Chapter 197
Fear once again replaces his anger as his body begins to shake. I quickly throw my pads off and make my way over to him.
Julie and Patrick follow my lead, making their way over as he lays on his stomach upon the mat.
I can tell that he wants to curl into a protective ball, queuing me into his current thinking, that despite the permission to do so he believes he’s in trouble for what he’s said.
“We can help you get out of Red Fang. You don’t have to leave here.” Julie tries to soothe him, but is met with resistance as she runs her fingers through his hair. He’s clawing at the mat, struggling with the onslaught of emotions coursing through his body.
“No, please don’t touch. Don’t hurt me. I’ll settle down, just don’t hurt me.”
His sudden statement confuses me as he tries even harder to curl into a ball. For the first time I notice his struggle to move his legs and Patrick’s attempts to lift the bottom of his shirt.
“Pat, leave that be.”
My tone is concerned resulting in an immediate response.
“What’s wrong?”
He asks, dropping Cole’s shirt from his hand.
“Cole, no one is going to hurt you. No one will touch your back but I need you to answer honestly.”
I start rubbing my fingers between his shoulders hoping to calm his frantic movements. He whimpers softly between whispers. It takes several minutes before we understand what he’s saying.
“No one wants to hear my pathetic cries.”
Is the mantra that he’s relying on to calm himself out of the shear terror that we plan on using his back as a way of punishing him. Concern and confusion are on both their faces as a sudden yelp alerts me to his struggle.
“Talk to me, Cole. What’s going on?”
“How is he in so much pain, boss? You never struck him.”
Patrick asks as Julie remains silent, gently caressing the young man’s head.
“I’m fine. It’s nothing. I just need to rest.”
He fights against Julie’s touch, moving his legs erratically but there’s something about his movements that attracts my attention in a bad way. Even though he’s pushing against the mat as if he’s climbing a ladder he’s failing to gain any traction. It’s as if all the strength in his legs has disappeared leaving him completely vulnerable.
I stand quickly resulting in a shrill yelp of both pain and fear to emanate from Cole as I walk over to where I left the pads. I grab both of the foam training pads from the floor and walk quickly back over.
“I don’t understand, how is he in so much pain?”
Patrick asks again as I silently encourage Cole to lay his head on the pad. I take his hands in mine as I bend down close to his ear.
“I know now is the worst time to get information from you on your back but it’s the only way to help you. I need honesty, absolute honesty.”
Somehow he manages to nod his head.
“Right now, what is going on with your back?”
“Spasms.” He manages to spit out between breaths.
“Muscle spasms?” He nods slowly as he squeezes my hands.
“I got sick before you came in…. It’s stayed tight since….”
He’s panting hard as he tries to slow his movements.
“Was it the spar that triggered them?” I dread the idea that I pushed him into the spar without knowing his back was a time bomb.
“No.” He whines. “I dropped too fast.”
I slowly start petting the side of his head. His slowing movements and inconsistent whines give me hope that the spasms are dying down.
“I know it’s a huge source of anxiety but Pat and Julie are very confused right now. I’m the only one that knows about your back. I’m going to slowly pull the bottom of your shirt up so they can see the scar Angela and I noticed when you first got here.”
“Please leave it be. If you touch it the spasms will return.”
“I’m not going to hurt you. Just be still.” I whisper near his ear.
“There will be no questions and no touching.”
I speak the command firmly, looking them both in the eyes as I do. I get nods from both as I start reaching towards the bottom of his shirt.
“Alpha please. No one has looked without touching me. Without hurting me.”
His whisper is fearful yet he doesn’t fight causing me a lot of concern. I stop my actions to duck back down close to him.
“I promise you, this will be different. I know I told you I wouldn’t hurt you in the tub but I also apologized for my underestimation of your injury. I’m not going to hurt you Cole. No one is going to touch you.”
He relents with a frustrated whine, wrapping his arms around the pad his head is laying on. Pat lifts the hem of his shirt, passing it to me as he reaches his limit.
