Abbey's Protectors [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by Lynnette Bernard

  “You’ll have to wait out here.”

  Hunter and Clay looked at the emergency room doctor, completely torn. They needed to be with their mate, but they knew she had to be examined. They had no claim to her yet—a fact that pissed off their wolves completely.

  “We’ll wait,” Hunter conceded. “We’d appreciate an update when you have it.”

  “The waiting room is over there,” the doctor told them, pointing to the area to the left of the hallway. “I’ll be out as soon as I’m finished with her examination.”

  Clay nodded for both of them. He reached out and touched Hunter’s forearm, feeling the tension in his triad partner building due to their separation from their mate. They both watched in silence as the doctor left them and headed toward the area curtained off in small sections for each patient.

  “Clay, she’s ours,” Hunter whispered, turning to look at him with raw need evident on his face.

  “She is,” Clay confirmed without hesitation. “And we’ll be sure to claim her as soon as she’s been cleared. We need to explain everything to her, Hunter. She needs to know what’s going on. She needs to understand our triad mating and exactly what that means in our world.”

  Hunter barely nodded as he took his place just inside the doorway of the waiting room, crossing his arms across his chest and staring straight ahead to wait for the doctor to emerge from the examination of their woman. The growls that left him were low, constant, and uncontrollable. The very thought of any man touching their mate was almost enough to push his wolf to shift and stand guard. He flexed his muscles continuously as he fought for control.

  “I’m having a hard time controlling my wolf,” he told Clay quietly.

  The soft growls that came from beside him had him turning his head and observing Clay in the exact same predicament that he was in. Clay looked at him for just a split second, his eyes completely golden as his wolf pushed at his control.

  “I need to be with her,” Clay told him softly.

  “We will be as soon as the doctor clears her,” Hunter responded, trying to soothe himself just as much as he was trying to soothe his partner. “Then we’re never going to let her out of our sight again.”

  Clay chuckled at Hunter’s words. “That might be difficult, Hunter. We have to work and she must have a life, too.”

  Hunter’s attention snapped to him immediately. “And what kind of life does she have if we find her collapsed in the forest, with two bags that probably contain everything of value to her? Look at her injuries. Who would cause that much pain to a woman?”

  “We’ll find out when she’s ready to tell us,” Clay told him, returning his attention to the curtained off area. “Until then, we’ll watch over her, protect her, and love her.”

  “Damn straight,” Hunter muttered, looking at the curtain and watching the flurry of movement that made it billow out every once in a while.

  The two EMTs who had pushed the gurney carrying their mate emerged from behind the curtains with the empty gurney. Hunter and Clay were silent as it passed by them, glad when Carter Hutchinson, a member of their pack who was one of the EMTs who had taken care of their mate, stopped beside them.

  “She’s being looked at now,” he told them softly. “She’s stable.”

  Hunter nodded, looking at the man who was partnered with Drew, their pack doctor, and mated to Susannah. The change in him in just the short time he had been reunited with their mate was astounding. The happiness and contentment practically rolled off the man, filling the room with the joy of a completed triad mating.

  “Thanks, Carter,” Clay acknowledged, reaching out to shake his hand. “Can you tell us anything yet?”

  “I’ll have a complete report filled out before we leave,” Carter promised. “Did you find an ID on her?”

  “No,” Hunter answered for the both of them. “How badly is she injured?”

  “Not sure. The doctor is examining her now. Nikki is in there with her, too,” he told them softly. “She’ll keep an eye on her for you.”

  Hunter nodded, glad that Alexander and Butler’s mate Nikki was the nurse that would be attending their mate. “Did our injured woman talk to you?”

  Carter shook his head. “No. She just kept calling for you and Clay.”

  Immediate smiles filled both men’s faces. They looked at each other and then returned their attention back to Carter.

  “Looks like you two have been taken down,” Carter told them, laughing softly.

  “What do you mean?” Clay asked, still smiling.

  “Jane Doe has put her claim on you,” Carter said with certainty. “And it seems as if you’ve done the same to her.”

  “She’s ours,” Clay spoke up immediately.

  “Thought so,” Carter told them. “Congratulations. I know you’ll be just as happy as Drew and I are with our Suzie. You’ll find that you’ll never understand how you’ve ever lived without her.”

  “Thanks, Carter,” Hunter answered, his voice husky with emotion. “We’ve been waiting for her for so long.”

  “Well, now you’ve found her. Don’t ever let her go. Don’t lose any time with her like Drew and I did with Suzie. Grab hold of her and hang on tightly.”

  Hunter nodded, looking at Clay and seeing his triad partner doing the same. They had seen the way Drew and Carter had suffered over the years from being separated from Suzie. It was good that they were finally a reunited triad. Even though they didn’t know their mate’s name or anything about her, they knew one thing for certain. Neither man was ever going to risk losing their mate.

  * * * *

  Thirty minutes later, the doctor emerged from behind the curtain with a trauma unit’s nurse. Both men breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Nikki Sinclair. Being part of Beckett’s wolf pack, they knew she would understand the need they had to be with their mate. Both men walked toward her and the doctor, meeting them in the middle of the hallway.

