Chapter 253

“But, the committee still holds about a thousand trials a year nationwide and of those who go to trial only a hundred are found to not be feral.”
My mouth drops open as I realize the mathematics behind that number. Ninety percent of those who go to trial are deemed feral? Oddly I’m struggling to breathe with such a number.
“What happens to the ninety percent that are found to be feral?!”
I gasp out as I struggle to accept Jessa climbing into my lap again.
“Shhhh.” She hushes quietly near my ear.
She’s pushed me back against the couch again and is straddling my legs with one hand on the side of my face gently holding the other cheek against hers. I raise my hands with the purpose of placing them on her hips so I can gently move her off my lap but I’m in an impossible position. I can’t handle the emotions that come with her straddling my legs but I’m suddenly struggling to touch her as well.
“It’s okay to touch me Cole. I know you’re struggling to accept what I’m doing but it’s important for you to calm down. It’s the only way for you to comprehend what is going to happen.”
I close my eyes in an effort to reign everything in, waiting patiently for Jessa to make herself comfortable again. I flinch back hard when I feel her mouth on mine. It seems her confidence rises when she’s around others leaving me in an awkward position when she pulls back with a slight whine.
“Jessa, please understand that I really do want to have this with you. We can try and cuddle with each other afterwards in private but now isn’t a good time.”
I lean my head against hers as she apologizes. It hurts to hear her so disappointed when it’s been such an uphill battle to start a proper relationship with her.
“I’m not mad, Jess. I really do want this kind of contact with you.”
She nods her head as she starts to get off, stopping part way.
“Can I stay in your lap?”
Her voice has gone meek and uncertain, cutting me hard.
“I want you to be comfortable. I’m okay with cuddling with company. I’ve just never been completely comfortable with the more active forms of public affection. I’m sorry to be such a prude.”
“I will guide both of you on what I feel is appropriate public displays of affection once the two of you get better acquainted. Watching myself, Dominic or even Parker with their fated mates should give you a good idea on what’s allowed.”
I nod my head in response to alpha’s offer as Jessa gets comfortable in my lap. I try several times to wrap my arms around her but stop short each time. My anxiety is building again, which I know is the very thing Dr. Pierce is waiting to die down before addressing my concerns about the trial.
“Wrap your arms around me however you’re comfortable with and I’ll adjust you so we both enjoy it.” Jessa whispers.
I’m nervous but relent to her offer as I am actively seeking the mate’s bond to ease the anxiety of finding out that ninety percent of those who go to trial are ruled feral. Once we are finally situated and I’ve had a chance to relax, Dr. Pierce eases back into the information that I need.
“It is an overwhelming number but you also have to keep in mind that only ten percent of the applications make it through to trial. It does vary from year to year but the council receives an average of ten thousand requests per year but the committee only thoroughly investigates about two thousand and of those that are investigated only a thousand goes to trial.”
“So the odds are very low that I’d get far enough along to go to trial?”
I intended it to be a statement but it ends up being a question.
“I purposely made the process so that the wolves that are feral can pass through relatively quickly as most alphas that end up with a feral already have all the evidence they need for an easy trial. No alpha that believes they have a feral on their hands would send them out as a prospect which only adds to the time it takes to go to trial. Add that to the feral usually having multiple assaults reported to the council and it’s usually fairly easy to tell which ones you need to be concerned about. It is also important to understand that the complexity of this process also provides protection to the individual being investigated.”
“Protection?” Jessa speaks before I do.
“When I initially brought my idea to both the council and committee, as both had to be involved in order for it to be passed into law, they asked a lot of questions about the complexity of the process. They also raised concerns about the length of time it would take to get a dangerous wolf ruled a feral which prompted me to explain each part of what I was proposing.
I restated the reason they wanted me to work on this project which was the fact that too many wolves were being brutally killed in the name of ferality when in fact they had been abused for a long time. The complexity of the process was done so that a problem wolf could be removed from the pack in three to four months.”
“I don’t understand how that protects the one being investigated.”
“This is perhaps the only good news about your father seeking an investigation into ferality. If he did indeed turn in the application, no matter if it gets dropped in the first step, he and his pack will be investigated by the council and committee for potential abuse and torture of his pack members.”
I can’t help but suddenly become wide awake after Alpha's comment. How could dad not know about this? There’s no way he actually submitted an application requesting an investigation if it results in the council investigating him as well.
“He lied.” Is all I can manage to whisper.
“Why do you believe that he lied?” Alpha’s voice is soft but concerned.
“You said during your mental health crisis that he doesn’t lie to you about the bad stuff.”
Shaking my head in disbelief, I’m struggling to formulate my thoughts.
“He doesn’t lie but he wouldn’t risk exposing what he’s doing either. I told you, according to Andre, dad killed his own brother in order to return the pack to the despicable state that it’s in now. There’s no way he would risk being investigated. Are you certain there’s no contacts that either of you have to verify that the application has been turned in.”
I’m starting to loathe myself as my emotions continue to turn on a dime. It’s becoming harder for me to accept Jessa even being here as I know I’m tearing her up emotionally as well.
“We can try and see if Xavier can look into it but they stay very tight lipped on the ferality process.” Dr. Pierce explains gently.
The Son of Red Fang
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