Chapter Two
Wes
“What do you mean I can’t see her? That’s my fucking mate in there,” I growled at the woman at the desk in the Omega Ward as I tried to find out Grace’s room number.
“She’s being questioned by the police. No one can see her until they clear her,” she replied.
I hit the counter with my hand. “She shouldn’t be alone.”
Why were they keeping Grace from me? First, I was questioned for so long, by so many people, and not told anything about her. Finally, they told me that Grace was awake and here but wouldn’t let me in to see her.
“Sir, don’t make me call security. Also, why are you shirtless?” She scowled at me and picked up a phone.
“Because we were at the beach. Look, she’s scared and pissed, and I should be in there with her. Ugh. This is stupid.” I strode past her, the need to be with Grace clawing at my chest.
“Hey, you can’t go back there. I’m calling security,” she yelled.
I jogged down the hall. Sure, I didn’t know what room she was in, but I’d just look for the police.
An alpha female officer stood in front of a closed door. The windows looking into the room from the hallway were closed.
“Hi, I’m Grace’s alpha, Wes. I’d like to be there with her, please. She’s probably so scared.” I tried to ramp up the charm a little.
Her arms crossed over her chest. “Someone will get you when you can be with her. Right now, all interviews have to be done individually.”
“I told you, she’s dead, okay,” Grace shrieked. “I was told that she was dead. No, I didn’t go and make sure. Why? Don’t you know what she did to me?” Her anger shot through the bond.
“Grace.” I reached for the door.
“I don’t think so,” the officer snapped, getting me in some sort of hold before I could blink.
“She’s my mate. Let me in there.” I clawed at her.
There were footsteps. “That’s him,” a voice said.
“Get him out of here.” The officer scowled at me. “She’s fine. The doctor said that it was okay to talk to her. You should be glad that I won’t have you thrown out of the hospital for this.”
“Please, just let me in there. That’s my mate.” I struggled as security dragged me down the hall.
They pushed me through the doors. “He doesn’t get in,” one guard said to the other guard at the Omega Ward’s entrance.
The doors slammed in my face.
“Don’t make me have you thrown out of the hospital.” The guard glared at me.
“But… that’s my mate.” Defeat ripped through me.
Fuck. My shoulders slumped, and I sent her all my love. I’m sorry, Grace. I tried. Checking the group chat, I saw that everyone was in Spencer’s room on the second floor.
Okay, if I couldn’t be with Grace, at least I could hold Evan and make sure Spencer was okay.
I also had a text from my sister.
Lexi
Are you okay? I saw that very dramatic stabbing on the news.
Oh fuck. But Spencer Thanukos being stabbed was newsworthy.
Me
I’m fucking pissed that the police are questioning Grace alone. But I’m fine. I think Spencer will be okay.
Lexi
Does this have to do with whatever was going on yesterday that Jett was working on?
Me
Yeah. Spencer was stabbed by the alpha of Grace’s bio-dad. I’ll fill you in later.
Lexi
Okay. Let me know what you need.
I checked in at the desk and found Spencer’s room. Spencer lay there in the bed, eyes closed, face bruised where Adriana had punched him on Friday. Evan was curled into him.
Jett and Brennan talked softly on the couch. Riley sat in a chair at the table texting.
“Finally.” Relief coated Brennan’s face.
“He’s going to be okay, right?” I looked over at Spencer.
Brennan nodded. “You just missed the doctor. He’ll be okay.”
“Good. Hey, Babe.” I went over and ran my hand down Evan’s arm.
“Hey, Babe. Where’s Grace? She’s pissed and scared.” Evan rolled over to look at me.
I sighed. “They won’t let me into her room and threw me out of the Omega Ward. I think it was the Office of Designation Management questioning her because she was yelling about Rosalind being dead.”
Brennan nodded. “I’ll go and check on her soon. I’ve been trying to see if we can get the pack paperwork expedited.”
“Really?” While that was a good idea, I was surprised that he’d do that.
“It seems like so many problems could have been circumvented by her being in a pack.” He exhaled sharply.
“It’s okay to be cautious, Honey. We had no idea that all of this would happen.” Jett gave Brennan a squeeze.
I saw some snack wrappers on the table. “Is there a cafeteria here? Should we get something to eat?”
If I just sat here, I might try to break into the Omega Ward again. I couldn’t help Grace if I ended up in a holding cell.
“I ordered pizza. It’s coming.” Riley looked up at me.
“How do you order pizza to a hospital?” I blinked.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Riley smirked.
Not knowing what else to do, I sat on the bed with Evan and Spencer, sending love to Evan. Of course, this would devastate him. While they weren’t mated, he and Spencer were best friends.
“Hi. Please tell me that this is Grace’s room?” A tall woman, with dark hair, and blue-green eyes, in heels and a lab coat, stood in the doorway, holding a plant.
“Um, no, Doctor?” I blinked at her.
She laughed. “Okay, it’s Spencer’s then? The desk person was being weird with me.”
“I’m sorry, you are?” Brennan stood, frowning.
“Hi, I’m Verity. I’m not Dr. Thorne yet, but I will be in a couple of years. Though I’m a plant geneticist, not a medical doctor. I’m Grace’s little sister. I haven’t met any of you yet,” she explained.
