by Faith Gibson
Once they landed and were in their rental, Zeke got quiet. The closer to his mate, the more he worried he would be too late. He had called Stella’s phone, but it went straight to voicemail. Sheila had more than likely turned it off, and it irritated Zeke. Being close to midnight, the drive went quicker than the GPS originally indicated. It also had to do with Zeke speeding while praying he didn’t get pulled over. The gods were on his side, and Zeke made it in record time. Cyrus had programmed his number in Zeke’s phone during the ride, so he told Zeke to pull up to the door, then text him the room number. It was after visiting hours, but Cyrus told him he would be in the waiting room.
When Zeke called information earlier, he had been surprised to be given a regular room number. With Sheila’s tone, he expected his mate to be in intensive care. That was the good news. The bad arrived when Zeke got to the fourth floor and a nurse tried to stop him from seeing Stella.
“You can’t go in there.”
“Ma’am, I understand there are rules, but I just got off a red-eye out of Montana. I couldn’t get here any sooner, and I have to see her.”
“And who is she to you? It’s family only, and as far as we were notified, she has no family other than her mother.”
Fucking Sheila. “I’m her fiancé. Stella and I decided to wait and tell Sheila when we took her out to dinner next week. I was supposed to be on a business trip until then.”
The nurse placed a hand on her hip. “I don’t remember seeing a ring.”
“Right. Because of the surprise. I’ll bring it and show you tomorrow, but right now, I need to see my girl. Please, just five minutes?”
“Are you aware of her injuries?”
“No. Sheila was distraught when I talked to her, and I jumped on a plane straight away. How bad is she?”
“She looks like she went three rounds with a heavy-weight boxer and lost.” The nurse shook her head. “You need to prepare yourself. It isn’t pretty.”
Zeke took a deep breath, willing his beast to behave. There would be time later for finding out who attacked his mate, then Zeke would make him pay. “I’m ready.”
The nurse pushed open Stella’s door and entered the room. It didn’t look like she was going to give them privacy, and Zeke was fine with it. He had lied to get his way into the room. What if someone else tried the same thing, like whoever did this? Zeke would probably have to leave and come back, and it looked like he needed to stop and purchase a ring. As he walked through the door, Zeke gave his Goyle a stern warning.
Do not lose your shit, or the nurse will kick us out.
His Goyle didn’t respond, but it was calm as Zeke entered the room. Stella’s face was swollen, and bruises lined the left side of her face. He took her hand and cradled it gently while studying her injuries. “Who did this to you, Baby?” Zeke whispered. He reached behind him and dragged the chair closer to the bed. Once seated, he brushed Stella’s hair back from the uninjured side and let the tears fall. Zeke leaned his forehead against the bed and sobbed. If he hadn’t gone to see Cyrus… No. He wouldn’t blame this on his brother. Or Jonas, even though it was his father’s fault all the siblings had been kept in the dark. This was all on whomever had attacked Stella.
When he got himself under control, he wiped his eyes and turned to the nurse. “Do the police know anything?”
“I’m not sure. They had already come and gone by the time I came on shift. I do know Stella’s mom talked to them.”
“Where is Sheila? She should be here with her daughter.”
“Stella’s boss convinced her to go to a hotel and get some rest.”
“Her boss? Why was he here?”
“From what I heard, he’s the one who found Stella. I don’t know all the details. I’m going back to the desk. Ring me if you need anything. I’m Connie, by the way.” Connie didn’t mention Zeke leaving, so he settled in.
Now that they were alone, his beast pushed at him to claim Stella.
Are you crazy? She’s hurt. And I won’t claim her without her consent.
It’ll help heal her sooner.
You don’t know that. But Zeke remembered how Frey bit Abbi when he thought she was dying. Only Stella wasn’t dying. She would recover, and then he would never leave her side again. At least not until he proved they belonged together and she agreed to be his mate.
