Chapter 7 Concerned: Leo POV

• We were about halfway there when I looked over and saw my baby fast asleep. Good, he needed the rest. I reached over, brushing my finger against his cheek, causing him to purr quietly. I was officially worried about him and whatever he'd been forced to go through. Seeing him like that broke my heart. Hearing the doubts he had about himself and what our relationship could be. It made me regret not finding him sooner. I would have been able to protect him from whatever caused this. As we pulled up to the packhouse, a few warriors walked over to greet me,
• "Welcome back, Leo."
• I nodded as I got out of the car and walked over to the passenger side, where Jayce and Micah stood peering through the glass at Cyrus with suspicion. I growled gently, causing them to step out of the way. Pulling open the door, I undid his seatbelt and gently turned him 'til his legs were hanging out of the car. I picked him up, his legs on either side of me, my arms making a seat for his thighs and plump butt. I heard my door being quietly closed behind me as I walked to the door. Making sure Cyrus' head was in the crook of my neck so the strange scents wouldn't wake him up, I made my way into the house and up the stairs.
• Once I was in my room, I gently laid him on my bed. As soon as he was on the comforter, he turned on his side, rubbing his face into the fabric and gripping it in his hands. I felt my wolf's pride in how our scent comforted our mate. As he lay there in his clothes, I almost wanted to wake him up so he could change into something more comfortable. I decided to let him sleep for now. There were so many thoughts running through my mind about him. Through the pack link, I asked my dad if he was still up. Unsurprisingly, he said yes, and I made my way to his office, closing the door behind me as quietly as possible.
• The Alpha's office was at the end of the hallway, the door slightly ajar. I walked in to see my dad on his laptop. He looked up as I sat down in the chair across from his desk,
• "Hey, son. I hear a 'congratulations' is in order. Josh told me you found your mate. I'm happy for you."
• At the mention of Cyrus, my leg started bouncing. He glanced at it,
• "What did you want to talk about?"
• "I'm worried about him, dad."
• He closed his laptop and interlaced his fingers as he gave me his full attention. Where do I start? I was getting antsy in the chair, so I started to pace,
• "It's so many different things like he was living in the woods and his wolf is scarred, LIKE COVERED IN SCARS, and he's scared of certain types of touch and then he was so sleep deprived he gave himself a migraine and he doesn't even have basic possessions and sometimes he gets scared when I touch him-"
• "Son."
• "And he has way too much battle experience to just be a senior in high school and then he had this crazy migraine so I don't know if he has other health things going on-"
• "Son."
• "And he's scared of telling me his past 'cause he thinks I'll reject him-"
• "Leo."
• "And then he told me that he didn't deserve to have a mate and there's also the scar-"
• "Leonitus!"
• I stopped at the sound of my full name and looked at my dad, who was giving me a sympathetic, yet worried, look,
• "Son, take a seat, and take a breath."
• I did as he suggested, and he smiled at me encouragingly,
• "Now, start from the beginning."
• "Well, I guess the main thing that's bothering me is his past. Apparently, it's bad enough that he thinks I'd reject him as a mate. There are multiple signs to back up that he's been through a lot and it's gnawing at the back of my mind. I don't want to rush him into talking about it before he's ready, but the more time we're together, the more I'm worried about him not talking about it."
• "What have you seen? Give me some examples."
• "Well, when I first found him, he was in the woods, living off of hunted prey alone. I'd only caught a glimpse of his wolf then, but it was covered in scars. I got a better look in battle training and he's literally covered from nose to tail, but they don't look normal and they don't appear on his human form. At least not all of them, from what I can see. The main wound that appears is a deep one on his throat. It looks like it should have been fatal and the fact that it left a wound means that it was most likely made by a silver weapon or another wolf. On top of all that, he was so sleep-deprived that I think it caused a migraine. Dad, he doesn't have anything. Not a single possession. He's also extremely well trained. How calm he is when he fights, it's like he's killed before. But, all of that confidence can fade if I touch him in certain places. You know...he told me that he didn't deserve a mate. I never knew my heart could break like that until he said it. I just want him to feel safe and loved, and I'll do what it takes, but it's scary not knowing what I'm helping him with exactly."
• My dad took a breath before speaking,
• "Well, first off, I want to tell you that I'm proud of you for stepping up to the plate. It's clear you and your mate are going to have a tough road ahead of you. Secondly, I want to help you understand a little of what your mate has possibly gone through. You understand what the wolf represents, right?"
• "It's like the representation of the mind."
