A Second Chance (Fated Mate) (6 page)

Chapter 7

“How ya holding up?” She hadn’t heard Conner approach, so she jumped a mile.

“
Whoa, hot stuff. Why’re you so jumpy? Is everything okay, you seem on edge?” He put his hands on her shoulders and she seemed to calm, a little.

“
I just hate to be in this position. I feel helpless and weak. Plus, I’m putting everyone here at risk. I just want to leave, and be back on my own. Plus, I haven’t been out of this house for a couple days, so I’m going stir crazy. Want to run out for a bite to eat?” She just needed a break from her reality right now.

“
I’d love to take you on a date. Where would you like to eat?”

“
Uh, you can cool it with the date stuff. It sounds kinda silly seeing as how I’m knocked up, don’t you agree?”

He gave her a gloomy look,
“Okay, if that’s what you want. Where shall we lunch?”

“
I’m not from around here, what do you recommend? Just so you know, I’m very hungry, and I pretty much eat anything.”

“
We could go into Napa and eat at this great deli, if you’re up for it. They have the best sandwiches, and right down the street there’s the best cupcake bakery. I’ll enjoy showing you all around this area. Napa is known for their wine and fine cuisine.” You could see the delighted look in his eyes. It was hard to be in the room with Conner, and not be cheerful.

“
Sounds fun, but we’ll have to take your car since mine has been violated. Do you mind?”

“
I’d like nothing better than to drive you around and show you all the wonders of this area.” He was actually extremely happy that his mate would accept his protection, and he wanted nothing more than to feed and care for her-forever.

Katie
still felt a bit on edge when they got into Conner’s red Chevy Camaro, but she didn’t understand why. She buckled her seatbelt and laid her head back to catch a few moments of sleep, she was always so tired lately.

Katie
woke feeling the car lurch suddenly to the side. Conner threw his arm around her chest to hold her against the seat, while the car went off the road and into a ditch. Conner was yelling something at her, but she couldn’t hear him over the sounds of metal crunching and glass breaking. She was still trying to orient herself when the airbags deployed and her head was thrust against the seats headrest. Lights out.

Katie
woke up cold, and half naked. Her whole body ached and her head felt like it was splitting open. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Conner pacing the length of a small room. That’s funny; it looked similar to a hospital room. She was stuck to a hard board, and she tried moving her legs without success. “What the hell is going on?” She couldn’t turn her head very far.

“
Oh my God Katie, are you okay? I was so worried about you. I called Shana and she’s on her way. Do you hurt?”

While he was leaning over her she saw a huge gash running from his forehead to his temple.
“Uh, did you know you’re bleeding? What happened, are you alright? Will you please let me up, I’m uncomfortable.”

He looked hesitant to answer,
“We were pushed off the road by another car. The paramedics put you on a backboard and placed the collar on your neck, just in case you have a spinal injury. I’m so very sorry.” He had tears in his eyes as he bent his head and rubbed his cheek on her hair.

Oh yeah, now she remembered.
“It’s okay Conner it could have happened to anybody. No biggie. Could you please get the doctor to get me out of these restraints?”

“
They came in a moment ago and took blood. The doctor said he thought you were fine, but that we should get him when you woke.” He brushed his lips against hers barely even touching, “I’ll go get him.”

When Conner came back into the room, there was a short older man with him wearing a white coat, and he asked Conner to step out.
At Conner’s growl and aggressive stance in front of Katie the man submit by retracting his statement, and telling Conner he could stay.

“
Hello, Ms. Ward, I’m Dr. Holtz and I’m going to be taking care of you today. This is my nurse, Betsy.” He said pointing to a lovely woman with red hair who appeared to be in her mid-thirties. “Are you having any pain?”

“
My whole body aches, and I have a headache. But most of the pain is coming from being on this hard board.” She felt silly strapped to this board with the collar. She was probably the only one in the room that didn’t turn into an animal, yet she was the one wearing the collar, unnecessary.

