For five days, Joe never left her side for more than a couple minutes. Since this was a Werewolf hospital, he stayed in her room. They had detachable rollaway bed extensions to allow mates to stay together, but still get access from both sides to the patient when required. He took his meals at the bedside table, but most of his time was spent in bed with her. Most of the damage was to her left side, so he stayed to the right.
Doc allowed this because experience showed that the presence of the mate improved vitals and healing rates. It also reduced stress for the healthy mate, who sometimes was more of a pain to deal with than the patient. They wanted, no they NEEDED to be together, that was part of what it meant to have a mate.
Wendy walked in, Joe barely stirring in the bed as he cuddled up to her side. Her trends were good, she thought; another day or two and it would be time to bring her out of the coma and solve the mystery of who she was. She had topped the charts simply with "Mrs. Joseph Miller."
In pencil.
She was finishing her look at the traces on the machines when Joe looked up at her. "Good, you're awake. Have you been doing the exercises I showed you for her?"
"Of course, Doc. Every four hours, I massage her, rotate her in the bed, and move her limbs to restore her range of motion. Now that the casts are off, the swelling is almost gone and I can feel that she is recovering." Doc nodded; even before a full mating, mates could sense pain in the other, even while sleeping. It was a defense mechanism Luna had built in to allow the other to feel and protect a mate in distress. "Any progress on who she is?"
"No, I talked to Alpha Merino earlier this morning. Our contacts in the FBI tell us that her fingerprints are not on file. We notified all Packs within 500 miles, but none have reported a missing woman. We even ran her photo against missing persons reports in three states and nationally, but no one matching her age and description has been reported. It's like she dropped out of the sky or something."
"Luna's got a sense of humor, I've found out. I went fishing hoping to catch a trophy and came home with my mate!" Doc laughed along, the change in Joe had been immediate. His spirit had returned to him, he was fun to be around again, even if he was completely focused on his new mate. The entire pack seemed to be in a better mood since he found her.
"She's going to be out for another day or two. You need to take a little time for yourself, Joe, and let your wolf out. I can tell he needs it."
"I can't leave her alone, Doc."
"She won't be alone. I'll be here with her, and Maria is coming over this afternoon as well. Why don't you grab Richard and go out hunting? You can't tell me that some fresh kill wouldn't settle your beast." She could almost see the thought bubbles over his head as he talked with his wolf. In the end, his wolf's need to get out won over his need to stay close, only because he trusted Wendy with his life.
"OK, he's going to be here in a few minutes. You want us to bring you something back?"
"No, I'm good, I've got leftovers in my fridge. Take your time, get a good run in, it will help you settle down."
He got up, clad only in boxer shorts, and gave her a hug. "Take care of my love, we'll be back after dinner." He headed out just as Richard came in to give his mate a lingering kiss. "Come on, Richard, let's find some deer." They stepped out of the hospital, tossing aside their clothes and shifting smoothly into their wolf form. Joe let out a howl, celebrating the start of the hunt, and then they ran off into the nearby canyons and grasslands to start the hunt.
Five hours later the two returned, each carrying the haunch and rear leg of a large buck in their mouth. After checking again with Wendy, they carried the portions to the main hall where they were soon surrounded by a dozen hungry juvenile wolves. Leaving the portions in the grass, they watched in amusement as the young ones tore into the still warm meat and ate their fill.
"It's like a school of piranhas, isn't it?" They had been so focused on the children they didn't notice Alpha Merino had come up behind them. Nodding in respect, they laughed as two six year old girls fought over a leg bone. "You guys should go clean up. I got a call from the Alpha of the Telluride pack, they may know who your mate is, but they have to see her in person. They are coming in a few hours, so be ready to meet them."
"Yes Alpha, we will be ready. I'll wait with my mate until you call for me." Joe turned around and headed for the hospital, he used the shower in her room and Richard had brought a bag full of clothes from his room a few days ago. He had no plans to return to his room until he was carrying his mate into his bed.
A few hours later, Joe was sitting up in the bed with his mate laying back on his chest and sitting between his legs. This "conversation time" helped to reduce the chance of her getting bedsores, but it helped him at least as much. It settled his wolf to have her in his arms, the tingles between their bare skin both excited and comforted him. He rested her head against his shoulder, her nose close to his neck where she could get his scent. "I've been thinking about our home, love. I found a spot to build it, far enough from the Pack house to have some privacy but close enough to stay involved. It's on a hill, overlooking a small pond that has ducks and geese in it. I don't know what kind of house you want, but I want a big porch area, with a swing by the front door. I want to rock back and forth with you while we watch out grandchildren play in the yard, while our music plays through the open window. I'll hold you against me and tell you how much I love you, and how lucky I am to have you. I love you, my"
"JOE, GET YOUR MATE AND MEET ME OUTSIDE NOW. THEY ARE COMING TO KILL HER." He could tell the panic in Richard's voice. Jumping into action, he unhooked and turned off the monitors and the IV lines. Wrapping her in the blanket, he carefully picked her up and walked through the hospital and out the front door just as Richard was pulling up in his Expedition. "Get her in the back and buckle up, we've got to move."
"What's going on, why the rush?" Joe laid her on the back seat, using the available belts to secure her so she wouldn't roll off. He carefully moved into the front seat and buckled up as Richard left the compound area, his lights still off and as quietly as he could.
"The guys who came here from the Telluride pack aren't here to find a missing person. They want her dead. I know the leader, you don't send your expert interrogator and torturer on a missing person case. Something's fishy." Richard was focused on the road, they were pushing eighty miles an hour on the back road and they hadn't even hit pavement yet.
