Page 17 of Alpha Hunt

“I’ll take that as a no,” I mutter, then look around again quickly. “Tark! Get the doc! Tell her Savannah’s in labor!” I keep a firm grip on Savannah’s hand.

“On it!” He starts jogging for the door. “Might take me a bit. She’ll be down in the village with the kids this time of the day.’

Shit, shit, shit!

“Too soon…too soon!” Savannah is mumbling anxiously. She meets my eye. “The babies aren’t due for another three weeks!” She sounds frantic.

“Okay…it’s okay. We’re going to get through this.” I take yet another look around, wishing I could be more useful.

What do I do?

I can handle pretty much any situation under fire or facing an enemy, but birthing a baby? I’m out of my depth.

“We need to make her comfortable,” a voice snares my attention. It’s Edirn. I look up, startled, as he steps out of the boxing ring and strides over to us. His movements are fluid and purposeful, like a jungle cat on the prowl. I try not to notice the way his muscles ripple under his sweat-slicked skin or how his presence seems to fill the room.

“Savannah, let’s get you settled, shall we?” His voice is deep, commanding, yet surprisingly gentle as he takes in Savannah’s distressed state. “We need some mats over here,” he says to a couple of the males who are hovering nearby, looking helpless. They quickly comply.

I keep hold of Savannah’s hand as we quickly pad the floor enough for her to be comfortable as we lay her down.

“I need Gage!” she says again, her eyes darting around.

“We’ll get him here as soon as we can.” Edirn’s voice is low and soothing. “For now, we’re going to help you. Is that okay?”

Savannah nods, her eyes on his, and somehow, that seems to calm her. “Yes. Yes, that’s okay,” she exhales.

“Good.” He turns to me. “I’m going to need your help.” His eyes meet mine, and for an instant, I can understand what she must have felt when she looked into his eyes. His level blue stare seems to pin me, calm me. “Can you do that?”

“Yes. Sure,” I tell him, my own voice sounding strained to my ears. What choice do I have? The doc’s not here, and these babies are coming whether we like it or not.

Edirn nods, his expression calm and focused. He kneels beside Savannah, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Savannah, I need you to breathe with me, okay? In through your nose, out through your mouth. Slow and steady.”

To my surprise, Savannah complies, her breaths evening out as she focuses on Edirn’s instructions. He turns to me, his eyes intense.

“Casey, we need clean towels, warm water, and something to cut the cord with. Can you get those for me?”

I nod, already moving toward the supply closet. As I gather the items, I can’t help but marvel at Edirn’s composure. He seems to know exactly what to do, his actions confident and assured.

Has he done this before?

I watch as he helps Savannah into a more comfortable position on the piled-up mats.

I return with the supplies, handing them over to Edirn. He takes them with a nod of thanks, his fingers brushing against mine in the process. I ignore the spark of electricity that shoots through me at the contact.

“Okay, Savannah,” Edirn says, his voice soothing. “When the next contraction hits, I want you to push. Casey and I are right here with you. You’re doing great.”

Savannah nods, her face contorted with pain as another contraction seizes her body. I find myself moving to her other side, taking her hand in mine. I hold her fingers tightly, willing her to draw strength from me as her body spasms. She cries out, everything tensing.

“You’re going to be just fine.” I smooth her hair from where it’s clinging to her forehead.

Edirn moves between her knees, getting a better view of the situation. His brow furrows in concentration, but his voice remains steady and reassuring.

“You’re doing amazing, Savannah. Just breathe through it. The babies will be here soon.”

“I need Gage!” she wails, her grip viselike on my fingers.

“He’ll be here soon,” I tell her, hoping that I’m right. “But Edirn and I are right here. We’re going to get through this with you.”

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