Chapter 13
Chapter thirteen
Angus
“Is he real sick?” I asked Maddox. He’d knocked on the door of my living room to tell me Oliver wasn’t feeling well.
“He’s got a fever.”
“He can have a fever with a cold, though, right?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I’ve put a call in to Dr. Humbard.”
“Has Laura taken a look at him?”
“She said she will when she gets back. She went to the Borders’ again to help out with their sick little one. Dr. Humbard is supposed to see him later today, but his nurse told Nova that there’s a lot of sick kids right now and Jessup’s other pediatrician is in Puerto Rico on her honeymoon.”
“Damn small town,” I grumbled. “As many kids as there are in Jessup, it ought to have more than two pediatricians.”
“I agree,” Maddox said. “But after Old Doc Franklin passed away, nobody took over his practice.”
“Probably because nobody wants to come way out here to an unknown town,” I said.
“I don’t know, Gramps. We’re on the map since a few national news stations broadcasted the story of a redistributed omega being matched to Bertram last year. That was a little odd, if you ask me.”
“You really think the government did it because of all the questions people have been asking about the whereabouts of registered and redistributed omegas?” I asked.
I wasn’t sure how I felt on the subject yet.
In my thinking, Bertram’s omega just proved the government’s been doing what it said it was all along.
“Yeah, I do. The more that happens, the shadier it looks. Why would the news suddenly care about an omega match?”
“Maybe because of Trey’s senator dad,” I suggested.
“No. They didn’t mention that. And think about it: the government isn’t going to want people to know that a senator raised his omega son when no one else has been permitted to do that.
It would create outrage and more questions about what they’re doing with registered omegas collected by the program.
If they’re really being redistributed, where are they? ”
Talking of Trey and his dad reminded me of what Ben had mentioned to me recently. “Ben says Trey still talks to his family. Maybe he could find information for the SOS to use.”
Maddox frowned. “I didn’t realize he still talks to his family, but I guess that make sense. Yeah, that might be useful. I’ll pass it on to Carter. He’s been working pretty heavily with the SOS these days.”
David called to Maddox from somewhere in the house, sounding upset.
Looking concerned, he told me he’d talk to me later and left the room.
He’d told me earlier that David had been dealing with Oliver half the night, but since David tended to fret over every bump and scrape, I hadn’t thought much about it. Now, I was uneasy.
I got up and looked out the window. The sky was overcast and particularly dark to the west.
“Hey,” Colt’s voice tickled my ear as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Something the matter?”
I told him about Oliver being sick.
“He’ll be okay. Kids get sick all the time.”
“And how many kids do you have?” I snapped, then immediately felt bad. “That was an asshole thing to say; I’m sorry.” Turning around in his arms, I kissed him softly. “Really. Forgive me?”
“Of course. But it’s not like you to worry so much. Are you sure there isn’t something else going on?”
I thought about it. “I’ve just got an ominous feeling.”
“It’s probably the drop in barometric pressure. A storm’s brewing,” Colt said.
I nodded at the sensible answer. “You’re probably right. Storms always make me feel off. Where is everybody, anyway? It’s awfully quiet around here for the crowd we’ve got right now. I know Laura’s at the Borders’, but what about the others?”
“Carter, Jackson, and Ben took the girls to look around the ranch. It’s just you and me in this part of the house.” He moved closer so our bodies aligned, and I felt his arousal against my thigh.
“You got something in mind?” Our eyes met and then we both grabbed each other by the back of the neck at the same time.
Normally, it would rankle to have someone do that to me, but at that moment, all I felt was horny as hell.
We kissed harshly, tongues dueling for dominance.
I wanted Colt naked and began nudging him backward until we stumbled into my bedroom.
Wanting to touch skin, I ran my hands up under his shirt. The feel of Colt’s strong, muscled back against my palms made me shudder with need. Pressing my free hand to the bulge in his pants, I squeezed as I continued to kiss him.
