Nine Lives

Chapter 5

Jesse POV

Daniel and I had to wait downstairs in the living room with the rest of the pack while my Mom and Dad stayed up stairs with our mate. Even though he was our mate, he didn't know that and we didn't want to overwhelm him. Drake and Andrew, both of whom were police officers, had gone down to the station to get more information on the catpup. Today had been their day off, but we all wish it hadn't been. If they had been on that raid, the so called 'owner' wouldn't have gotten away. "I hope he's okay." I told Daniel.

He snorted, "He will be, I just hope he's ready to deal with a pack of over-protective puppies."

"HEY!!" Jake, one of the warriors exclaimed. He had been sitting on the couch with his mate, Zero, when Daniel made his comment. "We are not puppies!"

"Umm Jake....I think you missed the point..." Zero stated. He then turned to Daniel, "And you are just as protective as us, probably even more so."

Before Daniel could respond Alpha Chase and Luna Tori came downstairs. "How is he?"

The Alpha sighed, "He woke up, but he's scared and confused." He frowned. "He didn't seem to understand when I laughed."

Tori nodded, "Same with me. He saw my coat and acted like I was going to hurt him, even as I was changing his bandages he acted like he expected me to slam my hands down on them. But he is healing and he fell back to sleep." She sounded like she was going to cry. "Not only that, but he has been in that form for so long it seems he can't remember how to shift back." They exchanged a look, which told me they were hiding something.

He can't shift? "Then how will he tell us what happened?"

"We've already accepted him into the pack so once the link develops he can use that until we can teach him how to shift. It shouldn't be too long now." Alpha explained.

"Can we see him?" Daniel asked. I was just as anxious to see our mate as he was.

"Yes, but if he starts to wake up leave immediately. We don't need him freaking out and reopening his wounds." Tori told us. All four of us nodded and headed upstairs.

Daniel POV

Our mate looked so small on the big white bed he was resting on. His fur was slicked down from when Luna gave hima bath to clean his wounds and I could count his ribs. There was a IV drip attached to his forepaw and he seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Zero whimpered and pulled a chair up to one side of the bed. Jake followed him, while Jesse and I sat on the other side. Jesse reached out to pet our mate, but as soon as he touched him the catpup cried out in fear and Jesse jerked his hand back. "What's wrong? What happened?" I asked.

"I don't know. There aren't any new wounds in that area. Maybe he's having a nightmare?" Jesse said, panicking.

The Alpha and Luna ran in asking the same questions, but we didn't have a answer for them. Suddenly we all started getting images through the pack link. 'There was a red haired man looming above us, naked. Then a sudden burning pain, Please STOP!!, we heard a child's voice cry out. Now, now pet. That's no way to talk to your Master. The man pressed a button on a remote and electricity shot through us.' The images stopped, leaving us all shocked and horrified.

"He was raped." Jesse was pissed. "He was a child and he was raped!!"

"Repeatedly," The Alpha admitted, "We were going to tell everyone when they got back."

"But what was that at the end?" Zero question.

"The shock collar!" Jesse shouted in realization, before getting shushed by his parents. "Sorry." He whispered before turning to me, "But remember what Dr. Martin said about him being found in a shock collar and muzzle?"