Chapter 4 The River

Third Person's POV 

After reaching the river, Zeus drops the bag in his mouth before shifting. The Alpha pulls his swim shorts on and then turns to grab the rest of his things from his bag. When Thaddeus turns and reaches for his bag, he finds Xander has already dug through it.

Thaddeus tilts his head and exhales as he watches the goofy Beta before him. 

“Xander, for crying out loud! Give me back my damn straps!” Thaddeus scolded the idiot, who took his leg strap and strapped his legs together before trying to waddle toward the water.

“No! I'm a mermaid!... Hey, I have a good one for you. How do you recognize a nerdy mermaid?...  She wears an algaebra!” Xander fell into a fit of laughter after delivering the punch line to his joke.

Thaddeus tried not to laugh but failed, and he chuckled, earning a bright smile from Xander. 

“You're an idiot!”

“Why thank y-” Xander began to say, but his words were cut off when he face-planted into the dirt. Thaddeus laughed harder and shook his head. 

“Serves you right! Now give me my damn straps and help me into the water!” 

“Ouch! My nose,” He said, rubbing his nose with one hand while reaching down to undo the straps around his legs with the other. 

After getting his strap back from his Beta, Thaddeus straps his legs together at the knees. This prevents the current from pulling his legs in every direction.

After securing his legs, Thaddeus straps the waist belt on, which helps balance his lower body. This also gives Thaddeus the support his legs would normally provide, so his arms aren't doing all the work. 

After securing the strap around his waist, Thaddeus lifts his arm as Xander reaches down and picks him up. 

It used to be humiliating to be picked up like this. Especially since he’s an Alpha and was the one who used to pick everyone else up. Over time, that humility faded… Somewhat. It's still there. But nowhere near as strong as it was.

Once in the water, the Alpha released a breath and could almost let his body go limp and relax. The cold water was soothing, and the flow of the current felt good against his body. But the Alpha knew he would end up miles away, so he began swimming against the current.

Thaddeus listened as Xander told him what his parents had been up to the past weekend. Then, the Beta swam quietly as he listened to Thaddeus speak what was on his mind. First it was business, typical Alpha. Then, slowly, his walls cracked, and he began talking to Xander like a friend again. It wasn't long before the two were laughing. 

Xander swam ahead as Thaddeus began working on his backstrokes. 

“Shit! Hey, what the hell is that?” Xander yelled, and Thaddeus spun around. As the Alpha looked ahead of Xander, he saw what looked like a body floating down the river. 

Xander positioned himself, waiting for the body to get close enough for him to grab it. When it was close enough, he dragged the small body to his Alpha to see if they could identify him. With all the packs in the area, the body could belong to any of them or none. He could be a rogue for all they know. 

Once Xander is close enough to Thaddeus, they both look down at the body and right away can tell he has been through hell. He was naked. His face was swollen and covered in bruises. His lip is busted, his eyes are swollen shut, and cuts cover not only his face but his entire body.

Thaddeus and Xander see bite marks all over his body, letting them know another werewolf attacked him. The long thin marks on his body are the telltale sign that someone recently took a whip to this small and fragile person. 

Thaddeus looked at the small and abused body, and the Alpha's heart clenched. 

Thaddeus reached out to grab him, wanting to get a closer look and confirm he was not dead. He certainly looked dead. 

As soon as Thaddeus’ fingers touched the body, he quickly withdrew his fingers as though he just touched acid. 

Thaddeus held his hand, staring at the body in shock before looking at his Beta when he spoke, “What's wrong? Are you okay?”

Thaddeus's heart raced in his chest. He thought his mind was playing tricks on him. ‘ There's no way I felt what I thought I did,’’ The Alpha thought. But he hoped and prayed he did. 

Looking back down at the person floating in the water, Thaddeus slowly reached a trembling hand out. His fingers trembled even more just before brushing against his cheek. Thaddeus' mouth opened as he gasped. There they were, those amazing little tingles dancing under his fingertips as he touched the stranger's cheek.

Zeus pushed forward harder, peering down at the body in front of them. Zeus whimpered as he felt the tingles and saw the condition of the person those tingles came from. 