  “How is she?” Hunter asked Nikki immediately.

  “She’s been sedated,” the doctor told them. “Do we have a next of kin to talk to?”

  Hunter shook his head. “We don’t have an ID on her,” he explained tightly. “We found her in the woods. She was barely conscious and refused to give us any information.”

  Clay stepped forward and touched the doctor’s shoulder to draw his attention. “Doctor, is she going to be all right?”

  “We’ll be able to be more certain in the morning,” he answered carefully. “There is an injury on her right temple that looks like a bullet grazed her. It’s a superficial wound, so I’m not really worried about it. She has injuries and scratches over her entire body. She regained consciousness and was conscious throughout the examination. She was able to tell us that she had fallen from a great height. I’ve ordered X-rays to make sure there aren’t any internal injuries. Her left side is tender, and I know she’s in pain, but she won’t admit to it. She won’t tell us her name or where she fell.”

  “She wouldn’t tell us either,” Clay admitted, stepping toward the gurney that was being pushed through the ER to stand beside the young woman. “She’s got her eyes closed. Did she lose consciousness again?”

  Hunter stepped forward and reached out to touch the young woman’s hand as it lay limp against her chest. Clay reached for her other hand as it lay against her stomach.

  Abbey whimpered at the contact. Their voices reached deep inside of her and warmed her from within. The scents that filled her erased the antiseptic smell of the hospital. All she could scent was the deeply masculine smell of both men, and she relaxed as it filled her and surrounded her.

  “We’re here, sweetheart,” Hunter whispered softly as he leaned down to nuzzle against her cheek lightly. “We won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  “You just rest and get better, honey,” Clay told her with equal gentleness as he leaned down and kissed her neck lightly. “We’ll be here.”

  Abbey loved the sound of their voices. Squeezing both men’s hands as the
y held hers so gently, she opened her eyes and looked up at them, smiling weakly before closing them and succumbing to the sedative that the doctor had insisted on giving her.

  “We need to get her settled,” the doctor told them, indicating to the orderly to move the gurney toward the elevators, pulling her away from the men. He was unaware of the turmoil that both men were thrown into when they lost physical contact with her.

  “She’s heading up to Radiology for X-rays, then she’ll be moved to a semiprivate room,” Nikki interrupted them, reaching out to gently lay her hands on both men’s forearms. “You can go to her as soon as one is assigned.”

  Both men turned toward Nikki as one. They concentrated on her words, determined to calm down so they could remain in close proximity to their mate. Their wolves eased off just slightly, giving control to their human side to allow the men to remain calm so they could be with the woman destined to be theirs. The golden color of their eyes dissipated slowly, allowing Hunter’s brown eyes and Clay’s blue eyes to return to normal.

  “She’ll be asleep for a while because of the sedative, but I’ll bet she’ll want someone that she trusts to be with her when she wakes up,” Nikki told them gently.

  “She might be afraid of us,” Clay spoke up, his heart heavy with worry.

  Nikki shook her head. “No, Clay,” she interrupted him. “She asked for you and Hunter when we were examining her. It seemed as if she was afraid to be in the examination area without you two next to her.”

  “Thanks, Nikki,” Hunter said quietly, reaching up to squeeze Clay’s shoulder in relief.

  Nikki nodded and stepped back to allow the men to catch up with the gurney that was already halfway down the hallway. She watched the two men follow the injured woman, hoping that things would work out well for them. She smiled as she thought about the men of Jace Beckett’s pack. Every one of them was honorable, caring, and kind. She hoped this woman allowed Hunter and Clay to love her. She would find such happiness if she did, just as Nikki had found with Alex and Butler.

  * * * *

  “Drew, we’ve found our mate. She’s human, and she’s been injured. We’re at Denver Memorial right now.” Clay spoke quietly into his cell phone, hoping their pack’s doctor could advise them. Both he and Hunter were fighting their wolves to remain in control as they waited by their patrol car.

  “Congratulations,” Drew told him immediately. “How badly is she injured?”

  “We’re not sure. We’re waiting for her to come out of Radiology now,” Clay told him, his voice soft. “Should we bring her to you?”

  “Wait for the results, Clay,” Drew told him calmly. “It would be best if she’s examined at the hospital so her injuries can be addressed immediately. If you and Hunter can claim her, she’ll heal quicker, but I know that would be difficult right now. See how she’s doing and have your talk with her. The Fates have chosen her for you, so I’m sure she’ll be open to your mating.”

  “You think so, Drew?” Clay asked worriedly.

  “I do,” he answered without hesitation. “It may take time, but I really believe she’ll accept you as her mates and will be willing to come to pack land to start a life with the two of you.”

  “About that, Drew,” Clay began hesitantly.

  There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone. “What about it, Clay? Is there a problem?”

  “Yeah, Drew. We think there is.”

  “Something Jace and Jackson need to be made aware of?”

  Clay closed his eyes briefly. Worry filled him. He knew that Alpha Jace Beckett and Beta Jackson Scott would accept their mate within their pack without hesitation despite the threat to pack security. When a triad partnership found their mate, nothing else mattered. The Fates had chosen the three people meant to be together, and that meant that the mate would be protected without question. He just worried that their mate wouldn’t be so willing to be taken to pack land.

