Chapter 127
He remains silent as he tucks his head deep into my neck, his body rattles hard as his ability to maintain his composure disappears.
“I know you’re terrified, Cole. You have every right to be. Your faith is fleeting and your ability to trust is even less which makes this a whole lot harder but I promise you, we are going to do everything we can to help you.”
I whisper as I gently lay my head upon his, holding him as Lilly pets the top of his head.
“Keep your movements slow and gentle, Patrick. I know it’s been a while since you helped us with Ciara.”
“Honestly Dr. Pierce. I don’t think I’ve worked with a prospect as physically injured as Cole coming in. Ciara was rough but that was more mental than physical. Despite being the alpha’s daughter, all he managed to do was make her mean. That’s why I took the lead over Demetri. He saw that she desperately needed help just like Cole does but she was also the complete opposite.”
I feel Patrick attempting to pull Cole’s leg away from his abdomen but it’s obvious that Cole is resisting. Cole finally pulls his leg from Patrick’s grip, bringing it back to where it started.
“Cole, I need you to stretch out. The lidocaine wash is going to slightly numb the surface so getting the salve on your leg is easier this time.” Angela tries to explain gently.
“Alpha please. He’s just like Lucas. He hates me.”
He squeezes my shirt even harder, his fists shaking from the tension.
“I don’t hate you, Cole. I’m sorry that my bias comes across that way but I promise, I’m nothing like Lucas.”
There’s a note of sadness and shame lacing Patrick’s voice as a new set of footsteps enters the room followed by the distinct scent of Parker.
“I found the socks, dad, but I couldn’t find anything that would stay on his shins without being tight.”
“Thank you Parker. Did you speak to Dominic?”
“Yes, he’s headed up. He wanted to bring Dasha since she knows a little about what’s going on but I managed to convince her not to.”
“Thank you, again. I don’t think this room could handle much more and it’s important that he, you and Damian are all on the same page as to the changes getting ready to happen with Cole.”
“What’s getting ready to happen with Cole?”
“Take a seat with Damian. I don’t think Cole fares well with a crowd.”
“You’ve changed towards him.”
“While it will take me some time for me to trust him and even longer for him to trust me, yes. Even though the direction Lucas took isn’t one any of us wanted or encouraged, it did allow me to see a side of Cole I didn’t expect and it has forced me to reconsider my decision.”
The sound of Parker’s footsteps let me know that he’s gone to sit with Damian.
“While it’s important for Dr. Pierce to get you wrapped up, I think giving you some information about me will help. While this is a very simple act of kindness, for Ansley and Ciara, it was the little things that meant the most to them. While I talk, I’m going to get you used to my touch so I can change these worn out socks of yours. You’re freezing to the touch and these socks are so worn that they can barely be considered socks. Getting your feet warm should help maintain your body heat.”
His explanation hits hard as I realize I saw the same thing before dinner. The knit fabric of his socks has been rubbed so thin that the bottoms are see through. A hard whine with only a slight movement of his leg alerts me to Pat’s attempt to even touch Cole. Something he was hard against just two nights ago.
“It’s okay Cole.” I whisper. “Pat is as genuine as me. We may butt heads with opposing opinions a lot but that’s why we work so well together. He’s not going to tell you he wants to help just so he can hurt you.”
“I’m going to start slow. Based on your comments it’s easy to tell that you’re aware that Lucas and I had requested not to work directly with you. I will admit that my decision was based on the pedophile rumor and the fact that you were not willing to talk about your relationship with the pups. Even though I’m not satisfied with the level of secrecy Demetri is keeping, he has never steered me the wrong way. I also have to consider the protectiveness you showed towards Madilyn. I’ve never seen an alpha male protect a pup that wasn’t his. Not when he’s staying on another alpha’s land. Why did you protect her, Cole?”
“I don’t force pups. She was afraid. The only son I knew was Damian.”
“If Damian approached you the same way Lucas did, would you have given her to him?”
“She was afraid.”
His answers are monotonous but direct, giving me some insight into his thinking.
“In your pack family members can’t always be trusted not to hurt them.” I conclude out loud.
“With the rumors that are out there about Red Fang it makes sense for him to react that way which makes it difficult to believe that he’s actively harming the pups of his own pack.” Pat finally concludes.
“Why is everyone so willing to side with him!” Lucas cries out in frustration.
“No story is one sided, Lucas.” I try to explain to a teen who doesn’t want to be reasoned with. “Why are you so willing to take the word of a wolf who has been banished from every pack he’s visited?”
“Once again, you’re taking his word on that.” He tries to argue.
“No sir, that is information reported to the council from all ten packs Dallas has visited over the last five years he’s been in the prospect program. It amazes me that he’s even still in it considering the activity witnessed inside his own pack, which is what Cole spoke of downstairs. Cole has only been to three packs over the last eighteen months. How would he know anything about Dallas’s other seven runs?”
He stays quiet and for a moment I’m hopeful that he’s finally seeing the truth of the matter.
“What is wrong with you Pat? I joined you in hating him and now you’re helping him?”
He surprises everyone by taking a different tactic, jumping from his chair to attack Patrick on his changing stance.
“I voiced that I was uncomfortable working with him and requested not to work directly with him, yes that’s true, but I did not hate him when I made the request.”
“You and Damian were making your way to him when I stopped him. You didn’t like him having Madilyn either!”
I watch as my beta steps away from Cole and directly in front of Lucas, looking him dead in the eyes, challenging the authority he knows he doesn’t have.
“I contacted your father and asked the important questions you refused to seek. When we started towards Cole it was because Damian was going to take responsibility for Madilyn, letting her play on the playground while I helped Cole get back to Dr. Pierce. He was in obvious pain that no level of distrust towards him would allow me to ignore.”
He steps into him, causing him to step back until he stumbles into the chair he started in. I’m completely lost when it comes to Lucas. How can my own son form such a rigid opinion based on a rumor? It’s even more confounding when Lucas has never interacted with any of the abused wolves that I have helped leave their packs. I just don’t understand why he has such a problem with Cole.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
