All I want

"Don't you dare die on me."  
Bellamy's words were choppy and harsh as he trampled through the dirt path that lead to his home.  He was not due back for several more months but there had been an emergency.  During his tour he and Thatcher had been out scouting. The earlier look outs had missed a land mine, but unfortunately they had not.  Their jeep had exploded on impact, and while he himself had been standing a few feet away to guide their path, Thatch had been seated in the driver's seat. It was a wonder that the man hadnt been blown away completely.  The army medics had made it clear that there was nothing to be done.  They were planning to give Thatcher plenty of morphine and simply make him comfortable in some hospital until his injuries finally claimed his life.
But Bellamy had been adamant that he would not allow his friend to go without a fight.  Thatcher had been there when he'd received his dear John letter. His friend had been the only one to hold his hand through that, and then after he'd lost his own family Bellamy had returned the favor. He had held Thatch on many nights, pressing kissing against his jawline and soothing the tension from his shoulders. They had loved each other.  Thatcher was a living and breathing piece of Bellamy's heart.  
And he could not die today.
"We have a great doctor and an alpha and he can take care of you.  He took care of me.  He has to do it for you, too."  Living without Thatch wasn't an option.  He had Vitaly now but there would still never be a way to patch the hole Thatcher's loss would leave him with. The man was his best friend. He had been a lover.  He was Bellamy's home away from home.
"I'm not trying to make you guilty or nervous but im not letting go so you can't either."  The soldier was gripping his friends hand as he finally come into view of the house, blue eyes willing with relieved tears at the sight.
Jesse and Law would handle this.
They had to.
"If you see any bright lights though, do me a favor and stay the fuck away from them.  Give me time."

"Don't you know me well enough by now to know that I won't go without a fight?" Thatcher's voice was merely a soft rasp as he smirked up at his best friend. It was the first time he'd spoken in a while, being it had taken him this long just to concentrate on what he wanted to say. He was determined not to worry Bellamy even though at this point he was not sure he would make it unless this alpha could pull off the same miracle he'd done for Bellamy a second time. He would much rather have let himself die peacefully in that hospital he was supposed to be taken to. He was ready to go, it would have been easier that way.
The only reason he was fighting was Bellamy. He knew if he died the other soldier would somehow blame himself. He'd drive himself crazy with guilt. So he had to fight this, he had to live, even if he'd much rather let go now.
"You sure I can't go towards one of these bright lights? They're awfully tempting, Bell." Thatcher gave a soft chuckle as he teased his friend, though he regretted this a moment later when it set off a soft coughing fit which in turn worsened the pain in his chest.

As a soldier, Bellamy Odair was always steady.  He never wavered, not in his determination or his strength, and especially not in his faith to follow through and save his comrades. 
This person carrying Thatcher now though, was anything but steady.  
His legs nearly gave out under the panic of his friends wet coughing.  He had to be bleeding internally somewhere, and that was bad.  Bellamy didnt have to be a doctor to know that the out come was looking grim.
But he couldnt stand the reality of it.
He couldnt handle Thatcher's words.
"You can't go towards any lights.  I know that you don't think you have a family to go home to anymore but you do! I am your family and I am your home and I need you to pull through this. You are half of my heart. So you fight. Fight like its the last slice of pizza and you dont want me to have it.  However you have to do it, just fight. For me."   The soldier was nearly tripping over himself as he finally made it up the steps, using one of his heavy boots to kick the front door open.  He was like a train, barreling through anything daring to get in his way.
Law was waiting on him in the living room.  He had smelled the heavy spill of blood, and while he'd been unsure of what was happening, he knew it was bad.
But not this bad.
"Bellamy...Bellamy....Im sorry, oui."  The doctor could tell just by looking at the tattering solider that his injuries were too extensive to be fixed medically, and as Bellamy carried the man closer Law could catch the scent of death already clinging to him.
"Don't fucking say that! I don't want to hear that! I wont!  Just do something. Stop damned looking at me all sympathetic and just do something."  The soldier was past the point of politeness. He seemed almost feral in his devastation. 
Law could only blink at the bloody pair, his jaw hanging open slightly as he took in all the damage.  Their only chance was Jesse, and the alpha was gone for the time being.  By the time he arrived back home, Thatcher would surely be dead.

