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Friday, August 2nd Pt. 3
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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The Return to Crimson Dawn Monday, August 12th
(Cole’s POV)It’s been days since I left Dr. Leroux’s house in the middle of the night. Considering August is one of the hottest months of the year, it seemed appropriate to travel at night. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out that way. While I had a few hundred bucks to use on a cheap motel room, I found out that check in is at 3pm and check out is 11am so I’ve been enduring some very hot, very long days. It was after I checked into the first one that I discovered a lot of money in a Manila envelope. It was so discreet that it was only when I pulled the blanket out that I saw it. As grateful as I was for it, finding it increased my guilt of leaving ten fold. Deven was nothing but nice to me, gave me things that every adult should know about yet were very foreign to me. He gave me a simple, black leather wallet and a smartphone. While I was frustrated with it at first it came in very useful on the recent one hundred degree days. I was able to look up homeless shelters that were open
The Return to Crimson Dawn Monday, August 12th Pt. 2
“Dr. Leroux insisted that I wasn’t a rogue.” I explain quietly with my head down. I pick a handful of fries off the plate and take one of the two cups of ranch for dipping. “You are a werewolf. I can smell it.” She keeps her tone low and soft but no longer shocked. “So I’ve been told.” I pop the first of my fries into my mouth, failing miserably to keep a nonchalant attitude. “It bothers you.” Her voice has changed to a mix of shock and sadness. “It’s hard to explain.” I stop as the server returns with drinks and salads. “When I woke up in the hospital several months ago I was diagnosed with dissociative amnesia and dormant wolf syndrome. The doctor there felt that going through what was known about what happened and the long list of injuries that I somehow survived would reverse the amnesia. The amnesia is my brain’s way of protecting me from the trauma that I endured, not just the trauma of this epic battle but, according to him, the trauma of my entire life. He claimed that le
The Return to Crimson Dawn Monday, August 12th Pt. 3
(Melissa’s POV)I leave my seat as his struggle to contain his panic increases. “Cole, push your chair back.” He shakes his head as he tries to cover his ears. “Come to me, Cole. Stand with me.” He’s still shaking his head as he manages to stand.“Lay your head, seek my scent. I promise you’re not cheating on your mate doing this.” I whisper. To my relief, despite his slightly taller size, he does as I request. I wrap my arms around him, rubbing between his shoulders. I can hear a decent wheeze slowly settling into his chest. “You’re asthmatic.” I state, surprised at how honest his first comment to me really was. “Yes.” He manages to wheeze. “Will it ease up as you calm?” He nods against my neck. I continue my slow rub until he’s calm enough to step away. He fights mildly when I place my hands on either side of his face. “Please come with me.” I whisper as I hold him so his forehead is against mine. “Where’s your car?” He responds after a long pause. “About four blocks ea
The Return to Crimson Dawn Monday, August 12th Pt. 4
I look around quickly trying to understand what is going on around me. Colton is in the thick of it, battling four of the eight members on his own. It’s easy to see that they’re taking full advantage of his dormant wolf yet he won’t let them loose. I can do nothing but stare as he tackles each wolf that tries to break away and run towards me. His movements are unlike any fighting style I have seen any pack warriors use and his agility. Well, his agility is far superior to any high ranking warrior I’ve ever seen. It’s as Cole starts to tire that the police officers start breaking up the beat down Cole is enduring. They easily separate and subdue each one until each is on their knees, hands cuffed behind their backs. I slowly start making my way to where Colton now lays on the ground, his will to fight is gone as the danger has been eliminated. “Cole.” I call nervously as I get closer. His eyes are closed, one is obviously against his will. He’s breathing rapidly through his mouth as
The Return to Crimson Dawn Monday, August 12th Pt. 5
It took half an hour of steady work to get Cole’s bleeding to stop but in the end Darius was able to release him into my care. He has slept the majority of the two hours it’s taken me to drive us home. I’ve only stopped twice for my own bathroom needs. Somehow Cole has managed to wake up enough to walk me to the bathroom, wait outside the door and escort me back to the car. I didn’t realize until that first stop how much what happened affected me. Despite his significant injuries he’s been more than understanding. I pull off the main road, we only have fifteen minutes left before we reach the house. ‘Mav?’ I reach out to my older brother, twin and best friend. ‘You’re almost here?’ He sounds worried. ‘Yes. He needs help Mav. Taking on four wolves when his own is dormant could have killed him.’ ‘I told you I would take care of him. Don’t sound so nervous about bringing him home.’ He chuckles in the background. ‘He’s different Mav. The only way Darius and I could get his cooperati
The Return to Crimson Dawn Monday, August 12th Pt. 6
(Maverick’s POV) We walk onto the deck together, stopping just a few feet from Cole. “She’s crying. What did you do to make her cry?” He looks directly at me. “I wasn’t completely honest with you. Maverick had warned me before going into the city that I would be a target if they found me. I’m a very rare alpha female. I was born without a wolf. While most packs see this as useless as I am nothing more than a human with telepathic abilities others see it as an exploitable weakness. In the wrong hands I could be sold as a brood bitch to any billionaire alpha who doesn’t have a mate but wants an heir.” She explains what she doesn’t like others to know. “Would the child have a wolf?” “Unlike a normal alpha couple whose pup would have a 99.5 percent chance at having a wolf from birth, Missy’s pups would have a lower chance at 75 percent but that percentage is still high enough to make her desired for the wrong reasons.” I explain as simply as I can. “I’m sorry I brought it up whe