“
I’m glad you’re not in a lot of pain, but we need to check you for a spinal injury, and then send you to x-ray. I’m going to take the straps off you but I don’t want you to move just yet. We’re going to turn you over to your side and I’m going to run my hand down your back and neck, you need to tell me if anything hurts, okay?”

Conner growled deep in his throat for a second time, but this time his eyes turned golden.

Dr.
Holtz eyed Conner with understanding, “So, this is your mate? I promise I’ll take good care of her.”

“
Get out Conner. No one wants to deal with your shit right now. Send Shana in when she gets here, but you need to leave until you can calm down.” Why the hell did she always feel like she was alone? Even though Conner was standing next to her, she felt like she couldn’t have him here because he couldn’t take it. What about when she went into labor and the doctor needed to check her cervix? She should have thought about that before she had sex.

Just then she heard
Shana, “I’m here.” Shana walked into the room, “I’ll stay with her Conner. Go get stitched up; you’ve waited too long as it is.” She was pushing Conner out the door and right into Jake. “Watch him,” and Shana slammed the door in their faces.

Shana
went to the head of Katie’s gurney and supported her neck as Bertha rolled her over like a log. Katie could feel Dr. Holtz running his hand down her back, which wasn’t painful at all. The doctor came up to remove the cervical collar and palpate her neck, but stiffened halfway through the exam. He sniffed and then sniffed again before saying, “Uh, did you know you were pregnant Ms. Ward?”

Not again with the smelling,
“Yes, thank you genius doctor for bringing that up after, yet another, traumatic event. When you’re done here, maybe we could go outside, and you could kick some puppies.”

Shana
tried to make excuses for her friend, “She’s just a little upset lately, pregnancy hormones.”

Dammit,
Katie was sick of making excuses, and she didn’t want to be forgiven or make friends. Right now, she wanted to rage at the world.

The doctors hands stilled and the room got quiet.

“
What’s the problem now?” Katie demanded. The doctor gave the okay for Shana and Betsy to roll her back after removing the board.

“
You smell of rage so bitter I don’t think I’ve smelled the like,” Dr. Holtz’s replied. “We’ll skip the x-rays because of the pregnancy, and you said you felt no pain in your back or neck. Do you want to see a therapist for the…ahem, anger?”

The smell intensified and
Dr. Holtz and Betsy backed up to the door. The doctor said, “She can stay off the board and remove the collar, but she needs to stay until her labs come back. Plus, I’ll need to do her ultrasound to check the pregnancy, but…we’ll come back.” They practically ran out of the room.

Shana
yelled, “What the hell? She’s not even a shifter. Why are you afraid?”

Katie
was disgusted, “You’re ER staff are pansies Shana. You’ll have to toughen them up. By the way, who’s going to pick up Trevor?”

Shana
giggled, “It’s not often a pregnant woman in a car accident tells them she’s going to come back with her gun and shoot their balls.” Shana’s giggling turned into a full blown laugh. As she was wiping the tears from her eyes Shana said, “Tara was home and she agreed to pick up Trevor. They’ve bonded quite a bit.”

“
I’m glad you find all this drama funny. Do you think I should apologize? Maybe seeing a therapist wouldn’t be a bad idea. I’m tired Shana, and hurt-inside and out.

“
I know Katie but we’ll get through this together. Trevor says not to worry, that it’s your turn to be happy. When has he ever been wrong?”

Conner came bursting into the room,
“What’s wrong? The doctor and nurse came running down the hall talking about a lady with a gun.”

He looked genuinely concerned if not a little silly.
He had a drape covering half of his face and he was lifting the corners of it so that he could see Katie’s face. The girls couldn’t help but laugh.

“
So, everything is fine then? You didn’t hear about a patient with a gun? Wouldn’t they announce it over the loudspeaker?”

