Rayne
Her words stung.
Not just because they were loud or furious, but because they were true.
I stood frozen, every syllable she threw at me carving straight through the fog of my anger, slicing deeper than anything had in years.
She’d gone through all of it alone.
The pregnancy. The birth. The newborn stage.
And where had I been?
Not even aware it was happening.
And that fact—the brutal, ugly reality—made something inside me buckle.
Because everyone knew how dangerous and agonizing pregnancy could be for lone Omegas. Their bodies weren’t designed to handle the full term without an Alpha’s support. Without that steady stream of pheromones to ease the symptoms, reduce the pain, and protect both mother and child.
Amber had survived it without me.
Without the safety net I should have provided. Without the warmth of our bond. Without the chemical anchor that would’ve soothed her nerves and her body. I hadn't been there to calm her when the hormones hit like waves, when her skin hurt from
