His Secret Love Child (Book One of the LOVE CHILD series)

Chapter Thirt-Five "RESCUED 2"

Hunter looked dispassionately at the severed head of Gerard as it rolled and came to a stop a foot away from him. He was dead.

Hunter threw his head back and roared to the heavens. A roar so loud and deep, it sounded as if it was being ripped from the very depths of his soul. Gerard was finally dead, but it just wasn't enough. It didn't feel like it was enough. Not for all the pain, torture and hell that he had subjected Liam to. Hunter's rage was still all consuming. And he unleashed it on the body of Gerard lying at his feet. By the time Hunter was done, he looked as if he had bathe in Gerard's blood and enjoyed it. Gerard's body was unrecognizable. It was literally ripped to pieces.

Hunter was brought out of the black hole that his rage had pulled him into by Rafe. Rafe, sensing what was happening to Hunter, quickly appeared by his side. Hunter was crouched down on his knees on the destroyed, bloody floor, his back painfully arched, arms stretched and stiffened with tension, hands forming claws, muscles bulged and straining, head thrown back, neck severely stretched with the veins popping and standing out prominently. They looked as if they would burst at any moment. Hunter's mouth was wide open and the sound coming from him, was pure Alpha, pure animal.

Rafe stared horrified at the sight before him, at Hunter being covered in blood and what he had done to Gerard. But Rafe had no time to worry about that now, if he didn't act quickly, he would lose his mate to the bloodlust that was consuming him. If that happened the entire supernatural world would be brought to it's knees.

Rafe pushed into Hunter's mind and held on tight, knowing if he didn't he would lose Hunter to the blood lust that was coursing through his veins. As Rafe mind linked with Hunter, his body rocked from the force of the rage filled power surging through Hunter, Rafe knew instinctively that mere words would not calm the beast that he was about to encounter inside Hunter's mind. So he did the one and only thing that he could think of. Rafe grabbed unto Hunter and bit into his mating mark, allowing his essence to pour into Hunter's body, effectively shocking Hunter out of his own mind, as the mating bond overrode his own rage and re-established their connection.

Rafe didn't let go until he felt Hunter's body shudder and then go still in his arms. As Rafe retracted his fangs, Hunter slumped over and would have hit the floor, if not for Rafe still holding him. "Easy, easy there. I've got you." Rafe said soothingly, stroking his fingers through Hunter's blood soaked locks.

Rafe heard his father's anxious voice inside his head, "Rafe! Son talk to me! His Hunter alright? What's going on in there?"

After taking a deep breath to calm himself, Rafe finally answered Vlad, "He's fine dad. He nearly lost control of his wolf Ares. But I got to him in time, he's ok now."

Rafe turned back his attention to Hunter, "Come on, we have to get Liam and get out of here now." Hunter stirred slowly in Rafe's arms, as if waking up after being in a coma for a long time.

"What happened?" Hunter's voice was slurred and his movements sluggish as he tried to sit up. Then it was as if he was struck by lightening as the events of the night came flooding back. "LIAM!!!!" he roared out as he moved with incredible speed to get to his son, Rafe right behind him.

Their steps faltered as both Hunter and Rafe got their first look at Liam. Bile rose in their throats and tears poured from their eyes as they viewed his little broken body. Their precious little boy was almost unrecognizable. His body was covered in filth and blood. The evidence of his latest ordeal at the hands of Gerard still present, bruises and scars littered his entire body.

Rafe gripped Hunter's shoulder to steady both Hunter and himself. "Easy. We need to control our emotions now. He can't see us breaking down. He needs us to be strong." Rafe mind linked Hunter. They were feeling anything but strong, still Hunter nodded his head and willed his tears away.

Liam was still chained to the wall, his head hanging down, his face covered by his overlong and filthy hair, his body curled into a tight ball, whimpering in fear and pain.

"Liam. Son it's me, Dad." Hunter whispered, trying to keep his emotions out of his voice. Liam slowly raised his head in the direction of his father's voice. A voice that he had prayed endlessly to hear, a voice he was told by his tormentors that he would never hear again. Hunter couldn't hold back the shocked gasp that escaped him when he finally saw Liam's face. Liam's eyes were swollen shut, his lips cracked and bleeding, his nose had obviously been broken on more than one occasion, his face was black and blue and one big swollen mess. "Da...dad?" Liam croaked out, his lips barely moving.