Colt’s fingers were busy undoing my pants, and seconds later, they pooled at my ankles.
Stepping out of them, I took my hands off Colt long enough to drop my briefs, too, then freed his cock from his pants.
Staring at it, long and rigidly hard between us, just an inch or so shorter than mine, I acted on instinct and took both of us between my palms and spit on the heads.
Colt moaned when I began to stroke us.
We resumed kissing, Colt pushing me backward until I fell on the bed. I toed off my shoes and my briefs came off. Without thinking, I wrapped my legs around Colt’s waist, and we began rutting against each other, kissing and not letting up until first Colt and then I came with a groan.
“Oh, gods, that was good,” Colt murmured into my neck.
I could only nod.
A few minutes later, Ben walked in, slapped Colt’s bare ass, and said, “Jackson, sorry about the eyeful.”
Like a shot had rung out, both Colt and I scrambled away from each other, Colt yanking up his pants and me scanning the floor for mine, my hands over my junk.
Ben started laughing, and that’s when we realized he’d pranked us. He was alone.
“You little rascal,” Colt said, making a move toward him.
Ben only pretended to try to run. Seconds later, he was in Colt’s arms and being kissed to within an inch of his life.
Too tired to join in, I sat down and watched Colt bend our omega over the bed and fuck him, Ben’s cries of pleasure ringing out in the room.
The three of us had a short nap, and when we came out of our room and into the kitchen, Jackson and Carter were cooking. I was so used to seeing David do it—because he always insisted on it—that it took me a minute to work out that he wasn’t cooking because Oliver was sick.
“Any news on Ollie?” I asked.
“His fever’s pretty high,” Carter said just as a roll of thunder shook the house.
“Where are the girls?” Ben asked.
“Napping,” Jackson said. “I’m making chicken noodle soup.”
“Tell me you didn’t kill one of the chickens,” Ben said.
Jackson looked horrified. “No! There was a package in the refrigerator!”
“Okay. Good. Maddox stopped killing the chickens because David loves them so much. He doesn’t even kill the non-layers. And he made a graveyard for them.”
“Is that what those two crosses were out under the big oak tree out back?” Jackson asked.
“Yep. Coyotes killed Bernice and Jessica last year. David cried like his heart was broken. David is careful not to name the cows, but he’s already in love with the chickens and can’t change that. The only way he’s going to accept killing one is if it’s old and suffering.”
“And who wants to eat an old, sick chicken?” I put in.
We all chuckled over that.
When the soup was ready and Carter pulled the cheese bread out of the oven, I went to get Maddox and David, but David wouldn’t leave Ollie and said he wasn’t hungry.
While the rest of us ate, I noticed that Maddox was mostly pushing his food around his plate.
“Is he worse?” I asked him.
Putting down his spoon, Maddox covered his face with his hands for a moment. When he looked at us, his vulnerable expression sent a chill through me.
“Yes. Before, Ollie was fussy, but he was nursing. Now he won’t nurse and is disturbingly quiet other than his coughing.
And his fever keeps spiking. I’m really worried.
Laura called and said Dr. Humbard was waylaid by an emergency at the hospital and did a video call with them at the Borders’.
He told them to take Jeremiah to the hospital.
They probably just made it before the storm hit. ”
A louder boom of thunder had us all looking toward the window over the sink where I could see dark clouds covering the sky. A couple of drops of rain hit the panes as lightning flashed, followed by the loudest crack of thunder yet.
“I hate storms,” Ben said, moving closer to me.
I put my arm around him. “We’re safe here in the house.”
Maddox got up from the table. “I’m going to go be with David. He doesn’t like storms either.”
“I’ll keep the soup hot for you guys,” Jackson called to him. Turning to us, he said, “Should I be concerned about the girls catching whatever this is?”
“I’d keep them away from everybody, to be safe,” Carter said.
