Gregor (Stone Society Book 2) (24 page)

Before
the doctor could answer Gregor, the waiting room door burst open, and Tamian
ran in. He took one look at the doctor and said, “What the fuck?” Gregor didn’t
miss Joseph shaking his head at Tessa’s brother. Did they know each other? It
was possible. The Clan hadn’t known Tamian was a shifter or that the
half-bloods even existed a week before. They knew so little about Tessa and her
side of the shifter family.

“I
was just going to give an update on Miss Blackmore.” He turned his attention to
Gregor. “She is stable, although I induced a coma until the swelling around her
brain shrinks. Her internal injuries weren’t as serious as we thought once we
got in there. She had bleeding we were able to stop. Both arms and her left leg
had broken bones, all of which have been repaired. The left side of her body
sustained the most injury. Both bones in her left forearm, and the radius in
her right arm required plates and screws. Both arms are in temporary splints.
Her left leg was quite devastated. Her femur required an intramedullary nail.
She was very lucky the femoral artery was not punctured. The good news is once her
arms heal, she will be able to use crutches to get around, and her leg will
heal quickly. Her injuries could have been much worse.”

“How
long will she be in a coma? When can I see her?” Knowing his mate was alive had
Gregor’s adrenaline rising again. The beast inside knew his mate was close, and
he wanted to be near her, touching her.

“We
will need to monitor the swelling for a few days until it has gone down enough
to ascertain whether there is any neurological damage. She is in recovery. We
will be moving her into ICU within the hour. You can see her then. Gregor, I
need you to prepare yourself before you go in. She is hooked up to machines;
wires and tubes are everywhere. She needs you calm and strong, yes?”

Gregor
nodded. “Thank you, Joseph, I don’t know…” He couldn’t finish his sentence. The
tears in his eyes and the emotion clogging his throat silenced him.

“You
can thank me by taking good care of her. That woman in there is special.
Someone will be down soon to take you to see her.” Joseph walked off before
Gregor could ask any questions. How the hell did he know Tessa was special?

The
waiting room door opened again, and Isabelle came in, tears streaking her
pretty face. She just stood there, looking as lost as Gregor felt. “Isabelle,
come here.” He opened his arms and she hesitantly walked into them. They didn’t
know each other well, but they had one common bond, and that was Tessa. Gregor
explained her condition and that he was going to see her soon.

“I’m
sorry I just got here. I didn’t know. I got to work this morning and Deacon
told me. When I finally checked my phone, I saw I had several missed calls from
Dante. He is probably mad at me, but I turned the ringer off last night so I
could rest.”

“Shh,
it’s all right. You’re here now. Besides, there was nothing you could have done
during the night except worry like the rest of us. At least you got some
sleep.” Gregor released her from his embrace. He could tell she was overwhelmed
with all the shifter testosterone in the room until Kaya came over, introduced
herself, and took Isabelle away from him. Rafael’s mate was making an excellent
Queen.

Gregor
told everyone to go home and get some rest. He knew Tamian and Isabelle would
remain, but the others wouldn’t need to go in and see Tessa. He assured them he
was fine, and he would need them strong in the coming days. Isabelle and Tamian
were talking quietly in one corner of the room. He could listen in if he
wanted, but instead gave them their privacy. If he weren’t a greedy bastard, he
would let them go in and see Tessa first, but he was.

Sooner
than expected, a nurse came in and called for him. He wiped his hands down his
jeans. He wasn’t sweating, it was just a nervous gesture. “I’ll be back soon so
you can go see her,” he told both Isabelle and Tamian. Again, they huddled
together.

 Gregor
followed the nurse until they came to a sanitizing sink. “Please wash and dry
your hands before you go into the patient’s room.” He did as instructed and
once again followed the older lady down another hallway. The room she led him
into had the nurse’s station in the middle with the patient rooms surrounding
the outer walls in a circular pattern. All the rooms had glass windows the
nurses could see into. None of the curtains were closed, exposing everyone to
passersby.

Gregor
only had eyes for one patient. The nurse didn’t have to tell him Tessa’s room
number. The mate bond took him to her. He stood outside her room, looking at
her still body through the window. He willed his own body to calm. It would do
no good for his claws or fangs to scare the humans. When he was ready, he
entered her room and quietly stood over his mate, taking in the wires and
tubing Joseph had warned him were present. Her beautiful red hair was matted
together, some blood still present. Gregor wanted to pick her up and put her in
the shower, wash it for her.

