Chapter 107
She climbs off my bed, taking a sock with her. She opens up the cuff and holds it so I can slip my foot inside. I hiss my curse words as the fire ignites around my thigh from the simple motion making me wonder how it is I’m even walking. Somehow she manages to slip my other sock on as I’m struggling to recover from the pain.
I feel her pushing my chest as she climbs into my lap, straddling my right leg. I’m damn near delirious from the pain and it’s taking everything I have not to put my forehead through the wall.
“I’m sorry you hurt. Please don’t fight.”
The softest most innocent voice breaks through as she pulls my head down to her shoulder. I wrap my arms gently around her, bunching the fabric of her dress into my fists, praying to Diana that I’m not hurting or scaring this precious little girl.
She pets the back of my head slowly as I use her scent to gather myself back together, staying completely still until the excruciating burn settles back down.
“I’m sorry, sweetpea. I should be a lot stronger than this for you.”
“Daddy told me Tuesday that you were hurt and scared. It’s okay to be both. Daddy won’t hurt you. He’s different. You’ll see.”
We stay like this a little longer until my pain is tolerable enough for me to stand and walk.
“Now that I’ve got my hoodie, how about we find a playground? Is there one around here? Are you dressed enough to be outside?“
I smile as she looks over her body, uncertain as to what I’m asking.
“Do you need a coat?“ I try again.
“Oh. No, I good. I get hot while I play.”
I give her a nod as I help her off my lap. I hiss as I stand but find I can walk shortly after. I slip my hoodie over my head, taking a moment to enjoy the comfort of its warmth and softness, before grabbing my key off the table, slipping our shoes on and heading back out into the cold January air.
Without prompting Madilyn knows exactly where to go. We’re headed back in the direction of the pack house but it’s about halfway there that we run into a large field. I can see in the distance a number of young males and females. Most of the ones I can see are stopped, leaning on their knees, panting hard with only one or two passing by every few minutes at a light jog. Madilyn’s tug brings my attention back to her.
“There it is.” She declares excitedly.
We walk together towards the large playground in the center of the field, crossing a wide dirt path in the process. I see several benches with grownups talking quietly with each other. There’s several pups playing on the equipment and Madilyn eagerly runs off to join her friends. I walk slowly around the field until, to my surprise, I spot Jamie sitting alone on one of the benches.
“Hey man. What are you doing out here?”
I try to sound casual but fail miserably as sitting on the bench causes my leg to flair.
“Doing better than you, it seems. Alpha let you out of the pack house? Who’s the kid?”
“That’s Madilyn Black.” I hiss through gritted teeth.
“Black? Alpha’s kid?”
“Yeah. One of his four year old daughters.”
“How the hell did you end up with one of his daughters after Dallas told everyone in the dining hall that you’re a ped? You’re fucking yourself already, Cole. You’re never going to get out from under your dad if you keep ending up in the hospital of every pack you go to.”
“I’m very well aware that I’m messing up Jamie but it’s not in the way you think.”
I’m shifting uncomfortably as there’s no position I can get into that doesn’t require the touching of one body part to another.
“I let it slip Jamie.” I finally spit out, frustrated with my never ending pain.
“Let what slip?” I’ve captured his attention.
“I told alpha and luna about the girls.”
“Damn man. What are you thinking?”
“I wasn’t. That’s the problem. He allowed Madilyn to fall asleep with me.”
“How did they take it?”
“I panicked when I realized I said too much. He told me to stifle my yelp, that I wasn’t to wake his daughter. I thought for certain he was going to beat me but he didn’t. He held me, encouraged me to cry instead.”
I stop talking, trying to figure out how to deal with the increasing pain. I look at my watch. It’s only been two and a half hours since I took the Vicodin but my body is damn near shaking from the pain I’m in.
“I don’t think I can stay. I’m not certain why it’s getting so rough but I think I need to talk to Dr. Pierce. The pain should be getting better, not worse.”
“Take care of yourself. I’ll be around.”
I stand with a groan, calling Madilyn’s name. She pouts when I tell her we need to go but something about the way I look tells her that I need to get back to the pack house and she comes running to my side without hesitation.
Even with the gravity of my pain weighing me down, I’m moving at a decent clip. Oddly I find myself with an intense desire for alpha’s calm and comforting voice, encouraging me in ways that no one has bothered with before.
“What are you doing with my sister?”
A harsh, accusing tone takes my desire for the alpha away in an instant. The alpha’s youngest son, Lucas, is standing in front of me.
“I asked you a question, pervert! What are you doing with my sister?!”
“Your father left her with me last night.” I manage to stammer through.
“Bullshit! My father would never leave my little sister with someone who would hurt her! Everyone is going crazy looking for her! Give her to me, now!”
I can feel Madilyn’s tiny hands grab hold of the right side of my pants. There’s something about Lucas that’s causing her to be afraid of him and I don’t like it.
“You’re angry and she’s afraid. Call your dad, link with him. I don’t care which one but he or luna are the only ones I will give her to. It is my responsibility to keep her safe.”
“I’m her brother! You will give her to me asshole or I will take her by force!”
I take several steps back as he steps towards us. My hand is on Madilyn’s head as she clings fiercely to my right leg. I can feel her tiny body shake as she cries.
“Call your dad, Lucas. You’re scaring her.”
“Who the hell are you to tell me to do anything?! Give me my sister!”
“NO! CALL ALPHA!”
I’m steadily stepping back from him but he’s moving towards me faster than I can get away. My eyes are darting around, looking and planning for every possible way out.
I’m caught off guard by his first strike, landing hard across my left temple, knocking me down. I scramble to get to my feet only to get the wind knocked out of me with a kick to the gut. I’m heaving hard trying to regain my bearings but his hits are as unrelenting as Madilyn’s screams.
I take two hits to my face. I can taste the blood filling my mouth as he delivers another one to my ribs. I can no longer hold back as I yelp and howl in pain.
Madilyn jumps between us. She yelps briefly before I manage to grab her and curl my body around her. The screams around me are deafening. I somehow manage to separate out at least three more voices in addition to Lucas’s, Madilyn’s and my own but none of them make any sense.
The pounding has been unrelenting for the last minute or two when it suddenly stops. Without a thought, I hug Madilyn to my body and take off towards the pack house. I can hear multiple voices calling my name but I’m in a blind panic with only one thought, get Madilyn to safety. It only takes a minute at a full sprint to get to the pack house. I could hear others behind me but it only serves to push me harder and faster as I burst through the pack house door straight into alpha’s arms.
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