It’s a struggle for me to stop my fight as my panic has taken over. I close my eyes in an effort to concentrate on my breathing. My chest is tight and my breath is coming out short and fast. I fight to get out of his hold as I hear another approach.
“Everything okay dad?”
The voice is much deeper than Alpha Damian’s making me wonder who it is that has approached us.
“I’m going to need a few minutes alone with him. Lucas, I need you to have the rest of the group follow you inside to the third floor. Have Dom bring up the rear. I want silence. Not a word or sound as they pass by or they will all see the consequences of one person’s disrespect.”
“Yes sir.”
My fight eases a little as the alpha’s son steps away and heads back towards the group.
“Cole, I know you just met me so there is no trust but I need you to follow my directions exactly. I’m going to coach you through a breathing technique that will help you to relax. As you relax you will feel me easing up on your arms.”
I nod my head, agreeing to his offer as I’m completely lost and out of control.
“First I want you to take a quick but deep breath in then just as quickly push it out. Just throw it away. I want three of these. Then I’ll move to three much slower ones. Ready.”
I nod to show I understand his instructions.
“All right, in quick, now throw it away.”
I follow his lead and take a quick sharp breath before letting it out almost as quickly. It’s as I’m breathing in on my third one that he speaks again.
“I want you to follow my voice as I’m going to tell you what to do. Well done. Now in...2....3....4... and out 2...3...4... again in 2...3...4... and out 2...3...4... again,”
It’s as I’m going through the third one that I feel Alpha’s grip change on me. Even though it’s still there, it’s much gentler, even soothing as I feel his thumbs gently rubbing the backs of both hands. He lets me take a few more breaths on my own before speaking.
“I can already tell that you’re very submissive so I do understand this is a struggle for you but I need you to look at me. Make eye contact with me before I let your arms go.”
I slowly open my eyes while I’m still looking down. It’s not the first time I’ve been directly told to make eye contact with an alpha. My father does it all the time. The struggle is, my father commands me to do it then turns around and punishes me for the fear he sees in my eyes.
I squeeze my eyes shut again as the memories of my last encounter with my dad creep in and repeat the exercise the alpha just went through with me.
“Cole,”
Alpha Black speaks the quietest that I have ever heard an alpha speak to me.
“I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on. Will you talk with me?”
I shake my head as I fight the flashback away, slowly opening my eyes again. I raise my head making eye contact as he requested but I can’t keep it.
“I’m sorry alpha.”
I whisper as I close my eyes and turn away, waiting for punishment to follow. Every alpha that has ever been this hands on with me has always brought me pain. I know he can feel my tremors as I hear him sigh.
“Okay Cole. Let’s get you inside. Perhaps it will be a little more comfortable to talk if it’s not so direct.”
I barely whisper a thank you as I feel his hands leave my wrists. Opening my eyes, I look around me for a sense of direction. It’s when I briefly meet Alpha Damian’s gaze that I get the information I need. With a slight gesture of his hand he points me towards the trainee housing, following behind me as I head in that direction.
(Demetri’s POV)
I’m deep in thought as my son and I follow this young man to the trainee housing. It’s been fifteen years since I inherited the pack. It’s quite uncommon for the pack to be passed on like that unless the ruling alpha dies in battle while his kids are still kids. Then it becomes the oldest child’s responsibility to assume power over the pack. Neither of those things happened with me and the pack. I know finding out I was an intuitive had something to do with dad’s decision to pass the pack down to me.
I’m the youngest of four. My older brothers and sister somehow didn’t share the same vision for the Crimson Dawn pack as my father. It was finding my abused mate at eighteen that ultimately changed my ideas on maintaining a sanctuary for those in need. I’ve only been the alpha for fifteen years, small change for most alphas. Damian was only three and Lucas just over a year when dad passed in his sleep. It may take a lot to kill a werewolf without a silver bullet to the heart but we’re not invincible and we do age.
Dad had been slowing down for a while and I had taken on more and more of his duties. When the Moon Goddess finally called him home it was supposed to be a seamless transition for the pack. Needless to say, it wasn’t. Mom left to join him just a few years later.
Like most alphas, I try to maintain two separate reputations for my pack. A zero tolerance for unannounced wolves in my territory. Like all alphas, I like to keep that rumor as hard core as possible. You come onto my land unannounced and you will never be seen again type stuff. But those who truly know me understand that I know the difference between a troubled wolf and a troublemaker. Those with this inside knowledge will often recommend my pack as a temporary sanctuary until things get ironed out for a transfer into another pack. Some have even chosen to join my pack as permanent members.
It’s the tug from Damian on my link that bring my thoughts back to the present situation.
‘What’s going on with him? He told me on the bus that he wasn’t new to this and he’s older. Twenty-three I think he said. He started struggling with his anxiety before he got off the bus.’
‘I don’t want to jump to any conclusions as he just got here and it is possible that he just has severe anxiety.’
‘But you suspect something else?’
‘Yes. I suspect abuse may be in his past but the bigger concern is if abuse is in his present.’
‘I thought abuse stopped once the child becomes an adult.’
‘Unfortunately that only happens if the child is able to find a way out of the situation. If this is indeed Alpha Redmen’s son then getting away from Red Fang without going rogue or killing whoever is abusing him, would be extremely difficult. It’s not like here where once you turn twenty-one you can request a transfer or a female that can leave for her mate’s pack.’
‘So he’s using the warrior program as a way out?’
‘Possibly.’
I end the link with my son as we enter the apartment complex. Cole has stopped about five feet inside the door allowing us enough room to enter. He seems confused and highly agitated.
“Cole.”
Even with my voice calm and level just hearing it makes the young man startle badly.
“I failed to ask you if you were against being separated from your pack mates. It’s entirely up to you.”
“I’ve only got one real friend so I’m not that much part of the group.”
“I didn’t think so. Come this way.”
I gesture to my right as we start making our way to the row of doors located on the eastern side of the complex.