The roof of the house was made of tin, amplifying the deluge when it let loose a minute later. Getting up and going to the window, I looked out to see sheets of rain so thick and heavy I couldn’t make out anything past them.
“Crap,” I muttered.
“I got the cows in before I came inside earlier,” Colt said, coming to stand behind me at the window. “Man, what a downpour.”
I was really worried now. “I should’ve told Maddox to take Ollie to the hospital when he told me he was sick. Now, he can’t take him in this.”
“You didn’t know he was going to get worse,” Colt said.
Ben came to stand on my other side and rested his head against my arm. The three of us stood watching the rain for a few minutes before returning to our meal.
“My parents planned to make a video call tonight to talk to us about things,” Jackson said. “Maybe I should tell them to hold off.”
“That might be a good idea,” Carter told him.
When lunch was over and we’d cleaned up, leaving the soup on low in case we could coax Maddox and David into eating some, we all went into the living room. Jackson called his parents and told them what was going on.
“I’m sorry you guys came when there’s sickness here,” Ben told Carter while Jackson talked to them.
“You couldn’t have known. With kids, short of locking them up at home, you can’t keep them from being around illness.”
A call of “Da-dee!” from down the hall announced that Alisanne was awake, and Carter went to check on her. Jackson finished chatting with his parents and hung up just as Maddox walked down the hall.
“Would one of you mind coming and holding Oliver while I make David eat a little? He hasn’t had anything all day.”
“I’ll go,” I said.
David had brought the baby into their bedroom so they could have him close. David stood over the portable crib, looking miserable. When he looked up at me with scared eyes, my heart sank.
“He’s so sick, Angus,” David said, tears rolling down his cheeks. “Nothing I do helps. He still has a fever, and he feels so miserable, he’s not even crying anymore.” He sobbed into his hands.
“Now, you listen here, David. That baby is going to be just fine. But you’ve got to let Maddox get some food into you.
And into himself.” I sent Maddox a look that told him I’d noticed he hadn’t eaten more than two bites earlier.
“You go do that and I’ll stay here with little Oliver.
He loves his Gramps. If he gets restless, I’ll rock him and sing. ”
That produced a small smile from David, probably because he knew I had an awful singing voice that wasn’t likely to soothe the baby. That was the result I was hoping for, and I was gratified when Maddox and David left for the kitchen.
Looking down at little Ollie, my heart turned over to see the tyke so listless. He was awake and looking at me with eyes wise beyond their few months of living.
“And you,” I said softly to him. “You are going to get better, you hear me? No worrying your dads anymore.” He whimpered, and with a tsk, I picked him up with his blanket and carried him over to the window, settling in the rocking chair.
His little face and hands were much too warm to the touch, and as I sat there watching him, too weak to cry, his tiny hand spread out on his cheek and eyes drooping, worry and fear overtook me.
Lucy, please watch over him. We need him. Don’t let him give up.
I hadn’t been hearing Lucy in my head lately, which was probably a good thing, considering what I’d been spending my time doing with my two new mates, but I thought I heard a whisper of her voice in the dark room.
Get Ben.
Shaking my head, I told myself I was imagining things. Pulling Ollie up onto my shoulder, I rubbed his back while I rocked him, telling him what a good boy he was and how much we all loved him.
Get Ben, Angus.
I stopped rocking. What the hell?
Okay, assuming Lucy was telling me that, why would I need to get Ben?
Not long after that, David and Maddox returned.
“He’s asleep,” I said, handing the baby over to Maddox. “Didn’t cry a bit.”
“He’s too weak to cry,” David said miserably. “And he won’t eat. This is bad.” Sitting down on the bed, he began to cry again.
I looked at Maddox and was alarmed at the defeated look on his face.
“Dammit, we can’t just give up,” I muttered, striding out of the room. “There must be something we can do.”
Ben, I distinctly heard Lucy’s voice again.
“All right, all right, woman. I’ll get Ben.”