Chapter 143
“How many girls have you come across with that scent?”
I knew Roger would ask that question. Unfortunately for me, Cole does nothing more than shake his head no. Being a delta, Roger knows not to push the issue.
“I’m sorry alpha. I planned on telling you of what I smelled but I was wrong to do it the way I did. I had no right to accuse your son. I deserve whatever you feel is proper.”
His voice is soft and sad. I can see confusion on Melody’s and Roger’s faces, sadness has come across Annabel’s.
“I know there are a very strict set of rules that you follow, Cole. That’s what my notes are about. Where I can I plan on adapting to your rules as, so far, they appear far stricter than anything I would put on anyone. But the punishment aspect of your strict sense of justice will not happen. I will not physically punish you.”
“I deserve it alpha.”
“Why do you feel that way?” Annabel blurts out.
“Do you really think I was able to identify that it was Lucas that put her in that dangerous situation?”
He seems to want to laugh but is cut short by his own whine. Myla has brought a clipboard with papers and additional collection tubes over to Angela. I know this means he’s positive, I just don’t know for what yet.
“Talk to me Cole because I don’t understand.” I softly encourage him to explain.
“The only thing I could tell by the smell was that she is a fertile pre-shift between ten and twelve who had unprotected sex with a shifter. Lucas was a guess based on the two of them coming out of his room and the way he kissed her after he hit me.”
“Well, Cole. Your guess was correct. Is that why you requested that he not receive physical punishment? Because you weren’t certain.”
“He doesn’t deserve to be punished because I stumbled upon them coming out of his room.”
“Cole, you know there’s more to him getting punished then what you witnessed. All you did was alert me to behavior that I have found out has been going on for at least two years. No wolf is to have sex until after they have fully shifted. That is my law for my pack so we don’t run into deadly situations like what would have happened if Melody had gotten pregnant.”
“That doesn’t make it right, alpha.”
I can hear the desperation in his voice. He does indeed live by a very strict set of rules that I will take the time to learn. If I achieve nothing else during this run, making him as comfortable here as I can is my top priority.
“I will not lie to you. I know there are several times that you feel I have but they weren’t purposeful or malicious. They were closer to a misunderstanding than anything else but I will not pretend that I understand why you feel the way you do about telling me of what you smelled.
I knew about him hitting you on the bad side of your head before I sat down to dinner. I saw him and Melody on the hallway camera. I just didn’t have enough details to identify her easily. That’s why I pushed you for a name last night.
When I asked Lucas at the table he unwittingly admitted why he was having sex with such a young age group. After you fell asleep he was the one to call Melody so that I could get her in my office and treated before she was in any danger. If he had denied knowing a Melody or denied having sex with her then things would have gone differently but I still would have found her and helped her based on what you told me.”
“What if I had been wrong? What if she hadn’t been in danger?”
“I’d be mad over stopping everything to find her but also relieved that it wasn’t an issue. I’m certain her parents would feel the same. Mad but relieved.”
“Would you have punished me then?”
“I don’t see where malice would have been involved so no, I wouldn’t.”
“How can you not see malice in me throwing your son under the bus to get him off my back?” His voice wavers as if he’s holding back a nervous chuckle.
“He was attacking you Cole. It may have been verbally but that’s not something I tolerate, especially after he physically attacked you twice. I understand you’re having a hard time accepting that you’ve done nothing wrong but I will not penalize you when you’ve done nothing wrong.”
He starts tugging hard on his still restrained arm.
“Doc please. If you’re done, let me go.”
There’s a hard whine in his voice that alerts both of us to his growing distress. Angela quickly frees his arm which allows him to turn in the wide seat, pulling his legs up against his chest.
“What’s going on with me? I’ve never felt this bad.”
He’s whimpering hard as he buries himself into my neck. I wrap my arms around him as he struggles to seek what he needs. Although both his arms are free he’s moving erratically. He surprisingly sought out my scent but his distress is amplified by his confusion as he tries to avoid touching me with his hands.
“Talk to me Cole. What’s going on?” Angela has stood from her chair and gotten between him and Melody.
“It burns. I’ve never felt like this before.”
He whines through his pants. She grabs his hand just as he makes a dive for it. We both know the pain is making him desperate. I’m shocked but remain silent when I see her place her hand near his neck. It doesn’t take much to hear his stifled yelp as she pushes upon the large wound that was created after we cleaned out the abscess near the base of his neck.
She guides his right hand to my left side as I see Myla walk over with a bag of saline connected to a newer looking feeder, the same style I used on Madilyn Wednesday night. I feel his hand tighten around the loose material of my shirt as he leans into Angela‘s hand. Myla silently hooks everything up, starting medication that I’m not even certain what it is yet. She then comes around and hooks a syringe up to a separate line on the IV.
“Push slower than normal, give him a break if he pulls away.”
Angela instructs her quietly as she steadily pets Cole’s head.
He leans into me even harder as he feels the medication creeping into his vein but for the first time in three days he doesn’t fight receiving it. He doesn’t even ask what it is.
Myla changes syringes, giving him a second medication before picking up the two metal bins and taking them back to the counter for packaging. After several minutes he starts to relax but he doesn’t move from our hold. The room is completely silent outside of the sounds of Myla packaging Cole’s blood for the lab.
“What was that all about? Did Lucas do all this?” Annabel asks, shocked at what she just witnessed.
“No, Lucas didn’t do all this. He took advantage of Cole’s weakened state. Cole and Lucas are about the same size so I’m certain Cole could have taken him if he wasn’t sick and injured on his arrival.” I speak my honest opinion.
“In regards to what’s going on with him, we can’t get into specifics with everyone in the room. I know Melody wanted to say something to him before going home. It would be best if we started wrapping up this visit as I need to get him stripped of his clothes and he won’t do that in this situation.”
Cole slowly turns back towards Melody, uncurling his legs from his chest in the process.
“I wanted to thank you for saying something to Alpha Demetri. I was scared and I would have never said anything until it was too late.”
“Why wouldn’t you have said anything?” He asks.
“I didn’t want what happened. It just kind of happened.” She states sadly looking towards the ground.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know he. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s okay.” She interrupts, placing her hand on his, stopping his struggle.
“Lucas convinced me that I would get in trouble. That it would be best to forget about it happening. I’m glad you helped me.”
“You’re welcome.” He speaks quietly. “It’s the only purpose I have left, to protect the littles. The consequences no longer matter to me.”
“Is that what happened to you?” She asks as she gently touches his bruised wrist.
“Sort of. My wrists I did trying to get away instead of toughing it out.”
“I hope you start feeling better soon and thank you. It means a lot that you would look out for me without knowing me.”
“You’re welcome, sweetpea.”
Cole quietly nods his head as Melody stands from the stool and puts it back. Now to figure out what’s going on with the young man.
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