Page 43 of Baby and the Beast

Casimir ignored him. That made no sense. “Let me see.”

“No.” The man grabbed his wrist, which was ridiculous. His fingers didn’t even go around Casimir’s arm.

Casimir sighed. “Look. You can’t stay here. I’m barricading the cave for the winter, or it’ll be shelter for wolves. It’s too cold even for me. And we’re a good forty miles from the nearest village,” he confirmed as the man rolled over a little, gasping. “But I have a place a few miles away.”

Why had he offered that?

He liked being on his own. But the simple fact was, if Casimir didn’t help, the man would probably be dead by morning.

“I don’t think I can walk,” the man said. Which wasn’t a no.

Casimir grunted, stood, and helped him up. They managed to get to the entrance—just—by which time Casimir knew the manwasn’t going to be able to walk at all. He quickly swung him up in his arms.

“I’m sorry,” the man whispered, but the agony he was in quickly stole any more words. Casimir had dragged and carried large deer, but never in just his arms. Not that the man was heavy, but Casimir had no free hands for balance. And he knew, because of whatever was wrong, he couldn’t sling him over his shoulder.

It could be anything from appendicitis to a million other things. He wasn’t a doctor and had learned basic first aid through necessity. He had some antibiotics and pain meds. He’d even stitched some nasty gashes after being stupid and getting gored by a buck—but he had a feeling this was something else.

He’d get him back, warm, and then decide. If he had to, he’d trek to the nearest place to summon emergency services. But it was snowing already, and he wasn’t confident he could make it in time if the injury was serious.

Casimir gritted his teeth and put one boot in front of the other as the blizzard worsened. By the time he got to his small house, he was getting more concerned. The pain was weird. It seemed to be building—and he would swear it was coming in regular intervals, not just there all the time.

He climbed up the steps and managed to open the door he hadn’t bothered locking, shut it behind him with his foot, and carried the man straight through to the only bedroom, easing him down on the bed. He didn’t know how the man wasn’t shivering. The stranger groaned, tried to roll over, and winced.

“I’m Nash,” he groaned. “What’s your name?” A sigh escaped him, which quickly turned into another groan.

“Casimir,” he grunted. Casimir stepped back, propped his gun in the corner, shrugged off his coat and boots, and then went to help Nash. “Sorry, but you’re gonna have to let me see. I need to know what’s going on.”

Nash swallowed like he was really afraid but didn’t argue as Casimir opened his coat, pulled up the three sweaters and the T-shirt.

Then Casimir jerked backward.

He met the golden-brown gaze and immediately realized he’d been wrong. “You’re pregnant,” he said—and judging from what he could see—“and in labor.”

The man nodded. Casimir lurched upright and rethought everything.

He might have spent all his life around animals, but he’d never seen a human female give birth.

“Bonus points all around,” Nash said, clearly trying to be flippant but failing miserably. The fear in his voice was obvious.

Casimir scraped a hand over his face and beard and huffed out a sigh just as Nash’s expression twisted in pain. “Look, I’m no doctor.” Best to get that out of the way first. “I’ve only been present when calves and foals are born. We’re forty miles from the nearest village, and...” He looked out the window. It was getting dark, and the snow wasn’t easing up. “It would take me hours to find help.”

Nash gazed up at him. “I’m sturdy. Now I have shelter, the birth shouldn’t be a problem.” He bit his lip. “If you help, I can tell you what I need.”

Casimir wasn’t convinced, but he nodded. “What do you need?”

“Can you boil water? And have you got some string? A knife?”

It took Casimir a moment, then he got it and moved. He lit the fire in the sitting area quickly and left the door to the bedroom open so it would warm. He put water on to boil on the small gas stove and returned to the bedroom.

Nash hadn’t moved. He hadn’t even toed off his boots. Casimir quickly took them off and replaced Nash’s damp socks with some of his dry ones.

“You’re gonna have to get undressed.” But just as he said it, Nash cried out in what seemed to be absolute agony.

Casimir wasn’t waiting any longer. He needed to get all those clothes off.

Screw privacy. This baby wasn’t hanging around.

Baby and the Beast

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