I watch silently as the young alpha grabs both of their necks, one in each hand and pulls them apart while in a booming Alpha voice commands; “Submit!”
Both of them struggle but eventually fall to their knees, growling loudly at one another.
“I just told you no fist fighting and no sooner than you get off the bus you're coming to blows, over what?”
“He’s taking my bag!”
“No I’m not! Your bag is over there!”
I can’t help but facepalm myself as I listen to them argue. No fighting, no drugs, no raping and no shit faced drunks. Sounds like a pack that just wants you to be responsible, reasonable and take care of one another. Here are the two youngest warriors who qualify for the program and they act like mere children.
I walk over to the matching pack to the one they’re squabbling over and kneel down beside it. I go over it with a fine tooth comb finally locating a tag with the name Taylor on it. I sigh and shake my head as I pick up the pack and walk over to the twins. I stand silently until they stop arguing and notice that I’m there.
“What the hell do you want!” Taylor yells as he tightens his grip on the pack he’s holding.
“I would think at eighteen years old you would be mature enough to check the tag on the bag before arguing over it. Plus you’re twins. I thought everything you owned matched.”
My voice is quiet and submissive in nature. I’ve learned the hard way how to talk without ruffling the feathers of anyone as dad has used any report of disrespect as a logical reason to have me brought to his office so he could beat me as a child, the training center after I broke his desk four years ago.
I reach down to the tag on the bag I am holding and flip it in my hand exposing the name on the tag before looking at Taylor with my head cocked slightly. He lets out a final growl before tossing the bag he’s holding hard into Tyler’s chest. Alpha Damian lets them both go, stepping back as they stand.
Taylor approaches me quickly, snatching his bag from my hand before going towards the pile of luggage I had picked it from. I sigh lightly as I look among the luggage looking for my second backpack and my duffel bag. Unfortunately I don’t spot them quickly enough and someone else has grabbed at least one of them.
I start looking around for sources of water. I’ve been going around to different packs in the warrior program with two of the same prospects for the last eighteen months so I know their games now. It’s only after the bus pulls away that I spot my duffel bag and all its contents spread out in the mud. I sigh and run my hand through my chocolate brown hair, disappointed in myself. I’d win money betting on the idea that the twins were used as a distraction to me.
I walk slowly towards the water, testing the area to see how deep the water is as I don’t think I can handle the pain from the numerous cuts and burns all over my body getting wet, especially the large blister that is wrapped around my left thigh.
I can’t see the rest of the group but I can tell that two more of them are arguing over luggage. Fairly simple rules to follow but Red Fang is such a brutal pack that’s how everyone lives, by fighting for everything you have. Alpha Damian submits them out shortly before hearing another, booming voice. Powerful and unmistakably the lead alpha. I stop on the edge of the water as it seems to be deeper than what I expected for the distance that my stuff was thrown.
“That’s enough! For all the years I’ve been working with Red Fang, never have I encountered a group so keen on bickering with one another over something as simple as luggage! Especially since everything is labeled with first and last name before being placed on my bus. Now, everyone, get in a single line shoulder to shoulder! Damian!”
“Yes father.”
I’m surprised at how calm he is considering his father’s yelling.
“Help the young man over by the pseudo pond. Never have I seen such disrespect for a pack member as that.”
“Yes sir.”
I stop in my tracks only a few feet from the edge of the water. The alpha is sending his own son over to help me? I’m shocked and confused with their kindness towards a complete stranger in their territory. I’ve heard stories of how rogues have never been seen again after entering their territory. How Crimson Dawn is as brutal as they come. Yet I’ve seen more care and kindness in the thirty minutes that I’ve been here than any other pack I’ve been to so far. Maybe I won’t have to go rogue. Maybe I could come here instead. They seem nice.
“Hey. Cole, right?” Damian speaks while touching my arm, bringing me quickly from my thoughts.
“Yes, sir.” I manage to barely get out. I’ve had a hard time even speaking to upper level wolves since I was a young child. It has always been easier just to stay quiet.
