Author's Notes: Tinker03, Ttrace, lametortoise, and ravenanalia – thanks for reviewing each chapter, I appreciate the updates on how you feel the story is going. Keeps me motivated and headed in fun directions.

Ttrace – I definitely agree, they'll have to build a bond before Edward can trust Jacob with his ability to shift.

Lametortoise – Edward will remain Dominant, He's sexy that way ;-)

Anonymous reader – It's my favorite kind of story too, glad you're enjoying it.

Ravenanalia – Thanks for the compliments, I'll be updating every 1-3 days, depending on how life hits me over the next few weeks.

Also, DreamingPoet1988 is an amazing beta. Everyone has her to thank for the quick updates as well. She keeps me on my toes, and keeps those toes walking in the right direction.

Ch 4

Edward sat in his suite in the manor, watching the slow breathing of his new found acquisition. Jacob had not awoken during the plane flight, and even though Carlisle had said not to expect him up any time soon, he was still deeply worried.

Edward had sat in the plane, holding Jacob for the entire remainder of the flight. When they landed, he had picked him up, carried him from the plane to the car, and brought him here, climbing the stairs with a few of his family members trailing behind him - asking questions - and lay Jacob gently on his own bed.

"So your trip went alright I take it?" Jasper noted dryly as Edward had set Jacob down.

"This isn't the outcome I was looking for," Edward commented, stroking Jacob's head gently.

"Jacob will be alright," Carlisle said, moving to the other side of the bed and checking him out once more to make sure he was still stable, "His healing ability will take care of him. And really, he's doing better than I expected."

"In that case," Jasper said, looking at Edward again, "Why don't you come on downstairs until he wakes up? You look like you've been through hell."

Edward brushed his hand through his hair. Then opened his mouth to respond. He didn't want to leave Jacob here in an unfamiliar place, alone. But he didn't get the chance to explain that - as his sister ran up the stairs and plowed into him, wrapping him tightly in a hug.

"Edward! I'm so glad you're home! Did your trip go well?" Noticing the somber faces in the room, Alice looked around a little more closely, "Ooh, who is this?" she said, motioning toward the unconscious Jacob.

Carlisle, still across the room, answered for Edward - who couldn't quite find the words with his sisters arms still securely latched around him, "Edward bought him, he's a werewolf, who apparently goes by Jacob."

"He's cute. Though I do have to say, he smells like a dog." Alice commented. "Come on Edward. Mother, Emmet, and Rosalie are downstairs waiting to see you."

Dislodging herself and walking over to Jasper she wrapped an arm around him affectionately, "We have a lot to discuss, me and Jasper found out a good deal of information on our trip. And family takes precedence, Edward."

He sighed looking over at Jacob again.

Carlisle again answered for him, "It does take precedence, but give Edward about a half hour, the discussion can wait, and if Jacob hasn't woken by then, Edward can feel confident leaving him here for a while."

Edward was grateful for his father's understanding. And gave him an affectionate hug after both his other siblings left the room.

And so he had been left alone with Jacob. He grabbed a chair, sat down, and gazed at him, a bland look plastered to his face to hide the worry he was feeling. Despite the worry, Edward still enjoyed the view. Jacob was handsome beyond compare, and he had many years of memories to compare him to. His strong body, tight chest, and ripped arms filled out Edwards t-shirt and the pants he had worn at the auction, showing a bold outline of his muscles with every breath. His dark skin and hair were an attractive contrast to the delicious red of his lips and his striking facial features.

Edward sat there for a few minutes, watching, before he noticed any change. He actually heard the thoughts he before noticed anything else, he heard somewhat of an internal groan. After a moment, Jacob's eyes slowly drifted open.

"Wha- Where am- ugh." Jacob tried to speak, but held his head in pain after uttering the few syllables.

"Jacob?" Edward questioned, rushing to his side and putting a cold hand on his shoulder, "Are you alright?"

But as Edward placed his hand on Jacob's shoulder, Jacob's eyes went wide with fear and he backed away from him quickly, dislodging Edwards hand as he scrambled back across the bed to the other corner.

"Jacob, what's going-"

Jacob cut him off shortly - with broken pleas and a haunted expression, "Please Master, please have mercy, I didn't mean to get angry. The shift just started, before I could stop it. Please, it won't happen again."

Edward began walking slowly to the other side, his brows furrowed in deep concern and confusion. But as he moved, Jacob scrambled the other direction, staying as far away as possible. "Jacob, what are you talking about?"

Thoughts of personal death and pain filled Jacob's mind. And as he scrambled back, he was grimacing in agony, the movement obviously causing his head to ache much worse. His thoughts continued to crescendo into a rising panic that Edward was at a loss to explain.

"I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to shift, I was fine and it just happened, please-" Jacob continued, nearly babbling. His thoughts were flashes of memory, beatings, torture, all from... Edward understood after that brief flash of thought. The trainers. Whatever was happening, flashbacks, programed behavior, or just learned terror, it was from them.