Little? She was like six-feet tall and in her early-to-mid-twenties. Unlike the other siblings I’d met, she bore no resemblance to Grace. Though that didn’t mean anything, other than someone else in the pack was her bio-dad.
Riley looked up from her phone. “Hi.”
“Hi. Are you Riley?” She smiled.
“The one and only.” Riley nodded.
“Mercy was texting me all about you. I brought Grace an omega lily. It’s from my latest batch.” Verity put the potted flower on the table.
“You make omega lilies?” I asked. Omega lilies were a traditional mating gift for omegas. Evan forgot his in a box, and it died.
She laughed. “I do. You know the stories about omega lilies making happy homes? Well, omega lilies actually contain chemicals in them that make people happy. I’m genetically engineering them to be even happier.”
“You make happy flowers? Nice.” Evan sat up.
“I’m Brennan. This is Jett. That’s Wes. Evan’s on the bed with Spencer. Um, what are you doing here?” Brennan asked.
“I wanted to make sure that she was okay. What happened was awful.” She bit her pink lower lip. “I can’t believe Mom did that to her. To him. Also, I needed to get out of the house.” Her look went pained.
Yeah. The past couple of days' events might cause some household disharmony that flowers couldn’t fix.
“Mercy also said that she’d meet me here and wanted a ride home.” Verity looked around.
Riley moved the plant from the table to the bedstand. “It’s a pretty plant. I love the container.”
“One of my classmates makes them,” Verity replied.
“I think I’d like to take ceramics next year.” Riley nodded.
“Pizza delivery.” Mercy, one of Grace’s other little sisters, walked in with several pizzas.
“Thank fuck. You’re a legend,” Riley said.
The teenager, who looked like she hadn’t changed since the beach, put the pizzas on the table.
“Hey, Ver, thanks for the ride. Hale took Tru home. Tru pouted, but we didn’t know if Grace was okay or if the hospital even allowed small children.” Mercy looked a lot like a sharper-featured, tall and muscular, brunette Grace. She took a piece of pizza out of the box and started eating.
Yeah. Didn’t have to ask me twice. I took two pieces.
“Yeah, thanks.” I took a large bite.
Brennan got pieces for him and Jett.
“Dinner delivery, got it. Did you have trouble getting through the press? I’m glad I had my lab coat in the car,” Verity said.
“Evan, there’s pasta for you. Verity, have a piece and sit. You’re making me nervous.” Riley ate another slice.
“I walked in with a stack of pizzas, I was fine. Take that chair, I’ll get another one.” Mercy left.
“There’s press? Fuck.” Jett finished his piece.
“Yeah. Spencer Thanukos was stabbed on a beach holiday. Of course, the press is here.” Brennan sighed.
Verity sat down at the table with Riley and took a piece. Mercy came back in with another chair.
Evan went over to the table. “Pasta? Thank you.”
“My brother doesn’t like pizza.” Riley handed him a round container and a fork.
“You are a very large omega,” Verity breathed. “Sorry, I didn’t know omegas came in extra-large before Grace showed me your picture.”
“Yeah, there aren’t too many of us. I’ve only met a few. Though there’s a hockey player that a lot of the teens at the Omega Center like, and an actor in a popular show.” Evan brought the pasta back to the bed.
The giant omega actor was in Evan’s favorite show. Omegas played hockey? My dad loved to watch the Rockland Daredevils on TV.
Mercy and Riley were having a very in-depth conversation about skate smash. The rest of us made small talk with Verity and ate our food.
“Is there any pizza left for Grace?” I asked.
“I saved her two slices,” Riley assured me.
Verity glanced at her pink phone and sighed. “I’m being summoned. Mercy, I’m sorry, but we need to go.”
“O-kay. I wanted to see Grace, though.” Mercy gave Riley a hug.
“Me, too.” Verity grabbed her pastel purse. “I hope everyone makes a full recovery.”
“The Rockland Raiders have a skate smash camp for high schoolers. I’m going. There’s still time for you to apply, though you’ll have to do it tomorrow,” Riley told Mercy.
Mercy grinned. “That sounds fun. I aged out of the one the Carolina Furies have. I’ll check and see if the dates work.”
The two of them left.
“You and Grace’s sister are besties now?” Brennan looked at her.
Riley shrugged. “My therapist says making friends is a good thing.”
“Verity seems like a nice person,” I nodded. “A really smart person.”
“Well, yeah. It makes sense that Grace would be from a family of fucking geniuses, or did you not meet her five-year-old sister who wants to solve an unsolvable equation?” Riley gathered up the pizza boxes.
“I should go find Grace.” I stood. The anger had stopped; now she just felt sad.
“If you were kicked out of the ward, maybe I’d have more luck?” Evan threw away his empty pasta dish.
Brennan stood. “I’ll go. If anyone wants to head back to the hotel, that’s fine. We don’t all have to be here. Also, they might not let everyone stay. I don’t know what the rules are.”
Riley’s head tilted. “I like actual beds. But let’s see how Grace is, first.”
That sounded like a good idea.
Evan pulled me back down with him. “Stay with me, Wes.”
How could I deny that? “Of course, I’ll stay.”
Maybe Brennan would have better luck.