Unwanted Mates

Chapter 10

Eleanor was jolted awake by her cell phone ringing on the coffee table. She and Ethan had dozed off on their sofa, watching television while waiting for news about their granddaughter, Willa. Eleanor rubbed her eyes and yawned as she reached for the phone and answered.

“Hello?” she asked groggily.

“Hi, Mom. I’m coming to Obsidian to help,” her son Robert said on the other end of the line.

“You are?” Eleanor questioned. She was still half asleep and wondering if she had heard him correctly.

“I am. William called me, and we talked. I would love to help his daughter if I can.”

Eleanor frowned, “You will help her even though she is half alpha werewolf?”

Ethan could feel the change in Eleanor’s emotions and sat up, putting his arms around her to comfort her. He had not been with them when Eleanor had traveled to Europe with William and Amelia, but he had been told about what had happened involving her older son Robert.

“What I said to and about Amelia was misplaced anger and frustration. I have apologized to William for it and would like to apologize to Amelia as soon as I arrive in Obsidian. I was thrilled for William when he told me he had found his mate, and I still am. I can’t wait to get to know her and my nieces.”

“You could have come here sooner. Before there was an emergency,” Eleanor admonished her son.

“I know, and you’re right. I can’t change that, but I will do my best to make up for it,” Robert said as an email notification popped onto his computer screen. “And it looks like I need to get to work on things with Willa. I just received her medical records, so I can learn what I am dealing with.”

“Thank you, Robert. I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” Eleanor said. “I’m sure that when you get to know Amelia and the girls, you will love them as much as we do. You might even want to try one of the classes at the art center while you’re here. As I recall, you always enjoyed painting with me.”

“I did, and I still enjoy painting when I can find time. Perhaps taking one of Amelia’s classes after I have treated Willa would be a good way to break the ice,” Robert mused.

“Think it would be the perfect way,” Eleanor grinned.

“What am I doing keeping you on the phone? We can talk when I arrive in Obsidian,” Robert said. “I will arrange a flight and be there as quickly as possible. I need to pack. I can review the girl’s records on the plane to save time. I love you, and I will see you soon.”

“We will see you soon. I love you too,” Eleanor said before her son ended the call.

Eleanor turned to look into Ethan’s eyes. She could see his concern for Robert to come to Obsidian. His life revolved around his grandchildren and all the children he treated as his grandchildren. She leaned in, kissed him tenderly, and smiled.

“I promise you that Robert will not hurt any of your grandchildren. If he does, I will take care of it. Besides, I think he is well aware that Lia would end him if he even dreamed of hurting one of her babies, and Will would take him on if he hurt Lia.”

Ethan grinned, “That’s true. We are a few notches down on the list to take a piece of out him if he did anything.”

“We are more than a few notches down. Lia and Will would first be followed immediately by Tyson and Olivia. I doubt Olivia’s wolf, Raine, would leave anything for us, but if she did, we would be tied with Joe and Elise on the vengeance scale. I would add Marie and Arthur to that, but I doubt they would do anything personally because they are such gentle souls. However, we might want to make it an open-air event and add a cheering section for them. Oh…, wait. I forgot to add in the kids. Lia’s brothers and sisters would be on the same tier as Tyson and Olivia,” Eleanor laughed.

“Of the kids, I would say Darla and Everly are the two who should be the most feared,” Ethan laughed. “Those girls might look sweet, but they are tough as nails. They proved that today.”

“Yes, they did,” Eleanor said.

Ethan embraced her tightly and pulled her back onto the sofa with him. She snuggled in and wrapped her arms around his waist as she lay on him. Eleanor nuzzled his neck as Ethan stroked her hair.

“Try to go back to sleep, my love,” Ethan cooed as he kissed her head. “Will said he would call if there were any changes to Willa’s condition. He hasn’t called, which we can take that as a good sign.”

Eleanor sighed, “I hope you’re right.”

-

William sat in the hospital room watching his mate and daughter, who were finally sleeping peacefully in the bed. He had just called his brother to ask for help in treating their daughter and her uncontrollable urges for blood. William had intentionally waited until Amelia was asleep before placing the call. They had agreed that calling his brother was the right thing to do, but it did not change Amelia's reservations; he wanted to ease her mind if possible.

Now, he was thinking about other things. He had two daughters and needed to ensure his oldest, Isla, did not feel abandoned as they focused on Willa. He was thankful that Isla was an intelligent girl and understood that Willa was sick and needed extra attention. He was even more grateful that he and Amelia had a vast extended family, all happy to help.

A light tap at the door distracted William from his thoughts. It was slowly pushed open, and Jerry, a nurse who had come from the Moon Haven Medical Facility after finding his mate, quietly stepped in. He smiled at William before he went to the bed and checked on Willa, who was sleeping due to the sedatives she had been given.

“I was hoping you would all be asleep,” Jerry whispered as he moved to where William was sitting.

“No such luck,” William sighed.

“Get some rest if you can. We sent all of Willa’s medical records to your brother, and he called a few minutes ago, saying he was on his way to the airport and would review the files on the way here. Right now, you and Amelia being well rested and able to make good decisions as things progress will be crucial,” Jerry said. “Is there anything I can get you before I return to the nurses’ station?”

“Thank you, Jerry, but no. The only thing that would help is if you had a magic wand, which you could wave and fix everything,” William said with a tired smile.

“The closest thing I have to that is Ben, and he has already tried to think of a way to help. But unless he knows the problem and can focus on it, he can’t do anything,” Jerry said, his voice tinged with defeat.

“I know. Ben has already apologized for that when it is not his fault. You have all done everything you can, and we are eternally grateful for that.”

“It’s our job, and even if it weren’t, we would still be doing all this and more if we could,” Jerry said as he patted William’s shoulder. “I will be at the nurses’ station if you need me. You can come find me or hit that little button on the bed.”

William nodded his reply, leading Jerry to leave the room without saying another word. Knowing his brother, Robert, was already on his way to Obsidian made him feel better. Robert might be Willa's only hope.