Alpha-mates: Chapter-28
A/n- Hey guys! I'm feeling slightly guilty because today's chapter update is absolutely NOT in keeping with the holiday/festive spirit, buuuut it's an update; so Merry Christmas y'all!
Warning [Please heed]-
There are mentions of an off-screen attempted sexual assault in this chapter and it deals in details of the after-math. So please proceed with caution.
Those who fear being triggered, can PM me for clarifications if you want them to decide whether or not you will be reading this chapter.
For what it's worth, I'd hoped to avoid this; but my muse refused to budge. :-(
Thank you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter-28
The Ackles’ living-room had turned into a camping ground for the entire team with everyone gathered there and busy looking into ways to have their Beta acquitted. Jensen hadn’t slept a wink since he’d heard of his mate’s arrest and after the seventh time he growled on being approached, Chris took him aside and told him in no uncertain terms that he was terrifying everyone with his behaviour and that he should probably isolate himself a little.
Neither Misha nor Vicki was in criminal law, though both had enough contacts; consequently Aldis Hodge and Sebastian Roche were roped in to handle Jared’s case. The two lawyers had contrasting personalities with Roche being as flamboyant as Hodge was conservative, but both had a competitive streak a mile wide and egos to match... each determined to organise the case ‘their way’ and use their own teams and resources instead of pooling their resources the way the Ackles’ pack was used to and it made the environment tense and difficult to work in. Their clashing egos and frequent verbal sparring sessions made it look like it would either eventually come to blows or one would resign; but then they made the mistake of getting into an argument within Jensen’s hearing and the Elder summoned them to his study. They walked in full of bluster and eager to explain their reasoning and win over the alpha, but Jensen was beyond a patient-hearing under the circumstances. He simply sat them down and explained how this case was not something that would provide them with their desired media coverage and if that was what they had come for then they were free to leave. Roche misread his superficial calm and attempted to justify himself and found himself bearing the full brunt of the alpha’s ire. When Hodge attempted to defend his colleague out of a mistaken sense of professional brotherhood, he found himself before the same gauntlet. Their attempts at absolving themselves with inarticulate excuses had them both enduring a verbal lashing that -though not witnessed by anyone other than Chris- had both alphas nearly wetting their pants. They emerged from the room pale faced and cold with sweat as they made their individual ways to a chair on shaky legs, just sitting numbly and attempting to come to grips with the humiliating dressing down they had just received till they caught the muted creak of the study opening and then jumped to action, not wanting the Alpha to call them back a second time.
The rest of the day and the better half of the next morning passed without event, with both lawyers working as a team and building a defence for Jared.
It was early afternoon on Sunday and Steve was trying to coax Jensen to eat a slice of buttered toast when the house-phone rang, shattering the silence. The Alpha answered at the third ring, picking up the cordless and moving a little way to keep the conversation private. Everyone watched as Jensen’s face went chalk-white and then they were too busy trying not to bawl their eyes out to notice the alpha’s reactions any further.
Chris was the only one brave enough to battle his streaming eyes to approach the Elder.
“Jensen?”
The alpha blinked, shaking his hand out and only then noticing the splintered plastic and fibre that were the remains of his phone.
“Jenny, please!”
Jensen’s eyes snapped up, Chris never used his private nickname for him in front of others... for him to use it now... it took a moment for him to note that Chris’ eyes were streaming and that everybody else was in a similar position of despair.
“What happened?” He questioned hoarsely, not having the tiniest desire to help anyone at this point but unable to simply abandon his responsibility to his pack either. And then doubt flickered, “Did ya’ll already know?”
Chris shook his head, using the back of his hand to wipe at his face, “You need to put a lid on, son. And no we don’t know anything... but that sounded like bad news?” He jerked his head towards the broken phone.
Jensen breathed deeply, struggling to rein himself in so that his pack was not affected and then confessed, “Jared’s hurt. Take me to him?”
Chris snapped to action immediately, “Of course. Where is he again?”
“Medline Central” Jensen answered blankly, naming the hospital.
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞Chris drove like a mad-man to the hospital, fully aware that even if Jensen might have complained under normal circumstances, the Alpha would not be opposed to him breaking a few traffic-codes now. Even then, there was no point in taking unnecessary risks (especially since they would not be the only ones involved in case of an accident)and put in a call to the police traffic headquarters before they exited Ackles’ Estate, identifying himself and requesting a green channel for Elder Ackles. If the traffic controller was taken aback by the call, there was no evidence of it; just a professional demand for Jensen’s security code to confirm that it was genuinely Elder Ackles. Once verified, he was told that they would be sending him a pass-code for double verification and Chris wanted to groan at the bureaucratic nonsense. A moment later his phone beeped and Chris debated slowing to check and relay the pass-code. Before he could even lift his feet off the accelerator, Jensen was leaning over the seat and grabbing at his phone before barking the code into the car’s receiver. The controller confirmed the codes’ veracity and their destination before assuring that the roads would be cleared for them. Chris relaxed slightly at the confirmation before peering at the rear-view to check on Jensen. “You okay?”
“I’ll be better once I see Jared.” Jensen snapped before covering his face with his hands and pressing his thumbs into his sockets tiredly, “Sorry,”
“Hey, it’s just me, alright? You don’t have to apologise to me, Jenny.”
A smile ghosted over the alpha’s face at the familiar nickname and Chris nodded approvingly as he noticed the minute unclenching of the alpha’s shoulders.
“You think he’ll be alright?”
“No,” He answered honestly, “If they had to bring him to the hospital, then he’s obviously not alright; but he has you. And he has us, even that contrary beta bastard of a best-friend of his; so yes, he will be okay eventually.”