“Let’s see about retrieving your stuff, shall we?” I nod my head lightly.
“Yes, thank you.”
We walk back over to the pond. I shiver slightly as the wind starts blowing lightly. Even though I’m from an area with regular snow in the winter I’ve chilled easily ever since the whipping.
Just as I was getting ready to step into the water Alpha Damian grabs me causing me to startle badly enough to yelp. I cringe at my own failure to stifle my yelp, cursing my anxiety for getting so bad so quickly. Alpha Damian freezes as silence falls across the land.
“Are you okay?” I nod as I start to stutter.
“I-I’m okay. N-new places just make me an-anxious. I-I’m sorry.”
Just as I finish struggling with such a simple answer the rest of the pack burst out laughing. I can clearly hear the twins jeering at me.
“The alpha’s son is such a baby.”
I clench my fist and stifle a growl as Alpha Damian starts talking again.
“You look like you’re already getting cold so...” he slows down talking as he kicks off his shoes and removes his socks and pants. “I’m going to go get your bag and anything near it, bring it back here to you, then go back out and toss the rest to you. It usually snows more than it rains in the winter but so far this winter has been mild. It’s rained hard for the last week and this is a low spot near the training grounds. Anything that has sunk to the bottom that I don’t feel will turn up once the water dries up. I’ll make sure it gets back to you once we find it.”
As he finishes speaking he’s already waded out to my duffle bag. I usually only bring it and two backpacks. My most important items are always in the pack that I keep with me. It’s as Alpha Damian is bringing my bag back with a handful of my clothing that the pack starts laughing resulting in the alpha’s booming voice again.
“Silence! Since a lot of you can’t seem to act much more than children, that's exactly how I’m going to treat you. Stand still in the line. Do not move or speak unless your name is called. Everyone in front of me, pull out the key to the room you were just given. Patrick, collect the keys. Dominic and Lucas.”
“Yes sir.”
I hear in unison as I catch two more wet balls of clothes coming my way.
“Dominic, do you have the keys to the third floor?”
I cock my head as I hear Alpha Damian choke on a laugh.
“Yes sir.”
“Give half of the keys to Lucas. Now, since you can’t be grown ups about collecting your things on your own and are so keen on destroying another pack member’s things my beta, Patrick, is going to grab a bag and call the name on the tag. Raise your hand and say here when you hear your name and Patrick will hand your bag to either Alpha Dominic or Alpha Lucas. One of them will hand you a key to your new room on the third floor. There is an elevator but it is only used by housekeeping to stock the supply closets and during medical emergencies. The stairs are indoors on the north end of the building.”
“This is the last that I can actually see floating on the surface.” Damian says as he throws the last of my clothes to me. “We’ll have to check again in the morning. We might even find anything that sank once the sun comes out.”
I nod lightly as I ring the water out of the clothes in my hands and toss them in my bag. I kneel to close it up just to hear Tyler start running his mouth again.
“If everyone here is being punished with a third floor room then Cole should get one too. He’s one of us.”
“Oh, is he?”
I freeze in shock at his attitude. I stand slowly with my bag in my hand watching and listening to the alpha’s next moves. It was common for the lead alpha to treat a visiting pack as a single unit instead of trying to figure out the good prospects from the bad.
“And what exactly would make me think he’s one of you?” He asks surprisingly slowly and deliberately, waiting for someone to answer.
“He’s the alpha’s son. Of course he’s a member of Red Fang.” Dallas, one of the other troublemakers, responds.
“Who his father is doesn’t automatically make him one of you. Never, in all the years I’ve been in this program, have I seen a member of a pack treated with such demeaning, humiliating disrespect. To purposely degrade not just another wolf but a wolf you likely grew up with by attempting to destroy his belongings is NOT treating him as one of you. So, since all of you are so keen to show me your rejection of him so early in your stay here, I think it would be smart of me to do the same.”
