I walk calmly back into my office, closing the door softly. I stop and simply look at Melody as she’s curled into the fetal position, her body shakes as she sobs. I study her for a moment, looking at her size and stature. She is quite petite for a delta, not much bigger than the average eight year old. How on earth my son thought that this tiny girl was ready to have sex has me lost in a bad way. I walk over to her silently and scoop her up easily. She screams in surprise and fright. “Don’t fight, Melody. You’ll hurt me.” I calmly instruct her as I encourage her to lay her head on my shoulder, the comfort and safety of my parental aura giving her the freedom to fall apart emotionally.I simply hold and rock her gently as she cries, waiting silently for her to calm. It’s as she finally relaxes that I sit in my chair, changing her position so she’s sitting in my lap but I still wait for her.“Am I in trouble?” Her voice is quiet and meek, wavering slightly as she recovers from such a h
“School taught everyone what happens when you go through human puberty as it will often happen first. They also explained what happens during your first shift and experiencing your first heat cycle. They explained how to get pregnant during both and to prevent complications from the pregnancy that it’s important for non-shifters and pre-shifters to not have sex with shifters. The only exception is if a non-shifter is the fated mate of a shifter” “Do they explain what happens during sex?” “They touched on it by simply saying the male goes inside the female but because pack law states that there’s is no sex before you turn sixteen I don’t think the health teacher thought it was appropriate to go much farther than that with fifth graders. Mom and dad say the same thing. That it’s best to wait until you meet your fated mate but if you don’t you need to be at least sixteen before you go whoring yourself out.” “You know a little more than I thought but you’re still very young and naive.
I sit silently holding Melody, waiting for her sobs to slow. Angela links me, asking about her parents coming back into the room. I agree, it’s time for them to come back and understand the next steps. I rub her back gently as she watches Angela and her parents enter the room. “Do I have to talk again?” She whispers shyly. “Not right now.” I reassure her quietly. “When I took them out of my office I put them in a special room where they could see and hear us but they couldn’t interrupt you. With the way your mom was yelling at you, I thought you would be more comfortable talking to just me.”I loosen my hold as she pushes herself up, acting as if she wants to leave me? “Melody, do you want to leave me?” She shakes her head without looking directly at me. “I just thought that’s where I’m supposed to be when you decide my punishment. I heard from others that have been spanked. You take your shoes off at the door.” She stops long enough to turn and point to where all the shoes are
“In regards to the comments made in the dining hall; the wolf that made the comments, his name is Dallas. Dallas has been in the program five years and has been banned from eleven packs, including my own. He has been reported to the council repeatedly for assaulting both male and female prospects, both part of his pack and outside of it. Since the Red Fang pack does not sign female warriors up for the program he has been reported as sexually assaulting and raping multiple females from other packs. He was sent home Wednesday after dinner. Cole, on the other hand, has no known record of foul play.” “So you’re saying that Dallas is accusing Cole of doing what he has done?” Annabel asks, confused. “Cole is in a complicated situation at his home pack where the exact nature of his job with the pack’s pre-shift girls is withheld from the rest of the pack. Dallas absolutely believes he is telling the truth about Cole when he has no idea what Cole is doing. I can assure both of you, I would
“I’ve sat in the same type of room you were in when several of my pack mates where accused of gang raping several girls during a party that was held outside the territory. My sister had just moved away from the territory freeing my father up to start exposing me to the things I would have to deal with as alpha. Since several of our male warriors took the gamma females that were raped to the party, they had to go through the same interview process as the she-wolves. The interview is a brutal process for both the accused and the victim. Three council members take turns asking the questions. The questions are often the same only worded differently and they are delivered rapidly giving the person no time to think about the question. Their interview tactics resemble that of a criminal interrogation and it is not something that I would allow any child to go through. Lucas would barely be able to handle it but Melody?” I stop for a moment, shaking my head as I hold her tight. “Their interv
Friday January 26th(Cole’s POV)I’m awake even though I’m too exhausted to even bother opening my eyes. My entire body aches in a way that I don’t recall feeling before. The only thing comparable was waking up in the hospital after my father forced them to take me off all medication after he took a whip to my back. It’s a struggle not to mentally return to those days. Part of me wants to trust this alpha. To reach out for the help he seems desperate to give me. To leave my home forever. But I’ve done that before. Three times now actually and each time they ran painful tests on me, before accusing me of lying, abusing me and ultimately abandoning me. Never again will I fall for their tricks. All he wants is dirt on my pack. Dirt that will only result in relentless beatings from my father and over the last year, my brothers. Just because Andre hesitated with Saturday’s beating doesn’t mean anything. He’s laid into me hard before and Kristoph, well he’s already consistently there. He
