Caelen grabbed the pills and washed them away in the washroom. He straightened up and took a deep breath before wiping his tears.
It might be actually a gift, since I don't have a family. He gently placed his hand on his belly but couldn't keep it there longer. Would you like to be my family?
"But you might hate me for being your father. I am not competent," Caelen whispered.
The next day Caelen was eating his lunch in the cafeteria. Liam settled in front of him, and he looked up at him.
"Damn, you are actually eating congee with salad!" Liam chuckled. "So, are you having stomach problems? I can't believe you are not having fast food again."
Caelen stayed silent, and Liam threw another comment, "Why the hell is congee on the menu anyway?"
"For students who might suffer through stomach complications. It's a must," Caelen's voice was low.
"So, how is your stomach?"
"My stomach has nothing wrong with it." Caelen kept eating while looking down at his food.
"Then why would you throw up?" Liam stared at his pale complexion. "You don't look in good shape either."
Caelen leaned over the table, "I am pregnant," he almost whispered.
"Hell!" Liam shouted, and everyone turned to them with their eyes rounded.
Liam smiled awkwardly at them and quickly turned to Caelen. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Caelen stayed silent, still looking down and eating.
"Man! Who the hell has the honour to seduce our kind and indifferent Caelen?" Liam smiled playfully.
"I don't remember, I was too drunk," Caelen made things up.
"Drunk! Don't tell me you had one night stand when you were drunk with a complete stranger?" Thanks to Liam's made up scenario, Caelen just nodded in agreement.
"What are you going to do now?" Liam leaned back curving his brows.
"I don't know. But I guess I would have to take care of the baby."
"Why? Did you get a checkup? It can't be aborted?" Liam was throwing questions without thinking much.
Although Caelen had considered abortion himself now that he heard it from Liam, it made him angry. "I am keeping it."
"Oh," Liam was taken aback. "I am sorry for being rude." Liam suddenly got silent as if all of his questions were answered.
Soren walked into the house late at night and saw Moren walking back and forth. He ignored Moren and headed to the stairs.
"Brother," he froze at Moren's voice, "congratulations on clearing your name."
Soren turned to Moren, "What's the big difference? A prime Alpha needs to get rid of its pheromones, and that is to sleep with others, have regular passionate sex. The proof that I slept with my fan is enough to prove that, isn't it?" Soren's lips curved into a sarcastic smile. "So you waited for hours to mock me?"
"You know I would never mock you," Moren looked into Soren's eyes.
Soren walked closer to him, and Moren avoided him getting closer by walking backwards. His eyes drifted away, avoiding Soren's intense gaze. "You think I need your sincerity or something? I told you countless times, stay away from me," Soren pressed on the last four words individually.
Soren walked upstairs, his shoes making muffled thuds on the carpet spread along the stairs.
The days changed quietly into weeks, and the next two months passed in a rhythm that rarely changed. Caelen had quit all his other part time jobs keeping only the one at the convenience store. His world had shrunk to a small circle school, store, home. Though he worked less than before, fatigue clung to him more deeply now because of the life growing inside him.
He entered the convenience store after school as usual. He sat down as soon as he got to the counter.
"Are you okay?" Miral asked looking at Caelen's face devoid of blood circulation.
"I'm not feeling well. Should I head home today?" Caelen grabbed his head and his vision went blurry.
"Then why did you come here in the first place?" Miral gave him a glass of water.
"I... wasn't... feeling like... that before," Caelen spoke through heavy breaths.
"Caelen! Are you okay? I think you need to go to the hospital!" Miral ran to the stockroom. "Uncle Shu! Uncle Shu, come out, please!"
Caelen grabbed his chest. "My chest is tightening. It's like I'm feeling too nervous."
Uncle Shu just came out sprinting. "Support him in front of the store I will get my car." He quickly walked out.
Caelen was given medication, and he fell asleep. When he woke up, he saw Uncle Shu sitting beside him and remembered what he had said to the nurse when they entered. I am pregnant, please be careful with the usage of medication. Miral and Uncle Shu had gasped at him.
He got embarrassed and looked away from Uncle Shu.
"Have you finally found an Alpha?" Uncle Shu's words prompted him to slowly sit up.
"Not really, I don't even remember that Alpha. I was drunk," he used the same excuse.
"I am thirsty. Could you get me some water, please?" Caelen asked quickly to avoid further questions.
Uncle Shu stepped out, leaving Caelen pondering what had happened to him earlier.
A nurse entered the room. "Please follow me to the ultrasound room."
"How many months?" The female doctor asked while her eyes were fixed on the screen as the ultrasound probe in her hands moved gently over Caelen's belly, gliding across the cool layer of gel.
"Almost four months," Caelen replied nervously.
"Your baby seems restless. Do you live away from your partner?" the doctor asked, looking into the screen. "By any chance is your baby's father an Alpha?"
"Yes, he is a rare prime Alpha," Caelen replied with what he learned online.
"Is he living away?"
"We have broken up."
"But your baby needs soothing pheromones," the doctor curved her lips, knitting her eyebrows. "Why not just ask him for help?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't want to. Can we use another method?" Caelen outright rejected the idea not because he didn't want to beg Soren, but because he was scared he would demand an abortion.
"I am sorry, but you would have to search for a prime Alpha for soothing pheromones. But that's actually really difficult. As you said yourself, your baby's father is a rare prime Alpha. There is no way pheromones of other Alphas would have any effect. Not to mention any medication that could actually be a really harmful approach." The doctor straightened her back and noted something on the paper on the clipboard.
"I can't ask him for help. He lives out of the country, and I don't have his contact information." Caelen's heart started beating faster, and his breath stumbled again.
"Don't think too much. It's okay, it's alright," the doctor instructed as she leaned over the lying Caelen. "If you become nervous, just try to control it. I will recommend pheromone therapy, but it might not work since the baby might reject the foreign pheromones. But before that, I will discuss it with other doctors and then come to a decision." She straightened up. "Until then, try to stay calm, and if something like today happens, don't panic just come to the hospital."
She walked to the door and turned around to look at Caelen, who was now sitting up. "I still recommend you contact the baby's father, the prime Alpha. It is the best way to keep your baby safe."
Caelen was sitting on the sofa, his eyes fixed on the ultrasound picture. He gently pressed his fingers on the picture.
"Pheromone therapy is pretty expensive you would have to pay in advance." The nurse's voice played through his head, and he closed his eyes leaning his head on the sofa.
There was only one way to get the therapy, and that was to use his semester fees for it.
"I am quitting school. Could you go through the process instead? Just call me when you need my signature. I might not be able to come to school," Caelen delivered everything at once, leaving Liam baffled.
"Only two semesters are left. Why not just complete your studies?" Liam pressed his hand on the book.
"I'm just an omega, no one is going to hire me anyway," Caelen pressed his lips and continued. "Moreover, I need to rest while taking care of what I can afford to eat. So I am planning to use my fees as medical bills. I can't take more part time jobs, it's not good for my health."
"Bastard! I am an omega too. Are you discriminating against omegas?" Liam's voice got rough.
"I'm really sorry, I never meant—"
"Forget it." Liam grabbed the file placed on the table and stood up. "I am helping you out for the sake of our friendship."
"Thanks," Caelen's voice was almost inaudible.