"Yes, baby boy it's me." Hunter gently, slowly and oh so carefully sat on the filthy floor and gathered his son in his arms. Liam buried his face in his father's chest and inhaled deeply of his comforting scent. He broke, and tears of both relief and pain poured from him. Liam sobbed uncontrollably, "he hu...hur...hurt me dad. H...hh...he sa...id yo...you would ne...ev...never find me." Liam hiccupped between sobs.

Rafe stood there, his own tears flowing silently down his face. "Shhhh...... daddy's here now and so his Rafe". Hunter crooned soothingly to Liam, while rocking him like a new born babe. Hunter stared up at Rafe, willing him to come closer, through the mind link Hunter said, "he needs you too". Rafe took slow hesitant steps towards Hunter and Liam not wanting to cause Liam any alarm. Rafe knelt down slowly, carefully reaching out his hands to touch Liam. He hesitated, before allowing his hand to rest on Liam's back.

Liam jerked and stiffened at the contact, fear shooting through him, before Hunter's voice reached him soothingly, "it's ok. I've got you. It's just Rafe, your other dad. You’re safe now. Nothing and no one will ever hurt you again." Liam slowly settled into their three way hold on him. Hunter rocked him as Rafe rubbed soothing circles into his back.

They didn't know how long they just stayed in that position, both afraid of moving and further traumatizing Liam. That was how Vlad found them a long while later.

Vlad stood back and allowed them their privacy a moment longer. His heart broke for the two men and the little boy before him. Vlad couldn't see Liam clearly as he was sandwiched between Hunter and Rafe, but he could feel Liam's pain, he could feel all their pain and it enraged him.

The comfort of Hunter and Rafe had allowed Liam to settle down, his heart wrenching sobs had died down to only the occasional whimper. Vlad mind linked Rafe. "You need to get him to shift. It will be better for him." Rafe nodded his head in acknowledgement of his father's advice. "Hunter." Rafe said in a quiet voice.

"I know Rafe." Hunter acknowledged. Hunter closed his eyes and breathing deeply, pushed into Liam's mind in search of Liam's wolf Hades.

During his many weeks of captivity Liam had somehow managed to separate his mind from Hades, pushing his wolf deep into his subconscious, which protected Hades from being aware of and enduring the torture that Liam was going through. But this act left Liam very vulnerable, because without Hades, Liam was unable to shift and heal himself properly or to even to try and defend himself.

Hunter travelled the traumatized and forever changed pathways of Liam's mind, fighting and breaking through mental barriers that Liam had erected in order to protect both himself and his wolf. Hunter had no choice, he had to get to Hades in order to heal Liam's body properly.

Hunter finally found Hades, and after reassuring the wolf, who didn't understand why Liam had completely blocked him out, Hunter explained everything. He had to, because once Hades was brought forth he would immediately become aware of everything that Liam had been through. Hades raged, "why didn't he call for me, instead of pushing me aside.! I could have protected him! Saved him from that bastard!"

"I understand how you feel, but he was trying to protect you too. You're a wolf pup and such trauma could have turned you rabid. Liam understanding that, chose to protect you instead." Hunter explained. Hades was less than satisfied with this, but he allowed Hunter to very slowly, gently bring him to the surface of Liam's mind.

Rafe stepped away from their embrace as he felt Liam starting to shift into his wolf. Hunter held on to Liam tightly, as he shifted into his wolf form. The wolf pup in his arms howled in pain and rage. Nothing Hunter had said to Hades had been sufficient to prepare him to be finally mentally reunited with Liam and to truly see, feel and experience the horror that Liam had lived through.

Hunter stayed linked with Hades, as he processed the traumatizing events. "You need to stay in wolf form for a while. Ok. It will allow Liam's body to heal faster. We cannot let Cameron see Liam like this."

Hades had no objection to maintaining his wolf form. If it was up to him he would keep Cameron in this form, from now on. It was the only way he felt that he would be able to protect his human.

Hunter turned towards Vlad and nodding at him, signalled that they were ready to go. Still holding Hades in his arms, Hunter, Rafe and Vlad finally walked out of the house of horrors that Liam had existed in, barely managing to stay alive. As they walked away, Hunter mind linked Rafe, "BURN IT ALL!"

Without hesitation, both Rafe and Vlad turned towards the compound and summoning their powers, they brought the lightening down to strike it with such thunderous force that it not only ignited, but it exploded into myriad pieces. They all stood there for a few moments and watched it burn, before turning and walking away. Liam's body already starting to heal within Hunter's arms.

The healing of Liam's mind and spirit was a whole other battle that they would all fight together for years to come.