Chapter 6

• “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. 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 among 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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.
• “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 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 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.