“Mate,” Thaddeus breathes out before grabbing his mate and pulling him out of the water and against his chest. His arms wrapped around the body, and Xander reached out, grabbing Thaddeus to keep him afloat and from drifting down the river.

Panic washed over the Alpha, and his eyes stung as they filled with tears. Who could have done this to him? And why? 

He's barely alive. The only reason he knows his mate is alive is by the tingles. If he was dead, they wouldn't be there. Thaddeus taps his cheek, trying to wake him, but he gets no response. The Alpha suddenly needed further proof that he was alive, so he placed his ear against his chest. Thaddeus breathes a sigh of relief when he hears the faint beat of his mate's heart.

“We have to get him back to the hospital now!” Thaddeus carefully passed his mate into Xander's arms before swimming back to the shore.

Once out of the water, Thaddeus took the strap off his legs as fast as he could and then shifted. 

“Use the strap and strap him to my back,” Thaddeus said. As soon as his mate was secured to his back, Zeus took off, running toward the pack hospital as fast as he could. 

The trees blurred past the large Alpha wolf as he raced through the woods at lightning speed. Zeus is swift on his feet. His movements are smooth, and his mate's body barely moves on his back. Zeus's body bends around the trees, pushing himself as fast as he can.

Zeus breaks through the tree line, and the pack hospital comes into view. The doors are open, and nurses are already waiting outside to collect his mate. 

A nurse carries his mate into the hospital, and another brings a wheelchair and shorts to the Alpha. 

Thaddeus quickly wheels himself down the hall and into the room where his mate is already being worked on. 

He's so thin that there's no meat on his bones. Thaddeus can see every bone in his body. His body is so pale and lifeless that it scares the Alpha. Every lash his mate took is visible all over his poor, frail body. Thaddeus could see every cut, bruise, and wound.

Thaddeus' stomach dropped when they flipped him over onto his stomach and exposed his back. The Alpha went numb when he saw how bad his mate's back was.

Hands were all over his mate as they worked on him, which snapped the Alpha out of his stunned state. Zeus pushed forward and growled when he saw so many hands all over his mate. He didn't like it, especially when the wounds began to bleed again. 

Everyone immediately froze and looked at The Alpha, and he cleared his throat. “ I'm sorry,” Thaddeus said, and the doctors turned, continuing to work on his mate. Unfortunately, Zeus growled each time they touched his mate a certain way, and the doctor finally sighed as he faced the Alpha. 

“I know you're concerned about him, but I think it's best to leave the room so we can work on him.” 

Thaddeus breathes out as he runs his hand through his hair. “ Okay. Just do whatever you can to save him! He is my mate. Don't let him die,” Thaddeus says, and every head in the room snaps in the Alpha's direction. The Doctor turns back and looks at the body lying on the table in shock before looking at the Alpha again. 

“Yes, Alpha!” the doctor said as he spun on his heels and began barking orders. The sense of urgency was stronger as the Alpha left. 

Along with the wounds on his body, he needed surgery to repair his spleen, which had ruptured from a blow to the abdomen. 

Thaddeus sat in his wheelchair outside his mate's room while they worked on him. The Alpha was left to his thoughts, and they began to run rampant. So many thoughts raced through his mind. Who did this? Why? How could anyone hurt someone like that? He was so small and frail, so defenseless. How could anyone hurt someone like that? 

The Alpha became angry the more he thought of it. His hands clenched into fists, and his jaw tensed. He began to picture the things he wanted to do to whoever did this to his mate. The rage continued to build until he pictured his face again. The anger turned to sadness, and Thaddeus's head dropped into his hands—the very hands that held his mate and felt the tingles of the bond.

He could still feel his mate's body in his arms, and he wondered what it would be like to hold him when he woke up. The very thought caused Thaddeus's heart to beat faster. Hope began to rise in the Alpha until he looked down at his legs. 

‘What will happen when he wakes up? What if he doesn't want anything to do with me? What if he looks at my legs and has the same reaction as my first mate?’ Thaddeus thought, and his eyes closed as he ran his hands down his face. 

The Alpha opens his eyes and looks at his legs. He reaches down with his right hand, touching his leg just above the knee. Thaddeus closes his eyes again. 

