Arian saw through Jed's eyes how his own father sheltered and cared for Jed. Saw his mate pleading with Sheriff Blaidd not to tell his father what Quade had done. "A boy has to honor his father. I can't destroy Quade in daddy's eyes..." He saw his father reluctantly agree, until it was needed.
He saw how the investigation hit dead ends. Every place the Jed could remember being violated was scrubbed, cleaned, and abandoned. The men who used him dead or missing. Even the theme park had a major data breach and all of the video was lost from Jed's weekend with Vuk.
The strip mall in St Petersburg was vacant. All the names on the leases were dummy corporations, resulting in still more dead ends. With only a single note left behind it was a single phrase in Serbian, "See you soon, MY little soul!"
Thursday Morning
Arian and Jed both woke up crying. Arian was staring at the cowering boy and Jed was too ashamed and frightened to even look at Arian. Both fully remembering the dream of the intimate and painful parts of Jedidiah's life. Jed slipped from the bed. He slowly began heading for the bathroom. He just wanted to hide and end the hurting.
Too wrapped in his own pain to fully connect with Arian Jed said, "I'm sorry Arian I should have told you. Now you know. I am nothing... nothing but a filthy whore, weak and dirty. I know you don't want me... no one will... It's ok, I understand..."
Arian saw the image from Jed's mind. It was the old straight razor in the medicine cabinet, he understood Jedidiah was again making a bad decision. He leapt from the bed grabbing hold of his mate. He pulled him chest to chest. "Jed, I know I'm the first that you loved. I love you so much. I smelt the others, I should have known.
Jedidiah there is nothing in your past that you should feel any shame about. You survived long enough to be with me. You lived long enough to be mine. Please don't cut our time together short. I belong by your side forever.
No one will ever hurt you again. I will NEVER let anyone hurt you again. I have failed you for the last time my baby." Others had said those words before. This was the first time Jed new someone meant it.
Jed and Arian were interrupted by an urgent knock at the door. Arian grabbed the bathrobe from the wardrobe and Jed pulled on a sleep shirt from the shelf. Arian opened the door to find Buck Glynis.
The elder patriarch of the Glynis clan had puffy eyes and tear-stains down his cheeks. Buck walked to his son and Jed fell into his father's embrace. "I saw son... I saw it all. I guess some part of you wanted me to know. For the first time my mind was quiet enough to hear you."
Sheriff Blaidd entered the room and stood by his son. There was a knowing exchange of looks between the two Alphas. Jedidiah had shared the story with both of them the same way, just months apart.
Jed was crying as he said, "I'm sorry Dad, I was trying to keep it from you. You always said, 'A son deserves to respect his father...' I didn't want to take that from you."
The big man was sobbing knowing what his boy endured, and why. The 'why' of it was killing Buck. He replied, "You didn't buddy, my dad did. He did it all on his own. A man honors and respects his father and mother by how he lives his life. Not the words he says or doesn't say. You are a good boy, but my father was NOT a good man. I failed you Quin, I delivered you into his hands.
I am sorry doesn't even come close to what I owe you. We are gonna gut that damned room. If you wanna fill it in with concrete, Hell's bells son if you want to tear the whole place down, I am so good with that."
"The building is just a building dad. Three generations of our family put it to good use. Only one was a scumbag, and I am going to wipe his mark from this building. Add to that part of Quade's estate demands that the building remain.
First I have to undo some of the damage Quade did to our town. I tried to do it all myself, I need help. I think there may be proof of other stuff hidden in the vault."
Buck replied, "Quin, I'll give you all the help you need. With what my old man did, I have no doubt we would be able to vacate that will."
Dutch added, "I am going to take a close look at your grandfather's trust. If it's not kosher, we can request a court-appointed trustee assigned to look after your interests buddy. That said, I do want to go in The Vault with you."
A stunned Arian asked, "Wait a minute I thought THIS was The Vault!?!" He was gesturing to the walls around him.