Stella stirred but didn’t wake. Zeke texted Cyrus and let him know Zeke wasn’t planning on going anywhere. Cyrus left to find a hotel and said he’d be back in the morning. Zeke spent the night talking to her when he wasn’t dozing. Telling her how he claimed to be her fiancé just to get in the room, then everything he planned to say when she woke. He vowed to find who did this to her and make them pay. His beast was onboard with that. Connie came in a couple times during the night. The first time she seemed surprised Zeke was awake. The second, she brought him a cup of coffee, and they chatted for a few minutes. Later, she returned with a new nurse and introduced them.
“Zeke, this is Sunny. She’ll be watching over Stella on day shift.”
Zeke inclined his head to Sunny. “Thank you, Connie.”
Connie left, and Sunny checked the machines at Stella’s bedside. Zeke could tell her they hadn’t changed all night. Well, her heart monitor had sped up a few times when he was speaking to her, but he didn’t know if it was because he was talking about his Goyle or if she recognized his voice.
“So, fiancé, huh? That’s an exciting time. I remember when my Raymond proposed to me. It was two weeks after we met. Everyone said it was too soon, but we’ve been married twenty-three years. Sometimes you just know.” Sunny stood on the opposite side of the bed, and her demeanor went from caring to concerned. “I have to say I’m surprised, though. When Bradley was here yesterday, he acted like Stella was his. He sat where you are, holding her hand the same tentative way.”
Zeke had no idea who this Bradley was. Stella hadn’t mentioned another male, and she had told Zeke she looked forward to getting to know him. Maybe he was an ex, and if that were the case, he could stay away. “I assure you Stella is mine. If I hadn’t been out of town on business, I would have been here with her. If I hadn’t been out of town, this wouldn’t have happened in the first place.” His tone must have convinced the nurse he was telling the truth. “Were you here when the police came by?”
“Yes. Stella wasn’t coherent enough to answer their questions. They’re coming back this morning. Then again, so is Bradley. This is my floor, Zeke, and I won’t have you upsetting the patients. If you and Mr. Calhoun have issues, take them outside.”
“Understood.” Now Zeke had a last name. As soon as Sunny left to check on other patients, Zeke pulled out his phone and searched the man’s name. It didn’t take long to figure out Bradley Calhoun was the principal at the high school where Stella taught. Maybe Sunny misread the situation, and Calhoun was concerned about one of his teachers. That thought was nixed a few minutes later.
“Good morning, Beautiful. I brought you— Who the fuck are you?” Bradley Calhoun was a good-looking man in his early forties. He was as tall as Zeke but not as broad. His dark hair was plastered to his head with some type of product, and his green eyes blazed with fury. Bradley set the vase of red roses on the rolling cart beside Stella’s bed, then crossed his arms over his chest.
Zeke didn’t bother to get up. He continued caressing Stella’s knuckles. “Ezekiel Seymour.”
“And? That doesn’t tell me shit. You need to leave.”
“And you need to keep your voice down, Mr. Calhoun,” Sheila chastised as she entered the room. “I could hear you halfway down the hall. Good morning, Zeke.” If Sheila was surprised to see him, she didn’t let on. “I’m sorry I didn’t return your call, but I figured you were on your way.” Sheila wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“Of course I was. I have to ask – how’d you get Stella’s phone?”
Bradley puffed out his chest. “I brought it to Sheila along with Stella’s purse.”
Zeke wante
d to punch the smarmy dick, but instead, he smiled. “Thank you for that. If you hadn’t been so kind, I wouldn’t have known so quickly Stella needed me.” Zeke kissed the back of Stella’s hand, and she muttered something. It was the first time she’d made a sound since Zeke arrived. “Stella? Open those pretty brown eyes for me, Baby.”
Sunny entered the room and pointed between the three adults. “Only two allowed at a time. Mr. Calhoun, maybe you can come by later?”
“I’m not going anywhere. Stella is—”
“No,” Stella groaned.
Chapter Five
Zeke held his breath, waiting for Stella to make her wishes known.
“See? She wants me here. He needs to go.” Bradley stabbed a finger in Zeke’s direction.
“No. Bradley…” Stella opened her eyes, staring at Zeke. “Zeke. My Zeke.”