My breath gets stuck in my chest as I have no understanding of what he’s about to do. Am I about to be rejected from the program? I’ve been told many times that if you get rejected from a pack’s warrior program in the first week of arriving on their territory that it’s an automatic rejection from the program. That the council will not approve of any other requests to go on another run.
I feel Damian’s hand on mine as he takes the heavy duffel bag filled with wet clothes from my hand.
“Come on. Let’s get closer so we know what’s going on.”
I’m a bundle of nerves now and I can’t hide the tremors in my hands or the fear in my eyes. Damian stops and studies me briefly before whispering.
“Cole, what’s going on?”
My eyes meet his as I whisper as well.
“I’m not ready to leave. I just got away from there.”
“My father wouldn’t do that. You’ve done nothing wrong. Just stay with me, you’re doing fine. You seem to get very anxious very easily. Do you take meds to help you with that?”
As much as I didn’t want to admit that I’m a nervous wreck when I’m in the attention of anyone higher than a gamma, I don’t want to lie to the alpha’s son either. At least, not a complete lie.
“I usually take several medications to ease my social anxiety and ocd. Xanax if things get really bad during the day, I’ll take that at night.”
“Obviously you're not on it now, why?”
“Drug test. I didn’t want you thinking I was a nut job when it showed up.”
Alpha Damian shakes his head with a slight chuckle.
“All you had to do was tell us. It’s right in the application.”
I shake my head while keeping pace walking with Alpha Damian heading back to the rest of the group.
“My dad is extremely controlling as to what packs I go to for training. He’s the one that fills out the application each time and submits it to the council. He knows I’m on medication but insists that I stay off them. Dr. Carter makes arrangements at Red General to make sure I can get the medication but I can’t always get there so my ability to take it is inconsistent.”
Alpha Damian stops in his tracks forcing me to stop as he turns to face me. He looks me in the eyes to which I look away, down to the ground.
“Talk to my dad, Cole. If you know what you were on he can get you back on it.”
He starts walking again after I nod my head. He motions for me to head off to the side of the rest of the group, standing with me so I’m not alone.
I watch silently as one of the men accompanying alpha picks up a bag. I immediately recognize it as mine. I sigh in relief that they didn’t find that one too.
“Cole Redmen,” the wolf calls out.
“Here.” I call back as I wave my hand lightly.
I see the one holding the bag hand it to another who starts over towards me with a key in his hand.
“Lucas.”
He stops before he even gets two feet from the alpha.
“I’m going to take care of him and his room assignment personally. I’ll take his pack until we’re done.”
He looks my way before he speaks again.
“Cole Redmen?”
He seems to question looking for verification. I nod my head in response.
“Do you have any more?”
“No sir,” I speak as I shake my head.
He gives me a nod as the wolf by the luggage calls out another name. He hands the pack off to Alpha Cullen. The luggage is placed at the feet of Dallas as he is handed a new key. The process is repeated until every piece of luggage brought is with their owner prompting Alpha to speak again.
“Normally I treat every prospect that comes into my program as an individual. Now, I will continue to do that with the major rules that I have no tolerance for. We are a very simple pack to get along with as long as you don’t steal, fight, rape, do drugs or get shit faced drunk. With that being said, from here on out I will be watching all of you very closely as you have not made a good first impression and I feel that you’re going to be trouble. For minor infractions, if one of you does it all of you will receive discipline for it.”
“Is that why we’re now on the third floor?” Dallas interrupts in disgust.
“Absolutely, Dallas. The first floor rooms have perks. So we try to fill those first. Since my son has had to break up two fights amongst yourselves already, the entire group will be sacrificing those perks and moving to the third floor. Any additional complaints over the consequences you have brought upon yourselves will be met with additional penalties.”
“What about Cole? He’s the alpha’s son. He’s one of us.”
Tyler tries again to get me sucked into their consequences.
“As I said earlier. Since everyone here is so keen on rejecting Cole from the pack it wouldn’t be proper, as the lead alpha of this territory, to treat him as a member of your pack. For the duration of his stay here Cole will be recognized as a member of the Red Fang pack...”