Jed replied before his father could, "No, Arian this is 'The Orange Plant' that's the name I want people to start using again. Just like I will no longer be called that ridiculous title 'QUIN.' Quade embraced the Gaelic number four as his name, I am Jed or Jedidiah. I am NOT just a fucking number."
Both Dutch and Arian knew what Jed was doing. He was metaphorically marking territory, reclaiming his name. Buck cringed realizing how much his son hated the nickname that Quade hung on the boy as a baby. "Arian, when Grandad talked about 'The Vault' he was talking about the bunker off his bedroom.
It was the cold storage for produce and the archive records. Granddad told everyone that it had been filled in, he lied. That is a task for next week. This weekend is about our celebration of family, school and community. Please..."
Truth be told Jedidiah wanted to sneak into the vault and purge some of the things that were left behind. No, not the records, but Papa Quade's special play space. A fully functioning dungeon.
Jed knew removing the hardware would be the easy part. The hard part would be removing the odors. How do you mask a scent from a lycan? No, he would have to talk to Dutch alone.
Dutch said, "You boys should get ready to start your day. I ordered breakfast from the diner for the volunteer workers this morning. Buck want to give me a hand while the boys wash up."
Jed slid the old industrial door closed and fell into Arian's strong arms. "I'll get you through this. We'll make it through." Jed held his lover tight. A thought came to the older boy. "Jed, I saw the size of the toys that were used on you... HELL I felt them..." The alpha jock was struggling how to finish asking his question.
Jed released a nervous giggle. "Arian, when I healed you or any of the others, did it leave a mark or scar?"
"No but..." A light went on as he connected the dots. "When you and your mother heal someone, it's like hitting reset on a game."
Jed nodded. "I don't know why Zivko didn't heal completely. Then again, his damage was so deep and he was the first human I tried my gift on." Jed saw part of the man's face again. The fog of his memory was fading and he shuddered.
Arian could feel his mate's discomfort. He pulled him close, "I've got you. I will never leave you. We are mates for life babe."
Jedidiah grabbed Arian and pushed him back against the wall. He put his hand on Arian's shoulder feeling the toned muscle under his softer hands. He looked at Arian, their eyes locked. Jed placed his other hand behind Arian's head as they moved even closer. His full lips parted.
Arian placed a firm hand around Jedidiah's head and pulled him the final distance, their mouths melting together, the teens were fighting for the same air. His stubble prickled against Jedidiah's chin.
Slowly Jedidiah felt a much anticipated visitor as he felt Arian's moist tongue pressing inside his mouth with such force, he couldn't help but to enjoy the breach.
Arian's hands caressed Jedidiah's ass, squeezing and pulling at the cheeks. Jedidiah moaned between kisses. "I want you inside of me. I don't care about the risk. I want you today, this morning, NOW! Please before anything else goes wrong."
He pulled away from Arian; slowly Jedidiah's hands worked their way to the belt on Arian's borrowed robe. Once unrestrained the fabric fell open exposing the stud's chest, abs and groin.
Jed slowly slid down the alpha god's body. He stopped to take each of his mate's perfect nipples into his mouth. Jedidiah's tongue moved in circles around each nipple as they stood to attention.
Finally on his knees he looked into Arian's eyes. In his lover's eyes Jed looked like an innocent lost boy, his angel.
Arian let the robe slide to the floor. His semi-erect cock shot up and touched his lover's chin. Jedidiah could smell Arian's scent, the scent of a man, sweat and something else... something very familiar now.
Slowly he took the stud's manhood into his mouth, having at first to adjust to the girth of Arian's long erect penis; it was nearly as thick as Jed's wrist! Lubing the veined shaft with his spit Jedidiah slowly began to bob his head working more and more of the huge cock past his hungering full lips, his intense stare locked on the hungry eyes above him.
