She broke the rules.

chap 17- lions tigers and bears has nothing on nails, boots and fury. ps.maybe triggers for some. others may want to pull them.

Bessa

I wake up to a heart beating in my ear. My bed and pillow rises and lowers with every breath. I squirm trying to get up. A heavy hand comes down with a loud smack and a growl from the pillow. I look around and my mates each have a hand on me. I think about it for about a beat of Beast's heart. Then I give his n****e a twist in retaliation and receive a yelp. His hand moves from my ass and I jump up and run to the bathroom and slam the door.

When I come back into the room all of the guys are looking serious and go quiet.

We go to the main dining room and all eat with other pack members that are getting around. Today is a casual morning.

I have learned that most Sundays are. Today everyone will be left to their own doings. It is left for a day of family and Goddess or god if you believe in that sort of thing. Some mingle while they eat. Some drift out quickly to train on their own or meet up for private training. Some of the teens go out for runs. Some littles lay on bellies on the floor coloring or playing with trucks.

The guys tune me out and I tune them out. We are all touching somehow even though we are not paying the other any mind. The guys have all bent their heads together to discuss something.

Marie and Noel come over and we get to talking. We agree on something called a girls night. I haven't had adult friends.

Noel looks at Teagan for a minute. Then reaches over and smacks him on the forehead.

"What?" He growls then sees who it is. Softens to a much calmer "what?"

"Us girls are going out. We will be back when we get here." Noel states it like she isn't talking to an Alpha.

"What warriors are going with you?" He asks as he looks at me then back to her.

"It was just going to be us."

"No way. Take a couple of elites with you." He retorts.

"News flash, there aren't any girls in your elite team. And we want a day to be girls."

"Take Damian and Marcos."

"No. We want a girls night."

The other guys are looking now too.

Teagan stands up. "You are not taking her outside this compound without an escort. Is that clear?" He alpha's Noel and Marie.

He reminds me of a bully when he does that.

I touch his arm. "We will take Emery and Lilith with us then. Who is going to mess with so many together? Also, we aren't leaving the compound."

He nods.

"Good," I say as I smack his ass and head for the girls we just discussed.

We head out for nails and hair. Maybe some clothing too. We snag a silver mustang. We all pile in and head to a small shopping center. We sing along to the radio and play a few road trip games on the way. It is fun. It is relaxing and cares just go away.

We are almost done with our hair when I get this nervous feeling. I look around and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong.

"What's up?" Em asks.

"I don't know. Something is off." I say and she takes a look around causing the others to notice and look around also. None of us spot anything but the energy hangs on the day.

We get home and the feeling won't go away and it is making me and Kainda edgy.

We meet the guys for dinner in the main hall. Mouse pulls me down into his lap, and Kisses my temple. He gives me bites off his plate. Beast hands him a second one. Mouse takes one bite for every two I get. My hand never touches a fork or cup. At first it seems weird. Then it just feels like I am cared for. Never having it before, makes me anxious.

The guys give encouraging smiles. I give the nervous smile back.

"Did you have fun today, baby girl?" as Mouse kisses my forehead.

I nod as he brings another forkful up.

The other guys have all kissed the top of my head at some point during the meal. As the meal winds down I snuggle into Mouse and he rubs my back. I watch the other three who seem to be in deep conversation again. Mouse starts rocking and my eyes get heavy.

I am startled awake by a clattering of dishes. I shoot up, clipping Mouse's chin as I do.

The guys and a few others are looking at me. Mouse is checking his tongue.

"It's ok. You're ok." Mouse tugs me back into his chest."you're safe, honey. Come on" he sits me back on his lap, With me sitting sideways. Once I am all tucked into him he starts rocking again. I keep watch on the guys. My thumb slipped into my mouth and I didn't even realize it. This time it takes a while to fall asleep. Everytime I drift off, my eyes would snap open. Sometimes I would jump and Mouse would 'shhh its ok' and go back to rockin me and I would drift again.

Not much longer I get picked up from Mouse and handed back. I grip his neck tight for fear of falling.

"It's ok. Just going to put you to bed."

"I can walk." I mumble.

"I know. I know. Just let me take care of you, Baby girl. That is all I want." He says as he starts up the stairs.

His words allow me to drift again. Then I am settled on to the bed. It dipps as he lays with me. I drift deeper into sleep and there are no dreams, no nightmares, just sleep.

