“I hope you can, because he’s requested that you join us in helping him through the rest of the heat. If Janus doesn’t need you, that is. Or Vale.”
Urho kissed Xan’s throat and then whispered, “Vale is doing better than I ever could have envisioned a few years ago. He’s nursing the baby like a natural, and making plenty of milk. His anus and channel are already responding to the post-birth hormones and are tightening well. He’s—quite miraculously—safe.”
“That’s wonderful. And the baby? Is it an omega?”
“No. I believe he’s an alpha based on his genitals.”
“How perfect for them.” Xan bit his lower lip, worry for his cousin still weighing on him. “And Janus? Does he need you?”
“The village doctor is staying with him now. He doesn’t want the contagion getting down into Virona.” Urho sighed and traced Xan’s bruised jawline with his thumb. “As for me, well, Janus is past any help I could give. Whether or not he’ll survive is up to his ability to fight. The servants are doing everything they can to make him comfortable and contain the sickness. We must keep the servants caring for him separate from any food or drink going to Vale’s room. Ren knows this already. But now that Vale’s delivered the baby, we have a small soul to consider as well.”
“Ren will make sure every precaution is taken.” Searching Urho’s eyes for some hope, he asked, “Truly, though? Janus isn’t likely to make it?”
Urho blinked a moment before dropping his hand from Xan’s face and glancing down at his shoes. “Dr. Bainson thinks he still has a small chance, but it’s touch and go.” Urho met Xan’s gaze again. “I tend to agree with him, though I’ve kept myself from direct contact for fear of catching the illness and taking it to Vale and the babe. If Janus makes it through the next few days, he might recover. Though his fever has raged so high, Dr. Bainson fears there might be ongoing problems. We can’t know for sure.”
“Oh, wolf-god,” Xan sighed, rubbing at his eyes. He was so tired. The last twenty-four hours had been exhausting, and they still had Caleb’s heat to get through before they could rest. He cleared his throat, his mind coming back to Janus. “I admit I never liked him and often resented him, but I didn’t want this. Caleb will be devastated if Janus doesn’t survive.”
“There’s a story there you haven’t told me yet.”
“Yes, and it’s a long one.”
“Xan?”
Xan looked up at Urho, taking in his kind, dark eyes, and the tender expression on his face. His stomach fluttered again. He loved this man, and maybe this man would never love him the way he’d loved his Riki, but Xan was going to take what he could get. And he’d take this man forever. Fight for him. Tell the world to fuck off for him. If only he wasn’t so tired, he’d tell Urho all of that.
Urho touched the bruise on Xan’s face, his fingers tracing it tenderly. “Did Caleb do this during the heat?”
“No.” Xan quivered at Urho’s touch.
“Then who?”
“My father,” Xan said, and then added with a thick tongue, “Or maybe Monhundy.”
“Your father or…?” Urho’s eyes went dead and his hand stilled in its caress. “Did you go to him?” Betrayal shone in his eyes.
“No. I would never. Please believe me. It’s not what you’re thinking.”
Urho’s expression cut Xan to the quick—the doubt and fear.
Xan’s stomach curled in on itself. Stricken, he murmured, “I should be getting back to Caleb to make sure he eats.”
Urho’s eyes blazed, and he took hold of Xan possessively, cradling him in his arms. “I’ll kill him.”
Xan allowed Urho to hold him, aching with the joy of being so completely adored. He’d never experienced the kind of love Urho offered him. He struggled to reconcile it with the knowledge of Urho’s room and shrine to Riki. He didn’t want to be jealous of a dead man, but could he ever really compare? Wasn’t he always going to be second-rate—not really an omega, and definitely not Urho’sÉrosgápe.
He shoved the thoughts aside, reveling in Urho’s possessive embrace. It didn’t matter. He refused to let it sidetrack him. This was his life, and his choice. Urho was his to love now.
“Monhundy’s nothing to me,” Xan said firmly. “Besides, I took care of it. He won’t be touching me again.”
“You’re absolutely right he won’t,” Urho growled. “I’ll kill him first.”
Xan hastened to distract Urho from his anger. “What matters right now is Caleb, and Vale, his baby, and Janus. Monhundy is trash and his future is garbage too.” Xan rubbed Urho’s arms soothingly. “I love you.”
But Urho wasn’t going to be distracted. “If you didn’t go to him, he must have come to you.”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s a miserable man with a miserable life.” Plus Wilbet Monhundy was a coward. It gave Xan a thrill deep in his gut to remember the terror in Monhundy’s eyes as he’d stared at Xan the night before. “Just leave it alone.”
Urho gazed down at him, then touched the bruise again with gentle fingers. “You said this bruise could have been from your father. He hit you?”
