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Taken aback by his question, I didn’t know how to answer. Tori knew nothing about fated mates. Though she needed to know, her education on shifters had been skewed by her upbringing. I’d need to educate her on what the bond meant. She had such a hard time trusting people, and though I’d managed to scale some of the walls she’d erected around herself, this life was still so new to her.
She’d barely come to an agreement with her wolf and still teetered on the edge of feral. Would she comprehend what it meant to be a fated mate? While I understood how amazing this gift was, would she see it the same way? Or would it be too much for her? I hated that I hadn’t had the opportunity to explain everything to Tori before somebody else had figured out our connection, but it was too late.
Then there was the other side of me that appreciated that someone else was taking it out of my hands, that I could own up to our connection and claim her. This wasn’t an ideal way of claiming since I ached to mark her permanently, but this was the hand I’d been dealt, and I’d take anything I could. That was how important she was to me.
“It wasn’t obvious right away, like we’ve been told about fated mates,” I said. “I’ve wondered if that’s because she fought her inner wolf for so long and has a bit of the feral inside her. That must’ve made it harder for my wolf to sense the connection, but I’m positive she’s my fated mate. Better yet, I can guarantee it.” I rubbed my hand at the back of my neck, stood taller, and narrowed my gaze at my friend. “I won’t tolerate anybody questioning her loyalty.”
Clawson lifted his hands. “That’s all I needed to hear, man. Of course, I won’t question you if you’re sure of her. I trust your alpha judgment, and after I’ve seen what she’s capable of, I don’t doubt that she’d make a good luna once she’s not struggling with the feral stuff anymore.”
If only my little wolf would believe the same thing about herself.
I appreciated that Clawson hadn’t mentioned anything to Tori about his suspicions or the fated mate thing. I didn’t want to have to explain her history to everyone in the car on the drive back to Blackwood Creek. Her past was traumatic for her, and it was her story to tell, but for a wolf not to know about fated mates? It was a major red flag for other shifters, signifying that she hadn’t been educated as a shifter. We were all taught about fated mates, how rare they were and what it meant to be one.
Now, as I pulled up to the back entrance of the sheriff’s office, I turned to Clawson. “Thanks for everything you’ve done. You went above and beyond, and I can’t thank you enough. You should know that Tori admitted to me she lost control with you at the hospital. I apologize for not telling you, but there are mitigating factors. I’m trying to help my mate keep her wolf from going feral. She’s strong and willful, and I know we’ll get it under control, but I’d appreciate it if you helped to keep it under wraps.”
“I’m not an amateur, Ridge.” Clawson snorted, acting offended. “I’ll help my future luna and my alpha in any way I can.”
He jumped out of the car, pulled Kyle into a fireman’s carry, and headed inside. I watched for a while, thanking my lucky stars that I had a devoted friend and wolf on my side. Few men were made like Birch Clawson.
Seeing Zander was still out cold, I sighed. What could the hunters have possibly done to him to keep him under for so long? Even though it made a nice change from hearing the asshole spout off snide comments, I prayed the doctors would get us some answers. Whatever had weakened Zander, it could be something the hunters planned to use on all their prisoners.
It didn’t take long to get Zander admitted to the hospital with complete discretion. Nobody was informed about the exact situation. I figured when his primary doctor was assigned, I’d tell the doctor what I knew. For now, I said we’d found him after another of his drinking binges and that I thought he must have hit his head. It wasn’t like that exact scenario hadn’t occurred repeatedly over the years, so it was easier for everybody to accept that story.
Although I’d been kidnapped here in the hospital, Clawson had assured me they were keeping the specifics under wraps as best as possible. The last thing we needed was for the town to go into a full-blown panic.
Being the mayor had its perks. Being an alpha was more absolute, though I couldn’t pull that weight on the humans. Luckily, several staff members at the hospital were shifters, so they spread out the rotation so that there was always someone in the know and available. They confirmed that only a select few people knew the truth of what had happened.
The staff at Blackwood General stepped up and kept quiet. I’d have to find a way to show my gratitude.
“You don’t need to call his father,” I said to Zander’s assigned doctor. “I’m heading over there now to explain what happened.”
After pulling up in front of Mr. Elkins’ house, I sat in the car for a while to gather my thoughts. I’d tell Elliot Elkins precisely what had happened to his son. He was human but also plenty aware of shifters and what his son was. The old coot had the right to know what he was dealing with since his son had been out cold for days now.
I got out of the car, walked up to the front door, then rapped my fist hard against the door.
The door opened, but the town grump left the screen door shut. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the illustrious mayor. Glad to see that you’re around to show your face in town again. Did you go on one of your impromptu business trips? You know, you have a town to run. If you can’t run your business and the town at the same time, then maybe you should think about giving up on one of them.”
Taking a deep breath, I suppressed my frustration with him, something I’d been doing for as long as I’d known him. But this time was proving more of a struggle. I was tired, I had a shitload of work to do, and I needed to take care of my mate.
“Mr. Elkins, I wasn’t on a business trip.” I stared him straight in the eye, deciding not to beat around the bush. “Hunters came into town and managed to kidnap me, Audrey Greenthorne, Diana Bogford, and your son.”
The displeased look on the old man’s face vanished at the mention of the kidnappings, and fear crumpled his face at the mention of his son.
“Now, obviously, we were rescued, and Zander’s back in town, but he’s been admitted into the hospital. The hunters took him from the cell next to mine, and when we finally got to him, he was unconscious. Despite our best efforts, we haven’t been able to wake him. He’s still unresponsive.”
Mr. Elkins started shaking as he opened the screen door, his voice wobbling when he asked, “But he’s alive?”
“Yes, sir, he is. But I don’t want to give you any false hope. We have the shifter doctors looking into what happened, and they are putting him through a litany of tests right now.”
The man wiped his face as he leaned against the doorframe for support. I cursed myself for how I’d broken the news to him. I should’ve been kinder, gentler. I should have insisted we go inside so he could sit down.
Over the years, it had become clear to me that the man worried about his son and the choices he’d made. He wasn’t the easiest person to be around, but in the end, Zander was this man’s only son and he loved him. He’d raised a shifter on his own, even when he wasn’t one himself and hadn’t known shifters existed until he had one for a son.
“Mr. Elkins, sir?” I tried getting his attention, but worry had him zoning out. “Sir?”
“Huh?”
“I can give you a ride to the hospital. Would you like that?”
