Page 77 of When She Needs Them Most
By Saturday afternoon, I’m cranky and unable to shake the discomfort. Walking or stretching or repeated showers don’t help for long. I almost want to ask if we can buy a new mattress, because the one in the pack bedroom is giving me intense pain in my hips and lower back. On the plus side, Luna’s nursery iscompletely set up, and we have all the important things that I would have forgotten.
The daylight slips away, and I prepare for another rough night. If tonight is anything like the last couple, then there won’t be any rest to be found. I’ve taken a few short naps during the day, but even when I wake up, I never feel well-rested.
“Would you like to try the heating pad?” Lincoln offers, tenderly rubbing my back as I lean over the kitchen counter.
I shake my head, then nod, only to shake it again. “No, thank you.”
It’s so hard to describe, but it’s not unbearable pain. It’s more like the most annoying throbbing ache that comes and goes.
I’m pretty sure they’re all about to realize the disaster they tied themselves to. Well, except for Arden. He’s still holding out, and I can’t blame him. Poor Lincoln and Kase get spillover from the bond.
The longer I go without proper rest, the more impossible it becomes for me to block my emotions from spilling into the link. Even simple aches and pains are wearing me down in a way I’ve never experienced.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, planting my forehead on the cool tile of the counter. I slide back and forth, trying to ease the pressure in my hips. I’m about to burst into tears, and I don’t even know why.
Okay, I do.
These poor guys. I’m still not fully convinced that their instincts didn’t force them to step in when they saw an omega in need. They’re stuck with a lifelong commitment, and it feels like I bring nothing but baggage to this relationship.
“You’re killing me here, sweetheart,” Linc says, pulling my hair back from my face. His fingers dig into my lumbar region while his hand soothes over my shoulder. “I know you’re miserable. Tell me how to help.” The pleading tone of his voice makes me feel even worse.
They’re amazing.
Honestly, they have to be a gift from Clark, because I swear, if I were alone right now, I’d be having a nervous breakdown.
“I’m okay. You’re helping a lot. Just having you around is keeping me centered.”
Okay, that was a fib.
I’ve experienced a lot of anxiety during this pregnancy. My last doctor even told me there was a name for it—tokophobia. I read up on it a little. I have had some of the symptoms, but the majority of my apprehension comes from the fear of doing things alone. Having bonds should soothe some of those fears, but mental health issues don’t have to make rational sense.
They just are.
You can try to rationalize them away, but anxiety and depression don’t work like that.
Turning around, I bury my face in Lincoln’s chest. “Thank you for putting up with me. I know you have to be getting every bit of my chaos in the bond.”
His warmth envelops me as he wraps his strong arms around my back. “I’m not afraid of a little mayhem, but I wish I could take away your discomfort.”
“You already are,” I assure him.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Arden
Seven trips to the bathroom for Chelsea in two hours could be a new record, but according to the looks on Kase’s and Lincoln’s faces, there’s more going on than Chelsea is mentally prepared to admit.
I stride into the formal dining room, which is finally free of boxes, and glance over Kase’s shoulder as he scrawls in a notebook. “Are you monitoring her contractions?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s what they are,” he says softly, watching Lincoln guide Chelsea around the living room. She’s been up and down to the point that none of us can ignore what’s happening. “You should let her know that she’s in labor.”
I scoff.
He glances at me over his shoulder. “Not joking. She’s determined to ignore it until she ends up delivering on the sofa.”
“Please do not speak when she’s within earshot,” I murmur, suddenly feeling like Lincoln.
Kase’s face breaks into confusion, and I take off for Chelsea. Lincoln spots me and sends her toward me with a gentle push. I don’t know why this conversation should fall on my shoulders, but according to the notes Kase has been keeping, her contractions are less than seven minutes apart.
