Chapter 174
“Please alpha, don’t do this. Please don’t hurt me this way.”
“I’m not going to hurt you at all Cole. Step into me. Lay your head down. Let me hold you a minute as what you really need is a father right now.”
My explanation falls upon deaf ears as he mildly tries to fight my desires for him. He seems incapable of accepting such a gentle and loving approach to his black out. As gentle as I’m certain Jon wishes to be towards Cole, he is stuck in a bad way with Cole being an alpha.
Sure he’s been able to wear him down to submit him out but it still has to be a painful and terrifying way to come back to an equally as painful and terrifying reality. He keeps repeating himself as I pull him into me, gently rubbing his head until I can get him to move.
Slowly he submits to my downward pressure but he doesn’t relax. It saddens me beyond description as I feel his body trembling against me, to hear the whine behind his whisper as he begs not to be harmed. I remain silent as I gently reassure him with my aura, smell and touch. Waiting patiently for the whine and tremors to fade away. It’s not until the last of those in the training annex leave that I speak again to Cole.
“I think it’s time we make our way back to the pack house. Let’s get you a warm soak and get you checked over by Angela.” I barely feel him nod his head as he whispers okay but it’s there.
I adjust my hold on him as he lifts himself off my shoulder. His head is down, his shoulders slumped forward in complete submission as I point towards Patrick.
“Follow me Cole. We’re going to take the mule back over to the house.”
He nods as he silently follows Pat out the door. It doesn’t take long to get him settled into the mule. I sit behind him with Parker beside me. I keep my arm across his chest as Patrick drives the mule slower than normal. All we can tell of his injuries is that he has a busted nose and lip again. It’s difficult to say what else he’s sustained.
‘Dad’ I answer the call of my oldest.
‘What have you found Damian?’
‘All of the prospects involved are saying nearly the same thing.’
‘So what is it that is the same?’
‘Lucas told all of them, including Cole, that he was a trainer testing them on their sparring skills. Most of them left when he claimed that equipment wasn’t needed. It started off as volunteers until he spotted Cole. That’s when pack members surrounded Cole and forced him into the ring. Lucas threw the first hit. All of them marveled in Cole’s defensive tactics. Said they’ve never seen anything like it.’
‘Thank you Day. Bring your and Dominic’s lists to my office. Have you spoken to any of the pack members that were there?’
‘Yes. Their stories were split. The ones I talked to who are Lucas’s friends claim that Cole volunteered. The young warriors that were here when Lucas came in after school said that they started off sparring with him as part of his training. They were willing to go without the protective equipment because they were all on the same level even though their ranks were different. It was only after he sparred with all of them and the prospects came in that he changed to claiming he was a trainer. They stayed quiet because they didn’t know if it was true.’
‘I’ll review the video and decide if his friends get penalized as well.’
‘Do you need us to do anything else? Do you need help with Cole in the med wing?’
‘I’m hoping Jessa is still there. She’s the best one to help him.’
‘Okay. Let me know how it goes.’
‘Thanks again, Day.’
I leave the link with Damian just as we pull up to the north end of the medical wing. Cole’s calm, cooperative demeanor is waning with each step towards the doors we take. Fortunately he waits until he’s inside the exam room before turning around and trying to run.
“Bring him over here alpha. I want him to lay his head in my lap. It should help with the anxiety.” Jessa calls me to the other side of the room.
I use my body to gently guide him backwards until we reach the bed Jessa is sitting on. He’s whimpering quietly, resisting the medical care he needs.
“Lay down with Jessa. She’s going to help calm you. Do you feel like you need some Ativan? We will need you to strip down to your birthday suit to do a thorough exam. We don’t want to miss any injuries.” I explain gently as he struggles with getting in the bed.
“Cole, I need you to take your shirt off. No one else will be coming in today.” Angela instructs, increasing his struggles even more.
He’s shaking his head hard as he attempts to pace the floor.
“Cole?” I touch his arm lightly trying to gain his attention.
“Talk to me. What’s going on?”
“It’s not proper to be without a shirt around the ladies.” He whispers towards the floor.
“Dr. Pierce has seen you completely naked Cole and Jessa isn’t just a doctor, she’s your mate as well. It’s okay to take your shirt off. I will help you into a gown if that will make you feel better.”
“Please.” He barely whispers.
“I need to walk away to get that for you. Don’t run, Cole. It’s important for us to figure out how you’re hurt so we can help you. I’m sorry this has happened again.”
He looks up suddenly, into my eyes, searching for something. Sincerity, truth? Only he really knows.
I touch the side of his face lightly, trying to offer some comfort to calm his frantic mind.
“Take your shirt off and you might as well take off your pants. I’ll bring a blanket over for you.” I’m surprised when all he does is nod, looking at the floor again.
“What the hell, dad?” Lucas suddenly yells.
“Lucas, you’re not exactly on the best terms with me so I suggest you watch your tone.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong. We were practicing when he blacked out and went crazy on me.”
“That’s not what I heard.”
I speak calmly as I head back over to an increasingly nervous Cole who has only managed to sit on the edge of the bed with his shirt off. I toss the flannel sheet on the bed.
“Okay, Cole. Let me take a quick look at you since Angela is still working on Lucas. Now, it’s very important that you follow my directions. You need to let me know what hurts you. I’m going to keep my touch gentle as it seems you’re struggling to actually talk to me again. How sensitive you are to my touch is going to determine what I have done medically. Do you understand?”
He nods his head slowly as Lucas following Angela to the X-ray machine catches his attention. While he’s distracted I glide my fingertips lightly down his left side causing him to yelp and jump away from my hand. I put my left hand out beside him, stopping his desire to flee.
“I need you to tell me exactly where the pain starts.”
“Please don’t do it again.” His voice is rushed and barely a whisper but the fact that he spoke is progress.
“Maybe a read would be easier on him alpha.” Jessa suggests.
I nod my head.
“Cole. I need you to finish disrobing and lay down in the bed. On your back would make it easier to clean up your face but if you want you can lay on your right side considering most of his hits landed on your left.”
He freezes up. It seems that getting him to lay down with Jessa on the bed is even harder for him than trying to get through a normal exam.
“Come to me Cole. I know I haven’t spent much time with you since you came back from General but I do care about you and I want to make this as easy as we can on you.”
He looks over at Jessa, wincing hard as he does, making me wonder about a neck injury.
“It’s okay, Cole.” I try to comfort him as he slowly slips his bottoms off holding the gown in front of him as he does.
He closes his eyes as I slip the arms of the gown over his tying the back together before stepping away. It’s easy to see how nervous he is as he slowly pushes himself up onto the bed.
I wait patiently as he struggles to follow my instructions, placing the sheet over his legs and waist once he’s on his side. Jessa guides his head slowly onto the pillow she’s placed in her lap. He whimpers and struggles with this new attention.
I sigh hard, not knowing how to help the young man come to terms with having his mate so close to him. Neither wishes to reject but I know his mental health creates a tough barrier towards his ability to accept it.
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