Page 100 of Alpha Heat

“And away from the servants,” Caleb added.

“For wolf-god’s sake, where?” Urho asked as Janus’s breathing grew labored.

“Not in the main house!” Xan said urgently. “He’ll infect Vale!” He could never look Jason in the eye again if his child was lost because of their choices in this moment.

“To my room,” Caleb said. “It’s on the other side of the house from Vale and Jason.”

“No,” Urho said. “The detatched wing.”

Janus slumped even farther. Urho lifted him into an upright position, but he still leaned dangerously.

“Where the servants live?” Caleb shook his head. “No. We can’t ask them to—”

“There are plenty of rooms upstairs,” Xan said. “The servants can stay here with us in the main house. We can keep Janus separate. Just until we know if this is contagious or until it has passed.”

Caleb nodded, and Urho heaved Janus up from the chair and over his shoulder into a fireman’s carry. Hustling through the great hall, ignoring the cries of the servants, they took Janus out of the main house and over the walkway to the detached wing.

“This way,” Caleb said, leading them around the opposite way of his print studio. “There’s an empty room downstairs. The servants all preferred the top story and the views there.”

Urho settled Janus onto the dusty bed. Janus shuddered with his fever, and Caleb pressed his fingers against his forehead. Xan’s stomach tightened.

“Don’t get too close,” Xan said. “You’ll get sick.”

“Someone has to care for him.”

“Urho is a doctor.”

“Urho is your lover. Do you want him to be the one to catch this?” Caleb snapped.

Panic gripped Xan. “Of course not!” The thought of anything befalling Urho was unbearable.

“Let’s get Janus settled, for wolf-god’s sake,” Urho said. “Then we can argue about who is going to be exposed to this and how we’re going to care for him without infecting Vale.” He felt along Janus’s throat and examined his eyes by lifting his fluttering lids.

“What’s the matter with him?” Xan asked. “The flu?”

“I believe so,” Urho said tightly. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Damn it to wolf’s own hell. This is exactly what we were trying to avoid by bringing Vale here.”

“Well, I’m sure he didn’t mean to compromise him,” Caleb retorted, pushing past Urho to touch Janus’s face again. “Janus, it’s me, Caleb. Can you hear me?” He gasped when Janus blinked up at him in confusion.

“Caleb?”

“You’re sick. We’re going to get you well again.”

“I have to tell Xan.”

“He’s right here,” Caleb said, trailing his fingers down Janus’s cheek.

Xan’s stomach tightened uneasily, and he didn’t know if it was from his omega’s gentle touch on his cousin’s face, or the ominous expression in Janus’s eyes as he sought out Xan.

“Your pater…” Janus trailed off in a rattling cough.

“Yes?” Xan’s heart skipped a beat.

“He’s sick.” Janus’s feverish eyes burned into his. “And Ray. Both sick.”

Xan swallowed hard, his pulse rushing in his ears. “Sick with the flu?”

Janus nodded. “Ray’s bad. Might die.”