Now
that the blood had been cleaned from her skin, Gregor was able to count the
lacerations visible on her face and arms. He knew there were more hiding
beneath the cotton hospital gown, but he wouldn’t shock the nurses by unrobing
her just yet. “Talk to her.” A soft voice came from behind him. He turned to
see the same older nurse standing in the doorway. “It helps if you talk to
them. They can hear loved ones even though they’re in a coma. She needs to know
you’re here for her, that you’re waiting on her to return to you.” The nurse
smiled and left him alone with his woman.

Pulling
up a chair, he sat as close to the bed as his knees would allow. Gregor picked
up Tessa’s once strong hand that was now sticking out of a splint. He gently
held it, stroking her skin with his thumb. “Hey, Red. It’s me, Gregor. I’m
here, Baby. The doctor says you have a little bit of swelling on your brain,
but he’s optimistic you are going to be fine. You just need to get some rest. Tamian
and Isabelle are here, too. They want to come in and see you. I really want to
keep you all to myself, but you would probably rather see them than me anyway.”

Gregor
quieted and just admired her sleeping form. Fuck, was it just yesterday morning
they had shared his bed together? It felt like a lifetime ago. He really didn’t
want to leave her, but her brother and cousin had as much of a right to visit
with her since she wasn’t yet his mate. “I’m going to go get Tamian now. But I
will be back. I’m not leaving you, Red. I’ll be here with you until you wake
up. Then I will be here long after that, if you’ll have me.” He placed a soft
kiss on her cut knuckles then one on her chapped lips. He needed to remember to
go to the gift shop downstairs and get a lip balm for her.

He
released her hand, and one of the monitors started beeping. The nurse came in
and pushed a button, quieting the monitor. “What happened?” she asked Gregor.
The nurse wasn’t accusing him of harming Tessa, she was just concerned.

“I
told her I would be back later and released her hand.”

“Take
hold of her hand.” The nurse waited patiently while Gregor did as she told him.
He sat back down in the chair and took Tessa’s hand in his. The nurse smiled.
“She knows you’re here. You have a calming effect when you are touching. You
let go and her heart started racing.”

“I
need to let her brother and cousin come see her. Will she be okay if I leave
for a while?” Gregor wouldn’t risk her health, not even for Tamian.

“She’ll
be fine. I will stay here with her until they come in.” The nurse pushed a
stray strand of hair off Tessa’s forehead. He trusted her to keep Tessa calm
until he returned.

“Thank
you…” He glanced at her name badge. “Miriam. I will send Tamian and Isabelle in.
I’ll be back soon.” Gregor lingered at the door, assuring himself Tessa would
be okay long enough for the others to visit. His heart was once again beating
erratically. His beast warred inside, not wanting to leave its mate.

Gregor
found Tamian and Isabelle where he’d left them. He told them to follow him, and
they could each go see her for a few minutes. Isabelle spoke to several nurses
and doctors on the way to the ICU. She would most likely look at Tessa in a
clinical way, being able to use her own experience as a doctor to stay calm
when seeing her cousin. Tamian was another story. The waves of energy bouncing
off the man were almost visible to the eye. He was going to have to calm
himself before he went into the room.

“I
want Isabelle to go first,” Gregor told them.

Knowing
the drill, Isabelle scrubbed her hands before heading to Tessa’s room.

 “Tamian,
you’ve got to lock it down, man. I know what you’re feeling. I may not have the
psychic twin thing you two have, but she is my mate. She is aware of who’s in
the room with her, and she doesn’t need you feeding her a shit ton of extra
emotions.”

Tamian
nodded. “I’m trying. She’s been my whole world up to this point. Growing up we
were separated most of the time, but we still had the type of connection twins
have. We are so deeply connected on a cellular level that I can almost feel her
pain from here.”

Gregor
flinched. “She’s in pain? Right now?”

“No,
not physically. It’s more an emotional hurt. Hopefully I will be able to get a
feel for what’s going on when I’m in the room with her.”

Isabelle
didn’t linger long. She returned and had Tamian wash up then pointed to the
correct room. She and Gregor were silent as Tamian made his way to his sister’s
room. Just as they turned to go back to the waiting room, alarms started blaring
and Tamian yelled, “NO!”

