Free To Protect His Mate by Serena Pettus Page B

cell, though, it was the police.”
    Stephanie gasped, her hand going to her throat.
    “According to the officer, a drunk driver had run a light, smashing into the driver’s side of her car. They found Erica’s phone in her hand, with Abe’s number up on the screen. He was also in there as her emergency contact, so he was the first one notified. They’re not sure if she was alive after the crash and trying to call him, or if she had been doing so before she was hit. She died from internal bleeding. Apparently, her spleen had ruptured, and she had a punctured lung, amongst other serious injuries.”
    “Oh my God,” Stephanie whispered, tears clogging her throat.
    “Abraham went ballistic. He’d been working in his garage out back when he got the call, and he demolished it. We found him lying underneath one of the walls that had collapsed from the damage he’d inflicted upon it.” Angela sighed, looking so weary Stephanie wasn’t sure if she would continue. “I have no doubt he could have freed himself, despite the injuries from his rampage, but he had just given up. He’d succumbed to his grief.”
    Stephanie sat in stunned silence as tears streaked down her cheeks. She could only imagine how painful it must have been for him to endure that loss. No doubt, he felt guilty, as well.
    Abraham was that type of man. He took everything onto himself…including misplaced blame. It was clear everyone knew it was an accident that had claimed the girl’s life, but Stephanie had a feeling his rage had been an outward sign of his inner turmoil over the incident.
    Looking to the woman sitting beside the bed, Stephanie saw the worry in her eyes, a worry for her son’s well-being. Angela was a lovely woman. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was cut in a fashionable style that framed her face, leaving her creamy skin glowing. Her silvery-blue eyes were soft, yet direct, as she stared at her.
    “I’ll do my best to make him happy. He deserves it,” Stephanie replied softly.
    “Yes and so do you. Sarah and I had some time to talk while you slept, and I’m so sorry about everything that you’ve been through.” Angela moved to sit on the side of the bed and took her hand. “You just stay safe, that’s all. He loves you a great deal, and he won’t be able to survive losing you.”
    “Honestly, I don’t think I could survive losing him, either.”
    “It sounds like the guys are just getting back, so I’m sure that he’ll be in here momentarily,” Sarah announced.
    Stephanie tried to smooth her hair only to wince when her arm protested the movement.
    “Damn, that’s sore,” she groaned. As she moved to sit up, she found herself gently lifted by an arm behind her knees and another around her shoulders. Having pinched her eyes closed against the pain, she expected to find Abraham at her side when she opened them again.
    “Mrs. Wolfe! You shouldn’t be picking me up,” Stephanie gasped, mortified that Abraham’s mother was shifting her up in the bed as if she weighed no more than a child.
    “Oh, please. I’m a werewolf, honey. That means that I’m just as strong as Sarah, so don’t you worry about me. We just need to concentrate on you,” she replied while adjusting a pillow behind Stephanie’s back.
    “Do you want another shot of morphine for the pain?” Sarah asked.
    “No, thank you. I hate being fuzzy headed at any time, but now would be the worst. I want to be alert and—where’s my gun?”
    Stephanie scanned the room, looking over the nightstands and dressers for any sign of her Ruger.
    “It ended up submerged in the river when your car went in. I don’t think that it’s safe to fire anymore,” Sarah answered. “Abraham has a lot of guns, though, so don’t worry about that right now. I’m sure that he’ll let you use whatever you want.”
    “A gun?” Angela was clearly troubled by that thought.
    “She’s a damn good shot, Mrs. Wolfe. She may even be better than Abe pretty