  “It seems that our mate is running from something or someone,” Clay explained honestly, glad when Hunter nodded at him, encouraging him to continue. “She hasn’t told us her name and there is no identification in her belongings. We’re hoping she’ll be open to telling us what she’s running from.”

  “Everything will work out,” Drew told him. “I’ll let Jace and Jackson know what you’ve just told me. Go to her. She needs you now.”

  “Thanks, Drew.”

  Clay ended the call and looked at Hunter. “We need to be with our mate.”

  Hunter smiled, his brown eyes showing the happiness he was feeling. It had been a long time since he had felt such hope.

  “Yeah. We do.” He walked to the back of the patrol car and popped the trunk, reaching in to grab the two canvas bags from inside it and throwing the black one to Clay. “I’ve called dispatch to let them know we’re at the hospital with a medical emergency. I told them we’ll call in to our sergeant to arrange for time off once we find out how long our woman needs to recuperate.”

  “You told them about our mate?” Clay asked, catching the bag and looking at Hunter in surprise.

  “Well, I told them she’s someone special to us. And she is.” Hunter transferred his navy canvas bag to his other hand and slammed the trunk closed. “We can change into our civilian clothes once we find out how she’s doing.”

  As they walked toward the Emergency Room entrance, Hunter’s cell phone rang. He unhooked it from his belt and looked at the display, connecting the call immediately and bringing the phone to his ear.

  “Yes, Alpha,” he answered.

  “Hunter, when your mate is ready, bring her home,” Jace Beckett told him firmly. “All of us will be ready to protect her.”

  The surge of emotion that filled Hunter made it difficult to speak. “Thank you, Jace,” he said finally.

  “We’re pack,” Jace offered quietly. “We’re family.”

  Hunter nodded and reached out to touch Clay’s shoulder. “Yes. We are.”

  “Go to your mate,” Jace prompted him. “That’s an order.”

  Hunter laughed softly. “Yes, Alpha.”

  Disconnecting the call, he clipped the phone back onto his belt and started walking toward the hospital. Clay was by his side.

  “Jace wants us to bring our mate home,” Hunter told him calmly, smiling as he looked at Clay briefly before passing through the entrance once the automatic doors opened to them.

  “I heard,” Clay told him, smiling with relief. “We just have to convince her. We also have to get her to tell us who she is and why she’s running.”

  “We’ll figure everything out. Right now we need to talk to the doctor and find out the extent of her injuries. Then I plan on planting my ass beside her hospital bed and waiting her out. We need to hold her between us and give the bonding process a chance to begin.”

  “I’m with you, partner,” Clay agreed, matching Hunter’s long strides as they passed through the waiting room. “Our mate needs to know we’re going to be with her from now on. She needs to know we’ll protect her and take care of her. She’s going to realize that we’ll love her, and we’ll make a good life with her.”

  Hunter turned to face Clay and smiled. “We will.” His voice was suspiciously gruff as he nodded and made that vow—a vow he was determined to keep.

  They waited at the doorway of the waiting room for Nikki to come back to them and tell them where their mate was. The minute they saw Nikki walking toward them, they pushed away from the wall where they had been leaning and strode toward her determinedly to meet her halfway. The easy smile on Nikki’s face made them relax somewhat. She was an easy person to like, and they respected her nursing abilities. She had been professional and caring with them since they had arrived with their mate, and they knew that whatever she told them would be thorough and exactly what they needed to hear in order to understand their mate’s condition.

  “How is she?” Clay asked, not wasting any time.

  “She’s good,” Nikki told them without hesitation.
“The doctor will be out shortly to give you the specifics of her injuries. She’s been moved to a semiprivate room.”

  “We’ll pay for a private room,” Hunter told her firmly. “We need to stay with her. What we have to say to her is best done with no one around to overhear us.”

  Nikki looked up at both men and smiled, her blue eyes sparkling with happiness. “She’s your mate, isn’t she?” Nikki asked them quietly. “You already care about her.”

  “Yes,” both men answered at once.

  “Thought so,” Nikki told them. “Okay. You’ll need to come with me to Admitting and give them the financial information they’ll require. Once that’s settled we’ll be able to move her into a private room, and you can stay with her without a problem.”

  “Let’s get this done,” Hunter said, growling. “My wolf is about to claw out of my chest. We need to get to her.”

  To Hunter’s and Clay’s ultimate frustration, it took nearly an hour to straighten out the paperwork and have their mate set up in a private room. The doctor had spoken to them and had given them the medical information that was needed for the police report. Jane Doe, as she was listed on the report, was in stable condition.

  There were no broken bones but there were a number of contusions and abrasions on her body. The tenderness to the left side of her body indicated severe trauma, but until Jane Doe was able to tell them, the doctor couldn’t tell them how the injury had happened. The bullet graze to the right side of her head was not under question. It was clearly a wound perpetrated with malicious intent.

  Both men fought to control their wolves at the thought of someone intentionally hurting their mate. Nothing was going to appease their wolves until they were able to hold their mate between them and claim her as theirs.