Gregor
didn’t care about the one person at a time rule; he entered Tessa’s room among
hospital personnel trying to shoo both he and Tamian from the room. Neither one
budged. When the nurses couldn’t get Tessa’s vitals under control, Miriam motioned
for Gregor. “Get over here and hold her hand.” He didn’t hesitate. He gently
lifted Tessa’s hand closest to him and immediately her body began calming. The
other workers looked at each other then at Gregor. Miriam smiled. “I believe
she needs you more than she needs us right now.” Gregor pulled up the chair
that had been shoved away from the bed and sat down, not releasing Tessa’s
hand.

“I
should go.” Tamian turned to leave the room. He mumbled, “She obviously doesn’t
need me.”

“St.
Claire, stay. She does need you. I need you, too.” Gregor lowered his voice so
the nurses couldn’t hear. “With any luck at all on my part, Tessa will agree to
be my mate. That means you and I will be brothers. You might not feel it, but
you are already part of our Clan. Now, please stay and be with your sister. If
you need privacy, just do that mind speak stuff you do.”

Tamian
hesitated for a few seconds then returned to Tessa’s side and gently lifted her
other hand. Instead of speaking silently, he talked to her out loud so Gregor
could hear him. He didn’t talk about anything in particular, just let her hear
his voice. Her body remained calm throughout the rest of her brother’s visit.
When the nurse finally came in to run one of them off, Tamian graciously
accepted he would be the one to leave. Before he left he shook Gregor’s hand.
“I couldn’t have chosen a better Goyle for my sister. I know she’s in good
hands. I’ll be in the waiting room if you need me.”

Tamian’s
retreating form turned the corner. Gregor knew there were visiting hours, but
he wasn’t leaving. He had failed Tessa in not getting to her fast enough before
the wreck. He would not fail her again.

Three
days passed as Gregor sat by Tessa’s side, leaving only to shower down the hall
and give quick updates to the Clan who visited. When Dante couldn’t convince
him to leave the hospital, he went to Gregor’s home and grabbed a duffle bag filling
it with clothes and toiletries. Joseph had obviously given instructions to
allow more than one visitor since the nurses didn’t try to run Dante off.

He
visited every night, filling Gregor in on the happenings of the world outside
and sometimes just offering silent support. The only body found from the
helicopter wreckage who had come across Dante’s slab was so badly burned,
dental records would be needed to make an identification, and even that was a
long shot. If the corpse was Gordon Flanagan, he would be surprised. As far as
the redheaded victims, Trevor had confirmed the last two victims were also
clones. He had spent hours analyzing the victims’ DNA. The women had just
enough genetic markers in common to be related.

Dante’s
head turned toward the door. Joseph walked into the room a few seconds later.
Gregor never would get used to his brother’s psychic nature.

“Gregor,
Dante. It’s time.” The swelling had gone down around Tessa’s brain and Joseph
was going to bring her out of her coma. “If you will please head down to the
waiting room, I will come get you when she starts waking up.”

Gregor
whispered in Tessa’s ear he would see her soon and kissed her lips before
walking out with Dante. He spoke to the day shift nurses as they passed the
station. Spending several days in the hospital had given Gregor plenty of
insight into the lives of the doctors and other personnel. Most of them gave
tirelessly and cared deeply for all of the patients.

The
waiting room had been a revolving door of family over the weekend, but now most
everyone was carrying on with their normal routines. “Why aren’t you at work?”
Gregor asked Dante when they reached the waiting area.

“Trevor
can handle the morgue, and I need a break from Isabelle.”

“Is
it that bad, being around her?”

“Yes,
it is. My beast is becoming uncontrollable when she’s near. It takes most of my
energy to keep from phasing. The rest of my energy is spent not ripping her
clothes off and taking her right there in her office. The sooner she and I
figure out the extent of the damage Henshaw caused, the sooner I can hand the
Pen back over to her fully. We agreed to take things slow and pretend the pull
of the mating bond isn’t present. But I have to tell you, Brother, I’m not sure
I can keep the charade going. I am putting aside my feelings for her sake. It’s
the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.” Dante was splitting his time
between the morgue and the Pen, working twenty hour days just to be sure
Isabelle got the inmates the care they needed.

Gregor
could understand where Dante was coming from if he felt for Isabelle even half
of what Gregor felt for Tessa. “I understand that. When Tessa told me we
couldn’t be together, it ripped me apart. She was protecting me. I’m the one
who is supposed to protect her, and she was putting my feelings and well-being
before her own. You’re a good man, Dante. Isabelle will come around.”

