12amI start stirring about as the sizzle of bacon frying hits my nose. It’s been a long time since I’ve been treated to a luxury such as freshly fried bacon. I take my time becoming slowly aware of what’s around me. Mason took great care after I fell asleep to position me on my side. It takes a good minute for me to discover that his Sherpa lined coat is beneath my head, the collar positioned perfectly so that I can easily catch his scent as I sleep. “Why didn’t you tell him it was me?” I instantly regret saying it as I look around the small cottage for Jason. “Don’t worry Cole. Jason shifted and is going to do a quick twenty minute patrol to verify that Alpha Redmen is sticking to his word. He’ll be back in fifteen.” I relax a little only for his statement to hit me hard. “What do you mean stick to his word?” I can’t contain the panic lacing my voice. “Calm, easy breaths Cole. It’s all a part of the plan. As crazy as it was for you to attempt to run during a blizzard, your bro
When Andre’s crew had me filled with so much hope, how, goddess, does it go so damn wrong….Tuesday, April 2ndThe rest of my travels went well and despite the shitty weather, we made it to the Red Moon cabin in the early morning of the 30th. Mason stayed with me until Alpha Redmen called everyone back from patrol. Jason was right after all, it was crazy to think he’d leave such a large team of warriors and guardsmen out in such weather. I was asleep when Mason left. He gave me the courtesy I have seldom received both while he was here and when he left. I found a well written note left on the counter when I woke up around 2pm on the 31st. He explained that Alpha Redmen called his team back to the pack house for his usual lunch debriefing before they’re allowed to return home. He had sincerely hoped to stay with me until Andre came to get me but he did at least explain that Andre did link with him, that he had made contact with Alpha Julian of the Red Moon pack and that I would be ent
I sit myself up and lean myself against the wall, closing my eyes, forcing myself to relax. I haven’t had access to anything I need in several days and the last thing that needs to start is my asthma. I peak out of the slats on the door verifying that everyone is asleep. I can hear Kristoph’s snore giving me a little confidence to at least get out of this cabin and into another. I open the closet door slowly, praying that it doesn’t squeak. I crawl out with great care once it’s opened enough to let me, before I gently close it again. While I’m not foolish enough to believe that he’s completely missed the fact that I’m there, I don’t want to give him a reason to come looking for me if his sex crazed orgy gave me such luck. I crawl to the door and I’m surprised to see my boots still sitting at the door. I stand with as little sound as possible, slip my feet into the boots, and slowly ease myself out into the cold. I look around, quickly gathering my bearings and head straight into the
(Andre’s POV)“I’m so sorry Andre. Someone followed him into the buffer zone. After I introduced myself I could smell another wolf nearby and the wolf that I believe was your brother Cole, darted into the woods. By the time I called for reinforcements and my trackers caught his scent, he had been removed from the cave. The other wolf must have gotten to him and brought him back as my trackers were able to trace his blood back to the footbridge. It was different from the way he got to the cave so we know it was a second trail. Whoever came after him, wanted him as badly as Cole wanted away from him.” I can’t believe my ears but hold my tongue. I have no doubts that dad told Kristoph to head over to the Red Moon cabin as I made the mistake of telling him that I needed to stay several nights there. No matter how much I insisted on needing to go out, that I needed to clear my head after discovering the truth behind Sasha’s infidelity, he maintained the need for me to train. I learned a
I walk in without hesitation. I know exactly what I’m in for and what he wants. I kick my shoes and pants off at the door before walking over to the filing cabinet. The top drawer holds a small piece of leather that he offers some of us to bite on. I walk up to my father, looking him briefly in the eyes before training them to the ground. “You know the penalty for interrupting physical punishment.” “My age plus five with the buckle.” I state monotonously. “The buckle will be first.” It’s the only exchange of words we have before I place the leather piece in my mouth, push my boxers to my feet and lay my chest across his desk. I cross my arms above me, wrapping my hands around them just below the elbow and lying my forehead on top. The first hit steals my breath away as he hits my back instead of my ass. He continues quickly towards my head until he reaches the middle of my ribs. My body starts to shake as I’ve taken five hits to this same location before he trails back to where h
Despite the growing pain from the beating I endured before leaving, I did manage to slip into a decent sleep. “Andre.” I hear Amos calling my name and gently rocking my body by my shoulders. “Andre, Amos told me that you’re not feeling well. That something happened with your father just before leaving.” Alpha Julian’s voice calls next as I slowly move. I yelp repeatedly as I freeze my movements, my clothes have stuck to me awkwardly and moving has resulted in several spots tearing loose. I’m on my stomach, barely elevated off the seat as I pant, trying hopelessly not to cry as my emotions are on an edge I haven’t seen in years. “Pardon me, as I don’t know your name, but at the moment I highly discourage touching your alpha.” Julian alerts me to the foolery Max is about to achieve. “Max.” My voice wavers with the intensity of pain I’m in. “How often have I yelped in front of you?” The room is silent waiting for his reply. “Never.” He finally speaks with confidence but with it
I shake my head as I look at the ground letting the tears fall as I loathe every moment I allow myself to be anything but angry. “Is that why you’re feeling so low about yourself right now?” I look up, surprised by Amos’s question. “He has repeatedly been given ten times what I just received and it takes forever for him to start screaming from the pain.” I admit slowly. “I didn’t scream or yelp while he beat me but I’m allowed the bite strap, something Cole never gets.” “Is today’s beating something new?” Julian speaks up next. “No. I got several as a pup because of my interest in taking care of Cole. The difference was not receiving the buckle end during the spanking. Once I turned a blind eye, even started abusing him myself they stopped. At one point he became my whipping boy. He received what I was to get. They started again when dad discovered that I’m helping Cole’s beta and his beta’s father get him from the training room to his room for care. I’ve been getting them even m
(Cole’s POV)I shiver as I slowly wake. I have no idea how long I’ve been out but returning to consciousness is certainly not my friend. My lungs scream as I struggle to breathe. My asthma was aggravated when I tried to run from Kristoph. At least that's the last memory I have. It’s obvious that receiving my inhaler or a nebulizer treatment is nowhere in sight. I slowly move my limbs just to find they are tied up tight to the bed. My attempts at opening my eyes are futile as they are painfully swollen. I quickly find that barely a crack is available for me to see out of in my right eye and even that is hazy. Apparently it wasn’t enough to find me unconscious, he had to make certain I didn’t fight as he hauled me back to this cabin. “Look, I think he’s waking up.” Sasha points out, one of several voices I never want to hear. I can smell what is supposed to be the alluring smell of heat from not just Sasha but Melinda as well. “Perfect timing baby brother. Having sex for the first t
“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
(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
“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
“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
(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
“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
(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
“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
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