“’m tabling the Beta Bill, Chris; can’t afford to have my people calling betas’ names.”Jensen rebuked lightly.
“Oops,” He returned unrepentantly as he made the sharp turn into Medline’s gates and brought the car to a squealing stop in front of the imposing glass sliding doors, Jensen was out of the car before the wheels had stopped completely and Chris shook his head. He could only think of the last time Jensen had been in such hurry- they had had to request a green-corridor that time too, Chris remembered, thinking of the call Jensen had received from the hospital a decade ago and the Alpha’s ensuing heartbreak.
He hoped that things turned out to be happier this time round.
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞Jensen was escorted to Jared’s room immediately but before he could step in, a Beta-doctor came hurrying from the opposite direction, “Mr. Ackles?”
Jensen nodded impatiently, glaring down at where her slender hands were pressed lightly against his chest, stopping him from entering.
“Please step this way for a moment, I need to talk to you- tell you what to expect-”
“And I need to be with my mate!”
“You need to hear this first,” She returned decisively. “Your mate was attacked and there are things that you should know about before you barge in there.”
Jensen’s lips thinned but he nodded his assent, unwilling to prolong this- whatever ‘this’ was.
“Well, first off, he’s rather badly shaken from the attack-”
“Wouldn’t you be as well, in his shoes?” Jensen snorted humourlessly.
She nodded crisply, her expression not wavering despite his open hostility even though she didn’t hesitate to put him in his place, “You need to keep in mind that I’m not the one who caused those injuries, Alpha Ackles. I’m just trying to help.”
“Right, sorry,” Jensen apologised, pinching the bridge of his nose and struggling to regain his composure. He breathed deeply a few times before opening his eyes and gesturing at her to continue.
“Okay, so good news is the penetration was incomplete-”
“Penetration?” Jensen interrupted, voice hollow as a sinking feeling flooded his gut with ice.
“They were attempting to assault him sexually, Alpha Ackles, were you not aware?”
He shook his head mutely, eyes wide and horrified.
“Oh.” And for the first time since he had met her, the doctor seemed unsettled.
“They-” He licked his lips as he fought to control his rage and grief, “I was just told that he got hurt in an altercation.”
“Right, uh-” She hesitated briefly, “Do you need me to call someone for you?”
“No, please uhm... please go on.”
“Okay, so given his injuries, I’d say it was slightly more than just an altercation,” She began, eyes watching intently for his reactions, professional mask firmly in place: “Your mate’s not exactly a small man, so I suspect there were a minimum of three assailants-”
“Oh Heavens,” He breathed.
“From the bruises around his arms, I’d say two held him down while the third carried out the attack.” She continued, “Like I said before, they did not succeed in penetrating him completely, so it’s not as bad as it could have been; but having said that, there was some amount of anorectal tearing, mostly concentrated around his anal rim. It is possible that prior to attempting penile penetration, some kind of object was inserted into his anal orifice as well because we found traces of metallic residue while performing the rape-kit.”
Jensen winced sympathetically, unable to believe the extent of what his mate had been put through.
The doctor continued, oblivious to the alpha’s mounting horror: “Consequently, we were forced to interrupt the kit to perform a debridement of the region, which led to some minor bleeding. Here, I must warn you that the bleeding might continue intermittently for a few days because there were a few minor tears deeper in his rectum which were not large enough to warrant stitches and are expected to heal on their own, but which might re-open upon movement. So we will advise plenty of rest. However, in case bleeding continues beyond a week, please bring him back so that we can take a look.”
Jensen nodded dejectedly before remembering something she said, “Wait- ... I don’t mean to interrupt, but you said the penetration was incomplete?”
She nodded in confirmation.
“Then how did he sustain injuries deep in uh- in his rectum?”
“Like I said, we suspect some kind of object was used for insertion. We suspect the injuries might have stemmed from that.”
Jensen nodded, biting back the horrified pleas that wanted to escape his lips.
“And that leads me to my next point; we would like to perform a colonoscopy on him to ascertain that there are no other injuries, especially deeper in his colon-”
“What?” He asked faintly, “Why?”
She sighed, “Mr. Ackles-”
“Alpha, please... or preferably, just Jensen.”
“Jensen,” She nodded, “Like I said, we suspect that some sort of object was forced up your mate’s uh...”
“Up his butt,” Jensen filled in impatiently.
She nodded, nose wrinkling minutely at his crude wording, “Till we find out exactly what was used for the insertion, we cannot determine how deep it went and what sort of injuries its insertion might have caused. A colonoscopy would help, but we cannot perform that without permission-”
“Jared is an adult,” Jensen hissed, anger sharpening his tone: “And he’s still an alpha legally. As long as he’s conscious, you can go to get your permission from him.”
“Still an alpha legally?” The doctor repeated, blinked. And then surprised understanding flickered across her face, “You-... Are you telling me that he’s Beta Ackles?”
Jensen’s jaw clenched but he gave a stiff nod, refusing to answer verbally.
“Wow,” She whispered, “He’s like... he’s my hero.”
Jensen’s expression softened but he could not bring himself to smile, mind still on Jared’s injuries. “You were telling me about performing a colonoscopy?”
“Oh, uhm.” It took her a few microseconds to gather her composure and then it was as if the exchange hadn’t happened at all. In spite of himself, Jensen found himself grateful for the reprieve.
“We will be taking his consent as well. But he’s just undergone massive trauma... a secondary confirmation is prudent under the circumstances.”
Jensen inhaled a deep fortifying breath as he considered the explanation. Then: “What’ll it involve? The uh- the colonoscopy?”
