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"Hey, look at me." I lean over him, tugging his chin until he meets my eyes, my purr firm behind my words. "It's the flu. Probably made worse because she's run down. Let the doc finish looking her over, and then we'll know more."
"I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm freaking out." Finn blows out a long breath. The whine fizzles out as I rub my hand along his side, scent marking him and holding them both awkwardly until he's calm.
"We're here for her now. She and the kids will be safe." I kiss his forehead and return to my position closer to the door. My alpha is still restless, and I don't know if that will change until I get her home.
"Did you freak out when you saw her?"
"I lost my head. Growled at everybody and thought of picking her up and running home,” I admit.
Finn snorts, checking me over. "Glad I'm not the only one losing my shit."
"Nope. Spencer threatened at least once on the ride over that he might drop my ass on the side of the road."
He gives me a shaky smile, his hand trembling as he runs it through her hair. "What if her sister wants to take her home?"
"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it," I hedge, worried about the same thing.
Her family doesn't know us. Hell, Cammie barely knows us. That's normal for omegas and alphas. Family packs know once you find your mate, it's done. Everything happens fast. Cammie isn't a beta from a pack though. And she was left by an alpha, alone with her kids.
The door opens, and the doctor comes in, followed by a nurse. "Hello again, Reid. And you must be Finn. I spoke with your mother, who said you’re scent matched mates, but you only just met."
She steps closer to Cammie, looking over the monitor. “I’m Doctor Yani. I’m going to have the nurses take her for some imaging, but as long as they come back clear, and I expect they will, we’ll get her discharged. I’ll need to speak with you all about where she plans to go because in her condition, I’ll require confirmation of care for the next forty-eight hours.”
“We’ll look out for her,” I promise.
“Good. I expect you to sign when I return from the tests,” the doctor says, closing the chart and walking from the room.
The nurse waits while Finn untangles himself from Cammie's side. We watch while hospital staff get her ready for transport and wheel her from the room.
An hour later, neither of us is any better. Finn is pacing nervously along the small strip of room.
"Come here, babe. I can't watch you pace another second."
He turns on me, and his eyes well.I open my arms, and he crawls on my lap, hugging my neck as if I'm the only thing anchoring him to the world. I hold him too, using my bond and purr to comfort him as much as possible.
The door opens again, but it's not the doctor. An older version of Cammie walks into the room, followed by a red-faced Benjamin.
"What are you doing here?" the boy asks, voice laced with hurt.
"Benjamin, don't be rude." The woman's voice is deep and raspy, almost sharp, but she smiles at us. "I'm Jeanie, and you must be the men courting my sister."
Finn gets up and wipes his eyes, holding out his hand. I follow him, doing the same and explaining what we know from the doctor. Ben leans against the wall, wiping his eyes and refusing to look in our direction.
Jeanie stares at the two of us, measuring our worth. "Thank you for taking care of her this afternoon. But let me be clear about two things. One, she and the kids ain't going home with you unless I hear her say that's what she wants. And two, you hurt her like that ex of hers did, and it'll be personal. You feel me?"
Finn pulls her into a hug, and the woman looks positively blindsided by my omega. He whispers into her ear. At the same time, Ben huffs, punching his fist against the wall and stalking from the room.
"He's hurting, that boy. He's gonna need all the patience you've got. You up for it, or should I?" Jeanie asks, throwing her head in the direction of the door.
"Let me," I say. "You two wait for Cammie, and I'll find Ben."
I follow him out into the hallway, but he's not there. The nurse at the central station on the floor points toward the stairs. I catch up with him a floor down where he's sitting on a step.
I join him, trying to figure out what to say. "Ben. Can we talk man to man?"
He doesn't speak, but he jerks his head.
"I know what's happening is scary, but your mom will be okay. You're a good son. You want to protect her and keep her safe. That’s a good quality in a man. But it's okay to feel overwhelmed too."
