Strong One

Chapter 8 Request (R)

Ethan POV

We smile at each other before moving to the bedroom and placing our mate gently down on the bed.  Ry opens the closet and see's the clothes that pop and Sky have left for our mate. "Should we bathe him and change his clothes?" Ry wonders.

"Yeah, he'd be more comfortable washed and dressed in something that fits him" I agree.  So, I go to the bathroom and start running a bath.  All our shampoos and stuff have already been left there.  "We should shower off most of the dirt first, then let him soak in the tub.  I'll put some medicinal salts in the water" I call from the bathroom.  "Oh, shit" I hear Ry cry and run out the bathroom to see him taking hold of our mate's arm and seeing our mates face shift back to his human form. 

"Was that a beak?" I ask a little shocked.  "Yes, yes, it was.  You know I'm reminded of that mythical beast, the one from Greek mythology.  What was it called?" Ry says sitting next to our mate and keeping a hold of his arm.

"A Griffin or Griffon?" I question "Yeah, that one" Ry nods looking down at our mate and stroking his hair away from his face.  "What have they done to him?" I wonder.  "We can't leave him alone, one of us will always have to be touching him.  It looks as though it hurts him" Ry says worried for our mate.

We agree to always be next to him and then I pick him up again and carry him to the bathroom.  I hold him as Ry takes off the hospital gown. "He's so skinny" Ry says with tears in his eyes. "He's found us now. We won't let anyone treat him cruelly again. We'll rip their heads off, if they try" I vow feeling angry just thinking of it.

Ry helps me out of my clothes before stripping himself and then stepping into the large shower stall. Ry is careful as he washes our mate. The dirt that comes from his hair shows it's been a while since he was washed.  Ry finds a small lump in our mate's ankle.  After touching it and then letting Soren use his magic.  We agree it's probably some kind of tracking device. Ry let's a claw grow and quickly cuts just above the lump and then pushes the devise out of our mate and stomps on it.  It washes down the drain and Ry licks close the small cut.

As we exit the stall, Ry groans and grabs his head.   I'm torn as I can't let go of our mate, but Ry looks like he too is in pain.  "I'm okay get in the tub" he groans over the link, feeling my concern.  I get in carefully keeping an eye on Ry.  He has his eyes closed and through our bond, I feel his anger growing and guess he is now feeling some of what has been done to our mate as he's now has some of his blood in his system.

"We have him now Ry.  We will also take care of all those that have hurt our mate" I link him trying to calm him.  When his eyes open it's Dante present in his eyes. "We will kill them all, yes?" he growls needing my reassurance and Soren's.

It is only when I nod my head yes, does he let Ry take full control back. "He was kept in a cage, in a lab.  Only when there was a fire was, he able to escape. They treated him as a lab rat. Poking, taking blood, skin samples, trying to force him to shift, by giving him strong electric shocks. He's been hunted for the last month, I'd say by the pictures that flashed through my head" Ry tells me.

"Pictures?" I question "I know odd right?  But it was real, I got to feel some of his pain, at what they did to him" Ry answers.

We both look down at our mate who is sleeping still leaning back against my chest.  I look up at Ry and see his eyes also filled with tears.  "We will do everything to make sure, we keep him safe from now on E" he vows, I nod and Ry kneels beside the bath and strokes our mate's cheek.

He then gasps as our mate's eyes open.  "Need mate" hearing this Ry and I look at each other and then our mate.  But it is not his human eyes looking back at us. These eyes our golden "need mate, pain, away" our mate says.