"Yelling at the doctor isn't going to do anything, I'm sure." Thatcher informed feebly, not surprised at all when Law had nothing he could do. He could feel it, there was no coming back from this. He just wanted to make sure Bellamy would be okay without him.
Dallas was in the room beside his lover, looking at Thatcher and his wounds with horror. He knew how it felt to lose friends on the battlefield. He too would have done anything he could to save them. He knew by the look on Bellamy's face that he was hoping for Jesse to save Thatcher like he had saved him years ago. But Jesse was nearly four hours away with Roman, the two of them going to check out a rival pack that could be heading in their direction. They wanted to make sure they wouldn't be a problem in the future.
"Jesse isn't home, Bellamy." Dallas broke the bad news to the boy. "I'll call him if you want but he wouldn't get here for another four hours and..." He didn't want to say it out loud but they all knew, Thatcher clearly did not have four hours.

"You be quiet, save your strength."  Bellamy softened only for a moment to press Thacher closer against his chest, kips falling wetly onto the mans forehead as grasped for a solution.  He so desperate at this point that he would do anything, but he also understood that Dallas was right.  Thatch didn't have four hours.
It was now or never.
"Alright, what about this,"  The frantic soldier turned to Dallas then, his blue eyes dark with pain for what he was about to put the man through. "I hate to ask but what about Eustass?"  His gaze shifted to Law as he spoke of the alpha.  He didnt know the man. Eustass didnt owe him anything.
Law would have to make this happen.
"And before you answer, remember that at one point I had nothing to lose and I still chose not to murder your son for the way he was treating Britt. I could have fought Sawyer for him.  I let go. But I can't do that now.  I can't let Thatch go! So im asking a favor now. Please.  Eustass is an alpha.  Is he close? Can we try? Will you try?  For me?"  Bellamy was pleading, nearly even dropping to his knees in desperation.  He had never felt so helpless in his life.  Not even when he'd received Britt's letter and been completely unable to reach the boy.
Law could only stare, like a deer trapped in head lights. How was he to agree after he'd done so much to assure his lover and Eustass that he was done in that relationship.  To say yes would hurt Dallas, and possibly even give his former mate some sense of false hope.
But to say no....
It would be signing Thatcher's life away.

Dallas's heart sunk at the sound of the man's name. Of course he didn't want Law to go see him. But how was he supposed to refuse and let this boy die just because he was afraid of his husband running off on him?
"Go, Law. It's okay." Dallas nodded. "I'm coming though. Let's go, we don't exactly have time to waste."
"Who's Eustass?" Thatcher muttered softly, ignoring Bellamy's requests not to speak and save his strength. He knew the names of most of Bellamy's family from him mentioning them before. But he had never heard this name and he could tell it was someone that Law and Dallas were not fond of.

Law had known that Dallas would choose to save the boys life, but it still pained him to feel how his mates heart sank to agree.  He wished he could convince Dallas that he no longer harbored feelings for Eustass, but he didn't have much ground to stand on with his past mistakes.
"Come on, lets hurry oui."  The doctor grasped Dallas's hand as he started from the home, his eyebrows furrowed with concern as he considered the possibility of Eustass refusing to help them.  The alpha was spiteful when he wanted to be. Law would not put such a thing past him in his anger. 
The man didn't have to bother trying to catch Eustass's scent. He could still feel the man was, as though they were still connected. It was because the alpha had never moved on.  He was still reeling and sore from being left alone without his mate.
Bellamy didn't understand this.  He would have been more hesitant knowing that Eustass may have hard feelings against them, but it still wouldn't have been enough to stop him from trying the man.
"Eustass is...I uh...I don't really know much about him. I just know that he is an alpha and that alone could save your life so he is what we need.  O-Otherwise I think he was Law's mate, but he isn't anymore."
He had not been home to see how violent and persistent the alpha could be. 
"You don't worry about anything.  Just focus on breathing." Bellamy cooed gently, his chest heaving with desperation as he followed Law and Dallas from the home. His hands were gentle but frantic as they pressed against the deeper wounds, the ones that refused to stop seeping blood. Thatch's body could only take so much more loss before it shut down.
That couldnt happen.
"Law, he'll help us wont he? He's a good man right? Even though you guys have problems?"
The doctor didn't have the heart to tell him the truth.
"Course he will, oui. Eustass is a good man. But if he does have a problem, just draw attention to how you're a soldier.  He has a soft spot for soldiers."

