"And I will be there to hold her together," he promised.
"You're a good boy Grant."
"Thank you Marjoram."
"You better call me Gram."
"Thank you, Gram."
*****
After arranging for Keegan to organize the warriors' help with moving the children, Grant found himself standing at the Garcia's back door. It wasn't even a few days ago he had stood here after spending the night with Benji and the Hamilton boys. It felt like a lifetime ago. He looked over his shoulder to where Adora sat quietly with Benji, rocking him back and forth. For one so young, he had been touched by death too much.
With his stomach churning, he knocked on the door. When it opened, Tobias looked at him, his shattered soul evident in his eyes. "Alpha?"
"Can I come in?"
Tobias nodded and moved to one side. "It must be important since you're not one to pry."
Standing in their kitchen, surrounded by empty highchairs, felt surreal. Grant steeled his heart. "We need your permission to conduct an autopsy on Clara."
Tobias' eyes flashed in anger. "We have to discuss this now?" he shouted.
Grant braced himself to face the man's impotent rage. "Yes, the sooner the better. The longer we wait, the less that can be learned."
"Do it," a raspy voice ordered.
The men turned and Susan stood in her human form wrapped only in an afghan.
Tobias hurried to her side. "Honey, we don't have to think about this now."
She looked at Grant, her eyes a bit vacant. "You're here because if Ellie came, she would break down, and she can't afford to. No matter how much this affects her, she has to keep going. Even when everything inside her is screaming, she is putting the other children first because that's how much she cares."
Grant nodded and swallowed hard. Tears flowed unchecked down Susan's cheeks.
"Do it because that's what Clara would have wanted. She would have wanted to help the other children. My Clara was such a kind girl," Susan choked on her tears as her voice broke. When her legs collapsed under her, Grant pulled her to his side. With his other arm, he grabbed Tobias and cradled them both to his chest.
"I can only offer my strength; it's all I have. But you can take whatever you need," he said gently.
He easily supported their weight as they clung to him breaking down. Within his chest, he felt his wolf reaching out to the weeping parents to lend them his strength as well.
They looked up at him, their eyes shifted to canine yellow. "Alpha." They breathed the word and continued to lean against him.
Grant knew why he preferred to stay alone. It hurt too much to care.
*****
After he had left the Garcias and let Marjoram know he had obtained their permission he threw himself into helping to move the children and get them calmed down. He had wiped so many tears his sleeves were soaked.
A couple hours later, once the children were dozing for a nap he looked around and realized that, in trying to get the children settled, he had somehow lost track of his mate.
He had assumed--incorrectly--she would be in the new hospital. Walking quickly down the middle of the first floor, he peeked in on all the alcoves, looking for his mate.
When he saw Marjoram standing with Stefan, Demetrio, and Adora, he jogged over to them. "Where is Ellie?"
Marjoram pointed to the floor. "She left a little while ago to tend to Clara in the lab," she said simply, avoiding using the term 'autopsy' on the floor with the children.
Grant gritted his teeth together. "Why aren't you with her?"
Marjoram shook her head. "I would only be in the way, though she may need you about now. She should be done."
He was about to leave when Stefan grabbed his arm. When Grant met his eyes, he saw gratitude. "Yes?"
"I wanted to thank you. Whatever you did for the Garcias helped." Tears shone in his eyes. "I don't think I could have helped them as I am."
Grant laid a hand on the young Alpha's shoulder. "I'm a bit older and somewhat removed from the situation. Don't sell yourself short."
Stefan gave him a grateful look. "I hope you consider my father's offer to join our pack. We could all benefit from having you."
Grant nodded but didn't answer. He still didn't know how he felt about being with a pack again. "If you need us, I have my walkie-talkie on."
Stefan let his hand drop, and Grant jogged to the transport tunnel. Jumping in, he grabbed his stone and floated down to the Unit Level. It didn't take him long to head to his house and grab what he needed. He hopped back into the tunnel and dropped down to Level One. Once his feet hit the floor, he was running toward the lab. He spotted Emeric standing outside the door.