The doctor’s cheeks pinkened in second-hand embarrassment, “He uh... It would appear Ja- uhm... beta-”
“Alpha. Or Jared. ... Only I get to call him beta.”
“Right. Uhm...” She nodded, her eyes widening at the sharp rebuke, “It would appear he uh... he’s kind-of stopped up-” She twisted her lips in an uneasy smile.
Jensen nodded; thinking of the pictures he had seen in Misha’s file of the single open toilet at one corner of the large holding-cell where Jared had been kept with the other prisoners and his mate’s intimacy issues. Jared preferred to keep the lights off when they had sex -content with whatever moonlight filtered in through the windows; it wasn’t a surprise that he’d refused to have a bowel movement publicly (Jensen didn’t think he’d be able to manage one either, come to think of it). “What’s the big deal? Just ask him to uh- well, to poop. Maybe give him some natural laxatives like herbal tea or simply a cup of hot water with a little lemon juice?”
She shook her head, “Given the nature of his injuries, defecating will be excruciatingly painful for him at the moment. Especially since he’s got such an uh- such a backlog.”
“Right.... Okay. So, what’s the solution?”
“An enema.”
Jensen winced, “It’ll hurt him?”
“It’ll be uncomfortable, I won’t lie,” She told him candidly, “But it’s the best option at the moment. We don’t want to discover later that he had a major tear in his colon which we missed.”
Jensen nodded, “Okay,”
“That’s a yes?” She confirmed.
He nodded tiredly. “What else?”
“Due to the nature - and position- of his injuries, we will be placing him on a liquid diet for the moment. We recommend that he try to avoid defecating to reduce the risk of infection-”
“A v o i d defecating?” Jensen questioned, “I mean, you just told me that it’ll be painful for him, yeah... but you’re saying he cannot take a dump if he wants to stay infection free?”
“I’m saying a regular bowel movement is likely to exacerbate the injuries he has sustained. He can use a douche for a few days till the stitches come out and he heals down there.”
Jensen groaned, covering his face. Jared was such an independent individual, this was going to be hell for him. It took him a few more seconds to compose himself and then he nodded, “Can I see him now?”
“Uh... the SAFE kit is still underway, and then he will be having that colonoscopy I told you about... He’s been remarkably well-behaved so far, I would suggest you wait till the kit is completed before seeing him.”
“You think I’ll disrupt the kit?”
She shook his head, “There is no way to predict how a victim of sexual assault might react, some of them want people around them to feel safe, while others prefer to isolate themselves completely. Your partner may or may not react well to your presence-”
“But I didn’t hurt him-”
“I know,” She assured, “Nevertheless, it may be harder for him to face you now that you know about what he went through. Besides, I’ve seen families indulge in victim-shaming-”
“I don’t blame Jared.” Jensen growled, affronted.
The doctor raised her hands placatingly, “Never said you did,”
Jensen nodded, studying his sandal clad feet for a moment- he had forgotten to change into shoes in his hurry.
She watched him for a moment before she nodded, rising and grabbing a bundle of support-fliers from a shelf on the side and pressing them into Jensen’s hands, “You could look through those while you wait... they might give you a better idea of what to expect and how best to help your mate.”
Jensen felt his vision blur as he stared blankly at the cover-page of the first flier. When he looked up again, he was alone in the room.
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞Jared was lying supine, looking incredibly small under the thick blankets that swaddled him when Jensen knocked once and stepped into the room. He glanced towards the door at the sound and Jensen could plainly read the resolutely suppressed panic in those hazel eyes.
“Hey,” He whispered, struggling to muster up a smile for his mate.
“Jensen...” His mate breathed, struggling to sit up and wincing as the movement ignited his injuries again.
“Sshhh... lay back. I’ve got you, Jay. C’mon...” Jensen hurried to assure, rushing forward to halt the younger alpha before he aggravated his injuries. Jared didn’t shy away from his touch and Jensen cupped the younger alpha’s cheeks. “I’m s-”
The younger man’s adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, “Jen? The door, please?”
“Huh?” Jensen pulled back to ask before remembering his mate’s claustrophobia. “Oh. Of course!”
He poked his head outside to look at the security posted there (Since technically, Jared was still under arrest) and allowed a hint of authority to leak into his voice as he requested the man to move a few paces away since the door needed to be kept open. Still, Jensen wasn’t comfortable with every passer-by being able to peer into the room through the open door and drew the flimsy excuse for a curtain as much as he could.
Jared relaxed slightly at the concession and extended his hand for Jensen to take. Jensen slipped his hand into that gentle grip without hesitation and moved his thumb in soothing circles over the other’s skin. Despite the Elder’s gentle protests, Jared rose to a half-sitting position and tugged the older man closer till Jensen gave in with a reluctant sigh. Slipping his hand free for a moment, Jensen grabbed the remote for the bed and adjusted it so that it was angled up to support his back. He reached for Jared’s hand again the moment he was done and smiled when the younger man jerked him closer so that he could bury his face against the firm cotton-covered abdomen. Jensen ran his hands down his mate’s back and whispered soothing nonsense to calm him. Gradually, Jared’s breathing slowed and he began to relax in increments. When he eventually pulled back, he glanced up at the alpha sheepishly.
Instead of pulling up a chair, Jensen chose to perch on the bed next to Jared, careful of the wires leading off his mate to the various machines monitoring him and simply watched Jared. There was bruising around his left cheeks and the corner of his lips was split, but given the extensive list of injuries that the doctor had rattled off, Jared looked surprisingly good. Unable to resist, Jensen reached out to gently cup his face and was elated when Jared leaned into the touch.
Jared’s eyes slipped closed as he confessed, “They-... Jensen they-”
“I know,” The Alpha breathed, “The doc told me.”