Thatcher attempted to focus his energy on keeping his eyes open, staring up at his friend.
"I'll stop worrying, but I want to keep talking." He informed, attempting to ignore Bellamy's hands pressing over his wounds. He was getting more faint by the moment and he knew his face had to be pale by now from all of the blood loss. If he stopped talking, he was worried he'd let himself give in to the way his eyelids were drooping. "I'm surprised you're still carrying my big ass." He smirked tiredly. He knew Bellamy was strong, but he was quite a bit bigger than the man in both height and weight. The man had to be getting tired by now.
Dallas had been walking in silence until now, when he glanced over to his lover.
"Do you think he wouldn't help because I'm with you?" He questioned. He of course didn't want Law to go alone but if it was going to cost Thatcher his life if he went along...

"You're light weight."  Bellamy had caved immediately as he realized why his friend was so determined to keep talking.  His heart felt as though it had been knocked from its place, like instead it was rattling around freely inside his chest, possibly even threatening to hook on one of his rigcages as he ran after Law and Dallas.  He could hardly explain such a painful feeling.  Everything was tangled, aching, and he couldnt think.  Thatcher was bleeding out in his arms and he couldnt think.
"Do you remember that time when you brought me back home to visit your family? You took me out and showed me all of your favorite places when you had been a kid and we even played in the snow.  It doesn't snow much here so I gotta tell you, that one snow man we made was great.  And it was even better when we got to tear him down. You promised you would come and see my family.  I want you to keep that promise. We dont have snow but there is so much to show you and you have so much life to live. Me and you are growing old together, remember?"  They had made a pact.  Even if they got married or whatever else, they would always have eachother to grow old with.
Bellamy couldnt stomach losing another friend. Especially not Thatch.
Never Thatch.
"I love you and your big ass.  My life won't be okay without you Thatch, so if I have to make you guilty to have you fighting then so be it.  We both know I can't handle losing another person.  And I love you so much.  I'd never get over losing you, so fight. Keep talking and be guilty and let it make you stronger. We can't lose to this." 


"I'm afraid he wont help just because Bellamy knows us, oui. Eustass can be...."  Law shook his head as he grasped for words to describe the alpha.  "He can be spiteful.  You've seen that.  And he was pissed the last time we saw him so....I can only imagine how he hates our guts."  It pained the doctor to think of his former mate despising him in such a way, but he understood.  Eustass was heartbroken because Law had not waited for him.  He had built a family and had children and a new mate....
Eustass had been left all alone.  No pack.  No lover.
Alone.
And Eustass hated to be alone.
"But his father was a soldier, so no matter what he thinks about us, my hopes are that he doesnt take it out on Thatch and Bellamy oui."

"I'm not going anywhere just yet so calm down before you shake so much you drop me." Thatcher grunted as he moved slowly to lean his head against one of Bellamy's biceps. "I almost forgot. You're right I can't leave before I meet your family. I've got to see if Vitaly is really as cute as you say he is and I have to meet your mom and witness in person the way he cries all over you when you get home." He missed that. His mother had used to do it too until the one time she was not at the airport upon his arrival. He had known immediately something was wrong. "And Breccan. I gotta meet him, you always told me he'd love me." He was only rambling now, trying to recall everything Bellamy had ever told him about his family in order to keep himself conscious. "Your dad too of course." He had also wanted to see Britt in person but he didn't want to say the boy's name right now and cause Bellamy even more pain.

"I hope he doesn't either. And hey, this is our first time meeting Thatcher so he can't hold it against him for knowing us." At least Dallas hoped he couldn't.
He merely held his lover's hand tighter, letting the doctor lead him.

