Chapter 120

Nathan POV

Hearing Lindy wailing on the floor of the lobby was blood-curdling enough to let me know I'd be remembering the sound in my nightmares.

"What's going on out here? She's not dangerous. Goddess wept, get off her!"

I crossed the lobby with long strides -my wolf, Lyon, only too happy to propel me forward faster to get to his Queen- and sank into a crouch by Lindy's side.

"I said for you to get off her."

The threat implied by my tone was a real one: my wolf wanted to tear out the orderly's throats for tackling our mate. Lindy was crying with an intensity I had come to realize was unique to her. There didn't appear to be any physical damage done to her in spite of her tears.

Both of the hospital staffers who had been holding Lindy released her, holding their palms up to me in a placating fashion as they crept backwards.

I could tell they'd dealt with angry Alpha mates before from their healthy respect for my tone and request.

Cupping Lindy's cheek, I tilted her head before shaking mine, "You're a mess. Do you have any explanation for why you're here? You know Ethan is still in surgery? I can't leave. You aren't going to be anything other than another distraction while we wait."

One of the orderlies offered me a box of tissues which I took. Pulling free some of the soft wipes, I set about drying Lindy's face. There was nothing to be done for the redness or swelling left behind, but at least the tears themselves would be gone.

"No more tears. Okay? Promise?"

Lindy nodded her head furiously. Silent tears leaked down her cheeks, but she wiped those away herself with the back of her hand. I tried not to notice how much she was trembling. Was she scared? Nervous? What was she thinking?

I was used to dealing with women like Charlotte and Rachel who knew what they wanted as well as how to get it. They didn't tremble with tears before a male even if he was an angry Alpha. Neither of them would have done a fraction of the crawling, crying, and outright begging Lindy had done to be with me.

Neither of them wanted to be with me to the extent Lindy did, but did she want me for me or because my wolf was the fated mate of hers?

'They're the same thing. Stop thinking so much like a human. It's disgusting,' Lyon chastised, still bristling close to the surface of my skin as a result of his mate's distress.

Helping Lindy to her feet, I realized I wanted to give this strange, sad girl a chance to smile before I sent her back to her father. Who knew what kind of life she had waiting for her on Moonglow Pack land? What plans was Alpha Campbell making for her now he'd been proven to be Rachel's father?

"You can come up with me to the waiting room if you promise you won't distract Rachel with more tears. Deal?"

I honestly wanted Lindy to keep her tears to herself for my own sake as much as for Rachel.

I'd never been the kind of man who wanted to see a woman cry.

"Deal," Lindy whispered, her voice a husky breath as she offered a shaking hand to me, "So I don't get lost?"

I took her hand in mine even though the idea she could get lost from me in the hospital was ludicrous. We were in a buzzing area of activity, sure, but the halls were all straight with sharp right-angled turns and every door was marked. Hospital staff of varying levels of importance bustled around us as they went on their way.

If Lindy got lost, she'd surely know to ask someone to help her find me, right? She wasn't completely clueless, was she?

We boarded the elevator together and Lindy shifted from pressing tight to my side to leaving enough of a gap for our joined hands to be stretched between us. She couldn't seem to decide which made her feel more secure or maybe she didn't know how I felt about her.

Trying to ignore how I didn't know my feelings for her myself, I squeezed her hand before hauling her to my side.

"Here. Stay close. It'll make it faster once we get off the elevator."

I was being as ridiculous as she was yet I found I couldn't be sharp with her again. I didn't want her as my mate, but she wasn't to blame for our fate. The Moon Goddess hadn't given her the chance to choose me any more than she'd given me the chance to choose Lindy.

As soon as the doors opened, I stepped forward, thrusting Lindy alongside me to be forced to wrap her arm around my waist in order to anchor herself as I towed her along.

"Look who I found. Have we---"

I stopped when I realized there was a stone-faced surgical staffer speaking to Rachel, Tyler, and the Alpha Inspector. His expression didn't imply good news was on the horizon; I hoped Ethan was going to survive.

Rachel would be devastated if her brother died.

The stress would be such a strain on her body, who knew how she'd react? What if she had a complication with the baby? Could she lose the child from shock?

I opened my hand to release Lindy, intending to let her go so I could stride over to the rest of our group, only for the girl to refuse to let go of my hand.

Sighing in frustration, I closed my fingers around hers again with a warning squeeze tight enough to feel her bones, make her gasp, let her know she better behave.

Rachel was under enough stress without Lindy Campbell adding to the complications already affecting her life. I had no problem with sending Lindy back home alone if she caused an issue with Rachel. Our group was barely hanging on to civility; I could only hope Lindy didn't make things worse for any of us.

"We just don't know," the surgical staffer said, giving a helpless shrug of his shoulders I could understand completely.

I'd always felt helpless in hospitals. I remembered how bad things had been during the end of Elena Campbell's battle with cancer; I hoped Rachel wasn't thinking of her mother while trying to get information on her only brother.

Ethan couldn't die, I decided, realizing Rachel just wouldn't survive losing him which meant everything they could do? They'd have to do.

"Are you doing all you can for him? What options are left?"

"He's gone over the options with us, Lewis."

I gave a disgruntled look to Tyler Wright. He needed to keep his jealousy under control. Now wasn't the time for us to pick at one another.

"I apologize. I just arrived so I am trying to catch up with what I've missed."

Wright showed a hint of fang as he snapped at me, "It isn't your place to 'catch up' here. We'll take care of the decisions which need to be made for my mate's brother."

"Ethan is a friend, Wright. I love him as if he were my own family. I don't think Rachel minds having me here? Rachel, do you want me to leave?"

Rachel looked lost as she turned her eyes away from the grim attendant to Tyler Wright's angry countenance back to mine. She was hurting. I could tell from her expression alone.

"I don't---please don't fight," Rachel murmured, "I need to know everything is being done for Ethan you can do. Take extraordinary measures. Do whatever you can. Anything you can. I just need you to save him. Please."

The silent tear which traced its way down Rachel's cheek from her eye hurt me more than all the sobbing Lindy had done since I'd met her.

"If it's a matter of payment, understand House Lewis pledges to cover expenses. Extraordinary measures. Anything."

Wright nodded, "House Wright will also personally pledge to carry the weight of all costs associated with caring for Ethan Flores."

Rachel wrapped her arms around Wright's waist, burying her face in the hard wall of his chest. I wanted to pull her away. Seeing her hide her face made me feral.

I knew we had to do what was best for Rachel though. This entire situation was ridiculous. Why had Ethan been fighting in the first place?

"We'll do all we can. I'll send someone back with information when we have any update on his condition."

"Thank you," Rachel whispered, sounding as if she were more lost than ever---and making me realize Rachel thought there was a very good chance we would only receive information when her brother died.

"He's going to live."

I wasn't sure what made me say it, but something did and the look on Rachel's face as I did made me feel repeating the words was worth any backlash I might get from Tyler Wright.

"Ethan is going to live, Rachel."

"That's not your promise to make, Lewis. It's possible it is mine though. Try to keep yourselves out of trouble while I'm gone trying to save the day."

Art Windsor gave us a wave before disappearing from view, leaving all of us staring at each other in silence.