Jared’s face crumpled at the confession and his expressive eyes filled with tears, making Jensen scramble forward and draw him closer so that he could hide his face against the older man’s shoulder. And then it was as if the dam broke at the action because he started sobbing. He sucked in huge, gulping breaths and struggled to minimize the sound as loud, shuddering sobs ripped through him. Jensen extricated his hand carefully from where it was trapped between them and wrapped it around Jared, cupping the back of his head and willing his body to act as a shield for the younger man.
“Jen....” He hiccupped into the warm shoulder as his body shook from his sobs, he had been able to stay stoic all this while but now, knowing there was someone who was there for him made the horror of it all bubble up and Jared felt devastated.
“Jaybir-.... What are you doing here?!” Chad’s voice broke through his grief and the Pack- beta lifted his head off Jensen’s chest to peer at the beta standing at the door.
“No-no-no-no..... You’re not supposed to be here!” Chad shouted, glaring at Jensen. His volume made the guard appear but he hung back at the Elder’s head-shake.
Jensen’s eyes widened in surprise as he heard the vitriol that spewed from the beta’s mouth: “You’re supposed to be angry - and disgusted! Why are you here?!”
“Chad?” Jared questioned uncertainly; worn down from his time in the prison and the medical tests he’d been subjected to, he knew that he was not firing on all cylinders, but something about the beta’s outburst still struck him as odd.
“He ruins everything!!!” Chad groused, “This was the perfect plan! He’s supposed to be angry at your betrayal and hate you for slutting around in prison! Why the hell aren’t you disgusted?”
Jared felt himself pale at the accusation and Jensen’s arm around him tightened reflexively.
“Jared had sex with alphas who are not you! He’s a slut who’d willingly spread his legs for anybody! Don’t you have any respect? How can you just sit there holding him?!”
Jensen’s eyes narrowed at both the words and their implication, “How did you know what happened to him? No one knows yet-”
“How did I know?” Chad sneered contemptuously, “Who do you think paid those knotheads to break in Jared’s ass?!”
Jared just stared at his friend, speechless.
“Did you enjoy it, Jaybird?” The beta asked the injured man cruelly, his eyes crazed. “No? Then how can you stay with another alpha? He’s disgusted by you! But that’s okay, you’re mine! Can’t you see that? You’re my alpha!” Chad continued, oblivious to the crowd he was gathering by his loud screams and stepped forward.
Jared let out a soft keening sound, horrified by his friend’s accusations and at being painted as a ‘slut’. Instinct had him trying to pull away, but Jensen’s arms were implacable.
Furious at Jensen’s refusal to condemn Jared and leave, the beta stalked further into the room. “He’s an idiot, Alpha! Blindly signs whatever I hand him. Getting him to sign those papers was like taking candy from a baby... I’m telling you, you’re better off without him. Give him to me! Go ‘way and leave my alpha alone!”
Jensen’s eyes narrowed in fury as the pieces fell into place and it became clear just who had framed Jared. Every instinct in him wanted to punch the smug beta in his face, but he reminded himself that he was in a hospital and leashed in the righteous rage that wanted to spill forth. He was vaguely aware of Jared cowering in the face of the vile accusations and instinctively angled himself to shield his mate.
“Give him up, Alpha! Give me my alpha back!” The beta repeated, extending his hand and stepping forward once more.
A soft whimper escaped Jared at the reaching hand and that was the end of Jensen’s control.
“STOP!”
Jared watched wide-eyed as Chad dropped like a stone at Jensen’s command, hands scrabbling uselessly at his throat as his jerking body futilely tried to draw breath.
“He was your friend.” Jensen seethed as he stood up, towering over the fallen man “he trusted you above everyone else and this is how you repay that trust?”
Chad was still on the floor, body trembling like someone was running a current through it and his lips were beginning to turn blue.
Jared could not deny that he felt safer with Jensen between him and Chad. He was yet to digest the magnitude of Chad’s betrayal but despite everything, the beta had been his friend. He leaned forward carefully, hands clutching at the wrinkled cotton of Jensen’s tee as he peered around the alpha’s waist to watch the convulsing man on the floor. He watched the beta’s lips slowly turning blue from the lack of oxygen even as the man clutched helplessly at his throat like something was choking him and could only think of all the times those same lips had whispered encouraging words to him. Chad may have forgotten, but Jared couldn’t forget everything they had shared through the years... Besides, it wasn’t like he was wrong, was it? Jensen could do so much better than him. In fact, Jensen should leave him... he shouldn’t turn into a killer for someone like Jared.
“Jen-” Jared released his death-grip on Jensen’s shirt and laid his palm on his mate’s bicep. “Please, you are killing him...”
Jensen let out an audible sigh at his voice and the pressure snapped; Jared watched in horrified fascination as Chad took a shuddering inhale.
“Take him away!” Jensen growled at the guard, still struggling to rein in his anger and watched with satisfaction as he was obeyed without question.
He turned to look at his mate after Chad was frog-marched away and felt his heart shatter at the expression on his mate’s face.
“He wasn’t wrong, you know?” Jared whispered, “You should leav-”
Jensen hurried forward to gently press his forefinger over the younger man’s lips, preventing him from completing that heartbreaking sentence, “No. Don’t you say that ... Chad was wrong, Sweetheart. He was so wrong: I should be proud of you. You are so brave... and kind and perfect. And I lo-” The alpha paused, realizing now was not the time to confess his feelings and amending: “And I’m lucky to have you. So proud of you, Jay.”
For long minutes the duo just looked at each other and then a tear slipped down Jared’s cheeks. Instantly Jensen stepped forward and pulled the younger man into his arms again.