Eustass's home was slightly smaller than Jesse's.  The alpha had spent the last few years building it from scratch being he couldn't stomach going back to his old home without his pack and mate.  So he was rebuilding.  Not only his home but his life without his family. He was alone and starting over.
It only took the alpha moments to make his way out onto the porch.  He'd obviously caught the scent of blood nearing him, his shoulder bowed as though he were prepared for a fight of some sort.  
The man was freakishly tall, with skin so pale one would think he was colored by the light of the moon.  He was solid, too. With muscle to back up his every movement.
His hair and eyes though were what always caught Law's attention.  The man had hair the color of no other.  It was richly red, almost unnaturally so.  And his eyes were the deepest shade of grey, sometimes threatening to darken to complete blackness when the alpha became emotional.
Like now.
Eustass's eyes were like slits of hateful black, watching with warning as his former mate approached.  He couldn't care less about the bloodied soldier's trailing behind.  It was as though they weren't even there as Eustass gazed to Law and Dallas, his expression edging on a threat as they came closer.
"Trafalgar, you are wearing my patience thin by showing your fucking face here.  And bringing your pathetic excuse of a replacement with you. Tsk."  The alpha grunted in irritation as he stepped forward to tower over the smaller werewolves.  "Why in the hell have you come here? What gives you the right? And what makes you think I wont kill you on the spot." Eustass glowered down at Law, his fangs glinting in the dying light of the sun. "If you're not here to stay, you had better go now before I get the taste for flesh." 
The dark skinned beta could only raise his hands in defense, knowing that Eustass could be unpredictable and thoughtless in such times of stress. 
"Im only here to bring Bellamy and his friend.  They are soldier's, Eustass.  And the one is dying.  Our alpha is not around so they need your help, oui." The doctor tried to continue, but Eustass cut the man off with a scornful scowl.
"And I thought you'd come here for me-ya.  Suppose I should've known better. I was your fucking after thought, again."  The redhead snapped his jaws only inches from Law's face. "For that, you can go fuck yourself."  Eustass had been turning to make his way back inside when he was stopped by a desperate tugging at the hem of his shirt. It was Bellamy, on his knees and looking up to the alpha with heart wrenching  despair watering in his blue eyes.
"Please.  This is not for Law or Dallas or even me! This is a good man. His name is Thatch Taylor and  I promise you he deserves to live. So please, ill do anything.  I'll be forever in your debt if you do something for him!"  The man was begging, tears streaming down his face as he tugged once more at Eustass's shirt. "Please?"
It was the first time the alpha had actually taken notice of the two soldiers, and despite the ever present scowl on his face, he could feel his heart falling at the sight of the dying man.  
Bellamy didn't need to beg.  Eustass was sold the moment he looked into Thatcher's face.
"Bring him inside." The alpha lead the way, lumbering into his home and gesturing to the couch for Bellamy to place Thatch. 
"And remember this now, solider. Any blood you spill you will fucking clean. Even if this guy croaks on my couch. I am not responsible." The man was watching them with his arms crossed, waiting for Bellamy to make Thatch comfortable before he did anything.  It was obvious why Law had brought the soldier here.  He would die without the bite.
But he would also be bound to Eustass after.  The man would need to know that.

Thatcher was grateful to finally be laid down on a comfortable service that was not shaking as violently as Bellamy's arms had been. He had made the mistake of closing his eyes for a moment, so exhausted that a nap on this man's couch seemed blissful. But he forced them open again when he realized what he was doing. His blue eyes seemed even brighter now, two shining orbs of sapphire, such a contrast to the rest of his face which was smeared with blood and dirt.
Normally, Thatcher would have stood nearly to Eustass's height, only an inch shorter. He was normally an intimidating sight, all muscle. But now, he had never looked weaker as he stretched out on the alpha's couch.
"Hey Bell." He croaked out after a minute, eyes flickering back over to his best friend. "Just so you know, if this shit doesn't work, this isn't your fault, okay?" He wanted to make sure of that before anything else, that Bellamy wouldn't be guilty if he died.
Then he let himself glance up to the alpha towering over them. He had always been curious about werewolves, but he had never met an alpha before. He wondered what made them so different. His own wife had been a werewolf. She had been an omega though and knew nothing about what she was. It wasn't until after her death that Bellamy had told him about mates and Thatcher had realized that he was not that for her so their love would have came to an end someday anyways.
"So, nice to meet ya, Eustass." Thatcher flashed the man a feeble smile, feeling weaker by the moment. He could hear the man acting like a prick, but he would still give him a chance. He could just be like that to Law and Dallas.