“I
also hope the mate bond is enough for me...” He didn’t finish his thought. He
didn’t have to.  Gregor knew what was on his mind. Dante’s sexual proclivities
were different than most Alphas’.

Dante
stretched his tall frame, extending his arms toward the ceiling. He rolled his
neck, leaving his head hanging for a few seconds. Gregor knew this was his way
of trying to relieve the tension. “Then there’s her obsession with Alexander.
She is convinced the albino can be saved. I have a bad feeling in my gut
there’s more there than meets the eye. I wasn’t in the room when she
interrogated him, but there was a strong current, a familiarity coming from the
room. I can’t put my finger on it, but I don’t think she’s going to let it go.
I caught her sneaking him a cigarette.”

“The
prison is a no smoking area. At least not on the inside.” Gregor was astounded
at Isabelle’s boldness. “I didn’t take Isabelle for the break the rules type.
Tessa must be rubbing off on her.”

“Yes,
well, she won’t be doing it again anytime soon. I had a little talk with Deacon,
and he has given all the guards strict orders she is not to be allowed near any
of the inmates without an escort.”

Gregor
chuckled. The sound surprised him. He hadn’t smiled, let alone laughed in the
last four days. Not since a story Tessa told him when they were lying in bed
caused him to laugh out loud. The smile on her face from the sound of him
laughing was one he would never forget. She lit up like a child who had been
given her first Popsicle. Now her beautiful face was covered with cuts. He
would hire the best plastic surgeon in the world to have her scars erased just
as soon as her internal injuries were healed.

Tamian
walked in the door of the waiting room. “Any word yet?”

“How
did you know Joseph was bringing her out?” Gregor cocked one brow. “Is it the
bond you and Tessa have?”

Tamian
grinned, “No, it’s the charm I poured on one pretty little nurse. She called
me.”

Gregor
shook his head. “I meant to ask you earlier, are you not mated? The other
half-bloods transition when they meet their mate. You’ve already transitioned,
so you must be mated, right?”

Tamian
had already dodged answering the question once before. Gregor hoped he would
feel comfortable enough to confide in him.

“That’s
a long story. Maybe one day when this mess is all over, you and I can sit down
and talk about it. For now, let’s focus on getting my sister well.”  Tamian
stuck his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and waited for Gregor to respond.

“Yeah,
man. Whatever you want. I didn’t mean to pry.” Gregor absolutely did mean to
pry. There was something distinctively different about Tamian. Maybe being a
clone had something to do with it.

“Have
you talked to your parents? I’m sure they would want to know Tessa’s in the
hospital.”

“I
talked to my mother as soon as Tessa was out of surgery. She wants to come see
her, but she has to wait on our father to get back from a trip. He won’t allow
her to travel alone.”

“Did
you tell her there’s a possibility Flanagan could be dead?”  Gregor was still
waiting on confirmation of that himself.

“That
would be a blessing, but no. Until I have proof the bastard’s body burned to a
crisp, I don’t want to get her hopes up. I’m looking forward to the day both Mom
and Andi can breathe easier and not have to hide anymore.”

Gregor
didn’t mention his uncle, Alistair. It seemed they both had crazed men in the
branches of their familial trees. The three men sat quietly for a while,
waiting on word from the doctor that Tessa had come out of her coma, and they
could go talk to her. The more time that went by with no news, the more worried
Gregor got. He had started pacing the floor an hour earlier, and now both Dante
and Tamian had joined him. Another hour passed, and the door opened. Once
again, the doctor looked haggard.

“Joseph,
is everything all right? Did Tessa come out of her coma?” Gregor swore if he
got Tessa home and well, he was going to wrap her in a fucking cocoon and lock
her away from the rest of the world.

“She
is off all machines and breathing on her own, but there’s a small problem.” The
doctor sighed.

“What
kind of problem?” Tamian asked before Gregor could.

“She’s
not waking up. This happens sometimes. She is being moved to the lab for an MRI
now. It will take about thirty minutes. I’ll be back after it’s complete.”
Joseph ran a hand through his hair as he walked off.

Dante
pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Hello. Actually there’s been a slight
setback, but we’re hoping an MRI will give us more information. Yes, I’ll call
you as soon as I know something.” Dante disconnect and announced, “That was
Isabelle calling to check on Tessa.”