“Sshhh... I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Sweetheart.” He whispered, “You’re safe.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Previous
Masterpost
Next
Warning [Please heed]-
There are mentions of an off-screen attempted sexual assault in this chapter and it deals in details of the after-math. So please proceed with caution.
Those who fear being triggered, can PM me for clarifications if you want them to decide whether or not you will be reading this chapter.
For what it's worth, I'd hoped to avoid this; but my muse refused to budge. :-(
Thank you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter-28
The Ackles’ living-room had turned into a camping ground for the entire team with everyone gathered there and busy looking into ways to have their Beta acquitted. Jensen hadn’t slept a wink since he’d heard of his mate’s arrest and after the seventh time he growled on being approached, Chris took him aside and told him in no uncertain terms that he was terrifying everyone with his behaviour and that he should probably isolate himself a little.
Neither Misha nor Vicki was in criminal law, though both had enough contacts; consequently Aldis Hodge and Sebastian Roche were roped in to handle Jared’s case. The two lawyers had contrasting personalities with Roche being as flamboyant as Hodge was conservative, but both had a competitive streak a mile wide and egos to match... each determined to organise the case ‘their way’ and use their own teams and resources instead of pooling their resources the way the Ackles’ pack was used to and it made the environment tense and difficult to work in. Their clashing egos and frequent verbal sparring sessions made it look like it would either eventually come to blows or one would resign; but then they made the mistake of getting into an argument within Jensen’s hearing and the Elder summoned them to his study. They walked in full of bluster and eager to explain their reasoning and win over the alpha, but Jensen was beyond a patient-hearing under the circumstances. He simply sat them down and explained how this case was not something that would provide them with their desired media coverage and if that was what they had come for then they were free to leave. Roche misread his superficial calm and attempted to justify himself and found himself bearing the full brunt of the alpha’s ire. When Hodge attempted to defend his colleague out of a mistaken sense of professional brotherhood, he found himself before the same gauntlet. Their attempts at absolving themselves with inarticulate excuses had them both enduring a verbal lashing that -though not witnessed by anyone other than Chris- had both alphas nearly wetting their pants. They emerged from the room pale faced and cold with sweat as they made their individual ways to a chair on shaky legs, just sitting numbly and attempting to come to grips with the humiliating dressing down they had just received till they caught the muted creak of the study opening and then jumped to action, not wanting the Alpha to call them back a second time.
The rest of the day and the better half of the next morning passed without event, with both lawyers working as a team and building a defence for Jared.
It was early afternoon on Sunday and Steve was trying to coax Jensen to eat a slice of buttered toast when the house-phone rang, shattering the silence. The Alpha answered at the third ring, picking up the cordless and moving a little way to keep the conversation private. Everyone watched as Jensen’s face went chalk-white and then they were too busy trying not to bawl their eyes out to notice the alpha’s reactions any further.
Chris was the only one brave enough to battle his streaming eyes to approach the Elder.
“Jensen?”
The alpha blinked, shaking his hand out and only then noticing the splintered plastic and fibre that were the remains of his phone.
“Jenny, please!”
Jensen’s eyes snapped up, Chris never used his private nickname for him in front of others... for him to use it now... it took a moment for him to note that Chris’ eyes were streaming and that everybody else was in a similar position of despair.
“What happened?” He questioned hoarsely, not having the tiniest desire to help anyone at this point but unable to simply abandon his responsibility to his pack either. And then doubt flickered, “Did ya’ll already know?”
Chris shook his head, using the back of his hand to wipe at his face, “You need to put a lid on, son. And no we don’t know anything... but that sounded like bad news?” He jerked his head towards the broken phone.
Jensen breathed deeply, struggling to rein himself in so that his pack was not affected and then confessed, “Jared’s hurt. Take me to him?”
Chris snapped to action immediately, “Of course. Where is he again?”
“Medline Central” Jensen answered blankly, naming the hospital.
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞Chris drove like a mad-man to the hospital, fully aware that even if Jensen might have complained under normal circumstances, the Alpha would not be opposed to him breaking a few traffic-codes now. Even then, there was no point in taking unnecessary risks (especially since they would not be the only ones involved in case of an accident)and put in a call to the police traffic headquarters before they exited Ackles’ Estate, identifying himself and requesting a green channel for Elder Ackles. If the traffic controller was taken aback by the call, there was no evidence of it; just a professional demand for Jensen’s security code to confirm that it was genuinely Elder Ackles. Once verified, he was told that they would be sending him a pass-code for double verification and Chris wanted to groan at the bureaucratic nonsense. A moment later his phone beeped and Chris debated slowing to check and relay the pass-code. Before he could even lift his feet off the accelerator, Jensen was leaning over the seat and grabbing at his phone before barking the code into the car’s receiver. The controller confirmed the codes’ veracity and their destination before assuring that the roads would be cleared for them. Chris relaxed slightly at the confirmation before peering at the rear-view to check on Jensen. “You okay?”
“I’ll be better once I see Jared.” Jensen snapped before covering his face with his hands and pressing his thumbs into his sockets tiredly, “Sorry,”
“Hey, it’s just me, alright? You don’t have to apologise to me, Jenny.”
A smile ghosted over the alpha’s face at the familiar nickname and Chris nodded approvingly as he noticed the minute unclenching of the alpha’s shoulders.
“You think he’ll be alright?”
“No,” He answered honestly, “If they had to bring him to the hospital, then he’s obviously not alright; but he has you. And he has us, even that contrary beta bastard of a best-friend of his; so yes, he will be okay eventually.”
“’m tabling the Beta Bill, Chris; can’t afford to have my people calling betas’ names.”Jensen rebuked lightly.