• "Yes, more specifically, it's the physical representation of one's strength of will and strength of mind. That's why when someone loses the bond with their wolf, they either die or go feral, if they lose their humanity. One can't exist without the other. Because they're two sides of the same coin, there are times when the wolf, in an attempt to protect the mind in its entirety, takes the burden of stress. Usually, this manifests physically on the wolf in the form of scars. This happens only during intense stress."
• I nod my head, trying to figure out how this gives further explanation on Cyrus' past. Even I could see that he was a little stressed out. My dad sighed, seeing my confused expression, and looked down,
• "The type of intense stress...that, usually, comes from some sort of trauma."
• My eyes widened as he continued,
• "Usually...the type of trauma that's associated with...torture...or rape. And...if his wolf is as scarred as you say it is, then...that would most likely indicate long-term abuse. I'm sorry, son."
• I felt sick. Long-term rape and torture. No wonder he felt the way he did. I thought back to the way he'd tensed when I put my hand on his thigh and felt like an idiot. My wolf was pacing in the back of my mind, feeling a mixture of worry and guilt. I just wanted to hold him in my arms and tell him that he didn't deserve whatever he'd gone through. That I cared for him unconditionally. That he was finally safe here, with me. A loud growl suddenly echoed out.
• I stood up quickly. That sounded like Cyrus. Practically running down the hallway, I saw that my door was open, causing my wolf and I to be pissed. Who the hell had woken our mate?! I basically kicked the door open, and what I saw had me on the verge of shifting as my wolf pushed for control. Cyrus had backed himself to the headboard with his canines and claws extended. His eyes were pale blue, showing that his wolf was the one who'd been awoken. He was growling at Jayce, who had the audacity to bare his fangs at my mate. I snapped my now fully extended canines and stood between the two of them with my baby behind me,
• "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!?"
• Jayce flinched at my tone of voice, but didn't stop snarling at Cyrus, which angered me more,
• "Sir, I smelled the scent of a rogue coming from your room and decided to investigate it."
• I growled loudly. Did he think I was stupid? Not only had he seen me carry him up here, but the two of us should have been well scented since we'd been up under each other for most of the day,
• "THAT'S BULLSHIT, TELL THE TRUTH!"
• He flinched again and finally stopped snarling,
• "I smelled your scent mixed with that rogue's. It's unnatu-"
• I growled loudly, shutting him up instantly,
• "THAT'S MY MATE AND YOUR FUTURE LUNA! Your behavior won't be tolerated! You're suspended from your duties 'til further notice, NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"
• As he rushed out of the room with his head bowed, I turned to check on Cyrus. His eyes were back to normal, but now they were heavy with sleep. He on his knees with them spread slightly as he leaned forward on his hands. He was freaking adorable. He blinked at me sleepily,
• "Goodnight, baby..."
• I tried to hold back a laugh as I caught him before he landed on the bed,
• "Nope, not yet. C'mon, you can take a shower while I get you something comfortable to sleep in."
• He groaned, slightly irritated with my request, while rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand,
• "Mmkay..."
• He crawled across the bed on his hands and knees, slowly, his hair, including the white streak, falling into his face, getting caught in his lashes, 'til he was in my arms, kissing my cheek before getting out of the bed completely. I swallowed, trying to reign in my arousal,
• "My bathroom is through that door."
• He nodded and made his way to the door directly across from the bed. After he'd closed it, I fell back on the bed. Damn. There was no middle ground with him. He'd just gone from adorably innocent to fucking sexy in one movement. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair, trying to ease my thoughts. Getting up, I walked to my dresser to grab him a t-shirt and a pair of boxers. I knocked on the door before cracking it enough to stick my hand through,
• "The clothes are on the counter."
• "Okay. Thank you."
• "You're welcome, baby."
• I closed the door and walked over to my bed, turning the t.v. on. I turned on a random show on Netflix and sat down, waiting for him to finish. Another episode of the show was about to begin when Cyrus' head peeped out from the bathroom. His eyes landed on mine before he looked down,
• "Do you have a long-sleeved shirt I could wear?"
• "Sure beautiful, let me get it."
• "Thank you."
• I smiled at him and walked over to my dresser, getting him a long-sleeved tee. Walking it over, I saw him reposition himself further behind the door. I handed it to him,
• "I didn't realize you got cold."
• He grabbed the shirt so quickly; I didn't even see his hand,
• "I don't."
• He closed the door gently, and I walked back over to the bed, my dad's words ringing through my head. Trauma from long-term rape and torture.