“The final bus with two dozen prospects arrives early this afternoon and I’ve got several meetings and a ton of paperwork backed up. I’m not going to be able to keep an eye on him as I’d like and after such a painful random flair I don’t want him alone.” “That’s understandable but I don’t know that I can force him to stay.” “When you see him you’ll understand why I don’t think he will fight us on it.” “So I can prepare for him, what do you need?” “I’m sorry Cole.” “Why?” I can’t help but respond to his genuine sadness. He reaches over and I can’t control my wince as his fingers connect with my hair. “I’m sorry” I whisper quickly at the sight of alpha’s hurt expression. “It’s okay Cole. It’s just a scar that will take time for us both to adjust to. It’s been four years since we’ve last gone through this. As many wolves as I’ve helped I don’t think I’ll ever get used to anyone cringing at the sight of my hand.” He explains gently. There’s something about what he says that reach
(Demetri’s POV)I follow the young man slowly as he walks to the wing. He’s struggling badly with the pain. It takes us several minutes to get to the medical wing but to my relief he doesn’t start hesitating until we get inside the lab. He follows my directions easily as he steps several feet inside the third room on the left, freezing up only once he is inside. I’m right behind him as his panic starts. He attempts to step backwards out of the room but he runs into me instead. “Lean into me, Cole. Close your eyes, lean back into me and just breathe for a moment.” His body is shaking and his breathing is short. I attempt to wrap my arms around him but he pulls away as soon as my hands touch his. “I’m not doing this to hurt you.” I whisper in his ear. He whines softly as I take his hands in mine, not allowing him to pull away a second time. I wait for him to relax with my hold before I start rubbing the backs of his hands. He pulls gently, letting me know of his nervousness with t
The very breath I breathe is knocked right out of me as he has never commanded me to do anything. Even his father has made a strangled growl in response to his statement. “Even though you are an alpha, I am commanding you to come back.” His tone has softened but the seriousness in his voice has not. “I will return or I will die trying.” I somehow manage to whisper. Luna steps up next as Alpha Damian steps back wrapping her arm around me as Madilyn grabs my neck. I can feel Madilyn trying to wrap herself around me. Luna loosens her hold as I timidly take the young pup into my arms. “No! Don’t leave!” She starts off yelling. “You don’t deserve your daddy. He hurts you when you’re a good wolf. Please stay. My daddy can be your daddy. I promise I’ll share him.” She barely makes it through the last two sentences before breaking down crying. I hold her tightly as I look at luna’s face, her cheeks wet with tears. “I’m sorry.” Is all I can manage to whisper as she takes the little one
(Cole’s POV)It’s a shock to say the least to see Lucas come out to the porch let alone to see what appears to be a forced apology from him. I have a hard time believing what he has to say. I have never heard of Wolfington Academy and the only hint he gave was that he would go away. Not something I would ever want to happen to a newly shifted teen but I certainly wouldn’t want him to continue being a danger to the preshifts either. It’s been easy enough the last few months for me to avoid interacting with him even though I have sincerely missed the twins. These last two months, while they have been terribly hard and mentally painful for me, have also been the best for showing me the support I will have when I’m not myself. Alpha and luna both have gone out of their way to help me through my own decision to return. Every night luna and the twins would come to my room after dinner with a plate of food wrapped in cling wrap and several drinks. They would put the food and drinks in the
He finally lifts his head and stands from the stairs, walking slowly towards me. Suddenly his pace picks up and has taken on a more aggressive look. I start moving to intercept him as he’s headed straight towards Cole. ‘Stop me. Please dad, I don’t want to hurt him.’ His call for help is real, he genuinely fears hurting Cole. I step quickly into his path, silently wrapping my arms around him. One around his waist, the other under his arm allowing me to curl around and place my hand on the back of his neck. He freezes in place and stifles a yelp as I hold him close. I’m struggling to put together what these new symptoms mean. “Lay your head. I need you to relax so I can submit your wolf without causing you pain.” I whisper in his ear as I guide his head down. He whimpers quietly as I massage his neck looking for the best pressure point. “I need you to talk, Luke. To anyone. I don’t care if you confide in your brother, your mother, any of the doctors or nurses in the wing, tell
I wrap my hands around his, sliding my fingers gently between his hands and hair. He surprises me with how easily he gives up his stimming. “Stand up son.” I keep my voice gentle and reassuring, waiting for him to respond. He fights me briefly as he stands, trying hard to get out of my hold. “No, Cole. Accept the contact.” I persist as I refuse to let him run from me. Surprisingly, it seems he wants to run towards the van picking him up, not back into the house. “Stay with me a moment son. Allow me to calm you.” He relents to my desire, slowly giving me the calm I know he needs to make a rational decision. “I know you heard the conversation. I need to know your thoughts.” “Dad sent him.” He whispers, his voice fearful. “I know. Your dad requested the change but the council honored it so the plan remains the same. You have pack members at White Ridge which gives your father no excuses for picking you up.” He nods against my shoulder before slowly pushing himself away.
