Tuesday, January 23I fall from my bed as I violently fight against the blankets that I have wrapped around me. My ass hitting the floor jars my back badly sending waves of sharp pain through my back and legs, knocking the breath right out of me in the process. I immediately start into dry heaves as my body starts trying to rid itself of what little I managed to eat yesterday. I scramble on all fours, never making it to my feet, as I push myself to the bathroom before heaving dinner into the toilet. As I sit back against the tub I realize that not only am I in a serious panic attack but I’m starting into a bad asthma attack as well. I’m gasping for breath as my panic consumes me. It takes everything I have to keep myself sitting up but I know it’s not going to last as black spots litter my vision. I manage to check my watch and register in my mind that it’s midnight. ‘Great,’ I think to myself ‘still seven hours before someone finds me’ as I collapse into unconsciousness. I wake gas

Exactly to his words, once I’m standing, he guides me in a gentle turn allowing me to feel when to sit instead of pushing. I sit on the edge of the bed, pushing myself to breathe as it feels like the vise on my lungs is clamping down harder. The whimpers from my childhood are even more persistent as the spike in my anxiety is getting worse, worsening my asthma.“Dr. Pierce was able to get a hold of Dr. Carter. He mentioned that you get really anxious in the hospital making the whole process of getting better harder and longer. I have also picked up on your hesitation towards me. Which makes me believe that your alpha is quite harsh with you. Is he?” I nod my head slowly as I attempt to talk. “My .... dad ...” “Your dad is also your alpha?” ‘Damn that was a quick put together.’ I think as I slowly nod again.“So you are indeed one of Alpha Charles Redmen’s sons?” I nod again. “Okay. I feel this is going to be strange for you but I would like to try to help you like I do with Dami

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

(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

“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