Free To Protect His Mate by Serena Pettus

took him to the hospital. They’re still not sure how, but the poor bastard was strangled to death with the cords to his hospital bed.”
    “Damn! I was really hoping to get my hands on one of these men.” Abraham was aware his icy tone had set the wolves on edge, but there was nothing he could do about it. His eyes raked over his mate’s sleeping form and noted the little frown pulling at her mouth. A bad dream, perhaps? “I guess it couldn’t hurt to have them around, as long as they don’t make her uncomfortable.”
    “She’s not Erica, and she’s tough as nails. Just look at her.” Leave it to Adam to guess that the accident had brought back bad memories. He always had been the most sensitive of the brothers, despite his smart-assed personality.
    “I am, and do you know what I see? I see my mate. I see a woman who should have never endured any of the suffering she has.” Abraham hung his head, fighting to swallow the lump quickly forming in his throat. “She lost a child, her child, and hasn’t been able to gain any closure.” He looked up to see Adam’s stricken face and swore those were tears shining in his eyes. “I might have kept her from that pain if I’d found her sooner.”
    “There’s no way to know that, Abraham. She may have still lost the baby. Sometimes Mother Nature—”
    “Had nothing to do with it,” he growled. “Those assholes messed with her car then left her for dead after she crashed.”
    A low, rumbling growl sounded from deep within his brother, and Abraham smiled, knowing it was little more than a baring of teeth at the moment.
    Before he could say any more, Sarah burst into the room. “They found the car!”
    “Where?” both men asked in unison.
    “Not far from the end of your road. It looks like they lost control and went off in the trees. You had better get there quickly if you want to check things out. Erik was getting ready to call Gus at the sheriff’s office so they can try to lift some fingerprints.”
    Abraham cast a nervous glance toward Stephanie. He didn’t want to leave her here without saying something, so he moved to her side and bent to her ear. “I’ll be back in just a little bit. Sarah will be with you, so don’t worry.” He placed a gentle kiss on her lips before pulling back. “I love you, Stephanie.” It felt so nice, so right , to be saying that aloud.
    “Your mother is on her way over, as well, since your father was informed of the situation, so we’ll keep an eye on her until you can get back.”
    He groaned at that news. His father was an alpha male, just like his sons, but a man of few words. He never really spoke to anyone unless it was necessary. Abraham’s mother, however, usually possessed the subtlety of an F-5 tornado, so he was hoping Sarah could keep her from scaring off Stephanie.
    “You don’t need that horrified look on your face, Abe,” Sarah chided, trying and failing to hide her grin.
    “You’ll keep her from stressing Stephanie out?”
    “I’ll handle things. Don’t worry. And be sure to take these two with you,” Sarah ordered, pointing to Storm and Lightning. “We don’t want her to wake up screaming. She’s had enough shocks to her system today.”
    Abraham nodded, “We’ll be back as quickly as I can manage. Take care of her for me.”
    “I will.”
    * * * *
    Stephanie awoke to the sound of quiet conversation. First, she heard Sarah then another female voice, this one clearly worried.
    “She’s going to be all right, isn’t she?” the other woman asked. “I don’t know what would happen to Abraham if he lost her. When Erica died in that accident, I nearly lost my son, as well, even though she wasn’t his mate.”
    Who was Erica? The thought of another woman having a piece of Abraham’s heart sent a wave of jealousy pouring through her.
    “I think she’s waking up. Stephanie? I have some water for you, so open your eyes for me,” Sarah urged.
    “Where’s Abe?” she croaked before