“Come.” I state as I gently pull him up and into me. He whimpers and fights briefly before taking hold of me tightly. We simply stand in silence, waiting for the trauma of leaving to subside. I wait for him to push away first, following his lead for when he’s ready to start out towards the front door. “Would you like some Ativan? It won’t take effect until you're well on your way north so it won’t alter your ability to decide to stay or go but it will make the trip easier to handle.” “Please.” Is all he manages to whisper against my neck before he pushes himself up to stand on his own. “Stay.” I whisper just as quietly as I step away from him into the attached bathroom, opening the cabinet and pulling out the low dose Ativan that I keep there. I return in front of him cupping his chin in my hands, lifting his head so he’s looking straight instead of the floor. He whimpers subtly as he pulls away but I don’t allow him to leave me. “Easy there, son.” I whisper as I use my thumbs
His eyes are wide with my explanation but he slowly removes his shirt as I’ve requested. “Put it on my desk.” I keep my calm helping him along when he appears lost. “Please.” He pleads helplessly. “It’s okay.” I try to comfort him. “No sir. It’s not okay. I’m not okay.” “I know. That’s why I’m doing this. Don’t step away.”I instruct as I close the distance between us. He accepts my embrace as I pull him into me again. There’s one test that I’ve never done with him as I’ve respected his sensitivity towards his back being touched but today I’m using that sensitivity to break him down in the hopes that he’ll be better able to handle leaving. It could also lead him into a complete breakdown requiring me to place him on a mental health hold but I’m taking my chances. “What are you going to do to me?” He asks as he struggles to lay his head on my shoulder.“I’m going to touch your back.” I explain as I guide his head down and pet the back of his head. “Please, sir. You don’t know h
It’s as we sit in silence that his frantic sobs finally quiet and are slowly replaced by the steady rhythm of his slightly wheezed snore. He hasn’t slept or ate right in the last two months and his condition shows it easily as he’s nearly back to the same weight he was when he got here despite our efforts to counteract his depression by upping his medication. I close my eyes and lay my cheek against his head as I listen to everything around me. I reassigned everyone that normally helps in the pack house to other tasks, closed the med wing with the exception of emergencies and canceled all the meetings that were scheduled today. I knew today would be tough but nothing could have prepared me for the brutal reality of this young man choosing to leave. The pack house is eerily quiet as if the house has been swallowed whole in preparation for the sadness, the sheer trauma of his departure. I have no idea how long I’ve been sitting with him when the shuffle of my mate’s feet starts down t
Friday July 20th; 8am(Cole’s POV) It’s been a month since my meeting with alpha discussing my options for getting out of the hell I call home. I was allowed to take the hard splint off for good two weeks ago but that hasn’t kept me out of the med wing. I’ve been in a steady slide into severe depression and I’ve had to seek the comfort of both alpha and Dr. Pierce when my feelings have become too extreme for me to handle alone. My mood swings have been so wild that I’ve gotten extremely nasty with Jessa. I so much as begged alpha to send her on a trip with Alpha Damian until today because I knew how badly I was hurting her. I didn’t mean to hurt her and I know I’m going to pay dearly for my lack of control when I return. Sleep is scarce at best and eating is nearly impossible. I can’t begin to describe how many times I have screamed myself awake, fighting alpha’s hold around me just to break down and cry in his arms. The anticipation of returning after six months of relative peace
“This is also the reason why we don’t want you to wait for the committee to remove you. The information that your father has access to without much digging on the process says if you make it to the final step in the investigation ten members of the council will move into your pack and you will be simultaneously moved out. The move is permanent no matter if you go to trial or not as the council members that move in are not simply investigating you.” I stop my gentle rub just under the hem of Jessa’s shirt and cock my head slightly as this was where Dr. Pierce had essentially stopped when breaking down the process.“So what are they doing when the committee starts their nine month investigation?” “What they’ve done for ten years now is remove the wolf being investigated to a temporary sanctuary pack within an hour’s drive of the regional committee’s headquarters. The pack has constant contact with the committee and as soon as any feral behaviors are seen the wolf is placed in the pack