"How is she?" he asked, coming to a stop at the door.
Emeric's eyes look haunted. "Stronger than I could ever be." He swallowed hard. "I had to leave when she began washing the little one. I couldn't..." He shook his head. "It's not right losing one so tiny."
Grant nodded. "I've got her now; why don't you take a break?"
Emeric pushed away from the wall. "Normally, I'd decline, but I think I'll take an hour or two to myself. Thank you."
Grant waited until Emeric disappeared down the hall before he let himself into the lab. When he opened the door, he blinked. The room was pitch black. "Ellie?"
"I'm here," a soft voice called.
Grant turned on the lights and saw his sweet mate on the floor next to the empty table, her forehead resting against her knees. "Why are you sitting in the dark?" She shrugged but didn't answer. He didn't ask her to stand. Instead, he joined her on the floor. He put his presents on the floor beside him and wrapped an arm around his mate, scooting her so that she sat between his legs. She collapsed against him, practically lying on top of him. She buried her face in his chest and inhaled.
Grant knew she was taking comfort in his scent. He gently ran a hand over her hair and waited. All he could do was show her she wasn't alone; she'd have to open up on her own.
After thirty minutes of simply sitting together, she looked up at him, her eyes rimmed red. "I found something."
"What'd you find?"
Ellie moved back so that she sat crossed legged in front of him. She sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve. He could see she was gathering herself together.
"Clara had a heart defect."
"Huh? Do shifters have heart defects?"
Ellie shrugged. "I have to assume we do. Only I'm betting, like with Clara, it's not detected due to our healing abilities."
"Is that what killed her?"
Ellie shook her head, paused, and then nodded. "Yes and no. Her healing abilities couldn't handle both the sickness and the heart defect. As she grew weaker, her abilities must have concentrated more on the sickness, and her heart gave out." She looked up at him, exhaustion etched on her face. "I'm so tired. My soul hurts, Grant."
Grant wasn't about to lose his mate to the despair eating away at her heart. He picked up his gifts and held them out to her. "Brought you something."
Ellie stared down. He saw a glimmer of light slowly reappear in her eyes. She reached out and cuddled the two stuffed animals close to her chest. She rubbed her cheek across them and looked up. "You really are perfect, you know."
Grant smiled. "You noticed the elephant, but not the wolf. Whenever I moved them around the room, they were always together. I didn't know why at the time, but it makes sense now." He pulled her close, and she relaxed against him again. "You're not alone anymore, Ellie."
She released a huge sigh and got comfortable, her stuffed wolf and elephant smushed between them. "Can we stay here for just a little bit?"
"Whatever you need."
*****
Ellie was a trembling mass of nerves as they stood at the Garcia's front door. When Grant knocked, Tobias opened the door, looking older and more haggard.
"This way." He motioned to the family room.
Ellie's heart stuttered at the sight of the toys on the floor.
Shoving the pain aside, she followed Tobias and settled into the small love seat with Grant.
Susan sat across from them wearing a loose dress. She looked only half alive. When her eyes focused on Ellie, a bit more awareness appeared. "You found something."
Ellie noticed it was a statement and not a question. She nodded. "Yes. Several things, in fact. I'll be reporting everything to Prince Magnus, but I had to tell you first."
"We appreciate that," Tobias said, sitting close to his mate.
Ellie took a deep breath. "Were you aware that Clara had a heart defect?"
Both parents look stunned. "No," Tobias answered.
"Her healing abilities were overtaxed by the virus; it caused her heart to give out," she explained.
"Virus?" Grant asked.
"Yes." She made sure to look into Susan's eyes. "Your little girl helped me find it."
Susan looked confused. "How?"
"In the other children, their healing abilities eradicate every trace of the virus; it's why it hasn't shown up on any blood tests we've run. But because Clara's healing abilities were also working on her heart, it wasn't able to destroy the virus completely. I was able to see it for the first time today."