“I’m here, Love. I’m sorry I wasn’t here yesterday when this happened.” Zeke prayed Stella could read his sincerity in his eyes.
“That’s right, you weren’t,” Bradley said. “But I was. I’m the one who found her and got her to the hospital. I’m the one who saved her.” Bradley puffed his chest out, and Zeke narrowed his eyes at the human.
“Saved her? Then you saw who did this to her. Who was it? Is he in custody? Did you beat his ass for doing this to Stella?”
“What? No, I… They were already gone when I found her on the side of the road.” Bradley licked his lips. His heart was beating double time, and he was starting to sweat. If Zeke weren’t a Goyle, he wouldn’t be aware of these things. Bradley Calhoun was nervous.
“Right.” Zeke would find out the truth, but it could wait. His mate was awake, and he needed to talk to her.
“Zeke? What did I tell you?” Sunny asked, her hands fisting her hips.
“You’re right. This can wait.” Zeke pulled Stella’s hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Hey,” he whispered to his mate.
“Hi,” she returned, smiling.
“Mr. Calhoun, you need to leave. At least go sit in the waiting room.” Sunny pointed to the door.
“Stella, Beautiful—”
“No, Bradley. Leave. Now,” Stella managed to say, her voice strained.
“You heard the lady. Out, now.” Sunny pushed against Bradley’s arm until he left the room. Stella’s boss turned at the door, his eyes narrowed on Zeke. Zeke ignored the man and turned his focus to his female.
Sunny asked Sheila to step aside so she could check Stella over. “How’s your pain on a scale of one to ten?”
“Fifteen,” Stella whimpered.
“I’m going to administer extra pain relief,” Sunny said as she turned a small dial on the IV line. “It’ll make you sleepy, but that’s what you need right now. The doctor is on the floor, and he’ll be in to speak with you soon.”
Sheila, who had silently watched the two males, stepped back up to the other side of the bed. “How are you feeling?”
“My head hurts.” Stella hadn’t taken her eyes off Zeke. “You’re really here. I thought I was dreaming.”
“I got here as soon as I could. I sat with you all night, so you may have heard me talking to you.” Stella’s eyelids fluttered like she was fighting sleep. “Rest, Baby. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Promise?”
“Yeah, I promise.” Zeke ran his fingertip down her right cheek, and Stella smiled as she closed her eyes. He waited until her breathing evened out, then turned his attention to Sheila. “Tell me about Calhoun.”
Sheila sighed, fussing with the sheet covering Stella. “He’s her boss. The principal at the high school.”
“I know that much. What I don’t know is why he thinks he has a right to her.”
“Like you do? I may have dated your father, but I don’t know you,” Sheila snapped.
“No, you don’t, but Stella does.
“How? You met her Saturday. Bradley has known her for years.”
“So what? They dated? Lived together? Planned a future together?”
“No, it was one date, but—”
“But what? One date does not a relationship make.” Zeke wanted to add she should know that, but being petty wouldn’t win his mate’s mother over to his side.
“And texting does?” Sheila huffed out a breath. “Can we talk about this after we make sure my girl’s going to be okay? It’s up to her who she wants in her life.”
“And you think she wants him?” Zeke pointed to the door Bradley had exited.
“No, I don’t.” Sheila picked up Stella’s hand and cradled it between both of hers. “We talked about you. I have never seen my daughter light up the way she did when you were texting her. Then, after she got home, I called her to say…” Sheila looked at Zeke. Really looked at him. “I can’t get over how much you look like your father. I understand sometimes genes are strong, but my god, it’s like looking at him all over again.”
“You aren’t wrong, but it has been thirty years, so I’m sure you are forgetting subtle differences.” Zeke hated himself a little, but there was no way Sheila would understand. Hell, Stella might not once he admitted the truth, but he was counting on the mate bond to help.
“Anyway, I called her to say I’m okay with the two of you dating. It was weird at first. Remembering the date I went on with Ezekiel and how he ghosted me afterward. I thought it was because of Stella. That your father didn’t want me because of her, then Stella and I talked about it. Why wouldn’t he be okay with her since he had a child of his own?” Sheila wiped a tear from under her eye, and Zeke’s heart went out to the woman. She had truly cared for him, and as she said, he ghosted her after that second date. But he had transitioned shortly after. He kept to himself those first few weeks.
