We miss you terribly. We both think about you daily. We want you both to know how much we love you. And if you need us, we will come. Just send word. We both have a lot to talk to you two about. Hopefully we can see each other soon and talk in person.
Be strong,
Reiya and Brody
Hunter and Chasen smiled as they looked down at the letter.
“So how is Brody doing? Is he taking good care of our little sister?” Chasen watched as a small pink shade rose over Chelsie’s cheeks.
“Yes, he’s taking good care of Reiya. They’re both doing well,” Chelsie said in almost a whisper. “Well, I’m going to head back. With what just happened, I don’t want to be gone long.” Chelsie took a few steps back. “Be careful. Reiya and Brody would be devastated if anything happened to the two of you.”
“Same with them. Thanks for coming, Chelsie.” Hunter nodded to her. He watched her until she disappeared in the distance, then turned to look at Chasen. “We’ll start doubling the patrols.”
The two men walked back to the pack house, going over the future plans for the pack’s safety. As they reached the house, they heard the sound of soft sniffles from around the side. They turned and looked at each other. Hunter furrowed his brows and the two men walked around the corner. There, sitting between two bushes, they found Susan sobbing, her hands covering her face.
“Sues? What’s wrong?” Hunter squatted down in front of her. She lifted her gaze, and the tears continued to flow down her face.
“It’s Jin.” She sniffled and shook her head.
“What about Jin?” Chasen’s aura started to become dark, like a storm had suddenly washed over him.
She continued to shake her head. “So horrible. It’s too horrible. That poor girl.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes with her hands.
“Sues,” Hunter said gently. “Tell us what happened.”
“I was helping her choose a swimsuit. I walked in to help her tie one of the swimsuits. Her back … her back is covered in white scars where she was whipped. It’s horrible. How can she be such a happy person after something like that? I had to leave. I couldn’t stop myself from crying. She is such a sweet person. Who could do something like that?” Susan covered her face as she continued sobbing.
Chasen stood there quietly, watching Susan cry as Hunter tried to comfort her, then glanced up at the house. He inhaled a deep breath and walked away. He had to see it for himself. His mate had been hurt and mistreated, he knew that … but now that he knew there was evidence, he wanted to inspect it for himself. He had to go to his mate.
He walked into the house, shutting the door behind him. He then took determined strides toward Jin’s room. Jin was no longer staying in Hunter’s room, having moved into a room of her own since she wasn’t a threat. While Chasen wanted to keep her close, he also wanted to show her he trusted her. Keeping her close had nothing to do with trust anymore but his desire to simply be near her. He reached up and knocked on her door.
“Come in.”
He took a deep breath. He would need to control himself. This was going to be a challenge. It would probably be best for him not to see the marks, to not be able to imagine the pain she’d been in. But he couldn’t help himself. The other part of him wanted to trace her scars, plant light kisses over them, leave his own mark over the old wounds.
Chasen reached up and turned the doorknob, pushing the door open. It was what he had to do. His beast demanded it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Hunter sighed and stared in the direction his brother had gone. He hoped he would be able to control his emotions. It would be hard to see marks on your mate. He frowned and then turned his attention back to Susan.
“Let’s go ahead and go swimming. Take your mind off things.” Hunter reached down, offering his hand.
“What about Jin?” She allowed him to help her up before glancing back toward the house.
“Chasen went in to see her. Maybe they’ll join us, maybe they won’t. That’ll be up to her.” Hunter figured they might as well go and do something. There was no telling how things were going to turn out. “Don’t worry. She’s in good hands.” Hunter smiled, placing his arm on her shoulders, gently corralling her along.
Chasen walked into the room as Jin walked out of her bathroom. She had a shirt over the top of her swimsuit, covering her upper body. Her eyes looked confused as he approached, unsure of what he wanted. He stood in front of her, gazing into her eyes.
“Jin, can I see?” His quiet voice sounded like a plea. He didn’t know why he needed to see so bad. He knew it was only going to cause him pain, but he still needed to.
Her eyes widened for a moment as she bit her inner lip. The mild tugging inside her started again as she stared into his eyes. She knew Susan must have said something. He knew about her past, but he’d never seen the proof of it that had been left upon her skin.
“Okay, if you really want to. Just remember … it was several years ago.” She gave him a weak smile. She reached down and grabbed the bottom of her shirt, lifting it over her head. His eyes roamed over the swimsuit she was wearing, and she felt her cheeks heat slightly. “I’ll have to remove a strap for you to see the back fully.” His brown eyes looked darker but he nodded for her to continue. She hooked her finger into the thin black strap, pulling it down over her shoulder. She then turned her back to him and pulled her hair to the side.
Chasen suppressed a gasp. Long white marks crossed her back. Dozens upon dozens, creating zig zags of scars from the numerous times she’d been whipped. His breath caught as he reached out and slowly began to trace over the scars with the tips of his fingers. He felt his knees buckle slightly as his chest squeezed in pain. How could they have done something so horrible to her? He unconsciously moved closer, and before he knew it, he’d lowered his lips onto her shoulder blade, lightly pressing them against one of her scars.
She stiffened as she felt his lips on her. Her stomach did flips as sparks of energy raced through her. The sparks soon imploded, creating fireworks as the tingling sensation embraced her. Her shell disappeared that instant, and when it did, a voice reverberated in her mind. Quiet at first, then loud and clear.Mate. MATE.