"She did good?" Susan asked, softly tearing up.
Ellie stood and Grant rose next to her. She wanted to let Susan rest. "Yes, she helped very much." She took Grant's hand. "We're going to go now so you can get some sleep." She took a ragged breath. "I can't even begin to imagine the pain you're in, but maybe later, much later, you can take comfort in knowing that your little girl may be the key to saving the other children. You should be very proud."
Susan nodded absently as her tears fell. When Tobias started to stand to walk them out, Grant shook his head. "Stay with your mate."
Ellie kept her composure until they were past the houses. In the shadow of the new hospital, she stopped and wrapped her arms around her mate's waist. "I never want to do that again."
"You did very well, my love. I think in time they will find solace in your words."
Ellie stepped back and wiped at her eyes. "I hope so." She looked past the hospital to the tunnel that would take them to Level One for their meeting. "Are you ready?"
"Only if you are."
CHAPTER TEN
The air in the dining room where Ellie sat with her mate was oppressive. Magnus looked like he was about to collapse. He was pale, which only emphasized the dark circles under his eyes. Both Elizabeth and Sebastian kept shooting him concerned looks. Once everyone was seated Nathaniel cast a soundproofing spell so they could begin.
Kari stood and looked in her direction. "I know this has been a terrible day for you Ellie, but can you give us a breakdown of what happened?"
Ellie nodded and stood. Kari sat back down and picked up her notepad.
"This morning, Clara Garcia was the first fatality to a new virus that has struck the wolves here in the city," Ellie began.
Everyone looked at each other. Magnus' eyes flashed. "Virus? Are you sure?"
"Yes. Unbeknownst to Clara's parents, the little girl had a heart defect. Coupled with the virus her healing abilities were overtaxed creating a deadly combination."
Meryn frowned. "Do shifters have defects?"
Ellie gave a half shrug. "If you had asked me yesterday, I would have said no. But I can't deny the evidence I have seen. I bet more shifters than we realize have birth defects that would kill a human but the shifters can go on to lead normal lives because of our healing abilities."
Meryn played with the string on her sleeve. "If she hadn't gotten sick, would she have lived?"
"It's pure conjecture because I have nothing to gauge it against, but yes. I believe that her healing abilities would have continued to compensate for her heart defect as she grew. It would have continued to go unnoticed."
"I thought you didn't see anything in the bloodwork," Broderick asked.
She nodded. "I didn't, not until Clara's autopsy. Because her healing abilities were working so hard on her heart in the end, they weren't able to completely destroy the virus. I was able to see it for the first time in her final blood sample."
"What would have happened if Clara never got sick? What if you never found it?" Meryn asked.
Ellie froze, staring at the small human in horror. "Oh gods," she whispered and sat down in her chair, her legs going weak at the implication.
"It would have progressed undetected until it was too advanced to treat," Nathaniel said, choking on the words.
Grant took her hand. She squeezed it tightly. "He's right." She looked at Meryn. "I never even thought about it that way." She leaned back in her chair. Even with the new hospital, they were still missing what they desperately needed: more help.
"We need more doctors. I have a horrible feeling this is just the beginning." She released Grant's hand and rubbed her hands over her face. "Doctors who are aware of the paranormal world and trained in human medicine are extremely rare."
"I know one," Meryn piped up.
Ellie looked at the quirky human. "Please, don't be joking."
"In fact, I can get you a doctor, nurse, extra warrior for patrol, and an extremely powerful witch. It would be like buy two get two free," Meryn said.
Aiden frowned. "They may not want to come; Rheia is pregnant."
Meryn tapped the table. "It's not airborne or the whole city would be sick. Just give her a call; she'll come." Grumbling, Aiden stood, phone in hand, and walked out of the dining room.
Ellie stared at Meryn in wonder. "You're not joking. But why would this woman come if she's pregnant?"
