Chapter 236
(Demetri’s POV)
“I guess the best place to start is approximately where I stopped, Cole was a week or so from turning twenty-one and I was a month from turning nineteen.” Jamison starts slowly.
“You said that you were twenty-one when you got here in January. When is your birthday?” I interrupt, confused by the time difference between them.
“Sorry alpha, I tend to move my age up once I hit the new year. I turned twenty-one on March 1st.” I nod as I apologize for interrupting.
“I imagine it would be confusing since I said he was eighteen and I was fifteen when he moved in. I’m not certain why I didn’t say sixteen as my birthday was only two weeks away when dad finally won and he was allowed to leave the pack house.”
He stops to take a drink of water in front of the same window Cole looked out of when he was talking to me months ago.
“So I guess the last time he came to us after he left was just before he turned twenty-one. Even though the prospect program allows wolves as young as eighteen to join as long as they have completed their own pack’s training program, Alpha Redmen refused to allow Cole to join.
I remember Cole telling me how frustrating it was to beg his dad to let him join and the variety of reasons he was given for not being allowed to go so it was a really big thing for him to finally get permission to go to another pack for training. He was so hopeful that getting into the prospect program would be the key he needed to get out from under his father’s control.”
“All three of you have admitted that Cole has never gone through Red Fang’s training program so it would be expected that he would not be allowed to join as you are correct. Only the fastest learners will start at eighteen and no one is to start until they have completed the advanced training sequence given by the council to every pack that joins the program.”
“If the council is responsible for setting the criteria for the minimum amount of advanced training a prospect needs to have, why does every pack have a different testing and training program?”
“Each pack has a minimum criteria that they must meet for them to take in prospects. They actually go through more scrutiny on their training and testing techniques than those who simply send prospects out.”
“Well that might explain why no one from Red Fang has been selected for a second run.”
“What do you mean no one has ever been selected?”
“I actually started the prospect program at the same time Cole did. I never had a chance to tell him that I was scheduled to go to the Red mountain pack. Dad was the only one to speak to him that night he came back and told us he was going to fight his own battles.”
“Jamie?”
He flinches hard but doesn’t look away from the window when I fail to hide the warning tone laced within my voice.
“I’m sorry alpha. Although I’ve been scheduled to go to four runs over the last two years, I’ve only been to two different packs before yours. Each pack had a different set up for testing and training, different rules and punishments. Each time I’ve been scheduled for a run, I move into the pack house and I noticed that all the same wolves tend to go on each run.”
“You think that’s because of their training?”
“I’m not certain. I’ve always believed it was because of the rumors and the fact that a lot of our males can’t leave the females alone but with your mention of minimum standards set by the council it may be just a failure in training.”
“That is possible and to go back to your question, now that you answered mine or at least tried, each pack tailors their program to what they need to bring in. If they need upper level wolves to defend their border then that’s what they request and the council sends out assignments to the alphas involved in that half of the program.”
“So Alpha Redmen didn’t choose the packs Cole went to?”
Now it seems I’ve caught his attention even though we’re now way off subject.
“No, he did choose the packs. The council simply tells each participating pack what is being looked for and Alpha Redmen sends the council and the pack’s representative a list of the participants he’s sending to the pack.”
He nods his head but it seems that my interruption has made it harder for him to get started again.
“Even though you and Cole started at the same time, you have gone to fewer packs and Cole said he never made it to that first run.” He nods again as he keeps his position.
“Yes sir. Even though we were going to different runs he never showed up for the bus.”
“Are you aware of why he didn’t show up?”
“Yes sir.” He whispers.
It’s becoming obvious that telling his story is going to be more difficult than I anticipated.
“It is safe to talk to me Jamie.” I try to encourage gently.
He nods but remains silent for several minutes gathering his thoughts.
“Alpha Redmen moves all the prospects going to runs into the guest wing of the pack house a week before we leave. He runs several orientation classes while we’re there. It’s supposed to be for the ones new to the program but because we have so many wolves that can’t behave everyone goes…” He trails off for a moment struggling to complete his sentence. “except Cole.”
“Cole’s never been to orientation? That’s actually a mandate by the council that all outgoing prospects have to attend one before their first run.”
He shakes his head as he speaks again.
“I’ve been to one every time a new run starts but he’s never gone once. Even though Alpha Redmen tries to be sneaky about it, he always tells everyone in the pack house that he’s looking for Cole. I happened to come across alpha grabbing Cole by the back of the neck and leading him away the day before we were scheduled to leave. I don’t know why but I decided to follow them from a distance. Cole was fighting alpha hard but he was too weak to break away from him. I watched silently as alpha pushed him down the hall. When he stopped in front of the door, he punched Cole in the gut so he could unlock it. Then he was forced back to his feet and pushed inside the pack house’s training room. The door shuts on its own and I didn’t think to try and get in there until I heard him yelp and scream.”
“It must have been hard to hear that knowing that your friend was the one in there.”
He nods his head silently. I can see the tears fall to the floor even though he’s yet to turn back towards me.
“It wouldn’t be easy to listen to anyone scream like that but knowing it was him….” I wait patiently for him to gather his thoughts and start again.
“I put my ear against the door when I discovered it was locked. I could hear the cracks of the belt against his skin, his father’s cruel comments every time he howled. I’ll never forget the way he called him weak and pathetic repeatedly. ‘Stop your whimpering, no one wants to hear your pathetic cries.’ I heard something heavy drop to the floor about five minutes after I started hearing Cole yelp. Alpha kept talking but he wasn’t yelling anymore so I couldn’t make out what he said. I couldn’t hear what was happening after the thud. All I know is that I heard Cole start yelping again and it lasted several minutes before everything went completely silent. It was about five minutes between the thud and hearing Alpha Redmen approaching the door. I managed to hide in a nearby closet while I waited for alpha to leave the room. I noticed the belt that he held in his hand, the buckle was nearly completely red with blood. He walked right by the slightly open closet door without a look in my direction before disappearing into his office. I waited five minutes once he was inside his office to make certain that he didn’t return to Cole. I left the closet when I was certain I could get to the room without alpha seeing me.”
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