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?"
Luna Tori nodded, "That would explain the burns I found on his neck."
"That would also explain why he responded to your touch like that," I cut in. "He must have felt the mating sparks and thought he was going to be electrocuted." Jesse looked heartbroken that something that was supposed to be joyous caused our mate pain.
'You guys might want to come downstairs,' Clark, one of the other warriors, called out through the link. 'Drake and Andrew are back.' Reluctantly we all left the room and headed down to see what the two officers had found.
Zayn POV
I had woken up after my nightmare to more people in the room. I couldn't tell how many there were without opening my eyes, and that would give me away. They were talking about me and my injures. They actually sounded....worried? I remember feeling the strange shock when I was asleep, but it wasn't like others I had gotten. It had actually felt....nice? Once they left I opened my eyes. I had to escape. I was unguarded and no longer wearing my collar so I could finally get out of here.
I opened my eyes and stood up. I removed the tube from my leg and jumped down from the table, wincing as it jarred my side. I padded to the door, which had been left open a crack. The room I was in was right at the top of the stairs. I could hear voices floating up from below from below and decided to listen in.
"-ighters didn't know much more than what they said before. The only new thing we got out of them was that they once overheard the 'owner', it seems he never told them his name, call the pup Zayn." I didn't know these voices. How many people were here? But they know my name I need to RUN! I bolted down the stairs, not caring if they heard me. Crashing through the door at the bottom of the stairs, I found myself outside. The people, Chase had called then 'werewolves' (What does that even mean?), were shouting inside and heading my way. Frightened I streaked towards the woods, jumping over logs and dodging around trees. Hearing something crashing behind me, I looked behind me and saw A GIANT BLACK WOLF!!!
Rain (Jesse's wolf)
Dusk (Daniel's wolf)
I was so focused on the wolf behind me that I didn't notice another one step in front of me until I crashed right into it. Now trapped between these two wild animals all I could think to do was crouch down, whimpering, and wait for one of them to snap my neck. But instead they whined at my actions and also laid down. Confused, I stopped whimpering and jumped when I heard the voice in my head. 'Don't worry Little One, we don't want to hurt you.'
'WHO SAID THAT?!' I looked around trying to spot someone around us, but all I saw were the wolves,
The black one with with green eyes started making a weird huffing sound. 'It's alright, that was just us. My name is Rain and this is Dusk.'
'How are you talking to me?'
'It's called the Pack Link. It's something werewolves use to communicate.' A new voice. It must have been Dusk.
'Werewolves....That man Chase used that word too. What does it mean?'
'YOU DON'T KNOW?' Ouch, that was both of them at once.
'No....Am I supposed to?'
'Well you should, considering that one of your parents had to be one.' Rain explained.
'My parents were human, not wolves.'
'No, no, no. Rain means that one of them could switch between human and wolf. Like us.' Suddenly both wolves began to change. Bones broke and reformed, fur receded, and then there were two naked males in front of me. Before doing anything else they went behind one of the trees and came back wearing clothes. They both had brown hair, but one had blue eyes while the other had green.
"Hello little one," said the one with green eyes, "my names Jesse."
'I thought you were Rain?' I was very confused.
"Rain and Dusk are our wolves. My name is Daniel." The blue eyed one said.
'My names Zayn.' They seemed nice. 'Did you escape from the Compound too?'
"Compound?" They both asked.
'It's back there.' I jerked my head back the way I had come. 'I've been there for awhile, but now I escaped!'
They looked at each other before Jesse turned to me. "The not a compound. That's the Pack House were we live."
'It's not the Compound?' They nodded. 'Does that mean Mark isn't there?'
"Mark?" Daniel asked. "Who's that?"
'He brought me to the Compound.'
'No he's not here." Jesse's eyes had grown dark, just like Chase's and Tori's had.
A thought hit me. 'Do you know Chase and Tori?'
Jesse blinked, "Yeah. They're my parents." Oh, so I could trust them.
'Hey Zayn," Daniel said, "How old are you?"
'I don't know. There was no way to keep track of time in the Compound.'
"Then do you know when you were born?" Jesse asked.
'January 4, 2001.' I grew sad remembering celebrating my birthday with my family.
"Today's January 18, 2018; so that would make you 17." Daniel concluded. I had been gone that long. My depression grew worse. Was it even possible anymore to find Mom and Silver?