Bellamy had reached out to gently stroke Thatcher's cheek, his thumb moving over to silence the soldier and his attempt to sooth the guilt. "I wont hear it.  You can't tell me that.  You have to live, Thatcher. im not letting you off the hook.  You have to live or else I can't." Bellamy was prepared to keep rambling, but he was stopped by the feeling of Eustass leaning over his shoulder. 
"Yeah, yeah.  Really a pleasure to have you dying here on my couch."  The alpha seemed to have no regard for their feelings, the scornful scowl never leaving his face.  But internally Eustass was praying that the bite took.  This stranger was a soldier, and he could tell by the bright light in his eyes that he was one of the good guys.  He deserved to live.
And it would mean that Eustass would finally be rebuilding his pack.  
"But on the off chance that you do live through this, you need to know that I will become your alpha. You will be connected to me until the day you die." The man was hovering over Thatch by now, pale fingers pushing the soldier's bandages aside to give himself plenty of room for the bite. 
"Hope that wont be a problem for you."
"It wont."  Bellamy answered in Thatcher's place, kneeling at the mans side in order to clutch at his hand.  "We will both do whatever you want, you just gotta save my friend.  Please."  The blonde had yet to stop trembling, the fear making it nearly impossible for him to breath.  He could remember the bite, how terrible it had been.
He hated that Thatch had to experience such a thing, but losing him simply wasn't an option.

"You get out of here." Thatcher swatted lightly at his friend before glancing back up at Eustass. "I'll do whatever after this since I'm bound to you or whatever you said, Bell's off the hook though." He nodded, wincing lightly at the man's fingers brushing against his wounds. He wanted to ask Bellamy if it hurt. He wasn't afraid exactly, just nervous. But he didn't want to ask now, not wanting Eustass to think he was weak or scared. He was unsure why he cared what the man thought of him, but he did. So instead, he asked a different question that he was also concerned about. "How long will it take to set in? Or if it doesn't how long will it be until I know?" The question was directed at Eustass as he eyed the man's bright red hair. It wasn't a typically attractive color, but Eustass pulled it off well.

"I'll say who's off and on the hook, soldier.  You just keep your mouth shut and focus on not dying on my couch.  Death leaves a smell."  The alpha crinkled his nose as though that were the post of his worries, Thatcher leaving a bad scent around his house.  But truly the man was trying to get Thatch's attention on anything other than how dire his situation was.  If he didn't feel as though Eustass was concerned, then maybe he would feel more settled with the situation.
"Im going to tell you now, there isn't much good to say about me. Other than the fact that I tell the truth and I have a body crafted by gods. So let me lay this on you."  Eustass knelled so that he could be closer to eye level with the damaged soldier.
"The time varies from person to person-ya.  If it takes then you will know, because for a while you will hurt so badly you'll wish you were dead.  But I imagine the strain on your body will be too much and you'll lose consciousness while your insides repair themselves."  The man tapped his fingers against the crook of Thatcher's neck, warning the soldier of where he would deliver the bite.  "Otherwise, you will die the moment the bite reaches your heart if it doesn't take. So make your peace just in case, kid." 
Bellamy was obviously in distress, enough that he was so bold as to shove the alpha for telling Thatcher to make his peace.
"You don't say shit like that! You need to encourage him! Not scare him dammit!"
With only one of his hands, Eustass knocked the frantic soldier away from him and completely to the other side of the room.  The mans scowl daring anyone to speak of it.
"I am doing you all a favor. You will not touch me or fucking tell me what to do.  This is my home and I'll bury you in the back yard if I please."