“Oops,” He returned unrepentantly as he made the sharp turn into Medline’s gates and brought the car to a squealing stop in front of the imposing glass sliding doors, Jensen was out of the car before the wheels had stopped completely and Chris shook his head. He could only think of the last time Jensen had been in such hurry- they had had to request a green-corridor that time too, Chris remembered, thinking of the call Jensen had received from the hospital a decade ago and the Alpha’s ensuing heartbreak.
He hoped that things turned out to be happier this time round.
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞Jensen was escorted to Jared’s room immediately but before he could step in, a Beta-doctor came hurrying from the opposite direction, “Mr. Ackles?”
Jensen nodded impatiently, glaring down at where her slender hands were pressed lightly against his chest, stopping him from entering.
“Please step this way for a moment, I need to talk to you- tell you what to expect-”
“And I need to be with my mate!”
“You need to hear this first,” She returned decisively. “Your mate was attacked and there are things that you should know about before you barge in there.”
Jensen’s lips thinned but he nodded his assent, unwilling to prolong this- whatever ‘this’ was.
“Well, first off, he’s rather badly shaken from the attack-”
“Wouldn’t you be as well, in his shoes?” Jensen snorted humourlessly.
She nodded crisply, her expression not wavering despite his open hostility even though she didn’t hesitate to put him in his place, “You need to keep in mind that I’m not the one who caused those injuries, Alpha Ackles. I’m just trying to help.”
“Right, sorry,” Jensen apologised, pinching the bridge of his nose and struggling to regain his composure. He breathed deeply a few times before opening his eyes and gesturing at her to continue.
“Okay, so good news is the penetration was incomplete-”
“Penetration?” Jensen interrupted, voice hollow as a sinking feeling flooded his gut with ice.
“They were attempting to assault him sexually, Alpha Ackles, were you not aware?”
He shook his head mutely, eyes wide and horrified.
“Oh.” And for the first time since he had met her, the doctor seemed unsettled.
“They-” He licked his lips as he fought to control his rage and grief, “I was just told that he got hurt in an altercation.”
“Right, uh-” She hesitated briefly, “Do you need me to call someone for you?”
“No, please uhm... please go on.”
“Okay, so given his injuries, I’d say it was slightly more than just an altercation,” She began, eyes watching intently for his reactions, professional mask firmly in place: “Your mate’s not exactly a small man, so I suspect there were a minimum of three assailants-”
“Oh Heavens,” He breathed.
“From the bruises around his arms, I’d say two held him down while the third carried out the attack.” She continued, “Like I said before, they did not succeed in penetrating him completely, so it’s not as bad as it could have been; but having said that, there was some amount of anorectal tearing, mostly concentrated around his anal rim. It is possible that prior to attempting penile penetration, some kind of object was inserted into his anal orifice as well because we found traces of metallic residue while performing the rape-kit.”
Jensen winced sympathetically, unable to believe the extent of what his mate had been put through.
The doctor continued, oblivious to the alpha’s mounting horror: “Consequently, we were forced to interrupt the kit to perform a debridement of the region, which led to some minor bleeding. Here, I must warn you that the bleeding might continue intermittently for a few days because there were a few minor tears deeper in his rectum which were not large enough to warrant stitches and are expected to heal on their own, but which might re-open upon movement. So we will advise plenty of rest. However, in case bleeding continues beyond a week, please bring him back so that we can take a look.”
Jensen nodded dejectedly before remembering something she said, “Wait- ... I don’t mean to interrupt, but you said the penetration was incomplete?”
She nodded in confirmation.
“Then how did he sustain injuries deep in uh- in his rectum?”
“Like I said, we suspect some kind of object was used for insertion. We suspect the injuries might have stemmed from that.”
Jensen nodded, biting back the horrified pleas that wanted to escape his lips.
“And that leads me to my next point; we would like to perform a colonoscopy on him to ascertain that there are no other injuries, especially deeper in his colon-”
“What?” He asked faintly, “Why?”
She sighed, “Mr. Ackles-”
“Alpha, please... or preferably, just Jensen.”
“Jensen,” She nodded, “Like I said, we suspect that some sort of object was forced up your mate’s uh...”
“Up his butt,” Jensen filled in impatiently.
She nodded, nose wrinkling minutely at his crude wording, “Till we find out exactly what was used for the insertion, we cannot determine how deep it went and what sort of injuries its insertion might have caused. A colonoscopy would help, but we cannot perform that without permission-”
“Jared is an adult,” Jensen hissed, anger sharpening his tone: “And he’s still an alpha legally. As long as he’s conscious, you can go to get your permission from him.”
“Still an alpha legally?” The doctor repeated, blinked. And then surprised understanding flickered across her face, “You-... Are you telling me that he’s Beta Ackles?”
Jensen’s jaw clenched but he gave a stiff nod, refusing to answer verbally.
“Wow,” She whispered, “He’s like... he’s my hero.”
Jensen’s expression softened but he could not bring himself to smile, mind still on Jared’s injuries. “You were telling me about performing a colonoscopy?”
“Oh, uhm.” It took her a few microseconds to gather her composure and then it was as if the exchange hadn’t happened at all. In spite of himself, Jensen found himself grateful for the reprieve.
“We will be taking his consent as well. But he’s just undergone massive trauma... a secondary confirmation is prudent under the circumstances.”
Jensen inhaled a deep fortifying breath as he considered the explanation. Then: “What’ll it involve? The uh- the colonoscopy?”
The doctor’s cheeks pinkened in second-hand embarrassment, “He uh... It would appear Ja- uhm... beta-”
“Alpha. Or Jared. ... Only I get to call him beta.”