Jedidiah enjoyed the feeling of being watched as he sucked Arian's cock. Three quarters of Arian's length was in his mouth, as the jock fucked Jed's face softly. Arian knew the violence his love endured, Jed would only get support, love and comfort from him.
Jedidiah worked himself out of his sleep shirt and began to palm his own smaller but needy cock as it dangled between his legs. He could feel Arian's cock swell in his mouth, his balls hard at work below producing the taste Jedidiah needed in his mouth and in his ass.
Arian stopped and pulled out of Jedidiah's mouth. The look of sorrow on Jedidiah's face made him laugh. "Not to worry baby, don't look so sad." Arian picked the light boy up and laid him on his back on the bed. He saw how others took his boy never once had Jed ever seen the faces of the men who took him.
The stud lifted Jed's legs. He smirked as Jed wrapped his arms around the long legs pulling them out of Arian's way. The QB began to finger fuck Jedidiah's ass slowly spreading the re-virgined pucker adding additional digits and lube as needed. Jedidiah's moans made Arian's cock spasm.
Jed rocked back to meet each of the three-fingered thrusts. Jedidiah pleaded, "Please Arian fuck me now! Please... I need you in me." His look of absolute desperation was so cute to the older teen.
Arian removed his fingers and placed them in front of Jedidiah, his pouty pink lips gobbling the taste of Arian's incursion inside his butt. Positioning the cock head at the anal ring Arian pushed, and slowly Jed's ass stretched to accommodate Arian's pole.
Jedidiah was panting as Arian's thrusts began to build up a rhythm. Deeper he felt Arian push, and then pull, his anal ring was clamping onto Arian to keep him inside, each thrust he felt himself open a little more. The feeling of being completely full, and the emptiness as Arian withdrew from him.
Jedidiah did yelp in pain at first, as it then subsided to pleasure as the long shaft bumped his prostate. Jed loved the feeling of Arian's balls slapping his bottom. Arian was planting kisses on his lover's neck and lips. The feeling of Jed's soft full lips against his made the hair on his back stand on end. Arian was fighting with his inner wolf. The teen found the power to pleasure his boy and keep his monster in check.
Jed never wanted that moment to end. His cheeks now bright red from the continued pounding and slaps from Arian's pelvis. Again he could feel his stud's thickness as it expanded further in anticipation of ejaculation.
Arian shouted, "I'm going to cum!"
Jedidiah beat him to it spraying his watery jizz up his belly, chest, neck and face. The orgasm caused his ass to clamp down hard on the man meat lodged within it. Arian blasted his seed deep inside his lover's chute.
Spent and happy Arian laid down next to Jed and kissed him. His mouth traveled across his mate's face collecting his puppy's watery emissions. Arian licked Jedidiah's face clean before planting a sloppy kiss of satisfaction on his boy's soft pair of pouty lips.
As the boys descended, the mood at the breakfast table was somber to say the least. Hachi had just said, "At least it's out in the open. Forgive me Buck. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."
"Sweetheart the boy was dealing with enough. I saw it, he wasn't ready to cope with this. I am not sure if he is NOW. Neither you or he did anything wrong." He kissed his wife and continued, "At the time you did the right thing. Truth be told, I'm fighting the urge to go to the cemetery and piss on dad's grave."
As the boys joined the crowd Jed heard only the last part of his parent's exchange, his head dropped low and Arian pulled him close.
Carolyn looked at her mate who mouthed the word 'later' to her. Jed pretended not to notice. Thinking, that the alpha female will look upon him as an unworthy weakling. Arian heard the thought and replied, "She will not. She's going to think you're the most deserving member to ever be brought into this pack." Now Carolyn's eyebrow arched.
Thankfully for Jed the door chime rang. He walked the length of the three bays to get to the door. It was Stephanie and the decorating team, Kent McCormick and his father, the building inspector and Fire Marshal followed them in.
