Against All Odds

Chapter Seven

The past few days have seemed to drag by. After Milo was discharged, he had come over to my house to settle in. He still had a few more days until his heat really hit, so he was just catching up on some paperwork and payrolls while relaxing at home. As usual, Emmie insisted on being by his side constantly.

And today is now Friday. The last few of my kids are waiting for their parents to pick them up while I finish cleaning the classroom. Afternoon nap just finished, but I always just let the kids sleep until their parents get here, giving them a snack for the ride home.

This is the only preschool in town, located at the old schoolhouse since there is a huge play yard for the children. It is about a five-minute drive from my house, something that I am especially appreciating right now.

The last child is picked up a few minutes later, and I am just grabbing my bag to leave when my phone rings.

Seeing that it is Milo, I quickly answer, my body tightening in anticipation. "Hey, love."

"Ollie," Milo breathes, his voice so soft I can barely hear him. "I-I think it's starting."

My eyes widen considerably, and I have to force myself to keep walking, barely managing to keep myself from running into a wall. "Lock the doors. I'll be home soon."

He lets out a small whine before whispering, "Okay," and hanging up.

The whole ordeal has me jogging to my car, quickly throwing my stuff inside before climbing in myself.

Ever since Milo was released from the hospital, I have been waiting for this moment in anticipation and nervousness. Anticipation because, good god, Milo is like a dream come true for me. He had been by my side when I came out as gay, and I had stood by him when he came out as bisexual. He never begrudged me for not being sexually attracted to alphas, unlike a lot of people. And he never judged me for staying out of relationships, only having short-term sexual partners.

But Milo, with his cerulean colored eyes and dimpled smile, is different than anyone else I have been with before. This is not a relationship that I will be able to keep in the background, only meeting up once a week in a bar before going back to his place for the night.

No. This will be much more serious. But I won't push him, try to make him feel anything he is not ready for. He just got out of a serious relationship with an asshole alpha. We may be spending this heat together, but that does not mean I should expect anything from it.

That thought has me tightening my hands on the steering wheel, but I just force myself to keep driving.

By the time I get home, I am practically trembling. As quickly as I can, I grab my bag, digging out my keys so that I can unlock the front door. There is no visible sign from outside that there is an omega in heat in the house. There is not even any scent that can indicate what is happening inside. Milo must have already sprayed all the windows and doors with the industrial grade scent blockers that Nico had given him after he was discharged from the hospital.

Walking into the house has me almost bowling over from the scent that hits me. When I had left this morning, I could tell Milo was getting really close to going into heat, the first stirrings filling the air. But now, it smells as if someone had a bottle of his scent and tripped, spilling it all over the house.

Emmie greets me at the door as per usual, insisting on being picked up. She sits in my arms, purring as I carry her into the kitchen, quickly checking that she has food and water before depositing her on the couch.

"Milo?" I call out, walking down the hallway.

"In here," he calls from the guest bedroom.

"Can I come in?" I ask once I stop outside his door. "Or do you want me to stay out here till you're ready?'