“Right. Uhm...” She nodded, her eyes widening at the sharp rebuke, “It would appear he uh... he’s kind-of stopped up-” She twisted her lips in an uneasy smile.
Jensen nodded; thinking of the pictures he had seen in Misha’s file of the single open toilet at one corner of the large holding-cell where Jared had been kept with the other prisoners and his mate’s intimacy issues. Jared preferred to keep the lights off when they had sex -content with whatever moonlight filtered in through the windows; it wasn’t a surprise that he’d refused to have a bowel movement publicly (Jensen didn’t think he’d be able to manage one either, come to think of it). “What’s the big deal? Just ask him to uh- well, to poop. Maybe give him some natural laxatives like herbal tea or simply a cup of hot water with a little lemon juice?”
She shook her head, “Given the nature of his injuries, defecating will be excruciatingly painful for him at the moment. Especially since he’s got such an uh- such a backlog.”
“Right.... Okay. So, what’s the solution?”
“An enema.”
Jensen winced, “It’ll hurt him?”
“It’ll be uncomfortable, I won’t lie,” She told him candidly, “But it’s the best option at the moment. We don’t want to discover later that he had a major tear in his colon which we missed.”
Jensen nodded, “Okay,”
“That’s a yes?” She confirmed.
He nodded tiredly. “What else?”
“Due to the nature - and position- of his injuries, we will be placing him on a liquid diet for the moment. We recommend that he try to avoid defecating to reduce the risk of infection-”
“A v o i d defecating?” Jensen questioned, “I mean, you just told me that it’ll be painful for him, yeah... but you’re saying he cannot take a dump if he wants to stay infection free?”
“I’m saying a regular bowel movement is likely to exacerbate the injuries he has sustained. He can use a douche for a few days till the stitches come out and he heals down there.”
Jensen groaned, covering his face. Jared was such an independent individual, this was going to be hell for him. It took him a few more seconds to compose himself and then he nodded, “Can I see him now?”
“Uh... the SAFE kit is still underway, and then he will be having that colonoscopy I told you about... He’s been remarkably well-behaved so far, I would suggest you wait till the kit is completed before seeing him.”
“You think I’ll disrupt the kit?”
She shook his head, “There is no way to predict how a victim of sexual assault might react, some of them want people around them to feel safe, while others prefer to isolate themselves completely. Your partner may or may not react well to your presence-”
“But I didn’t hurt him-”
“I know,” She assured, “Nevertheless, it may be harder for him to face you now that you know about what he went through. Besides, I’ve seen families indulge in victim-shaming-”
“I don’t blame Jared.” Jensen growled, affronted.
The doctor raised her hands placatingly, “Never said you did,”
Jensen nodded, studying his sandal clad feet for a moment- he had forgotten to change into shoes in his hurry.
She watched him for a moment before she nodded, rising and grabbing a bundle of support-fliers from a shelf on the side and pressing them into Jensen’s hands, “You could look through those while you wait... they might give you a better idea of what to expect and how best to help your mate.”
Jensen felt his vision blur as he stared blankly at the cover-page of the first flier. When he looked up again, he was alone in the room.
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞Jared was lying supine, looking incredibly small under the thick blankets that swaddled him when Jensen knocked once and stepped into the room. He glanced towards the door at the sound and Jensen could plainly read the resolutely suppressed panic in those hazel eyes.
“Hey,” He whispered, struggling to muster up a smile for his mate.
“Jensen...” His mate breathed, struggling to sit up and wincing as the movement ignited his injuries again.
“Sshhh... lay back. I’ve got you, Jay. C’mon...” Jensen hurried to assure, rushing forward to halt the younger alpha before he aggravated his injuries. Jared didn’t shy away from his touch and Jensen cupped the younger alpha’s cheeks. “I’m s-”
The younger man’s adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, “Jen? The door, please?”
“Huh?” Jensen pulled back to ask before remembering his mate’s claustrophobia. “Oh. Of course!”
He poked his head outside to look at the security posted there (Since technically, Jared was still under arrest) and allowed a hint of authority to leak into his voice as he requested the man to move a few paces away since the door needed to be kept open. Still, Jensen wasn’t comfortable with every passer-by being able to peer into the room through the open door and drew the flimsy excuse for a curtain as much as he could.
Jared relaxed slightly at the concession and extended his hand for Jensen to take. Jensen slipped his hand into that gentle grip without hesitation and moved his thumb in soothing circles over the other’s skin. Despite the Elder’s gentle protests, Jared rose to a half-sitting position and tugged the older man closer till Jensen gave in with a reluctant sigh. Slipping his hand free for a moment, Jensen grabbed the remote for the bed and adjusted it so that it was angled up to support his back. He reached for Jared’s hand again the moment he was done and smiled when the younger man jerked him closer so that he could bury his face against the firm cotton-covered abdomen. Jensen ran his hands down his mate’s back and whispered soothing nonsense to calm him. Gradually, Jared’s breathing slowed and he began to relax in increments. When he eventually pulled back, he glanced up at the alpha sheepishly.
Instead of pulling up a chair, Jensen chose to perch on the bed next to Jared, careful of the wires leading off his mate to the various machines monitoring him and simply watched Jared. There was bruising around his left cheeks and the corner of his lips was split, but given the extensive list of injuries that the doctor had rattled off, Jared looked surprisingly good. Unable to resist, Jensen reached out to gently cup his face and was elated when Jared leaned into the touch.
Jared’s eyes slipped closed as he confessed, “They-... Jensen they-”
“I know,” The Alpha breathed, “The doc told me.”
