They were silent as she pulled a tube from the warmer, uncapping it. Clear gel oozed onto Wyatt’s abdomen, wet and warm. Then the doctor pressed the ultrasound wand to the gel, and watched the screen.
It was familiar, doing this again. Back when Wyatt had carried Hazel, he’d visited the clinic, alone, scared, without an alpha. Now... Raph was here. They weren’t holding hands, but Wyatt felt the warm touch of Raph’s gaze on his skin.
Raph stepped closer, his eyes on the screen. “Is that the baby?”
“It is.” Dr. Smith tapped on some keys, so the mess of specks on the screen magnified. “The fetus is this shape over here. At twenty weeks, it’s about ten inches in total length, but curled up into six.”
Six inches was a little smaller than his hand. Wyatt glimpsed Raph looking at his own fingers, then at Wyatt’s belly, wonder on his face.
Gods, I love him.
Dr. Smith moved the wand, taking screen captures of their baby from different angles. “Would you like to know the baby’s sex?”
It didn’t matter, either way. Wyatt glanced at Raph, who shrugged. “No, we’ll wait until birth to find out.”
“All right.”
When the doctor was done, she turned to Wyatt, smiling warmly. “It looks like you’re carrying a healthy fetus. Would you like to hold the wand and see for yourself?”
“Yes, please.” Wyatt took the wand gingerly. He hadn’t dared the previous time, when he’d done Hazel’s ultrasound. With Raph around, he felt braver.
The image on the screen moved when he adjusted the wand. Dr. Smith zoomed out when he changed the angle, then zoomed in again, so they could see the curled shape of their baby. It was tiny, and amazing, and Wyatt was still awed by the life he carried.
“Can I...” Raph paused, his hand half-raised. Wyatt looked at him. So did the doctor. Raph’s throat worked, his cheeks darkening.
And as fond of him as Wyatt was, he didn’t know what he could say. Can my brother look at our baby, too?
The silence stretched between them. Dr. Smith raised her eyebrows. “Sure,” she said after a pause. “If Wyatt agrees.”
“Yeah,” Wyatt said. “Go ahead.” His joints felt wooden when he nodded. Dr. Smith watched them; maybe she could see their relationship somehow, invisible lines connecting Raph to Wyatt.
Raph tried to keep the excitement off his face. Wyatt saw it in the gleam of his eyes, the twitch of his mouth. He stopped by the exam table, broad and towering. And the tension in Wyatt’s shoulders melted away, having his alpha so close.
Raph wrapped his fingers around both the ultrasound wand, and Wyatt’s hand. Wyatt’s breath snagged in his throat.
“Do I move it this way?” Raph asked, tipping the wand slightly, pressing its flat end against Wyatt’s belly. The baby slid off the screen, and Raph turned the wand, his touch gentle. Then the baby came into view again, and Raph froze, his eyes bright, a tiny smile spreading across his face.
He was so very eager. Wyatt didn’t know how he could stop himself from pulling Raph close, kissing the breath out of him.
“Can we have pictures of it?” Raph asked. And then paused, his eyes flying to Wyatt’s.
Heart thudding, Wyatt glanced at Dr. Smith. The doctor nodded. “Of course. We offer an image printing service. The prints will be $5 each. How many would you like?”
Raph looked away, his ears and neck flushed. Wyatt cringed. Gods, we must be so obvious. “Two, please.”
She keyed it into the computer. “The prints will be ready at the receptionist’s desk in fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you,” Wyatt said.
Raph reluctantly released Wyatt, retreating to the other side of the room. They fell back into silence.
Dr. Smith took the wand back, handing Wyatt a fresh towel to clean the gel off. Wyatt watched her from the corner of his eye. As a doctor, Smith would have to abide by patient confidentiality laws. She had never revealed his location nine years ago, either.
“The bloodwork tests will take a week to process,” the doctor said. “We’ll email you a report with the details. If there’s a problem, we’ll call you back to the clinic to discuss your options.”
“Okay.” He squirmed, pulling his shirt over his belly. If they left her office now, Wyatt was sure their secret would be safe. But Smith knew, and that information nagged at him. “About the baby’s parentage...”
“We don’t do DNA tests unless requested,” Smith said, tilting her head with a smile.
Could he say Please don’t tell anyone about Raph and me? Or perhaps something a little more vague...
“Wyatt’s my omega,” Raph said, slipping his arm around Wyatt’s shoulders. Wyatt spluttered. “We’re stepbrothers. D’you think there’ll be a problem with that?”
Dr. Smith blinked. Then she shook her head, her eyes warm. “No, there shouldn’t be a problem. You’re not related by blood. I’ve seen hundreds of omegas by now—a pregnancy between consenting adults is not at all an issue.”
Wyatt relaxed into Raph’s side, relief turning his limbs to jelly. That was unexpected. “Thank you.”
Raph squeezed his shoulder. “Thanks.”
“Take care,” Smith said. She unlocked the door and shook their hands. “Have a great day.”
As they headed to the next room, Wyatt stepped away from Raph. They remained silent through the bloodwork, until they returned to the waiting area once more.
“That went better than I thought,” Raph said.
“Went better? You fucking told her,” Wyatt hissed. “I almost had a heart attack!”
“You were going to say it anyway.” Raph met his eyes. “I just told her straight up.”
“Oh, gods.” Wyatt buried his face in his hands. At least Dr. Smith didn’t judge their relationship. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Sorry.”
“The conception date, too.” Wyatt’s cheeks prickled. “I didn’t think you remembered!”
“Damn it, Wy. Of course I remember it. I hadn’t seen you in ages!” Raph brushed their hands together. “But back in the office, I was just excited. If you can believe that.”
Wyatt swallowed hard, his chest squeezing. “You really were.”
Raph caught his hand. Then
