19. The Sickness
The Sickness
Jasper
T he blaring of a car’s horn broke us out of our panicked stare off. I couldn’t even give voice to my thoughts. Pure icy fear had settled into my gut, making a stranglehold on my throat. I couldn’t breathe enough air, the air burning as it sawed in and out of my lungs.
Dakota led me to a bench, urging me to calm down as he got me to sit down with my head between my legs. “It’ll be okay, I promise. She’s got Grady and Trey looking after her.”
My head came up so I could meet his eyes. “Didn’t you hear Grady’s wheeze? Kota, he’s sick, too.” Dropping my head again, I fought back the tears that threatened to spill. “This is all my fault! They came here for me.”
“Okay, this is what we are going to do. First, we aren’t going to panic and lay blame. Next, you’ll go stay in the main house with Kade. I’ll head home, get some things for you, and I’ll take care of all the others.”
I couldn’t help but stare at him in astonishment. “You’d do that?”
He cupped my cheek. “I’d do anything for you. Our daughter is sick and you won’t rest unless you know someone is looking after her properly. That someone has to be me, especially if Grady is showing symptoms, too.”
Thank you. I love you. I couldn’t get the words past my lips, using the bond instead.
His phone rang just as he was taking it out of his pocket to make the call. “It’s Kade.”
Dakota answered the call. “Hey, I was just about to call you.”
“Kota? Can I come stay with you? There are cases of beta sickness in the house. Blake wants me out of here as soon as possible. I’m waiting for him in the truck while he packs me a bag.” Kade’s voice was frantic.
Dakota’s face went as pale as snow. “Who’s sick?”
“Jake and Sebastian showed symptoms this morning. Melody complained of a headache. A few other beta females stayed home this morning instead of guarding the omega area.”
“Have you been close to them?”
“No. Blake didn’t let me go meet —“ There was some swearing at the other side of the line. “Was that why I didn’t get to meet them? Was he worried they might have it? Did he keep Melody away as well?”
I motioned for Dakota to hand me the phone.
“Kade, an omega lost her baby because of this sickness. I don’t know if Blake knew, but it doesn’t matter.
He probably only wanted to save you the stress.
Stay away from that house. From any beta.
” My voice broke. “Angel has it. Trey and Grady too.” The sob broke free.
“It’s my fault. They must have brought it to the pack! ”
Dakota pulled me into his chest and switched the phone to speaker so Kade could hear us both.
“Hey, you don’t know that,” he told me. To us both, he said, “it could have been the new betas. There’s no way of knowing.
Probably why Blake has been keeping Kade away from most betas.
” He had a point, but guilt still ate at me.
“It could have been one on a supply run. We don’t know how it got here, just that it is here and you two can’t be near anyone, just in case. ”
“Kade, we need to go to your house. It’s the best place for us. No shifters nearby. Blake can come stay with us.” I suggested.
“Deke or Roan too. For security.” Kade added.
Dakota nodded at the phone, despite Kade not being able to see him. “Good idea. Deke is the better fighter, though.”
Kade made a noise of distress. Likely at the idea of being separated from Roan. The papa in me rushed to soothe him. “Roan does so much in the office, he’ll be vital in the mansion to keep on top of things until the sickness runs its course.”
“Good point, Papa. What about you, Dad?” My heart still gave a little jump every time that Kade called Dakota dad. It wasn’t all the time. He used a nickname more often than not, but I loved hearing it. Each use erased years of damage from my ex.
“Your Papa is worried about Grady and Trey and your sister. There’s no way they can look after her as well as themselves, so I’m going to go take care of them all. We’ll head back to the compound after we get a few things for him. Give us an hour, okay?”
“No problem.”
He hung up the phone, holding me close for a minute.
“It’ll be fine, Jasper. I believe The Luna has a plan, and this is the path to something big.
We just have to have faith.” His sigh told me that this was as hard on him as it was on me.
“Deke and Blake will look after you both. I hate the idea of being apart for who knows how long, but we have to do this for our family.”
Unfortunately, he was right.
The drive to our house was tense. Dakota kept a hand on me as much as possible, as if soaking in my presence for the time that we would be parted.
My heart felt like it would break. We’d only just properly mated.
Our bond was fragile and here we were, separating for an unknown length of time.