"Jesus, Bellamy!" Thatch cried out, instinctively lunging towards his friend as he was knocked back though immediately regretting this as he felt the waves of pain it shot through his body. He laid back, cursing and clenching his eyes shut. "Don't fucking piss the guy off." He grunted softly. "I'd rather be honest than deal with your optimistic bullshit. If I'm gonna die, I want to know." He was guilty of snapping because of the pain coursing through him. He took a deep breath once it settled to a dull ache again, calming himself. "If this shit doesn't take, remember what I told you. This isn't your damn fault. You did everything you could, okay? And the only reason I even give a shit about living is because I know you'll miss me if I'm gone. I'm ready if it's my time to go." He spoke gently to his friend before laying back and craning his neck, giving Eustass plenty of room. "Now lay it on me."

"I might as well let you die if you don't want to live, kid."  Eustass pressed a surprisingly gentle hand against the soldier's chest.  "The recovery from these wounds will be extensive-ya.  If you're not going to work hard for your life then we might as well save our breath, right?" The alpha wasn't trying to give up on Thatcher, despite how it sounded.  He simply wanted to give the man a reason to keep fighting.  No matter how shitty of a person he was,  he did have a certain softness for soldiers. "If I bite you, your ass is mine and I don't accept weaklings into my pack. So you better prove to me that you're worth something.  I expected more fight from a soldier such as yourself.  Don't disappoint me, kid." The alpha's eyes were shining red then, dark and steady as he prepared to deliver the bite. Bellamy had moved forward to grasp Thatcher's hand as Eustass finally tilted his head forward, allowing his fangs to sink into the soldier's flesh.
It went unnoticed by Bellamy in his frantic concern, but Eustass had taken hold of Thatcher's other hand in the hopes of supporting the man through the transformation process. To most, Eustass was a terrible beast of a person.  But he was a good alpha.  He would die for his pack.

Thatcher merely grimaced as the fangs punctured his skin. That was nothing new to him, being he still had several love bites from his wife's fangs. But it was different when it wasn't done during a time of extreme passion. The pain wasn't awful, but it wasn't a pleasant feeling either.
He braced himself when Eustass's fangs were fully sheathed inside of him, waiting for the pain to begin. At first, there was nothing. He worried for a moment that maybe it wasn't going to take.
And then it hit him all at once when the alpha pulled back. It felt as if a hot poker was being pressed into the spot where the man's fangs had just been. And the searing pain was spreading rapidly, down his arms and chest and face. For a moment he was convinced that he had actually been lit on fire. He was wishing Bellamy would have just left him to die peacefully in a hospital on morphine so he wouldn't have had to feel any of this.
Even before the bite had fully taken effect, his body seemed to know who its new alpha was, turning to the man for comfort. He somehow knew in his daze which hand belonged to Eustass, clutching it so tightly that his nails drew blood, only worsening as they grew into claws.
Eustass's face was the last thing he saw before the black began edging into his vision.
He never realized he was writhing on the man's couch or letting out soft howls of pain as the bite finished setting in.
And then before he knew it everything was black, his body shutting down in order to heal itself, just like Eustass predicted.

Eustass took a moment to hover over the soldier, still clutching at the mans hand even as he reached to check for a pulse.  He had instantly felt a surge of concern for Thatcher as their bond was sealed, and he was now nearly just as desperate as Bellamy to assure himself that the soldier had merely lost consciousness instead of his life.
Despite his best efforts to stay neutral, the alpha heaved a sigh of relief as he felt Thatch's pulse moving beneath his finger tips. 
"Alright, kid.  We have a big ass pup on our hands. No corpse." Eustass needed to retrieve Law so the doctor could make sure that Thatch's body was healing properly, but the man couldnt seem to  tear himself away from the soldier long enough to do so himself. He commanded Bellamy to go instead, his dark gaze daring the man to refuse him.
It was foolish to be so attached already, and definitely not Eustass's style, but the alpha was unable to stop himself.  It had been far too long since he'd had a beta to keep him company. He knew the pain of losing them.
It would have left him aching had Thatch died on his couch, but the alpha had taken his chances anyways, if only for the hope of gaining a friend of sorts.

