Matenapped

Chapter Nine.

Chapter Nine.

Michel

I told Jem I'd be right back. The second I left the house, I Shifted.

It had taken every shred of self control, every fiber of my being not to Shift the second I touched that burn mark.

I ran for hours, my feet pounding the dirt ground. Every time I felt close to calm, my mind went back to her broken voice, her teary expression--and all the anger returned.

By the time I came back to the house, it was dark out. I went upstairs, planning on talking to Jem, only to find her curled into a ball on the edge of the bed, sound asleep.

I moved her into a more comfortable position and tucked the blanket over her. For a moment, I just stared, unable to take my eyes away.

She was beautiful. Her lashes fanned out over her cheeks, which were flushed from crying. A sprinkle of freckles covered her nose and cheeks, making her look cute even when she was angry. Also, a dimple appeared when she laughed hard enough with those soft, plump, perfect lips of hers.

She was perfect.

My hands clenched into fists.

I needed to find whoever had laid a hand on her, and I needed to fucking murder them. And I needed to do it now.

Once again worried that I might Shift, I left the room and climbed downstairs. I had to clear my head.

Unfortunately for me, the guys were just coming home.

"Aye, Michel," John clapped my shoulder as the rest of the gang continued to file into the living room. A few guys kicked their shoes off and left them there. They'd be hearing about that the next morning from their mates.

"You missed quite a day, pal," John chuckled, dropping into the couch. "Greg got so drunk he almost drowned."

"Ah, yes, laughter at the expense of my misery. My favorite," Greg drawled, plopping beside his friend and flicking his ear in annoyance. John grinned at him.

They were both clearly still recovering from a day of heavy drinking. Their mates and children had spent the day at an amusement park, leaving them alone to get ridiculously drunk and stupid.

Richard was the last to come in. He was the only one sober enough to notice my expression, and he was immediately by my side.

"Is everything ok, Alpha?" he asked. "There wasn't another attack, was there?"

I clenched my jaw. "No, but there's going to be."

Even slightly drunk, Greg and John became alert at the mention of an attack.

"Are we taking the offense on the rogues?" John asked seriously. He was the pack's combat expert, and was brilliant at his job.

"No," I said, taking a seat at an armchair. Richard sat on the same couch as Greg and John.

"Then, what?" Richard asked.

"You all know I found my mate," I said, looking them in the eye.

Greg nodded. "You told us this morning when you kicked us out. Have you explained everything to her?"

I nodded. "She took it surprisingly well. That wasn't an issue."

"Then..."

"Today, I found out that," my jaw clenched and I had to close my eyes briefly. My fingers curled into a fist on the arm of the chair. "I found out that she's been abused. Badly. She has burn marks all over her. And bruises. And--" I gritted my teeth. "Fuck, I think I'm going to Shift, damn it!"