Noticing my mood, Jesse picked me up, causing sparks to dance over my fur, and tensed as if I was going to run away. But the sparks felt....nice? They made me feel safe. Noticing that I wasn't trying to go anywhere, Jesse relaxed. "What's wrong Zayn?"
'How am I going to find my mom and sister if I've been gone so long?'
"They're missing? Since when?"
'The last time I saw them was the day Mark took me away.'
"What about your Dad?"
'Dead.'
"Do you have any other relatives?" Daniel asked.
'My dad had a brother.'
"What's his name?"
'Mark.'
Jesse's eyes glowed red. "The same Mark that hurt you?" He growled out.
'Yes.'
"Don't worry little one." Daniel cooed. "We already have people looking for him. When they catch him we will find out where your mom and sister are." They stood, Jesse was still carrying me.
'NO! YOU CAN'T BRING HIM HERE!! YOU CAN'T BE NEAR HIM!' I won't let Mark hurt them.
"Why not?" Jesse asked.
'I don't want you to become pets too.' I whimpered.
"Pets?!" Their eyes widened.
I nodded, 'He does awful things to his pets.' Images flashed in my mind of what he had done that first day and I shook with fear.
I must have sent the images to them because they both growled. "Your UNCLE was the one who did that to you?!" Daniel could barely speak he was so enraged. I nodded, too afraid to do anything else. They must have noticed my fear because their eyes softened. "Don't worry Zayn, we will catch him and stop this from happening to anyone else."
"It would help if we had a name." I flinched at the new voice, but calmed when Jesse started running his hand over my fur.
"We have one Drake. The guys name is Mark." Daniel told the blond.
"Do your have a last name? Mark is pretty common." Drake asked.
Daniel turned to me for a answer, but I just shook my head. 'I don't know his last name.'
"Isn't it the same as yours?" Jesse asked, confused. "I mean, if he was your dad's brother then he would have your dad's surname, which in turn would be yours."
"Wait! That creep is the kid's uncle?!" Drake exclaimed. Daniel and Jesse nodded.
'We took my mom's last name.' They explained this to Drake, who then asked me for my last name. 'Martinez.'
"Look for a Zayn Martinez born on January 4, 2001." Jesse ordered Drake. He explained his plan to me. "If we can find information on you we should be able to find some on your family, including your uncle." I let out a yawn when he was done explaining. Running around had really tired me out and my wounds were starting to throb.
"Awww, so cute." Drake reached out go touch me, but I shied away. I didn't trust him. I didn't know what he wanted with me or how he acted towards others. Granted I didn't know any of that about Jesse or Daniel, but they made me feel SAFE. I don't know why, but I didn't feel like I should fear them.
"Just give the info we gave you to Andrew so we can find this Mark faster." Jesse told Drake, who was pouting at my reaction to him. Rolling his eyes at the other man, Jesse walked inside and up the stairs while Daniel pulled Drake into another room. "We need to get you back to Mom to check on your wounds. She was terrified that you might have reopened a wound. She's probably freaking out."
True to Jesse's prediction, Tori was freaking out in the room I was in before. As soon as we walked in she took me out of his arms on put me on the bed before I could even resist. She checked both my injuries before leaning back and glaring at me, "You're lucky nothing was reopened."
'Sorry.'
She seemed shocked to hear my voice, but only for a moment due to me yawning again. "Oh, I almost forgot." She brought over a tray with a bowl on it. "You won't be able to handle rich foods or eat a lot, so I figured I'd make you some broth." She set the tray down. "Eat this, then you can sleep."
'Where's my bed though.' I didn't see one at the foot of the bed I was on, I shouldn't even be on here.
Tori frowned, "What do you mean? You're on your bed."
'But now that I'm awake I shouldn't be on the beds."
Jesse squatted down till he was looking in my eyes. "Zayn, where did you sleep the?" I sent him a memory of my bed and the chain next to it. His eyes flashed red again, which I think means he's angry. "You won't be sleeping like that again. You'll sleep here for now and once you're healed you'll get your own room." I was sceptical, but nodded anyway.
Tori reattached the tube to my leg after I was done eating, "This will keep you hydrated and reduce any pain you feel." Jesse tucked me in and pet my head, sending those sparks through me again.
"Good night Zayn." He whispered.