Jed hugged on Kevin McCormick telling the man he didn't have to help. "When I heard what Steph and her dad had planned, I just had to be a part of it. Karl was crazy about Kyle from the moment you pushed them together. Jed my boys love you like a baby brother. So, I guess you got another uncle. If you'll have me."
Jason and the whole March family entered. The boys and their dad were helping with the McCormick's tools. The supplies were shuttled into the bay then Jed pointed to the breakfast buffet and drink station encouraging all to take their fill.
As the crowd headed to bay seven Steph sniffed the air, "DID YOU TWO..." Jed bit his lip and nodded yes. Steph pulled him into a hug. "I am so happy for you two. You guys are perfect together!"
"Umm Steph, speaking of perfect things... Karl and Kent where going to escort Kyle and I to the dance. Since you and Kent..."
Steph interrupted her babbling buddy, "Sweetie, he asked last night. I said yes. I have always been sweet on the big goof."
After the meal Jed was about to accompany them into bay one. "Oh no you don't!" Stephanie chided. She kissed Jed's cheek and went right back into her roll. "From this point on, you're not allowed in here. This is the student body's surprise to you. Trust me."
Arian said, "I will keep him busy Steph. So, you guys do what you need. He needs a lot of 'happy things' today." The QB pulled Jedidiah close.
"Arian, could you help me close the book on some stuff. Grandma left a little unfinished business that Quade messed up. I want to make some stuff mine."
"Got it, marking territory. I'm yours, what do you need."
Jed replied, "Please tell me, I don't have to tell you NOT to pee on anything."
Steph laughed kissing Arian and Jed again then closed the door pulling the blinds. "No peeking! Arian, keep him away from the security camera network too."
Jed took Arian back to bay seven, "Dad, I have an appointment with Bryan Weatherford to do some work on grandma's car. He's also going to try and sell granddad's pickup. Could you give us a ride back?"
"You got it pal." Jed went into Frank's old sleeping room, now just an office. He felt ill just being in the room. He open the key box and grabbed the keys to his grandmother's Corvette and papa Quade's old truck. He also grabbed a third pair of keys. Then he slipped the titles into a leather folio.
When he rejoined the group in bay seven He handed Sheriff Blaidd the keys to a panel van. "It's down in the garage near the boat house by the river. After thinking about last night, I think it might be a crime scene. Just make it go away."
Showing the sheriff the title he continued, "I'll sign it over, so long as I never see it again. I know Quade used it to transport me to... dirty places... a lot. I think he used it to collect the people he trained for Vuk and the others. It might close some of your missing person cases."
Jed could see Carolyn Blaidd had finally caught up with the morning's events. She saw his shame. After a brief flash of pity on her face, she pulled the new pack member into a nurturing embrace.
The sheriff replied, "I'll process it and I'll make it gone. You know our county's 'hydrant humping hose draggers' love to cut up vehicles. It will give them some training on vehicle extrication."
Jed handed the keys to Quade's truck to Arian. "Please don't think I'm weak Arian, I just can't drive this. It hurts just to know it is there."
Arian kissed Jed, "I got this. Give me a fifteen minute head start and you won't even see it when you arrive. I'll wait for you." Arian departed.
"What are you doing to Mama D's car Jed?"
Jedidiah showed his father the artwork from his folio. "Giving it the paint job that she always wanted."
"That screams my mom. I see a little of you in there too sport."
They climbed into their vehicles and drove over to Bryan Weatherford Custom Automotive. Bryan was a former upperclassman who Jedidiah occasionally collaborated with on custom paint design. Bryan was a wizard with a spray gun. He could do with custom paint, what Caravaggio did with a brush.
The Weatherford family were always close family friends. Both Jed's mother and grandmother were healers and midwives before Leilani chose them as host. They treated many of the local "unconquered people."
Bryan was what others in the old days would call slow. One of the fastest ways anyone could anger Jedidiah would be if they called his friend retarded.
