A soft hand landed firmly on his forearm.
“Ayreme?”
“It’s time, Obsidian.”
Time? Time for—
“Oh, fuck!” He was out of the bed and on his feet before his eyes were completely focused. A toe met the edge of the bed. A snarl ensued as pain bloomed hot and bright in his foot. He stumbled, damn near going to a knee but managing to hold himself upright as he tumbled forward onto the mattress, catching himself with his arms.
He was so damn ready to be back in their bedroom.
Penelope chuckled and a lamp turned on, then another.
As he stood buck naked at the foot of the bed, he stared at hisereswa, wondering if she’d just played a prank on him. He scanned her face and realized the sweat dotting her forehead wasn’t likely the result of her amusement with his unfamiliar-room acrobatics.
When she went to sit up, he stumbled around to her side of the bed. “Here. Let me help you.”
“You, my dearreuthet, should probably put some pants on.”
Right. Pants.
As she dangled her legs over the side of the bed, Obsidian snagged his jeans from the floor. He’d discarded them there when he’d crashed for the day, so they’d work for now. He didn’t bother with a shirt or shoes. No time.
“We don’t have far to go,” she told him when he damn near tangled his cock in his zipper. “No need to rush.”
“You’re having a baby,” he countered. “I’d say that’s a damn good reason to rush.”
“Are you sure you’re going to be able to do this?”
“What?” He frowned. “You’re the one who’s got the hard job. Why are you asking me shit like that?”
Obsidian held out his hand to help her to her feet. Her small hand went to her belly, her breaths a bit more labored than he’d realized.
“Oh, fuck it.” He lifted her into his arms. “I’m carrying you.”
Another soft giggle. “I really can walk, you know.”
“You shouldn’t have to.” In fact, he didn’t want her to have to do anything more than … whatever was necessary to get that baby out.
Penelope’s arms wrapped around his neck, and though he could tell she was uncomfortable, she did her best to soothe him. “Breathe, honey.”
Yeah. There’d be time for breathing later. Right now, he needed to get his female to the birthing room they’d set up for this very purpose.
“Did you call Dr. A?” he asked.
“Yep. Before I woke you up.”
He paused and stared down at her. “What? You told her before you told me?”
Penelope’s smile was radiant. “I’ve been timing the contractions for the past two and a half hours, Obsidian. I wasn’t about to wake you so you could dothis”—she motioned to him carrying her—“before it was really time.”
He grunted but started walking again.
The trip from their bedroom to the infirmary was less than a minute, and when he arrived, he was surprised to see Amethyst and Apollo both there, getting everything set up. The entire space was brightly lit from the LEDs in the ceilings, intensified by all the white—floors, walls, trim. The only color was the dark blue of the scrubs both healers wore. The scent of Lysol drifted in the space, like it had recently been wiped down.
Both healers looked up when he appeared, their eyes scanning the scene before them. Apollo offered an amused smirk and Amethyst’s smile was a bit more subtle.
She motioned him toward the room to the right of the small station that held a computer and a printer. “You can get her comfortable.”