It was a while before Thatcher woke up, finding Law working over him and Eustass and Bellamy still by his side.
"Hey, look at that. I'm not dead." He flashed a wide smile to his best friend before his eyes flickered to Eustass, his smile softening but still there. "Thanks, alpha man." He couldn't deny, he still ached all over, but it was nothing compared to the excruciating pain that had been his reality merely minutes ago. He reached up to rub over the bite mark on his neck, surprised to find that it was already healed. This made him wonder if all of the scars he previously had would be gone. He worriedly reached down to brush away a bandage on his lower abdomen, looking for his favorite scar, given to him by his wife's fangs, just above his left hip bone. Gone. He laid his head back down then, sighing softly but shaking it off. He never liked to wallow in his sadness. He always tried to shake things off and look at the positive side. He should just be thankful to be alive right now.

"You'll have plenty of time to think me once you've healed, pup.  Your ass is mine now, remember? Im looking forward to it." Despite his cruel and uncaring words, Eustass had yet to leave Thatcher's side even once since sealing their bond through the bite, his hand strong and steady as though to remind the soldier that he wasnt alone. The alpha watched cautiously as Thatch reached down to check the spot above his hip, but it took him a moment before he realized what the man was looking for. 
"It'll be okay, Thatch."  Bellamy too had noticed the man searching for his scars, and found his own heart aching as he remembered Thatch explaining to him about the special mark left by his late wife.  "I should have warned you about it, but I was afraid of you backing out of getting the bite if you knew." The blue eyed soldier admitted softly, guilt twisting in his chest as he thought of what he had cost his friend.
At least the man still had his life.
But even that had been for him.  Thatcher had been ready to die...
"Shut the hell up. You and all that gooey shit falling out your mouth is making me sick. Be grateful he lived.  Not guilty.  I don't fucking like guilt.  It's not good to live with."

"It's alright, Bellamy, really." Thatch sighed heavily. He's right, just shut up and be happy I'm alive." He gave his friend a sad smile. It was only then that he realized Eustass was still holding his hand. He glanced over for a moment, gaze falling on their intertwined fingers and the fresh claw marks he had made on the man's pale skin. He wanted to comment, wanted to apologize, but he feared if he drew attention to it then the man would let go and he didn't know why, but he didn't want that just yet. Maybe this wolf bond shit was real.
"So." He began then, looking to meet Eustass's gaze. "My ass is yours now, huh? What exactly does that imply? What did I get myself into?" He smirked lightly up at the alpha as he questioned him.

"It means exactly what it implies.   Your ass belongs to me."  The alpha was watching the slow but steady rise and fall of Thatch's chest as though reassuring himself that his beta hadn't been lost.  He was still holding the soldiers hand, but making up for the act of kindness with harsh demands.  "When I say jump you jump, your only question should be 'how high?', otherwise you shouldn't be questioning me at all." He couldn't look into Thatcher's eyes.  They were too bright and always shining,  like some rare sapphire stones.  It would be impossible to hold his scowl if he looked into those sweet orbs of blue.  "If I need your help you're here.   If I just want you around for shits and giggles,  you're fucking here.  You belong to me.  I am your alpha.   You might as well pray to me because I'm your highest power now, soldier. "

"Well first of all, I'm not property. I'm grateful to you for saving me and I owe you my life, but I don't belong to anyone. I'll listen and obey you, but I'm your beta, not your property." After he said this, the man smiled once more. "Other than that, we're good. I like thinking of myself as more of your sidekick than your servant." He nodded, noticing he felt strong enough to move to a sitting position, still leaning back against the arm of the couch though. "But regardless, I'm here when you need me... unless I'm overseas of course."

"Ah yes, of course there's a fucking catch."  Eustass glowered as he realized that the man was indeed a soldier, and there would be times when he was called away for months without end. It hurt to think about, especially after he had been so relieved to finally claim a new beta, someone to keep him company and ave his back.
It would be alright though, as much as Eustass hated it he had lived with a service man before and he knew the struggles.   
"Whatever. I accept you and your profession and i'll allow you to keep proclaiming yourself as a free man.  You just remember that you're bonded to me and i'd hate to have to tell you anything twice." Despite his deep scowl and harsh words,  the alpha was pressing a hand against the soldier's back to help support him as he sat up. He was following Thatcher's every moment with his watchful stare, assuring himself that the man was healing well enough to be straining himself in such a way.