his teeth and helped him as quickly as he could out of the building.
Reese gripped Tiberius’s hand and bent over as much as he was able, retching and coughing.
“Fuck, Reese. I’m calling the doctor.”
“No. Don’t.” Reese squeezed his hand and wiped at his mouth. “I’m okay.”
“The hell you are.”
“It’s the stress. It got to me. I’ll eat something and I’ll be okay.”
“Reese...”
“Please, Ty. I need to take this exam, and then I’ll relax. I promise.”
“But—”
“You don’t get it. You’ve always done well in the Academy. And you’re not about to have babies. It’s been hard.”
“I know, love.” The tears standing in Reese’s eyes were killing him. “I know. You’ve worked so hard. You’re such a fighter.”
“I feel like I’m so useless sometimes.”
“No fucking way. Come here.”
“What?” It was watery and faint.
“Come.” He turned Reese around and wrapped his arms around his Mate from behind, stroking his belly. “Look at all you’ve done. All this.” He stroked the top of Reese’s massive belly, then the sides, as far as he could reach. “Two babies, about to be born. You’ve done all this work, plus the studies. You’re amazing. You can do this. I know you can.”
Reese sniffled and sighed, leaning back against him. “With you by my side, I will.”
***
Reese managed a bit more of the spaghetti, moving the rest around his plate. He smiled at Tiberius whenever he said something, and nodded at Marcus and Nero when they came to sit with them.
Despite Reese’s reassurances, Tiberius had this gut feeling that Reese was going to have the babies very soon. Maybe the next day. So he resolved to keep an even closer eye on him.
Sooner rather than later, though, Reese had to go take his exam, and Tiberius helped him up.
“I’ll walk you there.”
“I can walk on my own.”
“There’s no discussion about this,” Tiberius said, losing some of his patience. “I’m walking you there, and waiting for you after. Is that clear?”
Reese shivered. “Yes, alpha.”
“And when labor starts, you’ll let me look after you, and help you. Help you birth our babies, help you take care of them, and no more of this “I’m handling everything on my own because I am so tough” shit, okay?”
“Okay. Got it.”
He was smiling, though, and that shot a wave of relief through Tiberius. Reese would let him take care of him when the moment came. Reese was tough and determined to finish his exams, to fight for his future, but he would lean on Tiberius when it was time to have the babies and raise them.
That’s what his wolf wanted to hear.
“Let’s get you there then, to take that damn exam.”
Then they’d prepare Reese’s bag for the birth center so they would be ready just in case, for the moment the babies decided to come.
And his wolf would be able to sleep at night.
***
He didn’t return to the salon as he’d originally planned to do, to wait until the end of the exam. Something kept him outside, pacing.
Why was he so stressed? He wasn’t the one pregnant. Or the one taking an exam. He was done with his exams for the semester, all his focus on his Mate.
That could be the problem. He was frustrated because he wanted to help Reese and couldn’t, and since his only focus was Reese, there was nothing else he could do.
He could organize the Claiming ceremony. He’d already emailed and asked about venues.
He could go and pack Reese’s bag right now—but he couldn’t leave until his omega had finished his exam and came out. For some reason, Tiberius found it impossible to leave.
Gut instinct?
Paranoia?
Who knew? Fact was, he couldn’t go. He was stuck pacing and worrying.
Don’t worry. Reese is fine. He said so. He’s right on the other side of this wall. Nothing can happen to him or the babies.
Breathe.
“Ty. You never finished your food.” Looking up, he saw Marcus coming his way. “Is everything okay? Nero and I thought maybe something happened.”
“No. Fuck, sorry.” He raked his hands through his hair, raising it into spikes. “I walked Reese here for his exam and I was going to come back to eat with you but... I can’t leave.”
“Why? Is Reese okay?”
“He says he is but I think he’s just stubborn and isn’t telling me everything.”
“Hm... He looks ready to pop.”
“Right? I think that’s why I’m so damn antsy. At the last doctor's appointment, we were told he could go into labor any day, and that was a week ago.”
“That’s normal, Ty. I know you’re both anxious to meet your babies, but babies sometimes take their time.”
“And you’re so experienced when it comes to babies, are you?”
“Whoa.” Marcus lifted his hands. “Calm the fuck down.”
Tiberius grunted and resumed pacing. “I’ll just wait until he’s finished with the exam.”
“Suit yourself. What I came to say was that I looked a bit into what you said about his fathers...”
Tiberius stopped again. “Didn’t know you were looking into that. Have you found out anything?”
“Apart from a total lack of a file? No. But that missing file tells me that something’s off.”
“Now you sound like a secret service agent. How would you know the file is missing?”
“I have my contacts.”
“Oh right. Politics...”
“There’s something fishy in Denmark, Ty. If the witches really are in a cold war with us, why hide the evidence? Is any of it real?”
Tiberius sighed and folded his arms over his chest. “What’s on your mind?”
“We have to keep digging.”
“I can’t save the world, Marcus. I’m going to be a father any day now. My Mate and my babies need my attention.”
“Never asked you to save the world. You focus on your family, Ty, and let me worry about the truth.”
“I know you’re doing it for Reese.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Reese is great, but I’m not doing it for him, or for you. I need to know the truth because the clans want to go to war. Didn’t your father tell you? They’re looking for excuses to attack the witches, and they’re building a case on non-existent evidence and dodgy cases, like Reese’s fathers. I have to put a stop to it before we find ourselves in another hundred-year war.”
“Damn.” Tiberius glanced at the closed door of the classroom where Reese was taking his exam. “You’re right, my father did talk about it, several times, but my only thought was Reese and myself.”
“Ty—”
“Whatever it is you’re doing to uncover the truth, and as long as it doesn’t put my family in danger, you can count me in.”
Marcus clapped him on the back, nodded. “I’ll do that.”