Chapter Fourteen
Chester lay next to Troy in the portaledge tent and made sure he wrapped the sleeping bag around them both. Troy groaned, his leg either fractured or broken, and Chester tried not to move it unnecessarily.
"How long?" Troy asked.
"Need to wait for a break in the weather and then the pilot can come. Too much wind and rain to risk being this close to the ridge.
Troy nodded, his clammy skin pale in the light. "Want to go home."
"I know. Not long now. Have those meds kicked in?"
"Yeah, they've taken the edge off."
Chester reached over and touched Troy's forehead and cheeks.
"Here." He put his wrist in front of Troy's mouth. "Feed. It'll help speed up recovery."
Troy groaned. "Don't wanna."
"I know, but you need to. Trust me on this one, Troy. You don't want to go too long without feeding when you're injured."
"I know. I can feel it, but you're like, my pops’ mate. It just doesn't feel right, you know."
Chester smiled but waved his wrist in front of Troy's mouth, watching his fangs descend. "Your body is telling you what you need. We can talk about the sex issue later."
"Ugh! Why did you have to mention sex? Now all I can see is you and Pops on the kitchen table. Jeez, I needed to bleach my eyes after that!"
"Well, I hope it was educational," Chester deadpanned.
"Seriously! Educational! Are you fucking joking?" Seeing the smile on Chester's face, he muttered, "Oh yeah, you're so funny, Chester. Splitting my sides here."
Chester chuckled and gave Troy a pointed look. Troy rolled his eyes then closed them as his fangs slid into Chester's wrist. Chester looked away. The last thing Troy needed was Chester watching him feed.
How is he? Silas asked.
He's feeding right now. He'll need more blood when we arrive at the hospital. What's the update on the weather?
Another couple of hours and it should be clear enough for a rescue.
Good. I can feel the temperature dropping, and Troy needs to remain stable.
I should be there with you both.
No. I couldn't work if both of you were at risk. Stay safe for us, and I'll bring our son home.
Love you.
Love you too.
Chester broke the contact and glanced at Troy, who had finished feeding. He pulled his wrist back, and a quick glance showed Troy had sealed the bite.
"Thanks."
Chester looked over at Troy. "What for?"
"Coming up here."
"I wasn't going to leave you. I know you don't like the fact Silas is my mate, but he is, and that makes you my son. What father leaves his son alone when he needs him the most?"
Troy looked away, a faint blush covering his cheeks. "Yeah, okay."
"It's just the way we work. We know that if we are fortunate to meet our mate, then they may already have a family and family is very important to us. Meeting Silas and you has given me the family I've always wanted."
"I feel like I don't know so much."
Chester sighed. "You didn't have the best teacher, unfortunately."
Troy didn't say anything, and they lay in silence, listening to the wind and rain howl around them. The wind buffeted the tent and Chester moved over, holding Troy closer to the cliff face. Even though they were on a ledge, the position was still a precarious one.
Troy also moved closer, groaning when he had to move his injured leg. "Shit," he muttered.
"Not long now."
"Hurts," he mumbled.
"I know, Troy. Not much longer, I promise."
"Tell me about you and Pops. You love him, right?"
Chester grimaced. He wasn't one to talk about feelings, but this was his son... "Yeah, I love your pops. He's my other half, my soul. You'll experience it when you find your mate, Troy."
"I don't want to. Don't say anything, Chester, but I hate what I am. I know I can't change it, that I have to get over it and move on and all that shit, but I can't."
"I don't know what you went through, Troy, but I'm here for you. You can ask me anything about vampires, and I'll answer it honestly."
"Do you hunt?"
Chester blinked rapidly, surprised by the quick question. "No, we don't. We did years ago before we revealed ourselves to humans, but our council banned it. A ban I agree with."
"Then why did she do it? Why did she make me watch? I was a fucking kid, and she forced me to watch her do shit."
"I'm sorry, Troy. I can only guess that she was suffering from some form of mental illness. Vampires suffer from them just like humans do. We're no different."
"Why didn't she get help? She must have known."
"Maybe she didn't know. Sometimes the sufferer isn't aware they have a mental illness until it's too late."
"I just don't know, and I hate it, Chester. I hate knowing I'm part of her."
"She loved you. Don't forget that. No matter how it ended, she loved you."
"I know," Troy whispered. "That's what makes it so hard. She hurt me. She was supposed to protect me, and she didn't."
"It wasn't your fault, Troy, and neither is being a vampire the reason why she did what she did. A human could easily pick up a gun and shoot at random people. Don't blame what happened on what you are."
"That's easy to fucking say."
"I know, and I'm so sorry you went through all of that. Learn from it, Troy. Become a better person. When we get back home and you've healed, we'll start your training. It will help with your control and how to manage your hunger."
Troy didn't respond, and Chester listened to the weather outside. They needed to get off this mountain soon, otherwise Troy's leg would take longer to heal. Chester closed his eyes and hoped for a break in the weather
❊❊❊
Silas sat in the truck with Ale, Donnie, and Jared waiting for the weather to change. His injured son was on that mountain and Silas felt helpless. His chest ached to be there, and he tapped his feet constantly.