The Return to Crimson Dawn Monday, August 12th Pt. 7
"He said ‘How could you fail me like this? I had it perfect. I smelled the moment Cole’s wolf slipped into a coma and allowed David to do whatever he wanted for two hours. You lied to me. You told me you wanted a crack at him when he only had one more big beating left in him. I should have known with the number of times you’ve interrupted my punishments that you went the wrong way when I sent you to camp. Instead of beating him, you helped him. Instead of killing him and dumping him where he could never be found you released him. Moved him in secret to Goddess only knows where until he was healed enough to go rogue. You are a disgrace to this pack. You are the reason your mom, Kristoph, and I are being removed from the territory. Do you know why I killed your father? Because the bastard was putting a case together to prove that I was abusing you and Ashley. Yet that wasn’t enough. Somehow he got wind of what my plans for the pup created by your mom’s infidelity were and he planned on
The Return to Crimson Dawn Monday, August 26th
(Cole’s POV)It’s been just over two weeks since Melissa Ashlock and her brother Maverick brought me into their home. While it was a challenge, Maverick did manage to come up with a plan to examine me after the fight without requiring me to be completely nude in front of him. It was still difficult but his plan of examining an area then adding clothing was different and workable. As much as I hate the hospital, he found enough evidence of possible broken bones that he convinced me to go with the reassurance that he wouldn’t leave my side. He wasn’t able to get the appointments he wanted for Sunday so we ultimately traveled the two hours to the human’s hospital, Stonebrook Memorial, on Monday. X-rays revealed several bruised ribs on my left side and all the knuckles on both hands had the same issue. While bone contusions are painful there isn’t anything they can do to treat them outside of pain management. We talked a lot while waiting between the X-rays and the doctor’s diagnosis. He
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The Return to Crimson Dawn Friday January 10th, Pt. 2
“It was during his return that things became more active in his case. Alpha Demetri made the trip with his mate to the Shadowlands pack. Turns out she’s an empath and was very sick with silver poisoning. They were able to save her and to the best of my knowledge he returned to Crimson Dawn around the beginning of the year.”“He did it? He made it home?”His face lights up like a child on Christmas day.“Yes, he is with his mate in the protections of Alpha Demetri Black. Unfortunately, his amnesia has not yet resolved and as a precaution, in order to obtain custody of Cole, Alpha Black had to agree to restrict his movements until his mental health improves.”“He’s a prisoner there?”I had a feeling he would take this part hard.“Not necessarily. Considering what little I know about the hell he lived through next door and his encounter with the alpha of Purple Mountain, I don’t see where he’ll have the desire to leave that territory any time soon.”He nods his head a little more relaxed
The Return to Crimson Dawn Epilogue, Friday January 10th, 2020; 2pm
(Julius’s POV) I smile as the tall frame of my son in law stops and knocks on my open door. “You wanted to see me?” “Yes sir. Please come in.” He steps inside the room but only manages to close the door halfway before the demons of his past creep back upon him. “I would prefer this to be a private conversation but if closing the door makes it feel like you’re going to be punished then I encourage you to keep it open.” I speak my true feelings as he slowly turns around. The look of disbelief on his face. While it takes him several deep breaths he does manage to shut the door by the time I’ve stood from my desk. “Where would you like to sit?” Once again he’s in disbelief. “I need you as relaxed and level headed as possible. Where would you be the most comfortable?” I try again. “The recliner?” He manages to speak after a hard swallow. I nod and allow him to lead. He chooses the rocking recliner allowing him to rock subtlety as Hayden stirs gently. I smile as he console
The Return to Crimson Dawn Tuesday, December 31st Pt. 10
“I threw a fit. Charles waited until I was outside the courtroom to start punishing me for embarrassing him. He punched me in the face several times before I fell to the ground, then he started kicking me. He kept me on the ground until he was certain Heather and Marcus had left. Even though I had driven my own car to court he dragged me to his. He drove me home, only he didn’t go to the garage. No, he went to the back of the west wing where the room he modified for Cole is. I’ve only been in that room a handful of times when participating in my brother’s torture.” I stop as the memories of wrapping the silver belt around his leg and the condition he was in when I rescued him eight months ago blend together in a confusing mess. Murmurs float around the room, commenting on my unprompted confession. “Breathe, Andre. That was a very difficult truth to admit to. No comments will be made.” I know he’s addressing the pack as I continue to struggle. “You knew what was going to happen to
The Return to Crimson Dawn Tuesday, December 31st Pt. 9