Tamian
raised his eyebrows at Dante. “I didn’t hear the phone ring. Or buzz.”

Gregor
clapped Tam on the shoulder, “That’s something you’re going to have to get used
to. Just like you and Tessa have your mind speak thing going on, our brother
here has his own ESP.”

While
they were waiting, several calls came in, all Clan checking on Tessa’s status. Deacon
assured Gregor he had the Pen under control. Julian reported that Nikolas had
arrived in Egypt but was having no luck tracking down Sophia. Sinclair called
from the west coast offering what little support he could. Rafael let him know
Kaya was being drilled by the Governor. The local sheriff didn’t believe Kaya
when she told him she had no clue who was in the helicopter. Frey was back at
the dojo, business as usual.

Gregor
had yet to hear from Dominic. With Tessa staying out of New Orleans, Jacques
Dupart was the least of his worries. He wondered if he should call Gladys. If
he only knew how often Tessa checked in with her neighbor. Did she have other
homes where she would be missed if she didn’t call someone? He had a lot to
learn about Tessa, and he vowed to make it his mission to learn every single
thing about her once she woke up.

An
hour later, Joseph finally came back. “There was nothing on the MRI. We’re just
going to have to encourage Tessa to wake up on her own.”

“I
want to take her home.” Gregor had to get out of this hospital before he went
stir crazy, and leaving Tessa here was out of the question.

“I
understand your frustration, but she needs to be monitored.”

“I
get that, but I have to get out of here. I think you can understand why. I will
take her home with me and hire someone to monitor her condition. Just tell me
what she needs other than an I.V.”

While
Joseph was thinking, Dante spoke up. “Isabelle and I can take care of the
monitoring. There’s no need for you to hire anyone.”

Joseph
frowned at Dante. “You and Isabelle?”

“Yes,
you should know her. Isabelle Sarantos is the leading doctor in infectious
disease and internal medicine in New Atlanta. She’s very bright and most
assuredly capable.”

“Oh,
I know her all right; I just didn’t know you did.” He turned to Gregor, “As far
as Tessa goes, I will agree to you taking her home. I know with her being your
mate, you would die before you risked her well-being.”

Tamian
spoke up, “Gregor, if you don’t mind, I would like to be able to sit with her
as well.”

“Of
course. As a matter of fact, why don’t you stay at the cabin with us? I have
plenty of bedrooms, and I would welcome the company.”

Tamian
looked surprised, but quickly smiled. “Thanks. I need to take care of a few
things that have been overlooked while I was in the Pen. If you give me your
address, I will meet you there later.”

“
You
were in the Pen? For what?” Joseph obviously knew St. Claire didn’t belong in
prison.

“I
was undercover.” Tamian just shrugged. It was a gesture Gregor was getting used
to.

“How
long will it take you to get your home ready for a patient?” Joseph asked
Gregor.

Dante
answered for him, “I will transport Tessa in one of our buses. Trevor can ride
in the back, if you do not object. I can set her up with everything she needs
once we have her settled into bed.” He pulled out his phone and called down to
the morgue, telling Trevor what supplies to gather.

Gregor
offered a small smile, “I don’t mind, but Trevor may. You know he doesn’t like
me.”

“He
likes you fine, you’re just scary looking,” Dante deadpanned.

Gregor
laughed out loud at that. If anyone was scary it was his baby brother.

“I
will gather the necessary equipment for you to take home. Just make sure these
get back to the hospital once she is well. This really goes against hospital
policy. I guess being Chief of Staff, I can make executive decisions, can’t I?”

“Yes,
and this is the right decision. I have a feeling once I get her home, she will
improve to the point of waking up. She’s a free spirit, and this place is anything
but free.” Gregor was being selfish. He wanted to be able to sleep in his bed
with Tessa. He wanted to be the one to give her a bath, wash her hair. He needed
to take care of her, not sit in a chair and watch others do what he should be
doing.

“Okay,
Dante you get an ambulance ready, and Gregor you come with me. We will gather
Tessa’s things and get her ready to meet Dante on the lower level. Tamian, I
guess I will see you around.” Joseph shook hands with Tessa’s brother. Gregor
had the feeling there was more going on with those two, but he would have to wait
until later to find out what.

“Gregor,
text me your address, and I will see you soon.” Tamian shook hands with both
him and Dante then jogged toward the door. Dante headed toward the morgue, and
Gregor followed Joseph to get his woman. He was taking his mate home.