“Sheila, I’m sorry for what you went through back then. I am one of those who believes everything happens for a reason, no matter whether we understand it at the time or not. I believe fate brought Stella and me together at the airport because she and I are meant to be. Yes, we just met, but I know in here” — Zeke thumped his chest above his heart — “she is my forever. I have spent my whole life looking for my other half, and Stella is that for me. There won’t be ‘one date’ and then everything falls apart. There will be a lifetime of me doing everything in my power to take care of her, provide for her, love her. Make her happy. What happened yesterday…” Zeke brushed a strand of hair off Stella’s mottled cheek. “That will never happen again. The fact that it did happen tears me up inside, but I want to make sure whoever did this to her pays for it. I need to know everything.”
Sheila sighed. “I only know what Bradley told the cops. That he was driving home from the store and saw Stella on the side of the road. He called for an ambulance. I’m her emergency contact, so when the hospital called me, it took a couple hours to get here, and he was in the waiting room since she was still in the ER. Bradley is fixated on Stella. He came to the high school as principal about two years ago and immediately asked her out. Stella put him off for quite a while, then finally gave in. It only took one date to know there wouldn’t be a second. She has been in a couple of relationships over the years, but for whatever reason, they didn’t work out. I think seeing me accept men into my life who are less than what I deserve made her leery of letting herself remain with those men when it was less than perfect. She didn’t want to end up like me.”
“Or maybe what you went through taught her how to wait for the perfect male to come along. Waiting isn’t a bad thing. Whatever the reason her past relationships didn’t work out, I’m thankful for it. But I am concerned about this fixation Calhoun has with Stella. If the date was a year ago, he hasn’t moved on. Has he harassed her at work? Does he interfere with her classes?” There was so much Zeke didn’t know about his mate.
“If he has, Stella hasn’t mentioned it. She doesn’t want me to worry about her.”
“I can understand that, but until she can tell us more about what he has or hasn’t been doing, I don’t want him anywhere near her.
Since I’m new in her life, I don’t know her routines. I’m not familiar with the area she was driving, but I do find it suspect he just happened to be in the right place at the right time to find her.”
Sheila gasped, clutching at her throat. “You think he did this to her?”
“Anything is possible.” Zeke picked up Stella’s hand and examined it. “Her nails are jagged, which means she fought her attacker. No doubt a forensic specialist swabbed under her nails for skin cells. If the attacker is in the system, they’ll find him.”
The doctor entered the room, interrupting their conversation, and Zeke rose to greet him. “Zeke Seymour. I’m Stella’s fiancé. Please tell us you have good news.” Zeke waited for Sheila to dispute him, but her focus was on the handsome doctor.
“Dr. Crabtree.” The man shook Zeke’s proffered hand, accepting Zeke’s title as the truth. “And you must be Miss Bentley’s sister,” Dr. Crabtree said to Sheila.
Sheila pushed her hair behind her ear as a blush rose on her cheeks. “I’m her mother, Sheila.”
“Sunny informed me Stella woke up for a few minutes and was coherent. This is good news. There are no fractures to either her orbital socket or her jaw. She does have a concussion, but it should heal in a week’s time. I’m going to keep her another night for observation, but if she’s alert during the day today and has no issues tonight, she can go home tomorrow.”
“Should we be waking her every couple hours because of the concussion? Did you do that last night?” Sheila asked first the doctor, then Zeke.
Dr. Crabtree’s face softened when he spoke to Sheila. “That isn’t necessary. There is no internal bleeding, therefore the best thing for Stella is rest.”
“We’ll make sure she gets it.” Zeke had no doubt Sheila would want to watch over Stella, and he would allow it for a day or two. Then he was going to insist Sheila return home so he could tend to his mate. Stella had mentioned how exhausting her mother could be, and he wouldn’t allow her to hinder Stella’s recovery.