Bryan was truly a gentle giant. His father Terry made sure that his son was taken care of. College was never in the cards, but he had a gift, and his father made sure he could survive on it. His older brother Cody handled the books, orders and the other family businesses.
In school Jed coached Bryan academically. That was part of the reason he graduated. The fact that Quade forbade Jed from having contact with the Weatherford family made his acts of rebellion ever so much more enjoyable. As a result Jed was often treated like an extended member of the family.
Terry Weatherford greeted Jedidiah warmly on his arrival. "Chehuntamo Jedidiah! I just looked at the grumpy butthole's truck! Surprising but the cheap bastard took real good care of it. Cody has a buddy up in Port Charlotte. His baby sister is headed up to Atlanta for college. She's looking for a good little truck.
We can make you a great deal on the paint job. We'll call the paint even for the truck... and as a thanks for saving the homecoming dance for my baby girl. We got a deal?"
Jed pulled out the title and signed it over. "Just make it gone from my sight forever." With a final handshake it was done.
Jedidiah opened his notebook and pulled out his design for Grandma D's car. "Thank God we're finally undoing the damage. This is even better than the original. Hell boy, I should pay you for letting us undo the damage the ol' butthole did to it. This ride is a piece of art, we will make it look like one again. My boy will make it look great for you to head off to college in."
Bryan came out from behind the building with Arian. The giant gave Jed a big bear hug lifting his feet off the ground. The boy didn't know his own strength. The giant squeezed the air out of the teen's lungs. "Bryan put him down!" His father stated gruffly. Once on the ground Jedidiah pulled in a big breath of air and patted Bryan on his chest.
The big man blurted out, "Sorry Pop, I am just so happy! Jed and Arian are together now."
When he caught his breath again Jed replied, "Good seeing you too Bry."
Terry said to Arian, "About damn time you saw the obvious boy!" Joking was put aside as he continued, "Sheriff's boy or not, you break his heart and I show you yours. He and his mama are special to my family and our people. No offense Buck."
Buck replied, "Hey, I know I am just grafted in. Arian you are too now. I got the same warning from Terry's dad."
The project was then discussed. Bryan loved the small Wiley Wolf detail on the rear quarter panels. Then a timetable was laid out. Jed knew the family was pushing aside other customers to make the deadline. When he balked Terry said to let him worry about his business.
Killing Time...
When Jed and Arian returned to The Orange Plant they found Buck and Hachi ran back to the farm to check on the animals. The decorating team foiled several "accidental" incursions by Jed. His curiosity was killing him. Carolyn asked her son to run back to their place to grab something.
As soon as he left Sheriff Blaidd reentered the room. "We got about an hour until he gets back. I know you have questions and I know you didn't want your dad or my son involved. Show me The Vault."
Jedidiah led the sheriff through his grandfather's suite. Showed him how to open the hidden door inside the closet. They entered the stainless steel room that Quade performed his recorded demonstrations.
"Yep, it was a good idea for you to keep my son out of here. The old factory overload would have definitely drawn a response. Have to admit boy I'm barely maintaining myself. What are the mounts for on the walls?"
Jed replied, "Those were so Quade could set up extra cameras and lights. The room was designed in case things got messy he could clean up in a hurry and leave no evidence." When Dutch commented about them not being link to the security office Jed said, "The training and play rooms are on an isolated system. All feeds dump into Quade's office. I will show you that later."
Jed open the door on the side room. There were low stocks in the center of the room with hands and feet anchors embedded in the floor. "This was the old cashier's vault. It became Quade's first special playroom. It was for sensory deprivation.
You could anchor a subject... person to the floor, to the wall, or from the ceiling. You can make it completely dark or bright as day. The room is also soundproof. I was locked up here for a week after angering Quade. I didn't know how much time had elapsed until he finally released me."
