CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jason’s mind spun.
If Urho left them now to help Caleb and something went wrong with the birth, if the other doctor botched the job—assuming the other doctor even showed—he’d lose hisÉrosgápe.
But if Caleb were left to suffer, Vale would never forgive either of them. And neither would Xan, much less Caleb himself.
“Dr. Chase,” Ren said suddenly from the doorway, a terror-filled expression on his face. Of course, there couldn’t be any good news right now. Jason was starting to fear that the day was cursed. Ren raised a hand to cover his eyes at the sight of Vale’s nakedness.
Jason snarled protectively but backed down when Urho put a hand on his chest. He turned his back on Ren, and instead focused on Vale, who was rocking through another contraction.
Ren’s voice trembled as he explained why no one was coming to help them. “I got hold of Dr. Bainson in the village, and he can’t make it. He’s actually delivering another omega right now. He suggested I call Dr. Snid, an alpha doctor on the outskirts of town, but according to his omega, he’s gone into the city to help with the flu epidemic.”
“Fuck,” Urho muttered, and Jason’s heart galloped. If Urho was losing control, then he had every right to be scared. The optimism of the last few months felt as though it was circling the drain, replaced by cold, cold fear.
“Sir,” Ren went on like he really didn’t want to. “Mr. Janus is seizing now. His fever has gone too high for his body to hold. The cook is trying to cool him with cold water, but he’s not responding.”
Jason didn’t turn around, keeping his eyes and hands on Vale, but he felt nauseous. That didn’t sound good. It didn’t sound good at all.
Urho tore into his medical bag and brought out a bottle of medication, a syringe, and an empty hypodermic needle. “One syringe now. If he doesn’t calm, then another in eight minutes.” Urho returned to Jason and Vale’s side. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t your job but—”
Another cry from Caleb’s room rattled them all. Ren gasped, and Jason’s heart squeezed. He met Urho’s gaze, rocked to the core by the grim line of his mouth. Vale shouted as well. His body clenched all over as he held onto the back of the chair he’d had his foot on. Jason hushed him, but Vale was lost to him, gone deep into his pain. Eyes rolled back, Vale gritted his teeth and began to push. Jason stared as Vale’s asshole bulged.
“Wolf-god!” Ren exclaimed in horror. He grabbed the medicine and syringe from Urho’s hand and rushed away to administer the medication to Janus.
Adrenaline flooded Jason, leaving him feeling raw to the touch. He blinked in overawed shock as Urho knelt to the floor and spread Vale’s ass cheeks wider, tugging the taut hole open enough to see a hint of something dark and fuzzy.
“Is the baby coming?” Jason asked, rubbing Vale’s straining back and bending low to look. “Oh, wolf-god, is that his head?”
Urho shoved Jason aside. “Get out of the way.”
Rage filled Jason, and unthinkingly he shoved Urho back with a snarl and growl. A need to protect his omega overriding rational thought.
Vale whimpered. “I will murder you both if you get into a fight right now. There is a baby coming out of me and—aaahhhh!” He howled, hunching again, his entire body going tense as he pushed harder, flushing all over.
“Yes, that’s the head,” Urho said grimly as slick rushed from Vale’s asshole.
Another scream came from Caleb’s wing, along with the sound of breaking wood. Then a violent thump. And another. Jason felt ill. Cold. Hot. Everything all at once. Sweat slipped down Jason’s back, though nothing like the sweat flowing from Vale’s body. His hands shook as he continued to rub Vale’s haunches, and he stared at Vale’s bulging asshole, breath held, waiting.
“Whatthe fuckis going on?” a new voice snarled from the doorway.
Jason and Urho’s heads whipped around to see Xan standing outside Vale’s open door, his blue eyes dangerously narrowed, his curly hair a mess, and a large bruise on his cheekbone and another on his jaw. A combination of confusion and rage warred on Xan’s face. “What the fuck is happening here?”
Vale gripped the chair hard and pushed again, wailing. The screams from Caleb’s room came even louder.
Urgently, Urho turned to Jason. “Explain to him! I need to just…” Then he slipped a finger in beside the baby’s head, and Vale shouted.
Instinct rose up hard, and Jason kicked Urho in the thigh. “Hurt him again, and I’ll kill you.”
“Stop!” Vale whimpered. “I can’t… Let me… Oh, wolf-god,fuck!” He grimaced and pushed like some power greater than his own strength had hold of him. His hole opened enough to reveal a swath of the baby’s brown-fuzzed head.
“Mr. Riggs is locked in, Mr. Heelies, sir,” a beta servant from the hallway explained to Xan. “He’s in heat.”
“Well, don’t just stand there—take me to him!” Xan barked.
Urho looked like he yearned to go to Xan and explain to him what was happening, but things with the baby were moving too quickly. A rush of blood gushed down Vale’s legs. Head spinning, Jason cried out in panic. Urho shoved him away hard.
The baby slipped out into Urho’s hands. Perfect, whole, and covered with slick, mucous, and blood. The child let out a lusty scream. Jason stared at him in shock, and then Vale collapsed onto the chair, blood still coursing from his asshole. His beautiful hands reached out for the baby, and Jason blinked, staring at the umbilical cord that pulsed between them.