He tried not to contact Chester because he knew he was concentrating on keeping Troy and himself safe, but he couldn't help it.
"How are they?" Jared asked.
"Troy fell asleep about twenty minutes ago. He's had meds and fed. Chester said they need to get off the mountain soon."
"Yeah, especially with a broken leg. Don't want to risk further injury or infection," Ale muttered, rubbing his chin with his hand. "The latest update says another hour, maybe less, then we can try to airlift them out."
"Shit, another hour," Donnie growled.
"We'll get them out, D."
"I know, but I hate sitting here doing nothing. They're stuck up there, and we're sitting on our hands here. Fucking weather!"
"None of us likes sitting here doing nothing, but we won't be able to help them if we go rushing up there and get injured or worse."
Donnie sighed. "I know. I'm just..."
"I know exactly how you're feeling, D. We all feel the same way. As soon as we can get them off that fucking mountain, we will."
"He's never going up that mountain alone again. Can't believe he did it. I know he's pissed, but to do this." Silas shook his head. "Once I know they're safe, I'm grounding Troy for the rest of his life!"
Ale chuckled along with Jared and Donnie. Silas grinned back at them, then sighed as he watched the rainfall.
Chester.
He's still asleep. How's the weather down there? It doesn't sound as bad here.
I think it is slowing down. Not too long now, Chester. I love you.
Love you too. I'll bring our son home.
Silas closed his eyes then told the guys what Chester had said.
"You know, it does look a bit brighter," Donnie said. He opened the door and stood outside. Poking his head back in the truck, he told Ale, "Call them in. They can work in this."
Ale nodded and got on his cell. Silas listened into the call, needing to know what was happening.
When he finished, Silas asked, "Well?"
"On route. Ten minutes out. Let Chester know."
Closing his eyes, Silas concentrated on Chester. Chester. Ten minutes then you're out.
Make sure the hospital is ready for Troy. He'll need to go into surgery as soon as we get there.
How is he?
Still sleeping and I want him to stay that way for as long as possible.
I know. I'll see you soon.
Turing to Ale, Silas said, "Chester knows. Now what?"
Ale shrugged. "We wait. Once the team has them, we'll drive over to the hospital and meet them there."
"Okay."
The next thirty minutes were some of the worst in Silas' life. The fact he couldn't do anything but sit and wait in the truck grated on his nerves. He fidgeted in his seat, earning him a hard look from Ale, but he didn't give a shit. That was his mate and son stuck on that mountain somewhere. His injured son.
When Ale finally started the engine, he sighed in relief, slumping in the seat.
"They're on route to the hospital. Troy's stats are good, but he will need blood."
"And Chester?"
"He's fine. Concerned for Troy. Fractured leg and stuck on a mountain puts a lot of pressure on a vampire who is still learning how to control his impulses. Don't think I'm having a go at you, Silas, you did the best you could with what you had available. From what Chester has told me, Troy's a great son and a credit to you."
Silas nodded, but didn't say anything. He wanted to be at the hospital now, not god knows how far away. The damn truck was fucking slow.
When Ale finally pulled into the parking lot, Silas jumped out before the truck had stopped moving. He ran over to the emergency department and straight up to the desk.
"Sheriff Bailey," the nurse greeted him. "We've been expecting you. Please follow me."
Silas followed her through the doors leading into the hospital. "How's my son Troy, and Chester?"
"Troy went into surgery for his leg. X-rays show the tibia has a displaced fracture and will need surgery to correct. Chester is fine and waiting for you."
"Some others are coming behind me. Can you please make sure they are brought here?"
The nurse frowned. "It's not policy-"
Glancing at her name tag, Silas said, "I know, Nurse Adams, but they were there and helped to rescue Troy and Chester."
"I'm not promising anything."
"I'll tell the doctor I sneaked them in."
Sighing, the nurse nodded, pointing her finger at Silas. "Okay, but I had nothing to do with it."
"Nothing at all." Silas kept a straight face. "Thank you for all your help, Nurse Adams."
Nurse Adams gave him a quick grin then blanked her features. Pointing at the door behind them, she said, "Mr. Monroe is in there waiting for you."
"Thank you."
Silas opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind him. Chester lifted his head up from his hands and quickly stood.
"Silas."
Silas strode over to him and pulled him into a tight hug. "Shit, Chester. You two scared ten damn years off me."
"We're fine. Troy's strong and sensible. He'll be okay."
"Surgery, shit. No parent wants to sit around while their kid’s having an operation."
"You're not alone, Silas. I'm here with you."
"And the others."
Just as Silas spoke, the door burst open and Ale, Donnie, and Jared rushed in.
"Chester-"
"How's Troy?"
"Thank fuck!"
Chester lifted his hand to stop the questions. "I'm okay, yeah, and Troy will be fine once they fix his leg."
"So it is fractured?" Ale asked, walking over to them and sitting in one of the plastic chairs available. "Shit chairs," he muttered.
"Displaced fracture of the tibia," Chester told him.
"No other bones were broken?" This question from Jared.
"No." Chester shook his head.
"Lucky kid," Donnie muttered, leaning back against the wall.
"So, now we wait," Silas murmured, leaning into Chester for support.
"We wait."