Chapter Five- Sister

Joe POV

JOE!

I head soon to be alpha Luke shout through mind link. I had been out for a run, looking for my sister who disappeared a few days ago so I had shut down my mind link. No one here seems to like Abbie for some reason so I did not want them to go searching for her, mainly because I do not know what they would do if they found her.

Sir? I reply, trying to remain respectful while trying to get my breath back.

We have found her. Luke says quickly.

Where is she?

Hospital.

As soon as Luke tells me I close the mind link and I run as quickly as my legs will carry me to the hospital. I shift into my wolf and make it there in a fraction of the time, I am sure that is the fastest we have ever run.

My wolf, Asher, is just as keen to make sure that Abbie is ok but he has to shift back to me as there is a no shifting policy in the hospital. Obviously if shifting is needed then it is done on a case by case basis and with the discretion of the doctor.

I run into the hospital and grab the nearest nurse I find.

“Do you know where my sister is? Abbie Ashley?” I ask frantically.

The nurse looks at me shocked but quickly regains her composure.

“She is in the alpha wing with Luke.” She says.

I thank her and take off at speed, dodging as many people as I can as I practically fly through the hospital.

I make it to the alpha wing and I stop to catch my breath for a few seconds, causing the two guards to look at me confused.

“I am here… to see…” I say panting but I don’t get no further.

“Sorry sir but we have been told no one is allowed in.” One of the guards say.

I growl at them but I don’t get to respond as just then the door opens.

“Let him in, he is her brother.” Luke states.

“The victim is Abbie?!” the guard asks shocked.

Luke just nods his head and turns on his heel, I quickly follow him.

“How is she?” I ask.

“Not good Joe.”

“What happened?” I ask.

Luke and I have been friends for a few years, while we are not close we are civil enough to each other. We met in school and ended up becoming friends over our love of gaming, however that did not stop me from beating him up when I found out about the bloody contract between him and my sister.

But Abbie helped me to move past it, although I still get even with him sometimes he has promised me that he does not harm her. And I better find out he never does. Because if he has ever harmed my little sister….

“I found her in the old dungeons.” Luke states.

“What was she doing there?” I ask incredulously.

Those dungeons have not been used in decades, they were discovered about thirty years ago by our Alpha when he and some of his friends were playing. Since then they have been preserved for history but they are not useable. What would Abbie be doing down there?

“My guess? Max took her there.”

“Max? What has he got to do with this?” I ask.

Was Max helping her hide and something went wrong? I know Max likes her so I figured that it was to his she often goes when she disappears for days on end. That doesn’t stop me looking and I thought that Max helped her hide after the last time I found her in his house when she ran away. She was only seven but he hid her in their basement.

“Max wasn’t hiding her Joe, he was…”

“He was what?” I ask, anger lacing my voice. Surely it should not be so hard for Luke to tell me.

“He was torturing her.”

“WHAT?!” I growl, making the corridor shake.

“He used a poker on her arm and then was…”

“Was what?!”

“I found him mid-thrust.”

I let out an almighty growl.

“BUT NOTHING HAPPENED!” Luke shouts.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOTHING HAPPENED?” I shout.

“The doctor did a test and thankfully I managed to get there in time before he could do anything.” Luke explains.

“You found her? How?” I ask confused.

“I was on a erm… run.” Luke says, scratching the back of his head. I narrow my eyes at the blatant lie. “And I smelt burning flesh and blood coming from the dungeons. Max had somehow managed to get a key and kept Abbie down there.” he says.

“You sure it was not you who put her there? You punishing her?” I growl.

“Joe!” Luke shouts.

“What? She is your servant after all.” I growl.

“And I regret doing that, I will make it right. I did not want this to happen to her, no matter what she is a pack member and should have been protected not exploited.” Luke says confidently. I want to believe him but how can I?

“What is going to happen to Max?” I ask.

“Once Abbie is healed, he will be put on trial for his crimes.” Luke replies.

“I feel there is something to that story you are hiding.”

“There was someone else there too.” Luke tells me, his shoulders relaxing.

“Who? Where are they?” I ask, my grip tightening slightly around Abbie’s hand. I quickly loosen it.

“I do not know as they managed to get away.” Luke replies defeatedly.

“How could you let them get away?”

“Because she was my priority. I saw the state she was in and knew she needed help. The smell of burning flesh was overpowering and I was unable to smell another. I thought it was just Max until I heard footprints running up the steps and out of the dungeon.” Luke explains.

“Will she be ok?” I ask as we reach the door. I want a rough idea of what I am walking into.

“Her right arm has been branded, her neck bruised and she is out cold. We do not know what else has happened or when she will wake up.” Luke explains quietly.

I nod, take a deep breath and open the door.

As soon as the door opens I almost fall to my knees at the sight. My baby sister is lying in a hospital bed with tubes and wires coming out of almost all of her.

Her right arm and neck are bandages, she wrists are swollen, her complexion is gone and she looks like she has been starved. Her skin is just hanging off of her, whatever has happened to her has been traumatic enough for her to be like this.

Why had I not seen it before? In this light I see just how thin and weak my sister is, I just thought she wanted to lose weight as she was being picked on but now I see that she has a problem. And one I will work with her to overcome.

“I found her trying to take her life the other day.” Luke whispers.

“What?” I ask. My head whipping around to look at him.

“A few days ago I found her on the cliff, she took a step to walk over the edge but I managed to grab her. Looking at her now I can see just how far she has been broken.” He whispers sadly.

I walk over and sit down next to her, taking her left hand in mine and kissing it.

“What did you do?” I ask.

“Do?” Luke asks confused.

“When you found her the other day. What did you do?”

“I had a go at her, told her how stupid she was. She took off running.” Luke explains.

“So when I came to you asking if you had seen her and you told me no, you lied to me? Why?” I ask, not even bothering to hide the tears pouring down my face at this point.

“I… I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even think to tell you because I thought she had run back home and hidden somewhere. I didn’t think it had anything to do with that day.” Luke says defensively.

“My sister tried to kill herself, probably because of you and everyone bullying her and you didn’t think to mention this to me? What if she had gone back and succeeded in what you stopped her doing? Huh? What if she had been lying at the bottom of that cliff dead?” I whisper shout.

Luke just opens and closes his mouth, not knowing how to respond.

Silence envelopes the room, the only sound heard is the beeping of the machines telling me that my sister is alive. And for that I am grateful.

“Is that everything?” I ask, breaking the silence.

“Yes.” Luke replies.

I nod my head, but I know that Luke is hiding something, and I want to find out what.