Katie
hoped they didn’t announce the crazy lady with the gun, because Conner would realize it was her.
Bummer.

Shana
took it upon herself to answer Conner’s questions, “No they wouldn’t announce it over the loudspeaker. But they would evacuate the hospital, so I think we’re safe. To your other question, I’m sure everything would be fine and dandy if her mate,” pointing to Conner “hadn’t almost killed her in a car accident. Or, if he wasn’t thoughtless enough to fuck, bite, and impregnate her all in her first sexual encounter. Oh, let’s not forget that there’s someone who wants to hurt, maybe even kill, her and we have no idea who it is. Sure everything is lovely Conner.” Shana smiled sweetly.

His eyes changed to yellow again.
“Are you going to be on me about that forever Alpha mate? I said I was sorry, what else do you want me to do? If I could go back and change things, I would ask for her consent about the mating. Do you want me to leave my mate, and abandon my baby? Would that make you both happy?” He was yelling now and looking at Katie who had begun to tear up.

The room went silent as
Jake walked up behind Conner shaking his head. Shana and Conner were staring each other down. Katie was sick of the fighting. Sick of being expected to take sides, and sick of feeling like no one was on her side. They were working against her. How could they be on her side if they were against each other?

Conner was about to open his mouth, but
Katie was done listening. “You both need to leave. I’m done with this drama. Go fight somewhere else, because I don’t want to see or hear from you right now.” She turned onto her side, away from them, dismissing them.

Shana
was about to argue when Jake stepped into the room and said, “Didn’t you hear her?
Get out!
First, scent her. What do you smell?” He didn’t give them a chance to answer, “Sadness. Not anger, or fear, or betrayal, or pain. Sadness. If you cannot support and love her, provide her what she needs, then neither of you deserve her love or friendship.”

They could not disobey the Alpha but even if they could, he was right.
They both walked by Jake and out the door heads down in shame. Katie began to openly weep and Conner’s heart was breaking but he could only blame himself. Well, and Shana.

As
Jake was turning to follow the dueling duo he heard Katie’s timid voice, “Jake, I know it isn’t proper, and you probably don’t want to, but would you please…stay?”

Conner and
Shana both turned. Katie saw Conner’s eyes widen, and heard Shana’s gasp. Jake’s eyes hardened when he looked at the two and replied, “Sure, whatever you need Katie. You’re pack now and we support each other.” He grabbed the door and slammed it in his mate and best friends face.

Jake
sat in a chair by Katie’s gurney and held her hand while she silently cried. She was curled on her side in the fetal position. They sat there for about a half an hour when Jake finally squeezed Katie’s hand. “Want to talk about it?”

Katie
shook her head but said, “I know they’re both good people and I love them.”
Whoa, hold up
. She loved them? She definitely loved Shana, but Conner? She barely knew him. “I just can’t stand the constant bickering. If I love them, and they love me, then we should be one big happy family, right?”

“
Right.”

“
I’m not asking for much, they just need to be civil. I need them both. I’m tired of the surprises, the fighting, the hiding, and the unknown.”

Jake was beginning to look uncomfortable,
“You’re probably just over emotional because you’re pregnant.” He thought he was being helpful, but when she turned a glare on him, he sighed. “You’re right. They are both great people and to be honest, they never used to fight. I think they’re both trying to be protective of you.”

“
I would rather them both just be supportive. I need to get away, to think.” Jakes eyes rounded and he looked concerned, but she had to be truthful. “I’d like to leave. My partner Decker says I can stay in his spare room, or he’ll put me in a safe house. I can’t, no I won’t stay here in these conditions.”

“
Maybe you should rethink this. Conner can, and will protect you better than any mere human. I’ve seen Conner when you leave Katie, and it’s not pretty.” She looked sheepish. “I can’t imagine finding my mate, in danger no less, and pregnant with my child. If you cannot accept him right now, please, accept the packs protection. You are one of us now, and we protect and support our own-especially the pups.”