Jared’s face crumpled at the confession and his expressive eyes filled with tears, making Jensen scramble forward and draw him closer so that he could hide his face against the older man’s shoulder. And then it was as if the dam broke at the action because he started sobbing. He sucked in huge, gulping breaths and struggled to minimize the sound as loud, shuddering sobs ripped through him. Jensen extricated his hand carefully from where it was trapped between them and wrapped it around Jared, cupping the back of his head and willing his body to act as a shield for the younger man.
“Jen....” He hiccupped into the warm shoulder as his body shook from his sobs, he had been able to stay stoic all this while but now, knowing there was someone who was there for him made the horror of it all bubble up and Jared felt devastated.
“Jaybir-.... What are you doing here?!” Chad’s voice broke through his grief and the Pack- beta lifted his head off Jensen’s chest to peer at the beta standing at the door.
“No-no-no-no..... You’re not supposed to be here!” Chad shouted, glaring at Jensen. His volume made the guard appear but he hung back at the Elder’s head-shake.
Jensen’s eyes widened in surprise as he heard the vitriol that spewed from the beta’s mouth: “You’re supposed to be angry - and disgusted! Why are you here?!”
“Chad?” Jared questioned uncertainly; worn down from his time in the prison and the medical tests he’d been subjected to, he knew that he was not firing on all cylinders, but something about the beta’s outburst still struck him as odd.
“He ruins everything!!!” Chad groused, “This was the perfect plan! He’s supposed to be angry at your betrayal and hate you for slutting around in prison! Why the hell aren’t you disgusted?”
Jared felt himself pale at the accusation and Jensen’s arm around him tightened reflexively.
“Jared had sex with alphas who are not you! He’s a slut who’d willingly spread his legs for anybody! Don’t you have any respect? How can you just sit there holding him?!”
Jensen’s eyes narrowed at both the words and their implication, “How did you know what happened to him? No one knows yet-”
“How did I know?” Chad sneered contemptuously, “Who do you think paid those knotheads to break in Jared’s ass?!”
Jared just stared at his friend, speechless.
“Did you enjoy it, Jaybird?” The beta asked the injured man cruelly, his eyes crazed. “No? Then how can you stay with another alpha? He’s disgusted by you! But that’s okay, you’re mine! Can’t you see that? You’re my alpha!” Chad continued, oblivious to the crowd he was gathering by his loud screams and stepped forward.
Jared let out a soft keening sound, horrified by his friend’s accusations and at being painted as a ‘slut’. Instinct had him trying to pull away, but Jensen’s arms were implacable.
Furious at Jensen’s refusal to condemn Jared and leave, the beta stalked further into the room. “He’s an idiot, Alpha! Blindly signs whatever I hand him. Getting him to sign those papers was like taking candy from a baby... I’m telling you, you’re better off without him. Give him to me! Go ‘way and leave my alpha alone!”
Jensen’s eyes narrowed in fury as the pieces fell into place and it became clear just who had framed Jared. Every instinct in him wanted to punch the smug beta in his face, but he reminded himself that he was in a hospital and leashed in the righteous rage that wanted to spill forth. He was vaguely aware of Jared cowering in the face of the vile accusations and instinctively angled himself to shield his mate.
“Give him up, Alpha! Give me my alpha back!” The beta repeated, extending his hand and stepping forward once more.
A soft whimper escaped Jared at the reaching hand and that was the end of Jensen’s control.
“STOP!”
Jared watched wide-eyed as Chad dropped like a stone at Jensen’s command, hands scrabbling uselessly at his throat as his jerking body futilely tried to draw breath.
“He was your friend.” Jensen seethed as he stood up, towering over the fallen man “he trusted you above everyone else and this is how you repay that trust?”
Chad was still on the floor, body trembling like someone was running a current through it and his lips were beginning to turn blue.
Jared could not deny that he felt safer with Jensen between him and Chad. He was yet to digest the magnitude of Chad’s betrayal but despite everything, the beta had been his friend. He leaned forward carefully, hands clutching at the wrinkled cotton of Jensen’s tee as he peered around the alpha’s waist to watch the convulsing man on the floor. He watched the beta’s lips slowly turning blue from the lack of oxygen even as the man clutched helplessly at his throat like something was choking him and could only think of all the times those same lips had whispered encouraging words to him. Chad may have forgotten, but Jared couldn’t forget everything they had shared through the years... Besides, it wasn’t like he was wrong, was it? Jensen could do so much better than him. In fact, Jensen should leave him... he shouldn’t turn into a killer for someone like Jared.
“Jen-” Jared released his death-grip on Jensen’s shirt and laid his palm on his mate’s bicep. “Please, you are killing him...”
Jensen let out an audible sigh at his voice and the pressure snapped; Jared watched in horrified fascination as Chad took a shuddering inhale.
“Take him away!” Jensen growled at the guard, still struggling to rein in his anger and watched with satisfaction as he was obeyed without question.
He turned to look at his mate after Chad was frog-marched away and felt his heart shatter at the expression on his mate’s face.
“He wasn’t wrong, you know?” Jared whispered, “You should leav-”
Jensen hurried forward to gently press his forefinger over the younger man’s lips, preventing him from completing that heartbreaking sentence, “No. Don’t you say that ... Chad was wrong, Sweetheart. He was so wrong: I should be proud of you. You are so brave... and kind and perfect. And I lo-” The alpha paused, realizing now was not the time to confess his feelings and amending: “And I’m lucky to have you. So proud of you, Jay.”
For long minutes the duo just looked at each other and then a tear slipped down Jared’s cheeks. Instantly Jensen stepped forward and pulled the younger man into his arms again.
“Sshhh... I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Sweetheart.” He whispered, “You’re safe.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Previous
Masterpost
Next