Page 130 of Alpha Heat

“Yes, but there was no answer.”

“Try again.”

“Dr. Chase, it’s worse. The epidemic in the city has progressed to the point that they’ve closed down train services in an attempt to contain the infection. Even if I reached Mr. Heelies, he’d have to drive here and that would take nearly six hours.”

Urho cursed softly. “Keep calling anyway. After you organize those betas. I need hot water, condoms, and at least one doctor. Maybe two if you can get the village to spare a second.”

“Two?”

“One for Janus and one for Vale. I’m going to have to deal with Caleb, so…”

“Mr. Aman is in labor?”

“Yes.” Urho shook his head hard. He pressed his fingers to his eyes and tried to think of how to solve all the new crises, and how he could possibly be everywhere at once.

“Wolf-god,” Ren said sharply. “What a mess.”

That seemed an understatement of vast proportions.

“Speaking of Vale, I need to get back to him now.” Cries of pain from both wings echoed through the house. Urho swiped a hand over his sweaty forehead. “Then I need to get back to Caleb.” He pinned Ren with his gaze. “I’m trusting you to do your level best to get at least one doctor up here immediately, andpleasekeep looking for Xan. Set one of the other servants to it, if necessary. Call any place in the city you can think of—bars he might go to, friends’ houses. Try Yosef and Rosen. Try the Monhundys again.”

“Yes, Dr. Chase,” Ren said, though he looked a bit green around the gills with terror. “I’ll do whatever I can. But what about Mr. Riggs, sir? If we can’t get a doctor up here in time, should I ask in town for an alpha surrogate?”

Urho gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He’d promised Caleb not to lock him up with a stranger. And he wasn’t going to break that promise. But, wolf-god help him if that meant Caleb ended up suffering.

“No. Mr. Riggs specifically asked that we not do that.”

Ren paled but nodded. “I’ll see to the rest.”

Grateful for Ren’s dependability, Urho fled back down the hall to his own room, where he grabbed his medical bag and sent up frantic prayers to wolf-god. He took deep breaths to banish any memories of Riki’s birth. There would be no repeat of that trauma, not for Vale and Jason. Not for him. The babe would come healthy and strong, and Vale would come through it beautifully.

Calmer after his quick prayers, he walked back to Vale’s room. He was glad to see that Vale was wearing nothing but a robe. That would make it easier to examine him. He was still standing, this time by the window, eyes closed and breathing hard through a contraction. Jason stood next to him, blue eyes wide with worry, but he kept a steady, firm hand on Vale’s arm, making sure he didn’t collapse.

“This is going faster than I expected,” Jason said as Urho entered. “He’s really hurting.”

Urho nodded, opening his bag and pulling out a syringe. He filled it with a relaxant related to alpha quell and set it aside. It was for Jason, should anything go wrong. “The scar tissue isn’t as flexible,” Urho muttered. “The birth will likely be more painful than usual.” And births were always plenty painful enough.

Jason paled, and Vale simply cursed before he gripped the windowsill even harder and whimpered. The contractions were coming in fast waves, apparently. Urho blinked in surprise. It was usually slower for a first birth.

“Are you going to be all right?” Urho whispered to Jason. “You need to stay steady for him.”

“I’m fine,” Jason lied. He was pale and obviously terrified, but he rubbed Vale’s back. “I’m great. Besides, you’ll be here with us. You’ll help him.”

Urho motioned toward the bed, ignoring the statement. “See if you can get him to lie down on his left side. I need to have a look at his passage to see how quickly his womb is opening.” If it wasn’t opening to match the speed of contractions, it could be a problem. The baby’s head would be bashed against the mouth of the womb by the force of the contractions, and that could cause trauma, facial bruising, or worse.

Urho turned to the bathroom attached to the room and washed his hands in hot water as Jason tried to get Vale onto the bed.

“I don’t want to,” Vale said stubbornly. “I feel better standing up.”

“But Urho needs to examine you, baby. Please. Just for a few minutes. I’ll be right here with you the whole time.”

Vale shot him a glare that brooked no argument. “I willnot. I want to stand. Iwillstand.”

Urho interrupted. “It’s all right. There’s a flashlight in my medical bag. I can check him while he’s upright if you help him to lift his leg up onto this chair.” It would be harder, but nothing about the day looked like it was going to be easy.

A pained scream came from across the house. Then a massive crash, something large enough to rattle the entire upper floor. Vale hissed and then cried out, another contraction wracking him.

Vale and Caleb’s voices rose in agonized harmony.