Page 34 of Convincing the Heartbroken Beta

Chapter Eleven

Brandon pored over Nic’s notes from his interrogations of the prisoners. The rogues were the only ones they’d been able to interview. The one Russian they’d managed to capture had died of his injuries not long after he’d been brought to Wolf Creek. Nic’s pack members weren’t thrilled that they were housing the prisoners, but until felt they’d gleaned as much information from them that they could, the council had decreed they should remain. Once the Alliance determined their sentences, they would serve them in the shifter jail above the Arctic Circle.

Currently, the prisoners were in a large storage facility right outside of town. The building had originally been built to house winter food stores, but they’d managed to convert it within a few days to hold the captured deltas. Betas from the Guardian Pack had been called in to watch the prisoners with help from Nic’s security detail, and clean-up was complete at the experimental lab and prison where they’d rescued Sascha. For now, it would remain empty.

Sascha was resting in the bedroom of the little one-bedroom cabin they were renting, and Cam was taking a shift at the temporary prison. He rose to add some more wood to the stove in the center of the living area. One nice thing about a smaller residence, was it didn’t take much to keep it heated. He was also secretly glad Sascha didn’t have to contend with going up and down the stairs now that his pregnancy was so advanced.

An odd moan sounded from the bedroom and Brandon dropped the log he’d just picked up onto the floor. He rushed out of the room to get to his mate. Sascha had been sluggish the past couple days and he’d insisted Sascha lie down instead of going to visit Jasper like he’d wanted.

When he reached the doorway, his heart seemed to jump into his throat. Sascha’s head was thrashing from side to side and he was gripping his stomach through the bed clothes, his teeth gritted while still moaning.

“Sascha!” Brandon raced to his side. “Is it time? Are you about to have the baby?”

“Oh…oh gods, I hope so! I can’t stand this awful pain.”

Sascha had forced his words out in a low growl—Brandon had never seen him in such distress.

“It’s all right, love. I’ll run and get the healer.”

“No!” Sascha let out a gut-wrenching scream. “I think something’s wrong, please don’t leave me alone!”

Shit. Brandon leapt to his feet, his brain like scrambled eggs. “Okay, I won’t. I promise. I’m staying with you, but I need to grab the walkie in the other room so I can have someone get her for me, all right?”

Sweat had gathered in beads at Sascha’s hairline and his eyes were screwed shut, his legs kicking under the covers even as he continued to grip his belly. That was when Brandon spotted the blood on Sascha’s fingers. When Sascha didn’t respond to his query, Brandon bolted from the room. A table lamp crashed to the floor as Brandon dove for the radio.

“Nic, are you there? This is Brandon. I have an emergency, over.”

The radio crackled to life almost immediately and Brandon’s relief was so huge, his knees wobbled.

“This is Nic. What’s your emergency? Over.”

“Sascha…and the baby. Something’s wrong, we need the healer immediately. Over.”

“On it. Over and out.”

Brandon kept an iron grip on the walkie and hurried back to the bedroom. Sweat now poured freely down Sascha’s face and he was mumbling incoherently. In his delirium, he must’ve tried to wipe the sweat away because streaks of blood covered his forehead.

“Make…make sure the baby is okay.” Sascha’s eyes fluttered open. “If you have to make a choice…”

Brandon sucked in a sharp breath. “No, don’t say that. That’s not going to happen. The healer is on her way and everything will be fine.”

Helplessness filled him as he realized he didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to protect his mate in this situation. Being Sascha’s Alpha meant nothing at the moment. He wished to the gods Cam was there with them. He was having a difficult time not coming apart.

Blood and sweat still clung to Sascha’s skin and he couldn’t stand it one second longer. If nothing else, he could at least cool Sascha off, clean his face. Anything to keep from feeling so useless.

After wetting a small towel and dragging a chair over so he wouldn’t jar Sascha on the mattress, he applied the cloth to his forehead. Right as he’d begun wiping his skin clean, the sound of the front door banging open could be heard. He could’ve sworn he’d locked it, but he didn’t currently give a shit. All he cared about was that hep had arrived.

“Nic radioed me to get over here right away!”

Cam burst into the room, then let out a strangled cry the moment he spied Sascha. Brandon held a finger to his lips and shook his head. He wasn’t sure how conscious Sascha was, but he didn’t want Cam to freak out and upset him.

“Hey, love,” Brandon whispered. “Cam is here. He’s going to hold your hand while I rinse out the cloth.”

As Brandon rose, he looked at Cam and jerked his head in the direction of the chair. Brandon’s feelings of uselessness grew at Cam’s stricken expression. He needed to comfort his mates, dammit. But all he could do right now was make sure Sascha got the kind of help that would save him.

And save the baby.

Pain enveloped Sascha in a punishing grip. His mate’s voices drifted to his ears, the words soft and soothing. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it was comforting to know they were there. Someone held up his head and he tried to open his eyes, but the lids were so heavy. Every part of him seemed as if it were nothing, as though he were only made of air.