While it was the right thing to do, it still hurt.
There was no way that I would settle, knowing that two ill men were trying to take care of our sick daughter.
My mate’s kindness couldn’t be measured.
Even after a week of judgment from those men, my friends, he was still willing to put aside his feelings and nurse them.
Was there a better person on this earth?
I didn’t think so. He was all mine, too.
I laid my head on his shoulder, trying to get my fix of his paper and cotton scent.
Our scents had mixed, so there was a touch of caramel in there. I wondered what I’d gotten from him.
Cotton, he supplied down the bond. There was a trace of amusement.
Apparently, I was broadcasting a lot of thoughts.
In fairness, I’d forgotten how to use a mate bond.
The pack link had taken time too. I tried to shake it off, but it was torture to be parted this soon after making it official.
“It’s hard on me, too. How am I going to sleep without you draped over me?
I don’t want to miss anything with the baby. But Angel needs me more just now.”
This whole thing sucks .
Dakota chuckled and the mood in the truck lightened a fraction.
We were soon at the house. Stay in the car, Dakota reminded me needlessly. I wished so badly that I could go into the house and give my little girl a hug.
I watched him enter the house, and then my phone rang with a video call from Dakota. “You can’t come in, but you can still see her.” He said when I answered.
His steps were quick on the stairs, and he entered her room, knocking lightly.
“Daddy, I don’t feel well. Where’s Papa?
” My heart tore clean in half. The life I was growing was important.
Too important to risk their life with this unknown illness.
Yet, I wanted to be there for my baby girl.
Her whole life she’d only really had me, and was just getting used to another parent.
While she loved Trey and Grady, they were like brothers, not parents, and Silas had never taken a step-parent role.
Part of that was me, but he had held back, too.
“Papa is here on the screen, little kit. We can’t let the baby get sick, so Papa has to stay away, okay?
I’ll stay with you while Papa goes to stay with your brother.
You hold my phone and speak to him and I’ll get him some clothes.
” Dakota helped her sit. There was a fine sheen of sweat over her brow, her normally rosy skin wan.
Her amber eyes, the same as mine and Kade’s, were dull and listless.
“Papa, will you be okay?” I couldn’t help her smile at her thoughtfulness.
“It’ll be hard because I’ll miss you and Daddy, but Kade will be there.”
“Will you take my bear stuffie to cuddle so you don’t miss Daddy too much?”
“Sure thing, my Angel, tell Daddy to pack it.” I willed myself not to cry. “What do I do when I’m missing you a lot?”
She thought about this, and tears welled in her eyes. “I don’t know! I want you to look after me, Papa.”
“I know, baby girl. I can’t and I hate it, but we have to look after the baby, don’t we?”
“He has to grow big and strong. Not get sick. When I miss you, I’ll think of my brother being safe in your tummy.”
“Brother, eh? What if she’s a girl?”
“Silly Papa! The baby is a boy!” She let out a little giggle and seemed brighter for it. Then she yawned. Dakota entered the room, gave her a kiss from me and rejoined me in the car, putting my things in the trunk and backseat.
He held me for a few minutes while I cried.
“I don’t know how this is transmitted, so I sprayed an antibacterial spray over the bear and washed my hands and face.
Put on a fresh shirt too. The bear’s too big for her bed, so it’s not like she sleeps with it all the time.
” He drew my attention to the giant bear in the backseat.
I laughed. “It’s nearly life-sized!”
Kade was lying on the grass next to the truck when we pulled up. He looked asleep, not just soaking up the sun. I didn’t want to disturb him, but he heard our approach and sat up with some difficulty, his bump making things harder.
He and Blake gave me and Dakota some time alone before we had to leave. I wanted to stay in the circle of his arms forever. We traded kisses and words of love. “Look after yourselves and I’ll look after our girl, okay? Grow that baby big and strong.”
“Angel says that it’s a boy.”
“Is that right?” He looked pleased. “I don’t care, as long as you are both healthy.”
He left with a last kiss. I watched until he was out of sight.
“Come on, Papa. Let’s get out of this heat.”
I was feeling faint, likely down to the stress and heat. It itched in the back of my mind that it could be the sickness. Absurd, I told myself. Still, the thought ate at me. I needed to know if it was possible for me to know if the baby was affected.