Chapter 63
“No, Alpha. It didn’t go over well. Three days after I was taught a lesson by Andre, dad made a special point of publicly reinforcing that lesson in front of Luna Sasha and the higher ranks of the pack.”
I can tell by his eyes, breathing and hands that he’s headed into a flashback. Since he’s skirting around the exact nature of what these lessons are I don’t want him to get too deep. I gently place my hands upon his fists as they curl around the blanket he’s sitting on. He startles me when he yelps, pulling his hands away and quickly assuming a defensive and protective position with them in front of his face.
I gently place my hands on his again, calmly persuading him to lower his defenses. His eyes are filled with fear as I apologize for startling him before encouraging him to continue.
“Per the contract with Alpha Robert the union ceremony happened three weeks later, exactly six months after she came into the pack. About a month later was the first time my dad grabbed a hold of me and told me that I was going to receive physical punishment for sexually assaulting Luna Sasha. Most of the time it takes a lot of evidence for a female to prove that a male assaulted her but when she does manage to.”
He pauses for a moment before surprising me with his next move.
“Luna, are you still here with the little one?”
“Yes Cole, I’m still sitting behind you.”
“I know she’s asleep but could you please cover her ears? Tiny ears shouldn’t hear this.”
I peak around his shoulders at Lilly as she adjusts her hold on Madilyn.
“It’s okay to keep going.” I encourage once Lilly has her covered.
“Physical punishment in my pack is quite harsh on everyone. If a she-wolf manages to prove that you sexually assaulted her then you get chained with your hands above your head before he disrobes you from the waist down. Most wolves receive their age on their ass and half their age to their dick with the loop end of the belt.”
“You know wolves that have had this done to them?”
He nods his head slowly as he tries to maintain his emotions.
“But that’s not what I have found on you.”
He again remains silent as he shakes his head no.
“He treats you differently.”
Another nod of his head.
“All Luna Sasha has to do is point the finger and you get punished for raping her.”
I whisper as I see the shock wash over Lily’s face.
“What does he do to you Cole? How many hits did you take?”
Even in the dimly lit room I can see the tears fall as he rolls to his side and curls up into a ball again.
I’m shocked at what I’ve found out but it’s the most important details that he hasn’t disclosed that concern me the most. He’s either protecting me from the true harshness of the reality that he lives or protecting himself from the cruelty of such a fresh memory. Either way, I can tell that he’s done, emotionally and physically.
“Thank you, Cole. Jamie will be here soon.”
I whisper as I lower the head of the bed back down and take the empty water bottle from his hand. He’s trembling badly as coax him out of the fetal position allowing me to check on the catheter before covering him with a sheet. I go to the fridge and start warming about half the amount of formula I was giving him earlier. It’s ready to go as Jamie is wheeled in.
Lilly gasps at the sight of him as I start giving instructions.
“Line Jamie’s bed up with Cole’s. They are going to sleep together tonight.”
“Are you certain that’s the best idea?” Angela questions.
“Considering their mental health on their second night here and they’re both in the hospital, absolutely.”
I help Lilly stand with Madilyn so she can start making her way up to our little girl’s room. I gently roll Jamie to his side supporting his chest with my arm.
“Jamie, if you can hear me it’s really important that you trust me. We are going to pick you up and put you with Cole for the night. You are safe Jamison. No one is going to hurt you.”
I watch him move his arms until his hands grab hold of my arm.
“Good job Jamie.” I whisper as I rub his head. “Angela, I need you to grab his legs. We move on three.”
I give the count and we move him successfully to the next bed. I smile as Cole curls his body protectively into Jamie’s and it only takes a few minutes after for both he-wolves to relax into a decent slumber.
Angela and Kathy are both quite shocked at their response to each other. Angela grabs a heavy flannel sheet and lays it over the two of them as I connect the formula to Cole’s tube. It’s as we’re getting ready to leave that a stocky, red headed green eyed he-wolf walks through the door.
“Perfect timing, Alpha Caspian.”
“Good evening, sir.”
“Cole,” I place my hand gently upon his shoulder as I talk, “has had all 8 o’clock medication I just have to mark it off. Jamie,” I move my hand to Jamie’s shoulder, “has a small dose of steroids in the bin on the counter that I have not given yet. He just got in here and I felt, since they are very close friends, that putting them together would help both of them. Physically and mentally. Everything else has been taken care of. I will stop by briefly after dinner to answer any questions and give any additional instructions that I may have forgotten. Otherwise, everything is in their charts.”
Caspian nods his head, ending it in a slight bow as I proceed out the door to the pack house dining room.
I stop in my office briefly for the folder of pictures, steno pad and pen that I’ve started writing in before getting to the dining hall. To my surprise it seems everything is calming down right on time. The omegas have just finished setting up the table with a wide array of food for everyone that’s going to meet with me tonight. Most of the seats at the table are going to be filled as I have all of my upper ring involved in the warrior program meeting for dinner.
I run into Lilly putting the finishing touches on the table. I put my pen and paper on the table before wrapping my arms around her waist. I pull her back against my chest and lay my cheek upon her shoulder. Closing my eyes, I take in the comforting scent of my mark near her neck. I stay for a moment until I start hearing the chatter of everyone else heading towards the room. I peck kiss her neck a few times before lifting my head and getting a chaste kiss from her. I give her a smile before letting her go, gathering my things and moving to the head of the table where I always sit.
I grab my plate and take a moment to survey the table. Tonight is a beautiful spread of all my favorites. Ribeye steaks cooked on the grill with sautéed onions, bell peppers and mushrooms. Baked potatoes, baked macaroni and cheese, steamed broccoli and baby carrots to finish off the selection.
It’s not as much of a selection as what they put in the banquet hall for the pack or the dining hall for the visiting warriors but it’s always a decent dinner and I’ve never been too picky when it comes to eating.
I make my way around the table, helping myself to a bit of everything but I keep it smaller than usual as I’m not certain how much I’m going to eat once I get started talking about everything we’ve learned in one day about Cole.
I take my seat and start cutting my food, setting it up so I can eat with my left hand while writing with my right. I have a lot of thoughts in my head that I know I need to get started on. I’ve already started slowly eating my food and writing notes by the time everyone one else is clambering around the table getting what they want to eat. I wait for everyone to settle down and start eating, waiting for the first question to be asked before getting into the work that needs to be done. As usual, my beta Patrick, doesn’t wait long to deliver on my expectations.
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