Page 24 of Nanny's Mate

Time seemed to crawl by for Mike, whose body turned into stone as the paramedics worked on his beloved. They got to the shifter hospital quickly, but it felt like an eternity to him.

He had been in plenty of terrible, often mortal, situations working as an enforcer. He was always able to divide himself between what was practical and what was personal. But all of that changed after he met his fated mate.

He needed her the way he needed air to breathe, and he wasn’t afraid to admit it. He wanted her by his side every second, whole and happy. The idea of her being injured caused him physical pain and made his wolf howl forlornly inside him.

He had just found her. He was eager to see what glorious things lay ahead of them. And the possibility of losing her before they had a chance to claim one another, to flourish as partners and lovers, was a heartbreak he would not survive.

Nate accompanied Mike as he followed Beatriz, who was still unconscious on the hospital gurney. They raced through the hallway and passed the double doors of the emergency room, where an older gentleman stopped them promptly.

“Get out of my way,” Mike hissed.

As Beatriz disappeared, Nate grabbed hold of Mike by the shoulders. His strength was insurmountable, but it was nothing in comparison to a shifter's need to get to his mate.

But the older gentleman was gracious and compassionate. He laid a hand on Mike’s shoulder and spoke in a way that calmed his fury.

“My name is William Campos. I work with Tristan and Barbara, and I have for years. Beatriz is in good hands. We are going to work on her as fast as we can and get back to you.”

Mike settled down and agreed to sit with Nate in the waiting room. The sitting aspect didn’t last very long as Mike began to pace the hallway, worry ravaging his body like a hurricane.

Dr. Campos emerged only a few minutes later and informed him and Nate that she was going to be okay. Some weight lifted from Mike’s shoulders, but he wouldn’t be convinced until he was able to see her.

“She is banged up pretty bad, the blow to the back of the head being the worst culprit. But her internal organs are functioning. We just have to stitch her up and let her rest."

Mike wanted to grab the man by the shoulders and shake him like a rag doll. Somehow, he yielded in doing so.

“How long? And why is she unconscious?”

Dr. Campos did not condescend to him but continued to speak in a way that was somewhat hypnotizing. It was no wonder that he was Tristan’s right-hand man, according to Nate, anyway.

“Her body reacted to the trauma of the blow. But she is going to be fine, Mike. We just need to close up her wounds so she can heal.”

He gave Mike a pat on the shoulder, then disappeared again through the double doors.

At the same time, Tristan rushed in through the entryway doors, his expression alarmed.

“How is she?” he inquired.

Nate and Mike regaled the alpha with what had happened and their limited knowledge of the interaction between Beatriz and the two strangers. Mike informed him that Beatriz had gone to Indulge to help Ellie out and that he went with the same intention.

Tristan listened like the sage guru that he was, with a quiet brooding.

“We will learn more when she awakens. I am so glad you were there, Mike. Something must have called you there.”

Mike didn’t want to think about what tragedy could have befallen his mate had he waited for her at her cabin the way he initially wanted to. But perhaps Tristan was right. The way of the mate was still somewhat mysterious, even to the modern-day shifter.

Nate left for the cafeteria, leaving Tristan and Mike alone in the ER waiting room. There weren’t many people present, so they had privacy to discuss what he had found so far in his drug investigation.

He leaned forward, moving from personal mode to professional like switching masks.

“So I didn’t get to tell you yet what I’ve found. I spoke to two shifters, one named Danny, one named Doris …"

He was cut off by a curt slicing motion in the air by Tristan, a scowl indenting his normally gentle disposition. Mike was befuddled.

“You don’t need to talk about that right now, Mike,” he said firmly but with kindness. “I know it's a coping mechanism for men like us to retreat into the details of a work life. But we don’t need to deal with that right now. It is okay to be worried about your mate.”

Mike was surprised, sitting up straight in his seat. Tristan must have noticed because he grinned. It was lighthearted and made him look younger.

“You didn’t know that I knew?” he jested. “It isn’t difficult to see.”

---