They left the deprivation tank and re-entered the stainless room. Jed hit two buttons at the same time on the control panel triggering a slide away wall. There was a large bank vault door revealed on the other side.
The sheriff marveled, "You have to be kidding me! A hidden room inside a hidden room. Your grandad was paranoid."
"Sir, don't call him my grandfather or Grandad anymore. He is Quade, nothing more to me. Paranoid is what you call people who think someone is after them. Quade actually HAD people after him. A couple even tried to help me JUST to hurt him. They disappeared, I think Quade had them..."
The sheriff hugged Jed. He knew Jed was strong, he was still learning about the hell that the boy endured. Jed showed him how to open the vault door. "The Vault proper is a series of connecting vaulted rooms that go all the way into the wood lines down near the river.
They let out just outside the boathouse. Quade re-engineered the surrounding earth to create a berm over them to make it look as if he collapsed them. They are anchored and watertight, just in case the river floods again."
"Jed, I can think of a good use for this tunnel when we get the smells out of here. Jedidiah this would be the perfect place to change and go into the woods in our lycan form."
"Sir if any part of this building can be repurposed for good, I'm all on board sir. That said you're probably right it is a good design. We have large shower facilities over here..." pointing to the vault to the left. He then pointed to the vault to the right saying, "...That was Quaid's office. If there's dirt in hidden files that's where it will be. He refused to let anyone play in that room. Let's keep walking and we will come back."
The next segment was the three dungeon chambers. "How do you kill the smell in here?"
"Jedidiah it's going to be difficult but I've got a friend over in Yeehaw Junction. He does this for a living, believe it or not."
Jed replied, "I'm actually thinking about putting in a saltwater pool and grotto area in here. I have some preliminary sketches that I need to run across the building inspector's desk. I'm assuming I still have to get permits."
"He's one of us, consider them rubber-stamped. This stays off the books. This is perfect."
The final segment had a double vault door. Jedidiah demonstrated the method for opening them and then the sheriff repeated the steps. True to his word they emerged from the cave like mouth and into a wood lined clearing. His grandfather's old garage and boathouse were visible down on the river. "Your family used to ship produce and farm goods out to the gulf from there. I almost forgot about it."
"Dad and I rebuilt this old fire bridge across the river into the nature preserve. I guess we could have Thomas 'the fish cop' mark it off limits to the public."
Dutch nodded his agreement, "This is perfect. From here we have total private access to the preserve, our hunting grounds, the reservation AND your family's farm. You do know Thomas HATES being called a 'fish cop' right?" Jed smirked wickedly. The pack alpha could feel the boy's stress level finally drop from the first trip through 'The Vault.'
"I am ready sir. Let me show you the rest. You can take it from there."
Dutch held his future son-in-law, "I can't hide anything from you I guess. Show me his office."
The two secured both of the outer hatches and made their way back through the maze of rooms. Jedidiah opened the door to Quade's secret office.
As soon as the MacBook was booted there was a message waiting.
An anonymous sender sent a message to Quade's encrypted Tutanota account: "I am still watching over you my precious. This one hurt you, I hurt him back. This one touched you, we touched him back hard. I burn for you... See you soon, MY little soul!
Your Gospodine,
Vuk"
At the end of the message a video began playing. It showed Kyle and Jedidiah kissing then wrestling in Kyle's truck. From the perspective of the camera it looked as if Jedidiah was fighting off an attack. The wrestling match ended with Jedidiah slapping Kyle. The next cut was the attack on Kyle and Karl. The last scene was a close-up of Kyle's chest. It was a message written in blood. 'See you soon, MY little soul!'
"I protect what is mine. You are mine. You have nothing to fear from me little one. I wait for you."
Jedidiah had a moment of realization He remembered 'Mama D' reading the story of 'Petar i Vuk' (Peter and the Wolf). He was shaking as he muttered, "Vuk is Serbian for Wolf... I did this... I killed them all." The boy passed out.