“I know it’s hard but it’s important that you don’t fight us right now. We’re just trying to help you. You’re in a really difficult situation being in a new territory with leadership you don’t know or understand. I get it. I really do. Is there anything we can do that will help you relax?” “Xanax.” “You take a sedative when in the hospital?” I nod slowly as I attempt to reach for the mask. “Let me put the mask on you. I promise it will help you.” I shake my head trying to get away as he brings it close again. He lets go of my hand as my wheezing worsens from the stress, gently placing it on the back of my head while finally placing the mask on my face. “Just breathe Cole. I won’t strap it to you yet but you need to breathe.” I try to fight but he moves with me, keeping the mask gentle on my face allowing me the time I need to accept it. “Angela, do we have any Ativan here or is it only at General?” “I stock the half milligram dose here. How much?” “Let’s start with two pills.
Suddenly my chest cramps up badly and I can’t help but fight everyone around me. I hear Dr. Pierce instructing Alpha Black as to what she needs. “Demetri, I need that mask to stay on him and I need space to listen to what his lungs are doing when he’s like this.” As hard as I’m fighting, Alpha manages to keep the mask on me without smashing it to my face like most others have. Dr. Pierce manages to stay gentle with me as well while I’m starting to panic from the lack of air moving through my lungs. “You’ve gotten real tight on me and your oxygen level has dipped badly. I know this hurts bad but I need you to submit to us, let us do all the work. All I need from you is to breathe. I’m going to get a different mask and put more medication in the nebulizer. Demetri, if you can, go ahead and try to lay with him. This amount of stress is going to drop his body temperature and Dr. Carter already told me he tends to run on the low side. He’s going to need your body heat until we get every
I find myself relaxing with the alpha’s sermon towards his beta. I can tell by the sound of his voice that he is remorseful for his harshness without the alpha getting overly aggressive with him. I feel him on my hand again and once again I pull away, whining persistently as I don’t want him on me after that encounter with him.“Relax Cole, he’s not going to do it again.” This time he keeps a firm hold on my hand as I move around, following my movements instead of yanking on me. “Much better, Patrick. He’s just like Damian when it comes to needles, only he’s a harder stick which means when I start I need you to keep him still without yanking on him.” “Yes, ma’am.”He sounds submissive now but that doesn’t make me any more comfortable with him. Dr. Pierce uses my movements to get the band around my arm. The discomfort of the tight band spikes my anxiety, tightening my chest. I start moving my legs slowly against the alpha’s using caution when it comes to anything sensitive. “Cole,
(Demetri’s POV)I start stirring around as the familiar tingles of the bond alert me to Lillian’s presence. “Don’t try to get up quite yet. Angela and I need to help get you loose from the young man you seem to have bonded with.” She whispers softly in my ear. My wolf purrs softly as I open my eyes to be greeted with the gentle sky blue eyes of my mate, my luna. I give her a gentle smile receiving a short but passionate kiss from her in return. “You told me that you had a meeting with Angela and one of the prospects that came in last night but I got worried when I didn’t find you in your office. Angela filled me in on the events of earlier this morning. I came in about two hours ago. He was still fairly rough so I left you with him hoping that being with you would help.” I close my eyes briefly as she runs her hand gently through my hair.“He’s been abused, Lilly.” “I figured you believed as much. You don’t usually invest this kind of time on the first day unless you see somethin
“Lilly, can you lay the pillow down where Demetri was laying, raise the rail and plug it in.” I give her a loving smile as I help her with Angela’s request. “Cole, if you understand what I’m saying I need you to let go of my hand.” It doesn’t take long for him to respond, slowly letting go of her hand. I easily notice the tremor in his hand but don’t say anything about it. It’s when she places the stethoscope to his chest that he startles badly enough for him to return to the distressing high pitched whine he’s had most of the morning causing Lilly to cover her ears. Hearing a whine like that triggers memories that she still hasn’t let go of from long ago. She looks at me with tears in her eyes as I pull her gently into me, holding her head against my chest so she can wrap her arms around me, grasping the back of my shirt into her fists. It’s only a few seconds later that I can hear her through the mind link. ‘That’s why you think he’s been abused.’ ‘That’s part of the reason, y
“Try to relax with us Cole. Your breathing is still very restricted and the more relaxed you are the easier it will be to move the air you need. I’m going to start with the back of your shirt. It’s loose enough that you shouldn’t feel the scissors just hear them.” Even the simple task of cutting his shirt to expose his chest is anxiety provoking for him. He squeezes my hand hard as he starts gasping through his mouth. Once she’s done cutting the back off of his shirt I hear her through the pack link. ‘He’s got really bad scarring on his back as well as what appears to be more recent cuts and bruises but it’s difficult to figure out what’s new versus old in this light. Are we doing him by the book?’ ‘No. I need to be able to bring him back in six months for the second run if I can’t gain his trust enough for him to talk about the abuse. Only an intolerable offense like stealing, assault, or rape will get him kicked out. Everything else he gets a pass as far as the council is concern
Angela is looking me straight in the eyes as she finishes the last part of her sentence and as she starts the next. “If this is bad enough to demand surgery then it is not possible to keep this from the council. Based on what Demetri and I have seen, if we report your condition to the council, they would launch an abuse investigation with or without your consent, which could be very dangerous for you if this injury is indeed because of abuse. Do you understand what I’m explaining?” He nods again slowly.“I need you to keep your legs down and straight as I do the scan. I don’t know the level of discomfort this will cause you but I will give you something for the pain afterwards if there’s any lingering. Take Demetri’s hands, I’m going to have him hold your arms and hands on your chest. Doing that should bring you some comfort and help keep you from trying to fight this too much.”She’s gently sliding the blanket down to Cole’s waist as she finishes her instructions. I gently take hol
After nearly three hours of phone conferencing with the council and twenty of the one hundred east coast packs involved in the prospect program, I’m finally free to leave my office. It was a grueling three hours as I haven’t been able to pull my mind away from the young man in the hospital wing, Alpha Cole Redmen. I was able to do some research on him while on the phone and he is indeed the Alpha’s youngest son. The only information I have received is an email from Dr. Carter showing me the medication he’s on. Unfortunately that’s all I’m allowed to find out as I don’t have a justifiable cause to invade his private medical files. At least not yet.I run into Lily just as I’m exiting my office. I quickly wrap my arms around her before giving her a long sensual kiss. I gently nip her lower lip, asking permission to take it a step further. Something I only do when I know no one else is around. She pulls away gently, knowing exactly where this is headed. She’s smiling but apprehension l