“I’m concerned about you Andre.” Julius now has my attention only he has crouched down to my level. “While your statement seems to have helped Hayden it gave me the clue I was looking for.” “A clue to what?” “The true reason behind the terror you have in gaining custody of your kids. While any other wolf in this pack saying such a thing would be passed off as simply being very serious about their statement, you stating that you nearly died once to fight for them is something I take very seriously. What happened the last time they were taken from you?” I shake my head hard, holding my breath as I fight against the flashbacks trying to invade my thoughts. “Andre?” He tries again but all I can do is shake my head slowly. “Papa Redmen hit him. He made him bleed.” The innocent voice of my daughter breaks through. “You saw it?” Abe seems shocked that it would be done in front of her. I watch as she nods her head. “Mommy spanked me for crying.” She whines hard before laying against h
The Return to Crimson Dawn Tuesday, December 31st Pt. 8
(Andre’s POV) Stepping into the pack house is surreal at best. My head is spinning out of control with thoughts I had desperately tried to put behind me. I had relinquished all hope of ever having my kids just for the full force of the unpredictably of my life to cripple me when I need to be my strongest. The house is silent as I pick my way through the crowd. Julius is carrying Harper and Abe is trailing behind the two of us. It seems Julius wants as much of a barrier as he can create between Hayden and any escape route he may manage to find. I’m more concerned about him getting lost inside the pack house than him getting outside it. This place has proven to be a maze to me despite living here full time for the last six months. The house is completely silent except for the television quietly counting down the seconds until the new year. I can only hope that this year is different. That the New Year will actually be the change I’ve needed for years. Shamefully, I feel the dread tha
The Return to Crimson Dawn Tuesday, December 31st Pt. 7
“To show him the effects that abuse has on others. To prove to him once and for all that what his father taught him is wrong. Besides, Charles has been extremely cruel to Andre as well.” “How so?” “Well, I just learned tonight that Alpha Redmen gave each of his sons permission to have sex, to even rape, at the age of sixteen but lied about the penalty for getting the lady pregnant. Andre has been beaten multiple times for pregnancies. The first two were not his, yet he was mercilessly beaten three times during both of those pregnancies. He was forgiven a fourth when the pups came back not his. The beatings got worse when he got three others pregnant just to be denied the ability to be their father. The two older ones with two different ladies are in better packs than Red Fang but the two with him now. Well, their mother isn’t much of a mother.” I state sadly as I pull into the garage, turning off the motor as the door closes behind me. “I need your help. These pups are terrified a
The Return to Crimson Dawn Tuesday, December 31st Pt. 6
(Julius’s POV)It’s an hour's drive to get from Red General to the Red Moon pack house. Since Charles has been removed, moving through the Red Fang territory has become easier as the borders are completely open while the council is here. The bad news is, it’s gotten a lot more dangerous. While open borders allows the pack members to come and go, even move out if they please, it also allows rogues to infiltrate the territory. I’ve had to up my own guards on the border to account for the vulnerability it’s created for my own pack. The council hasn’t been happy with me accompanying Andre to and from the territory. They felt that, as the coronated heir, he should be able to handle this himself. I took the opportunity of his consistent meltdowns to save the fallout from such visits showing the council exactly how severe his abuse has been. I cringe every time I hear him speak about his brother, Cole. How has Cole even survived if his analogy of the situation is true? That Cole’s suffering
The Return to Crimson Dawn Tuesday, December 31st Pt. 5
“It’s quite alright. We are used to this type of reaction from children who come in abused. I can tell by the way he’s calmed that you are his biological father. We’ve been waiting for you.” I’m stunned when a voice comes from behind me instead of the nurse in front of me. I turn to see an unfamiliar woman in the doorway in front of Julius and Alex. Something about her unnerves deeply and my immediate reaction is to step back. “Easy Andre, she’s here to help.” Julius tries to calm me. We study each other silently as I sway gently. “I understand that you have had a very rough time with the council’s family court. I promise it is different this time. Take a seat so we can talk. Are you okay with me sitting on Harper’s bed?” I nod slowly without moving. “Mr. Redmen, do you think you can get him to take this?” The nurse hands me a little cup of purple liquid. “What is it?” “Tylenol 3. It has a small amount of codeine in it. Humans won’t give it to children this young but it has be
The Return to Crimson Dawn Tuesday, December 31st Pt. 4
I wake up yelping, screaming and fighting from the fitful dream I fell into during the ride to Red General. I cling hard to the back of Alpha Julius’s shirt as he silently embraces me. I had no idea how hard dad had been on me until I went to Blister Ridge. I had to harden up while I was back at Red Fang which has not only delayed my ability to process what has happened but it has added to the trauma I’m already struggling with. Josh has diagnosed me with complex PTSD, he did shortly after I moved into this pack after Cole disappeared. He simplified the description as being multiple traumatic events instead of just one causing the post trauma anxiety. Julius waits patiently for me to get myself together as going into the hospital with my own PTSD on full display won’t help me with my kids. I lift myself from his shoulder slowly, taking several deep breaths with my eyes still closed. It’s only as I open them and look into his blue-green eyes that he speaks. “Are you ready?” His voic
