Unwanted Mates

Chapter 13

Tyson watched as a tall man with dark hair and eyes appeared in the doorway of the plane. While he had not met Dr. Stone in person, he knew this was him because of his striking resemblance to the portrait Eleanor had painted of her late mate, Robert. The man hurried down the stairs to Tyson and stuck his hand out.

He shook Tyson’s hand and said, “I’m Dr. Robert Stone. I would appreciate being taken to Willa soon so I can get started.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for coming so quickly to help our granddaughter,” Tyson said.

“After speaking with William, I could not refuse,” Robert said with a hint of a smile. “Plus, if I had tried, my mother would have insisted as only she can and made my life miserable until I did come here.”

“True, and so would the rest of us,” Everly said as she studied the man before her. He looked much like William, but unlike her brother-in-law’s kind and loving presence, he gave off an air of superiority that she did not like. “We still might if you hurt my niece or sister.”

“Everly,” Tyson softly said as he looked sternly at his daughter.

“No. It’s fine,” Robert said, smiling at Everly. “It’s good to know my brother’s extended family protects his mate and children.”

“We will also protect Will and Ellie if they need it,” Logan said as he put his arm around Everly’s shoulders to show his support for his sister.

“Yes, we would if it were ever needed,” Olivia said, giving her children a look that said they were to end the subtle threats.

Robert chuckled, “Good. While I know Will, can take care of himself, I worry about my mother. I was thrilled to hear that she had moved here. She has always been at her happiest when she was in Obsidian. It surprised me when she chose the art commune instead of here after my father’s passing. But that was where she needed to be to heal. From what I can see, she is thriving and where she belongs.”

“And she has my father as her almost mate,” Nick snickered, causing Emma to elbow him in the ribs playfully.

“Her what?” Robert questioned as he turned to look at Nick.

“My father, Ethan Williams, the former Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack, Amelia’s grandfather, and Willa’s great-grandfather, lives with your mother in her cottage. It was Ellie’s idea,” Nick said.

“You should see your mother’s studio at the art center. She had a sofa for Ethan put in so he can read and nap while she paints. They are nearly inseparable,” Kevin grinned. “It is totally adorable, especially when they take over the children's painting class. Grampy Ethan loves those. Sometimes, it looks like the kids painted him and not the paper or canvas.”

“I had no idea. Why wouldn’t my mother tell me about that?” Robert asked as he shook his head in disbelief.

“This is just a guess on my part,” Jake said as he and Eric stepped closer so the breeze would carry their scent to Robert. “But it might have been because of what you said to my niece about werewolves, specifically alpha werewolves.”

Robert sighed and dropped his head. “I wanted to apologize to Amelia for what I said before it was brought up. I am genuinely sorry for what I said. As I have explained, I had been dealing with a particularly difficult alpha. I was exhausted, and I snapped when I felt Amelia’s aura. I should not have done that. I took out my misplaced anger on her. I want to make amends for that. Only a small part of that is doing everything possible to help her daughter.”

“We will accept your apology and understand what dealing with the occasional difficult alpha is like,” Tyson said as he looked at Nick.

“Se we do,” Nick agreed as he snaked his arm around Emma’s waist.

Olivia asked, “Robert, would you like to go to the house we have arranged for you, or would you like to go to the hospital to see Willa?”

“I would love to see Willa if that is possible. I understand that she is continuing to be sedated. While that will prevent me from seeing how she reacts when she has urges, I can still examine her and speak with her doctors,” Robert said. “Afterward, I would also like to speak to everyone who has witnessed how she reacts when the urges happen. Cravings are one thing, but from what I have been told, what is happening to Willa is far from anything I have seen before.”

Tyson offered, “Olivia and I will take you to the hospital now. Everly and Darla can ride with us and explain the events that led up to Willa’s attack in the forest and what happened following it. The rest of us only witnessed things for a few minutes before we sedated Willa and took her to the hospital.”

After Robert arrived, everyone turned their focus to him, ignoring Mango, the fey dragon. She had noticed that a bug had been flying around the group. Mango was laser-focused on the insect, and when she saw it land, she launched. The diminutive dragon slammed into the back of Robert’s head, slamming him forward and nearly knocking him off his feet.

“What the…?” Robert questioned as Tyson helped him regain his footing. His eyes widened as he gazed at the cat-sized orange dragon, happily chomping on the bug she had snatched from the back of Robert’s head.

“Mango! You know not to catch bugs on people’s heads, especially strangers,” Kevin half-heartedly scolded Mango as he snatched her off the ground and tucked her under his arm.

“Is that a fey dragon?” Robert asked.

Tyson sighed, “It is one of many that have invaded this clan since my lovely mate arrived. Our theory is that her fairy magic attracted them, and now that there are enough of us with the magic, they just stay and multiply. You will find them everywhere. If one is particularly bothersome, call one of us, and we will take it somewhere else.”

“I should not be able to see it,” Robert stated as he studied the dragon. “I am not a dragon or a fairy.”

Olivia giggled, “That is because when new ones arrive, Aunt Freya casts a spell on them to make them visible. That way, there are fewer accidents. We later found out that when those dragons hatched clutches of eggs, the babies were also visible. The change seems to be permanent in the fey dragons. Just wait until there is a mass hatching, and dozens of them zoom around, playing tag.”

“Does Amelia have fairy magic as well? What about her sister and other blood relatives?” Robert asked, not taking his eyes off the dragon under Kevin’s arm.

“Amelia, Will, and Isla have active and controllable fairy magic. Willa is only two and has not shown signs of it yet, but at her age, that is not a surprise. There are many in my family who have fairy magic. In some, it is dormant, but in some of us, it is active, and we use it,” Olivia said.

“None of Willa’s medical records say anything about fairy magic,” Robert said, shaking his head. “I need to go to the hospital now. I think I might know what is happening. If I’m right, it might be harder to treat Willa than I first thought.”