"Jacob, I'm not going to-" But Edward couldn't get a word in, Jacob continued to plead, little of it making sense. As well, the more he squirmed, the more he pulled into himself, his head still held in pain. Whatever Edward did, he needed to do it quickly.

"Please Master, I can control myself, please have mercy, I've been able to control myself up till now I just-" Edward wasn't listening. Instead he was trying to think of something, anything he could do to calm the man in front of him. He was shaking, and Edward wondered if that could be a sign of going into shock. He decided he'd done enough thinking.

Rushing forward with his super-human speed, he moved to the side of the bed, wrapped an arm around Jacob's back and grabbed his chin with his other hand - forcing him to make eye contact. Jacob started to struggle briefly but stopped at Edward's words. "You want mercy, boy? Then listen to me. Very carefully."

Jacob stopped struggling and pleading, and for a brief second, the only noise in the room was his quick, heavy breath.

Thank God. Edward swore to himself.

Climbing onto the bed next to him, letting go of his chin but still holding him close, he spoke again, his tone softer, but still powerful. "Jacob, calm down, be quiet, and listen to me. You need to compose yourself and and think, not just react. If you'd calm down, and think for a moment, you'd realize, I'm not angry with you. I haven't hurt you, and I haven't done anything to make you think I would." Jacob just turned his head away uncomfortably, shaking slightly but staying still besides.

Edward leaned onto the headboard and pulled Jacob backwards until he was resting his back on Edward's chest. "Relax. I'm not like those that trained you, I'm not interested in the same actions from you. And I'm not going to punish you for getting angry or starting a shift."

He stroked his hair, trying to calm him. It would have been a nice moment, but Edward was too distracted by Jacob's thoughts to enjoy the feel of his warm body pressed into Edward's own, the heat from his muscles scorching the minuscule space between them.

Jacob's thoughts whirled around death, pain, and fear. Old memories of being chained to walls and flogged until even his werewolf healing couldn't help him; being tortured by vampires who's only ability was to cause deep and unavoidable pain; being bound, gagged, and raped until he was bleeding and broken; hunger and thirst that caused Jacob to fall unconscious - surviving only by the grace of his body's ability to heal.

"Calm, Jacob, No one is going to hurt you here." He continued, still softly stroking his hair.

Moments passed, then minutes, with Edward gently holding Jacob and running his fingers through his hair. Gradually his breath and thoughts slowed and he relaxed slightly, his body conforming to Edward's.

"That's it Jacob, good. Just relax." Edward said, continuing to touch him lightly. "It's alright."

Edward listened to Jacob fight with himself- trying to decide whether or not to trust Edward, what was going on, and how to get through the next short while without extreme forms of punishment. The only thing keeping him from again babbling in fear was Edward's command to "Keep quiet".

Slowly over several minutes, as he thought to himself in the relative safety of Edward's arms, his thoughts coalesced into less fearful ideas, the best of which, being a small amount of enjoyment at being held this way, and the worst of which being that perhaps this was all a trick.

"It's not a trick Jacob, I'm not going to hurt you." Edward responded to his thoughts, rubbing Jacob's stomach with the hand that was wrapped around his body. Still stroking his head with the other hand.

Jacob looked up at him, the stark fear replaced by wary nervousness, Can I talk, Master? He thought - apparently hoping to reach Edward for a revocation of his previous command.

Edward smiled, glad Jacob had reached out to him this way. "Of course, say whatever you want Jacob."

Jacob paused for a long moment, looking at Edward seriously, gratefully.

He then started to speak, "Tha-", but faltered, unsure what he was about to thank the leech for, not beating him? He dropped his head back down, changing tack, and instead said simply, "My head is killing me."

Edward nodded, slightly disappointed that Jacob would not allow himself to feel his own emotions, but unwilling to show any disappointment in him at this moment, "This has been more stress than your body should handle, especially after your interrupted shift. Stay here, and get some rest. I have some business to attend to, I'll be back when I'm done."

Edward shifted Jacob off him gently, holding his back and laying him down on the soft bed but Jacob wasn't having it.

"I don't need any rest, I'm fine." He growled in annoyance.

He started to sit up, then stand. But as he tried, he moaned in pain, grabbing his head and sitting back down heavily.

"That was not a request Jacob," Edward said, his smooth voice flowing over Jacob like cool water. He lifted Jacob's feet with one arm, turning him, and pushed him back down on the bed with his other arm. "I'll bring you up water and food in a short while, but for now, close your eyes and try to rest."

Jacob just groaned in response, covering his head with a pillow and curling into himself.

Edward rested a cold hand on Jacob's shoulder for a moment, rubbed a thumb over his neck tenderly, then left the bedside, heading down the stairs to speak with his family.