Beast

I didn't mean to scare her. I want justice for my kitten. It is frustrating to be held back from killing that demon. I hate Alphas that think they can run a pack by force. Enslaving children just because they have no one. Then to even... torture kids?...abuse them?

*I want their heads.* Lobar roars.

*We have to obey the Alpha. He said to wait.*

*You know how I feel about rules.*

*yeah, yeah, I know. I feel the same way. If we don't though…*

I feel the look he is giving me. Then he huffs and walks off to the back of my mind. I just roll my eyes and tune back into the conversation.

"If the council decides that they just go to prison?" Angel asks.

"Then they might die. They abused pups. They hurt an Alpha child for being an Alpha. The other prisoners may not agree with some laws but they usually don't condone the harm of a child." I say.

"A few words in the right places…" says Angel in a not so Angelic moment.

"I want to do something too. I don't think it was just one person. There are more bad apples in that pack. The twins said it was Omega Sue Ann that burned Bessa. The scars on her hands are just one area that was covered in them. The kids hinted at others but don't know who did what." Teagan says. "I mean we know that the Alpha almost killed her."

Out of nowhere a scream shakes the windows and has wolves shifting, to hunt, to protect. Some of the kids are ready to hide.

*It's Bessa.* From a panicked Mouse.

It is all it takes to have the three of us running up stairs two and three steps at a time.

"Get Doc and Alley." I bark at one of the omegas I pass. They are quick to run off.

We slow to a fast walk as we near the door.

Mouse

*it's Bessa* I holler in my mind to the guys as the gut wrenching scream rattles the windows. I don't think it is bessa actually screaming this time. I hold her tight and try to wake her but it isn't working.

Bessa is trying to move my hands away. The next minute she is digging at them to pull them closer. As the tears slide down her cheeks to drip off her chin mine start to follow suit.

In the next second the door is thrust open in a barely contained rush from our mates.

"I can't wake her up. I...i don't think it is Bessa who is stuck. The way the windows rattled, I think it is Kainda….b but neither is responding."

Angel takes her from me. Beast pulls me to him, the big softy.

"She is burning up." Angel says. He goes to cooing her and touching in that platonic way. The one that says 'I am here'. That one that calms you. He rocks her and cuddles her.

Beast

Holding mouse close. Letting his quiet tears soak my shirt. I feel his fear in the way he stands and through the bonds.

Teagan makes a dash for the bathroom after hearing about the feaver and starts a bath.

Soon Doc and his wife comes in with a sleepy Alley. Ann sets her on the bed and she crawls on to Bessa's lap. Making her, Bessa and Angel look like janga blocks.

Angel pulls Alley and Bessa close as he leans back against the head board.

Doc moves around them like Alley and Angel are not there.

Shortly after Angel gets a weird look on his face. One that gets replaced by confusion, horror, fear, and lastly fury. Like he is seeing but not here.

Angel

As Doc examines Bessa,Alley's hand slips into mine over Bessa's and the room disappears.

We are in a bathroom. I see it from the floor. I feel like i am a child maybe six or seven. I am not me, I realize as a large man's boot comes flying at me out of nowhere. Slaming into ribs that are both mine and not. A scream in a girls voice erupts from my lips. I know that scream. The kicks happen again and again. I am in the nightmare Bessa's must be having. Then there are other boots that land on my back. Ribs crack, tears and blood drip from our face. Ice water is dumped on us to wake us if we pass out and it starts over.

*She bearly survives this one too.* Kainda says. Startling me away from the horror a moment. *I had to work so fast and hard just to breath and not bleed out.*

My wolf and I growl at this. Another room appears this one a meadow with an elm tree. A mossy bed at its base, a sleeping Bessa curled up.

*I brought her here to protect her mind.* she whimpers. *I am sorry I couldn't do more.*

I put my head to Kainda's. Scratching behind her ears in comfort. She wraps her paw around me.

*She is safe with us, as are you. The torture is over. It's time to wake up. Your mates need you.

Ulven my wolf goes to Bessa and nudges her with his nose and licking her face until she giggles in her sleep. Her eyes open and giggles some more. Ulven's tail thumps a few times and he takes a playful stance.

Kainda and I watch them for a few. How we are interacting with a dream...I don't know.

*Bessa, it is time to go back to our mates.* Kainda says.

*Come on, honey. Mouse needs you back.we all do.* before i finish she has jumped into my arms like the dream never happened. We are then whisked back to reality. Sitting on the bed with Alley asleep in our lap.

