Page 26 of Corbin (Wild Wolf Pack from the world of Gallize Shifters #2)

Eirene hugged Sully. “I got here as soon as I could. When did her water break?”

“Almost five hours ago. I didn’t want to call until she was closer to delivery. She’s been having spasms more than labor pains. For the last half hour, she’s been in so much agony I don’t think she can tell when a labor pain comes and goes.”

“What’s wrong then?” Eirene fought the chill of facing a crisis beyond her ability range. Helping Sully and her pregnant sister, Kesa, had sounded doable when Eirene thought that bitch Nova would pick them up by now.

It sure didn’t seem doable at this moment.

“The baby is not right.” Tears streamed down Sully’s face. “I tried to help turn it with my one good hand.” Sully’s right arm had been broken by their abusive alpha who tied her to a tree, so the arm never healed correctly. She could hardly use it.

Why had Eirene thought she could manage the care of a woman with a badly damaged arm and another ready to give birth?

She’d been excited to bring the women a change of freshly washed clothes, diapers, food supplies, and other baby products, including a blanket.

All this time, she’d been telling herself she could make a difference, but she had no experience with a breech birth.

She had no experience with any birth.

Had she damned Kesa and her baby to death by failing to provide the medical aid they needed? Her heart jumped up and down, driving a stake of guilt into her chest.

Kesa howled in pain.

Eirene ran to her and knelt at her side. Her pale face showed the strain she’d been under for too long. Sweat poured off her. The sheet-covered mattress beneath her dipped with the weight of her huge bulge. The baby moved, pushing and kicking.

Kesa’s head rolled from side to side. She uttered heartbreaking sounds.

Eirene said, “I’m here, Kesa. We’re going to take care of you.” Would that sound like a lie to a shifter?

“My baby ... is dying.”

Blood drained from Eirene’s head. She felt dizzy. She had no idea how to fix this.

A deep voice said, “She’s got to get the baby turned or ... this won’t work.”

Hearing Corbin reminded her she’d brought a stranger into the room.

Sully had been so shaken that even she hadn’t noticed a man standing at Eirene’s back, but she did now. “Who is he?”

Eirene tried for an answer that would give her comfort. “He’s on my security team.”

“The longer you wait to help your friend, the worse this will get.”

His critique snapped the last thread of Eirene’s patience. She stood up and turned to him. How could he look so calm?

Easy. He was not faced with losing a baby and possibly the mother.

Stepping close, she warned, “I don’t need a running commentary. If that’s all you can offer, get out.”

“No.” He shook his head as if surprised at her words. “I’ve got this.”

“You’ve got what?” she demanded.

Angling his head like a confused wolf would, he calmly replied, “I can handle this if you’ll gain her permission.”

Pissed at his arrogance, she snapped back, “I realize male shifters all think they are gods with unlimited knowledge, but unless you’ve done this before—”

“I have.”

His quiet reply silenced her next words. He hadn’t bragged. He sounded as if he meant those words. In fact, he’d told the truth.

She still didn’t believe him, but Kesa’s painful noises forced Eirene to open her mind to the possibility of real help. “When?”

He snorted a chuckle. “Twice in the past few years while I was ... working for someone who had females in his group, and we were in remote locations. I’d be happy to tell you more once the baby is here, but—”

Another scream iced Eirene’s blood.

He pointed out, “That baby is coming soon. The mother is in dire straits. She hasn’t even noticed a male shifter in the room. You can either do this yourself or ask her if she’ll let me take over since she trusts you.”

Sully had been watching them both, especially the male. She asked, “Can you handle the birth, Eirene?”

Everyone would hear a lie. “No, I don’t have training for this situation.”

Without doubt, Sully had heard the truth in his claim as well. “In that case, I agree with him. Kesa is out of her mind, but she knows your scent, Eirene. If you trust him to deliver the baby, then I will trust him too. Kesa will do better with you holding her from behind and me gripping her hand.”

Eirene could not in good faith risk the mother and child by refusing his help. She asked Pixie, Do you think we can trust Corbin with delivering a baby?

Pixie said, He is your only option. He does not feel dangerous at this moment, and he tells the truth, but I do not trust his wolf.

Eirene took him in from head to toe, only now realizing he had no sunglasses on. She could see his beautiful, deep-brown eyes, so familiar, but something was different. These eyes were much older. They had soul and integrity.