Cole shifts his legs uncomfortably but otherwise doesn’t move or make a sound attempting to stop me. I pull his shirt up to just below his arms before gently placing it back against his skin. I go back to running my fingers through his hair along his temple. I can tell by his timed breathing that he’s struggling to stay calm with this level of exposure. Although both are shocked by what they see, only Patrick dares to make a sound.
“How old is he again?” Comes out as a whisper.
“Twenty-three.” I reply before Cole has a chance to.
“This is old.”
He makes the same observation I did when I first saw it. Cole’s sudden, uncomfortable movements call my attention back to him.
“Don’t touch. You promised you wouldn’t.”
His whisper is barely there but it’s enough to alert me to what I’ve missed, Patrick’s hand is very close to touching the scar. I make a single loud click with my tongue, bringing Patrick’s eyes to mine immediately before looking down at what he’s doing.
“I’m sorry, Cole.”
He apologizes, embarrassed with his actions as he draws his hand back.
“Please don’t hurt him over me.”
Even Patrick pauses to look at Cole.
“It’s just a gentle reminder Cole.” I try to explain.
“Nothing is that simple.” He whispers.
“I guess not. At least, not with you.”
I run my hand over the top of his head a few times before grabbing his shirt again.
“You have done very well with me tonight. Thank you Cole. Patrick, help me pull his shirt back down. I don’t want the chill in the room to cause him any issues.”
I hand the edge of his shirt to Patrick who lays it gently down on his back.
“I do have a question for you.”
Patrick states as I give him my infamous death stare he conveniently ignores.
“It’s not about your back and if you’re uncomfortable answering I’ll understand, although I don’t think there's anything uncomfortable about it.”
“Stop rambling and talk, Patrick.”
Annoyance is in my voice now.
“It’s two questions really.”
“Patrick.” I growl in warning.
“Sorry boss. Cole, are you a part of Red Fang’s warrior program?”
Patrick finally spits out what I’ve been wanting to directly ask.
“Your answer will not result in any type of penalty.” I reassure him.
“No. Dad wouldn’t let me after I got sick.”
“I didn’t think so based on your previous comments but that brings up my second question. How did you learn to spar?”
He hesitates with answering this time.
“Cole, is something bothering you about the question?”
I ask gently as I resume rubbing his head. For the first time I notice that Julie is no longer beside Cole and I have no idea how long she’s been gone.
“I’m sorry alpha.” He finally speaks. “The question doesn’t bother me. It’s the penalties I have received in trying to learn that bothers me. Simply put, I watched them.”
“All your skills were learned through observation?”
Patrick confirms barely containing his excitement, causing me to cock my head in curiosity.
“I will have to clean up my notes and do some comparisons but I do believe that your offensive skills are the highest among the prospects that are still here. It would explain why I saw some of the techniques I’ve been teaching the others.”
“Patrick, all skills are learned by some degree, by observation.”
I try to calm Pat down.
“The techniques that I saw Cole use tonight, the ones I believe he picked up from watching my group, a lot of the prospects I’m working with have yet to figure out after four weeks of daily observation and practice.
Cole has never physically practiced the moves and I’ve only noticed him watching my group once a week for the last four weeks yet he was able to execute them with seventy percent accuracy.
You are truly amazing Cole and I would love for you to get out of the pack house more. Perhaps you can get through to these stubborn males of mine about their technique.”
“You want him as a trainer?”
I’m truly shocked by his change towards Cole over the last two months.
“If he’s picking up skills that quickly through observation, yes.”
Patrick is smiling, unable to contain his excitement towards the possibility.
“I hate fighting.” Cole mumbles.
“I know now isn't the time to continue our previous conversation but keep an open mind. I will figure out a way to bring you back here after you have retrieved the items of value that you need. I promise you, once you’re here, things will get better but for now, we need to get you back to your room.”
I watch as he gingerly starts moving his legs. I’m relieved to see the weakness from before has dissipated as he carefully picks himself up off the floor.
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