His Plump Mate (by Buchanan) novel Chapter 26

**Austin POV**

That wretched man deliberately shattered her bones and had the audacity to call it training! The thought of getting my hands on her father sends a surge of rage coursing through my veins. I swear, if fate allows me, I will break every single bone in his body, one by one. I’ll toss him into a cell, and when he’s partially healed, I’ll break them again. I won’t stop until he’s begging for death, and even then, I’ll deny him that mercy. He will suffer endlessly for subjecting my mate to such agony and torment.

What kind of despicable father denies his own daughter medical care? She is his flesh and blood! How can a man be so heartless, letting his own child endure such excruciating pain? I will hunt him down, and I will make him experience the same suffering he inflicted on Rebel. I’ll do it publicly, in front of the pack, turning it into a ritual of punishment until he’s on the brink of death.

‘It’s no wonder our mate is so resilient. She has endured this alone since she was just a pup, a human pup. Years of relentless torment at the hands of those monsters,’ Cronos growls within me, his voice laced with fury.

‘His miserable existence will be a living hell, Cronos. We both will ensure that,’ I reply, my determination solidifying.

Dr. Hadley, the most composed and professional doctor I’ve ever encountered in this pack, is visibly shaken by the extent of abuse my mate has suffered. Beaten, bones broken without care, neglected medically, malnourished—who knows what else she has endured? My anger simmers just beneath the surface as I catch the scent of my mate’s tears, her soft voice whispering an apology.

In that moment, all my rage dissipates. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I fight to hold them back. My fierce, beautiful, strong mate is still terrified that I might be angry with her. I can feel her anxiety through our bond. Gently, I shift her position until she’s straddling my lap.

“Don’t you ever apologize, Rebel,” I say, my voice steady as I see the tears glistening in her eyes. It tears at my heart. “Look at me, darling.” When her gaze finally meets mine, I continue, “I’m furious about how you were treated. I’m not angry at you, not ever. Do you understand? My love for you runs so deep that the rage I feel knowing you were mistreated like this makes me furious with myself for not finding you sooner.”

“I’m enraged by your father’s actions. What he did to you is not training; it’s abuse. He didn’t care for you, didn’t get you the medical attention you needed. He wanted to break you, to make you weak. I don’t know his motives, but when I confront him, the level of suffering I intend to inflict will ensure he regrets every moment he ever hurt you. Even in death, he will wish he had never crossed me.”

I pull her close, capturing her lips in a kiss that conveys all my emotions—my love, my fury, my vow to protect her. I want her to feel the intensity of my promise that she will never endure such cruelty again. I would burn the world down to shield her from any harm.

When I finally pull away, she gasps for breath, and I take a moment to inhale her sweet scent, grounding myself. “I love you so much, Austin. If I had known that wasn’t normal training, I would have spoken up sooner. Please, don’t be angry. I want to heal these bones, to move forward. I want our beautiful life,” she says, her voice trembling with hope.

Our beautiful life. The thought ignites a fierce determination within me. I’ll be damned if she doesn’t receive every ounce of beauty that life has to offer—and more. I hold her close, feeling her shoulders relax against me. I press a gentle kiss to her neck, right where my mark rests, breathing in her scent once more.

Just then, Dr. Hadley returns, her eyes rimmed with red—she’s clearly been crying, too. I can’t blame her; the revelations we’ve just shared are heavy.

“Luna,” she begins, her voice steady despite the emotion. “Considering you had to teach yourself how to treat your own injuries, including setting your own bones, it’s remarkable that you managed to heal at all.” She shifts her gaze to me, a glint of something fierce in her eyes. “Alpha, I counted twenty-three fractures, and two of those are not aligned properly.”

Then, through our mind link, she adds, “Twenty-three fractures, Alpha. I hope you make that miserable bastard pay dearly for harming this sweet girl. Our Luna has endured more than we know, but I would like to discuss that with you privately later.”

‘Let’s arrange a time to meet in private. I want to hear everything you discovered,’ I respond, my mind racing with thoughts of vengeance.

“Now, Luna, we could break the improperly set bones and have Roxie help realign them correctly. However, I don’t want to do that until your nutrition improves. The process will be painful. I can provide a sedative to ease your discomfort during the procedure, but you will still experience pain for at least twenty-four hours after you wake up. We can manage the pain, but once your bones are set correctly, you won’t have to endure that pain anymore,” Dr. Hadley explains gently.

Rebel looks to me, seeking my opinion. “What do you want to do, darling?” I ask, wanting to respect her autonomy. She has suffered enough; I refuse to take away her choices.

She turns to Dr. Hadley, her brow furrowed. “How long do you think it will take before I’m strong enough to handle the process?” she asks.

“How about we check your blood work after your Luna ceremony?” Dr. Hadley suggests. “I understand it’s scheduled for the end of this week, is that still the plan?”

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