"I shouldn't have scared her like I did."

"We can't account for all possible triggers." T and Beast argue as Bessa and I wake up.

"You good?" Doc asks.

I just nod and stroke Alley's back.

"What happened? It looked like you had died and went to hell."

"No, fell asleep...ish? And went there." I look over at Bessa. Her eyes are on Alley and shying from us.

I tilt her head so she is looking at me. I look at her for a bit. Then I kiss her. Slow at first, giving the chance to pull away. Then deepen it when she doesn't. We pull back as a throat is cleared. Our foreheads meet.

"Did you want to explain it to us?" T asks

"Nothing much to explain. Somehow I got into Bessa's nightmare or memory and then her wolf pulled me into her space." I answer and tug Bessa deeper into my hold. "Any more Q&A can wait for later."

T looks like he wants to argue but he doesn't.

I kiss Bessa's head and rub Alley's back. Then I lay my head against the headboard, closing my eyes thinking about what just happened.

Teagan

As Angel lays his head back I notice two things. One the tone in which he told me to back off. Two his need to hold and touch Bessa right now.

Being a brother first and knowing what it takes to rattle him. He saw something he wanted to process. Needs to get a handle on his emotions, before talking about it.

I look to my other mates Mouse has finally calmed down. Beast is beating himself up.

I glance at Doc and he just nods at me. Letting me know he will keep an eye on his charge.

"Come on Beast." I say, patting him on the shoulder as I head for the door.

Doc.

I hated taking Alley from her movie time with Ann. It hasn't been that long but it is a nightly tradition since she moved in with us.

Alley, on the other hand, once Bessa came into the conversation, she wanted to come no matter how tired she was. So Ann had bundled her up and came along.

Alley had fallen asleep in Anel and Bessa's lap like it was nothing. She had seemed unfazed when Angel "disappeared". With the emotions that ran across the Betas ' face, I pray she didn't experience any of it.

Bessa had a temp when she was stuck in dreamland. I won't be surprised if she gets her heat soon. 18 isn't the youngest to have pups. That her mates were able to wait this long to claim her is a surprise. They seem to be taking extra care with her.

Angel is careful to slip out from under the girls. Laying them so they are close to each other. Sharing breaths so their wolves can tell the other is there even if they are asleep. He joins Ann and I in the sitting area of the bedroom.

"We will have to watch her for signs of heat. She probably doesn't know much about it. So Ann is going to hang around when you guys are busy" I tell Angel

"Maybe, she might even open up about things. I can also work with her on what a luna will do. She will have extra power because of Luna giving her an Alpha wolf. I might be able to get my mom out here for a bit to work with her too."

"That actually sounds like an idea. Gives her something to work on. You could also get her known around the pack.

I on the other hand hope to never go through what I just did. I want to rip heads off. An alpha does THAT to a child as small as she was? The devil would have a fit.

Doc did you do x rays on her? Check for bone scars. To say they almost killed her is an understatement. Her wolf had to throw itself into keeping internal bleeding at bay.

I am going to find my brother and punch something. Maybe let Ulven out for a bit." He walks out the door before I can answer about the x rays.

I pull Ann's forehead to mine and just breathe with her. Our eyes closed, our wolves finding comfort in the touch. I can feel them riled. If Bessa went through this then what about the others. They had scars too. How bad was it really? What of their minds? I pull aann into a hug and she wraps her arms around me. We look at the girls sleeping.

After a few minutes I walk over and take Bessa's vitals again. She seems calm and stable.

Mouse walks over and about scares the bejesus out of me.

"One don't sneak up on people." I growl

"Sorry Doc." He says a little nervous.

"Two" I look at Mouse. See how messed up he is getting. "She could use your tlc but otherwise she will be ok. Three watch for signs of heat like I told Angel."

Ann scoops up a sleeping Alley cat and cuddles her close. Putting Alley's nose to my mark and I smile. We head home as Mouse slips under the covers with Bessa.

Mouse

After Doc left I pulled the covers over us and put my face close to Baby girl's. My hand resting on her hip where her shirt stops and shorts start. The pad of my thumb on her skin rubbing back and forth.

After a few heart beats her thumb slips pass her lips. I smile and trade it for the passy I always have in my pocket. I brush her hair from her face and pull her close. Cradling her head on my chest. When she whimpers and flinches, I whisper that she is ok and hold her closer. I fall asleep to her snoring in peace.