Time to make a decision. She couldn’t believe she was going to do this on the fly, but he had spoken the truth. She stepped over to the man she was entrusting two lives with and gripped his arm firmly.

He didn’t bark at her. He waited patiently without pressuring her.

It came down to either him or her playing midwife.

Pixie had nailed it. Eirene had no choice.

“If you deliver this baby breathing and the mother alive, I’ll listen to everything you have to say and answer all your questions.

I swear to you I do not know of any time I mistreated you, but we’ll talk.

I need your help. My wolf and I have never turned our backs on any child, but I don’t have the expertise for this. ”

He put his hand over hers and squeezed. “My wolf and I have never turned our backs on a female or child either. I’ll do all within my power to save them.”

She gave him a short nod of acceptance, hugged Sully, and said, “I’d let him birth my baby right now, given no other person with experience.”

Kesa started shouting, “Someone help me. Help my baby! Pleeeease! ”

Corbin began giving gentle but firm orders, sending Eirene for a bucket of hot water, towels, and to bring her backpack up. When Eirene returned, Sully had directed him to a basin for washing his hands.

He finished and knelt beside Kesa, brushing his hand over her forehead and talking to her gently but quickly. “Hi, Kesa. I know you’re scared, but I’ve done this before. I’m going to turn your baby, and then we’ll be able to time your labor pains.”

She stopped flopping her head back and forth. Her wild eyes focused on him. “A healer. She brought me a healer. Thank you.” Tears ran freely.

Eirene would not correct Kesa because she had no idea where he’d gained experience in helping a woman give birth, but he never said he was a healer. Please don’t let the first time she’d trusted a man in many years be misplaced.

The man they all pinned their hopes on was drenched in sweat by the first half hour, but he continued talking to Kesa in a soothing voice even when she wailed out of her mind. He told her when he’d turned the baby and began counting her labor pains.

The following two hours felt like a lifetime, but the moment Eirene heard Kesa’s baby cry, it seemed as if those hours had flown by.

With the intuitive ability of a person who had done this many times, he handled everything, never flinching at any of it. He turned to Eirene with the bloody newborn in his hands and said, “You should clean up the baby. Sully can’t manage.”

Stunned, she couldn’t move.

“Eirene?” he nudged. “You okay?”

That had been the first time he’d said her name, but it sounded familiar coming off his tongue. Enough that it shook her out of shock.

She took the baby to the second bucket she’d brought, recently filled with slightly warm water. Using a soft cloth from her backpack, she cleaned the baby, and then she started crying. Kesa had lived, and this baby girl had made it into the world.

Sully kneeled beside her with an arm hooked around Eirene’s shoulder. “Thank you for saving my family.”

Eirene cried harder.

Sully hugged her. Somehow, Eirene managed to finish cleaning up the tiny infant.

Kesa’s first pup. Eirene diapered and wrapped the child in the pretty baby blanket she’d brought, then took her to Kesa, who had both pillows propped up beneath her shoulders.

Once Sully got behind her sister and helped Kesa sit up more until she could lean back against Sully, Eirene handed the baby to her mother.

A masculine hand offered Eirene two bottles of water. “Thanks.” She opened one for each of the sisters, placing the water on the floor. She tried to stand.

The same powerful hand cupped her elbow, bringing her to her feet.

Kesa had cried for hours. She looked up at Eirene with a red face and swollen eyes. “Bless you for being our lifeline.” Then she looked past Eirene and said, “You are a wonderful healer. I don’t think this miracle would have happened without you. I wish I had a way to pay you back.”

“Just stay safe and healthy,” he said.

Eirene was determined to find out what injustice he believed she had done to him.

The mere thought of that was breaking her heart after what she’d witnessed.

She would never have hurt the young boy who had been the only person to make her happy by seeing him in two classes at school and from afar at the lockers.

She remembered every moment of every day around him.

How could he say he’d screwed her over?

Mentally and emotionally spent after not sleeping enough, her body felt like an abused stress ball.

Now that the baby was alive and breathing, her brain came back online. Corbin suspected her of something shady going on here, then threatened to call in law enforcement.

Then he jumped in to save a baby and a mother. None of that added up.

Thoughts raced around in her head, hitting walls, then backed up like a panicked rabbit lost in a maze.

She could make sense of only one thing. Every time she drew a deep breath while struggling to remain calm amidst all the pungent smells of the delivery, she could always find his scent.