Wednesday, May 8th Pt. 2
I stop at the bottom of the three steps that lead into the huge multi car garage, looking around briefly. I have to take several deep, slow breaths as containing my anger has made for a challenging day. I’m running late and I’m hoping that this rage room isn’t an appointment based thing.
‘Parker is driving, we’re in his Expedition. I’m in the back seat. You know how nervous I am with vehicles.’
He links with me. I start immediately to the end of the garage when I see the fourth bay door opening. He starts the car as I approach. I grab the handle on the back passenger side when I get there, cautious to ensure there’s enough room that I’m not going to hit Patrick’s truck sitting beside it.
“When did you get this? It looks and even smells new.”
“Dad bought it for me when I turned eighteen. I know it’s just a car but it means a lot to me so I keep it clean.”
“I guess I know where to find you when I can’t find you.”
I manage to chuckle as he starts pulling out of the garage. How he didn’t end up with ptsd around vehicles and Damian did escapes me as Day puts a death grip on the door handle.
“How did you come across rage rooms considering how difficult it is for you to travel?”
He takes several deep breaths and lets them out slowly. I reach for his hand but he takes it before I can offer anything comforting to him.
“It’s best if you let him be the first ten minutes on the road. I promise he will even out.”
Parker encourages from the front seat. Damian’s ability to travel anywhere was severely impacted after the accident and we’ve had to go through numerous rounds of therapy just to get him in a car a year after it happened.
“His desire to travel, to get outside the territory has increased to the point that he’s been seeking Julie’s guidance on travel. He started seeing her on his own about a year ago. Three months in she started having me drive with the two of them in back. Anytime he wanted something that wasn’t available at the pack she’d schedule an hour to go get it. She’s taught him several exercises that allow him to take his mind off the memories and redirect him to what’s happening right now. He’s the only one that has anything in this truck. Here.”
He opens the glovebox and pulls out what appears to be a small toy.
“Put this in his hand. It’s a fidget. It gives him something external to focus on. Talking usually helps as well.”
I take the small, mostly round object from Parker’s hand just as the light turns green. I look at it briefly. It’s a hard plastic blue and purple ball painted like a soccer ball. Two sections on opposite sides have been cut off making it flat and the center has been drilled to make space for a cylindrical bearing in the center allowing it to spin when held between two fingers. I place the item in his hand. He blindly rotates the ball until it’s in a position to rotate freely. For several minutes all that can be heard is this small ball spinning, often to the beat of the music barely heard in the background.
“I’m sorry dad. I know I should have told you but the year has been particularly hard and I didn’t want to burden you with something I did to myself.”
“What made you have the sudden desire to leave the territory?”
My curiosity has briefly taken over my rage.
“After Cole left in July you allowed me to choose how I wanted to contribute to the pack as you feel I am too young to start learning the lessons necessary for taking over.”
“I’m sorry I phrased it that way. I want to give you time to enjoy being a young adult without being burdened with the politics surrounding being the lead alpha.”
“That sounds a lot better than what you initially said.”
He opens his eyes and looks at me, smiling slightly as he finally starts to relax. He turns his body in the seat as he leans back against it allowing us to have eye contact during the ride.
“As you know, I requested to do nighttime border patrols from eight to midnight, a schedule that still allows me to spend time with everyone and improve my skills in recognizing and tracking foreigners at the same time.”
I nod my head as these are important skills for a new shift to learn.
“About two months after I started and I had gotten to know the guards I was working with, a smell that had been bothering me came up. I finally stopped them and said something as no one in our pack smells like that.”
“What was the smell?”
“The best that I can describe is a mix of rose and lavender. When I said something to the senior guards they said they knew exactly the smell I was smelling. All female shifters have the same general scents; typically rose, lavender, vanilla and occasionally a fruity or citrus type scents. They tend to be calming as a way of disarming males from attacking. I asked about the fated mates thing and the two that had found theirs explained that the scent is even stronger between mates and has a euphoric effect.”
“Why did you say the scent bothered you?”
“It does something to my wolf. I can’t adequately explain it but I struggle to contain him when we smell it. He wants to immediately shift and find her. He prattles on like a child about her being in danger and the need to enact revenge for what’s happening to her.”
“Did you tell the guards about this?”
It’s starting to sound like what I felt when I first entered Lilly’s territory. Instead of the happy euphoria you feel when you meet it was anxiety provoking.
“I didn’t tell them about what I was feeling, not the anxiety part, because that’s not what you feel towards mates.”
“Is that what they think this is?” I’m surprised when he nods.
“They explained that in January you held a meeting explaining that you had met a young female who was using her wolf to hunt. A lite colored, malnourished new shift. You had given her permission to hunt in the territory closest to Blue Ridge, the southeastern forest. That’s the only area that they have ever smelled her. It took several attempts but they eventually managed to track her. They said she was great at avoiding them. The only reason they could catch her was because her stamina isn’t good. They complimented her speed and agility. Her ability to hunt is one of the best they’ve seen. Once they caught up with her they talked with her, asking simple yes and no questions. They gained enough of her understanding that they shifted into wolves and helped her hunt.”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