I can see the smiles spreading across all of my pack members' faces as he spoke.
“But that will be for the sole purpose of documenting and reporting back to the council. I prefer to treat everyone as an individual and that is what I will be doing with Cole. Any benefits or penalties that he receives will be between him and the one giving it out, thus it will be none of anyone else’s business to know.”
I’ve never seen faces of shock happen as quickly as it did when he finished his decision about me.
“Only half of the twenty-four wolves here are actually from the Red Fang pack. The rest of us are from the Crescent Moon pack. Why are we getting sucked into Red Fang’s consequences?”
“While I do apologize for the inconvenience that it’s causing, I was only alerted a few minutes ago that the Crescent Moon pack was unable to complete their registration in time to attend this run so Alpha Redman filed all of the applications with the council in a way that lumped all of you together as a single pack. It is quite common for packs in close contact with each other to band together for the purpose of the program especially if they have only a small number of wolves attending the run from each pack. It will take me some time to work out who is from which pack so I am going to ask for your patience with that.”
I can’t help but cock my head, studying the alpha as he approaches me. Instinctively, I take a step back when he stops within a foot of me, quickly averting my eyes away from his.
“Relax. I mean what I said.”
I nod slightly but keep my head and eyes down in submission. Without warning I feel his hand on my chin. Without thinking I overreact to the alpha’s touch, fighting to get away from him. Very quickly his hands have both my wrists and he’s pressed them against my chest. I can hear the rest of the prospects laughing and jeering at me.
“Alpha’s son is such a baby, so weak he’s afraid of the alpha.”
“Enough! I do not tolerate bullying of any sort!”
I can’t help but cringe away from his booming voice with the alpha aura. Even with his strong aura still present he manages to lower his voice to a more comfortable level when he speaks directly to me.
“Though it does seem that you are very much afraid of me as this is a very strong reaction. I’ll let go when you relax and show me control.”
It’s a struggle for me to stop my fight as my panic has taken over. I close my eyes in an effort to concentrate on my breathing. My chest is tight and my breath is coming out short and fast. I fight to get out of his hold as I hear another approach.
“Everything okay dad?”
The voice is much deeper than Alpha Damian’s making me wonder who it is that has approached us.
“I’m going to need a few minutes alone with him. Lucas, I need you to have the rest of the group follow you inside to the third floor. Have Dom bring up the rear. I want silence. Not a word or sound as they pass by or they will all see the consequences of one person’s disrespect.”
“Yes sir.”
My fight eases a little as the alpha’s son steps away and heads back towards the group.
“Cole, I know you just met me so there is no trust but I need you to follow my directions exactly. I’m going to coach you through a breathing technique that will help you to relax. As you relax you will feel me easing up on your arms.”
I nod my head, agreeing to his offer as I’m completely lost and out of control.
“First I want you to take a quick but deep breath in then just as quickly push it out. Just throw it away. I want three of these. Then I’ll move to three much slower ones. Ready.”
I nod to show I understand his instructions.
“All right, in quick, now throw it away.”
I follow his lead and take a quick sharp breath before letting it out almost as quickly. It’s as I’m breathing in on my third one that he speaks again.
“I want you to follow my voice as I’m going to tell you what to do. Well done. Now in...2....3....4... and out 2...3...4... again in 2...3...4... and out 2...3...4... again,”
It’s as I’m going through the third one that I feel Alpha’s grip change on me. Even though it’s still there, it’s much gentler, even soothing as I feel his thumbs gently rubbing the backs of both hands. He lets me take a few more breaths on my own before speaking.
“I can already tell that you’re very submissive so I do understand this is a struggle for you but I need you to look at me. Make eye contact with me before I let your arms go.”
I slowly open my eyes while I’m still looking down. It’s not the first time I’ve been directly told to make eye contact with an alpha. My father does it all the time. The struggle is, my father commands me to do it then turns around and punishes me for the fear he sees in my eyes.
