Sirens wail in the distance, growing closer, and I let out a shaky breath. My thumb rubs his cheek, careful of the cuts and bruises on his face. “It’s all going to be okay.” Whether my promise is to him or to me doesn’t matter as long as he survives.
Paramedics guide me out of the way, ignoring my growl of protest. Shepherd steps in, pulling me back to his chest and purring until I stop trying to fight everyone. I watch through teary eyes as they check him over and load him onto a stretcher.
“We have a dash cam,” I hear Shep tell the officers. “I’ll get the footage to you as soon as we get to the hospital.”
I want to ride with Manny, but my Alpha is in protective mode and won’t be able to handle not having eyes on me. So, we pile back into the car and follow the ambulance into the city. On the way, he calls Pack Graves and asks them to grab the car andtake it to our house. He asks them to sit with Hannah and the kids, worried that this was a distraction so that Colin could get to her.
Fuck,I hadn’t even thought of that!
His hand grips my thigh, rubbing soothing circles. “Let’s call her,” he tells me, already dialing.
“Shepherd? What’s wrong?” Her voice is shaky, likely feeling the mess of emotions in our bonds. I hate her being home alone, but I can’t be there when Manny needs me.
Our Alpha quickly explains the situation, blinking back tears when Hannah sobs. “We’re pulling up to the hospital now, Wildfire. I’ll call you as soon as we know more. And Hannah? Donotleave the house. Omen and her mates are on their way. Please let them protect you.”
Hurrying into the building, we’re directed to a waiting room. I can’t sit still, feet carrying me back and forth as we wait for news. Years of work in the ER fly through my mind, creating a list of everything that could go wrong. All the ways I could lose my mate. My heart hurts, shredded into hundreds of pieces and waiting to be stitched back together again. I can’t lose him. I justcan’t.
“Pack Wilson?”
My head jerks toward the door, locking onto the nurse waiting for us. I move on instinct, following them into the back. A curtain pulls aside, and there he is, hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor, and wearing one of those awful pale green paper gowns.
“The doctor will be in momentarily to update you.”
I think I nod, but I’m too focused on my mate to know for sure. His hand is warm as I wrap mine around it, needing a point of contact to stop myself from crawling onto the bed with him. He doesn’t stir, but I’m less worried now. As long as his heart is beating, we can figure out the rest later.
“Gentlemen, my name is Doctor Mikaelson. I’m the attending in charge of your mate’s care.” He uses a laptop to pull up Manny’s chart and reviews everything with us. The more I hear, the sicker I feel. Broken ribs, a punctured lung, a concussion, and that’s on top of the cuts, bruises, and road rash. Blinking back more tears, I grip his hand tighter, careful not to pull the bandages wrapped around it.
“What are our next steps?” Shepherd asks. I trust him to listen, and I know the staff will give us paperwork with instructions. Hell, most of this is stuff I already know. I just have to be clear-headed enough to remember it.
More time passes as I sit beside his bed, begging him to wake up again. At some point, we’re moved to a private room. That’s when the police arrived. Shepherd recognizes the one in plain clothes, and he steps into the hall with them. Rage flashes through our bond, and my stomach sinks. Either they didn’t catch whoever did this… or we already know the person responsible. The same person who has stalked and taunted us for weeks, evading the agents hunting him.
I watch his face as he rejoins me, hands fisted at his sides. “That fucking piece of shit did this, didn’t he?”
Shepherd nods, a war brewing in his golden-brown eyes. “Colin, his parents, and Hannah’s mother were all visible on the front and rear cameras. They didn’t catch the assault, but it’s enough to bring them in.”
“If they can find them.”
“That’s not the only good news,” he tells me, leaning his head against my shoulder and sighing. “Both their vehicles have plates that can be tracked. And only one belonged to the Boyds. They have a lead this time.”
We sit in silence, with him leaning on me while I cling to Manny’s hand. “Theyhaveto catch them,” I whisper, letting broken emotion filter into my voice. Another tear drips down mycheek. I’ve cried so much that my eyes are swollen and irritated, but I don’t care about the discomfort. I want this to be over. For our family to be safe.
“They will.” Shepherd grits out, rubbing his head along my jaw. “And if they don’t… we will.”
Chapter Forty
“Don’t leave the house.”
As if there’s any chance of that happening. Am I pissed? Absolutely. Does that mean I’m dumb enough to run off and try to chase down my ex-husband? Not at all. My place is here with my pack. Where my children are loved, and I am too.
Shepherd should be more worried about convincing me to ever let them leave the house again. I’m going to be a stressed mess the whole time they’re gone.
When Foster had gone from playfully chasing Kaitlin to blasting the living room with Omega Rage, I knew something was wrong. Their hurried phone call on the way to the hospital only confirmed my suspicions. My heart aches knowing Manny is hurt, and I cannot be there for him.
“Mommy, I’m scared,” Kait whispers from the doorway to the nursery. Offering her a shaky smile, I gently pick Everett up and carry him into the hallway. We have a bassinet upstairs in the pack bedroom for nights when he won’t settle, so I guide her up there. Sleeping surrounded by the guy’s scents will do us both good.
Omen and her mates had rushed over to sit with us until reinforcements from the DAU could arrive. We’ve had a smallteam following us for weeks, but with this escalation, they’ve assigned us a full protection detail.
I still can’t believe Colin would go this far. That’s not true. My guilt stems from knowing that his actions don’t surprise me. Why did I stay with him for so long when I knew this was what he was capable of?