Meryn held up a finger. "One, she's a super doctor like you. She actually likes helping people." She held up a second finger. "Reason numero dos, she has a daughter, Penny, who is a shifter. She would want to find out everything she can about this virus if for no other reason to ensure that it never reaches Penny."
"Who is the witch you're speaking of?" Law asked.
"Kendrick Ashwood. His mate is a very, very good nurse. If Rheia comes, so will Anne," Meryn informed him.
Law looked a bit stunned. "I had heard that Kendrick Ashwood left Storm Keep to be with his brother Keelan. He almost never leaves the city. He's one of the few witches who have studied ways to incorporate magic into medicine." He turned to Ellie. "You couldn't ask for better help."
Aiden walked back in scowling. "They're coming." He looked down at his mate. "How'd you know she'd agree?"
"Duh, it's Rheia. We have an impossible shifter virus. Where else would she be?" Meryn quipped.
Sebastian stepped forward. "With Master Avery moving in with Warrick, we have guest rooms available here." He turned to Ryuu. "If you could handle tonight's dinner, I can get the rooms prepared."
Ryuu nodded. "Of course." Sebastian left without saying a word to get everything sorted for their new guests.
Aiden sat down beside his mate. "Darian will be bringing them directly to Level Six."
Magnus leaned forward. "He can do that?"
Aiden nodded. "Yes, you could say that it's a family perk."
Stefan turned to Aiden. "Can he go anywhere?"
Aiden shrugged. "I believe so."
Ellie collapsed forward, laying her cheek against the table, her forehead on her arm. "Thank the gods!" she whispered. Grant rubbed her back soothingly.
"You take too much on your shoulders young Eleanor. This is a crisis for us all to bear," Magnus said gently.
"Let us go get ready," Kari said.
Everyone stood and began to make preparations for their new arrivals.
*****
Ellie watched as the air shimmered and the fae portal opened. Unlike most portals, this one shined with a golden light. A tall blond warrior stepped through then stood off to one side. She noticed that Stefan went to him almost immediately. He spoke with the warrior who nodded then Stefan ran off back toward the houses.
The first ones to come through were two women, followed by two men. The taller of the two men sto
od on the opposite side of the portal and raised his hand. Seconds later, a stream of medical supply cases floated through. Ellie had never been so glad to see anything in her life.
The women walked over to where she stood. Ellie smiled at them. "Thank you so much for coming. I'm afraid I'm at my wits end trying to figure this out." She held out her hand and both women shook it firmly. Ellie tilted her head. Usually, only humans did that, shifters were used to holding back their strength, which resulted in less than firm handshakes.
"You're both human."
The shorter one with gray eyes smiled. "It was the handshake that gave it away, wasn't it? I'm Rheia Albright, and this is Anne Ashwood. We're mated to Colton Albright and Kendrick Ashwood." Rheia pointed to the handsome smiling blond and the sarcastic looking witch floating through the supplies.
Anne looked past her, and her eyes widened. "You have a hospital built right into the wall; how cool is that?"
Ellie suddenly felt like she had been in the city years instead of days. "It was built last night. Prior to this morning, the children were on cots in an empty courtyard. When the patient load doubled, we knew we had to allocate a larger area to treat the sick."
Rheia's eyes bugged out. "Doubled? How long have you been here?"
"Three days." Ellie met Rheia's eyes. A thread of fear appeared that wasn't there when she first arrived.
"Is everything okay?" Colton asked, coming up behind his mate.
Ellie was impressed. He'd had his back to his mate and couldn't see her face, but he could tell the instant she became uneasy. A sharp pinch had her yelping. She rubbed her neck where her mate had given her a love bite and stared up at her mate. Smiling, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. She was rewarded with a gentle kiss.
"So you male Alpha types can read minds?" she teased.
"No, but as mate bonds deepen strong emotions can pass through the bond letting us know if our mates are in distress. The closer the mates are the better. The fact that I can feel you in my soul already just proves how perfect you are for me," Grant said quietly.