I squeeze my eyes shut again as the memories of my last encounter with my dad creep in and repeat the exercise the alpha just went through with me.
“Cole,”
Alpha Black speaks the quietest that I have ever heard an alpha speak to me.
“I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on. Will you talk with me?”
I shake my head as I fight the flashback away, slowly opening my eyes again. I raise my head making eye contact as he requested but I can’t keep it.
“I’m sorry alpha.”
I whisper as I close my eyes and turn away, waiting for punishment to follow. Every alpha that has ever been this hands on with me has always brought me pain. I know he can feel my tremors as I hear him sigh.
“Okay Cole. Let’s get you inside. Perhaps it will be a little more comfortable to talk if it’s not so direct.”
I barely whisper a thank you as I feel his hands leave my wrists. Opening my eyes, I look around me for a sense of direction. It’s when I briefly meet Alpha Damian’s gaze that I get the information I need. With a slight gesture of his hand he points me towards the trainee housing, following behind me as I head in that direction.
(Demetri’s POV)
I’m deep in thought as my son and I follow this young man to the trainee housing. It’s been fifteen years since I inherited the pack. It’s quite uncommon for the pack to be passed on like that unless the ruling alpha dies in battle while his kids are still kids. Then it becomes the oldest child’s responsibility to assume power over the pack. Neither of those things happened with me and the pack. I know finding out I was an intuitive had something to do with dad’s decision to pass the pack down to me.
I’m the youngest of four. My older brothers and sister somehow didn’t share the same vision for the Crimson Dawn pack as my father. It was finding my abused mate at eighteen that ultimately changed my ideas on maintaining a sanctuary for those in need. I’ve only been the alpha for fifteen years, small change for most alphas. Damian was only three and Lucas just over a year when dad passed in his sleep. It may take a lot to kill a werewolf without a silver bullet to the heart but we’re not invincible and we do age.
Dad had been slowing down for a while and I had taken on more and more of his duties. When the Moon Goddess finally called him home it was supposed to be a seamless transition for the pack. Needless to say, it wasn’t. Mom left to join him just a few years later.
Like most alphas, I try to maintain two separate reputations for my pack. A zero tolerance for unannounced wolves in my territory. Like all alphas, I like to keep that rumor as hard core as possible. You come onto my land unannounced and you will never be seen again type stuff. But those who truly know me understand that I know the difference between a troubled wolf and a troublemaker. Those with this inside knowledge will often recommend my pack as a temporary sanctuary until things get ironed out for a transfer into another pack. Some have even chosen to join my pack as permanent members.
It’s the tug from Damian on my link that bring my thoughts back to the present situation.
‘What’s going on with him? He told me on the bus that he wasn’t new to this and he’s older. Twenty-three I think he said. He started struggling with his anxiety before he got off the bus.’
‘I don’t want to jump to any conclusions as he just got here and it is possible that he just has severe anxiety.’
‘But you suspect something else?’
‘Yes. I suspect abuse may be in his past but the bigger concern is if abuse is in his present.’
‘I thought abuse stopped once the child becomes an adult.’
‘Unfortunately that only happens if the child is able to find a way out of the situation. If this is indeed Alpha Redmen’s son then getting away from Red Fang without going rogue or killing whoever is abusing him, would be extremely difficult. It’s not like here where once you turn twenty-one you can request a transfer or a female that can leave for her mate’s pack.’
‘So he’s using the warrior program as a way out?’
‘Possibly.’
I end the link with my son as we enter the apartment complex. Cole has stopped about five feet inside the door allowing us enough room to enter. He seems confused and highly agitated.
“Cole.”
Even with my voice calm and level just hearing it makes the young man startle badly.
“I failed to ask you if you were against being separated from your pack mates. It’s entirely up to you.”
“I’ve only got one real friend so I’m not that much part of the group.”
“I didn’t think so. Come this way.”
I gesture to my right as we start making our way to the row of doors located on the eastern side of the complex.