It still feels so strange to touch his legs. It feels like he's touching someone else's leg. He can't even feel the weight of his hand against his leg. It might as well not be there. The longer his hand remains on his leg, the creepier it feels to the Alpha, and he feels gross all over again, just like he did in the beginning.

Thaddeus could already picture the disgust on his mate's face when he saw his legs. ‘Who am I kidding? Who is ever going to want me like this?’ Thaddeus thought, and Zeus whimpered in his head as he receded. Thaddeus took a deep breath in as he leaned back, his hand running down his face as he breathed out. 

Thaddeus's head shoots up when the doctor finally walks out of the room. 

The doctor looked nervous, and Thaddeus's stomach dropped as he began to fear the worst. 

“What's going on? Is he okay?” Thaddeus tried to remain calm when he spoke, but the doctor flinched, and Thaddeus realized he was yelling. 

“Yes, he's okay. We have him stabilized.” The doctor said as he sat down next to Thaddeus. 

“You, you said he's your mate, right?”

“Yes, he's my mate.”

“I don't know how else to say this, so I guess I'll just say it… It looks like he has been abused for a very long time. Many of his scars are old, and some are new. The part that gave it away was the scars on his bones. When a bone is broken and healed, it leaves something behind, like a scar. With werewolves, it goes away, but it didn't for him. Some of those scars look very old, and others look recent. 

He also has internal scarring, which could only happen if someone used a silver blade on him. 

The scars on his bones are throughout his body. His ribs, his arms, his wrist, and even his fingers have been broken. His legs didn't go untouched either.

I'm sure you saw the marks on his body. Someone definitely used a whip on him recently. There are also old marks. This isn't the first time he has seen a whip.

This abuse, some of the scars are at least 8 to 10 years old.” The doctor looked at his hands as he spoke and then paused as he shook his head.

“I had to give him blood because he lost so much blood. He's emaciated. He's severely underweight… I have him stabilized. Right now, he is sedated. When that wears off, he won't wake up right away. It could take hours, days, or weeks. 

We will take good care of him and keep a close eye on him… I'm terribly sorry, Alpha! I wish I had better news. But he's alive, and we will do everything we can to help him.” The doctor said before he stood and left. 

A hand gently resting on Thaddeus's shoulder startled the Alpha. Thaddeus looked at Xander and saw a soft and concerned look on his face. 

“He's going to be okay. I know he's been through some shit, but he has you now. He has all of us. He'll make it through this… Why don't you head in there? I'm here if you need me. Just link me, I'll be at the pack house.” Xander said as he stood and paused, “Should I call Noah?” 

Thaddeus glanced at the clock and then shook his head. “No, it's too late. I'll call him in the morning before they head out for training.”

“Are you bringing them home?” Xander asked, referring to the team of 25 warriors Thaddeus sent to Ohio to help train another pack. 

“No. But they deserve to know I found their Luna.” Thaddeus said, and Xander gave him a soft smile before leaving.

Thaddeus looked at the door in front of him and then swallowed before approaching it. Thaddeus slowly opened the door, and the sound of the monitor beeping could be heard instantly. 

The door closes behind Thaddeus, and he moves deeper into the room. His eyes rake over the person lying on the bed in front of him. His chest tightens at the lifeless body in front of him. His body is so broken. 

As Thaddeus moves closer, he finally gets a closer look at his mate. Under all the bruises and swelling, he sees beauty, and it takes his breath away. How is it possible for him to look so beautiful in his condition? 

Thaddeus reached up and brushed the hair from his forehead. ‘ Goddess, I hope he accepts me!’ he prayed.

The Alpha tries not to think about what will happen when he wakes up. He tries not to think about what his reaction will be when he sees his useless legs and the wheelchair. 

Thaddeus reaches forward and gently takes his hand. His skin doesn't feel as cold as it did, and Thaddeus is thankful for that. 

The tingles feel a little stronger but still not strong enough. They feel amazing dancing along his skin, though. The Alpha reaches up and gently cups his mate's face, and the tears fall from his eyes. 

“I'm sorry!” Thaddeus whispers before resting his forehead on his mate's arm.

“I'm so sorry this happened to you! 

I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you!... You're safe now. I'll never let anyone hurt you again… Everything's going to be okay now, I promise! I'll take care of you and keep you safe.” Thaddeus said softly as the tears fell.