bThe /bbSon /bof Red Fang

    bChapter /bb471 /b

    Every time he sends me away I’m greeted back by dad and Kristoph but it’s not the bhappy /breunion everyone else gets. It’s simply the easiest way to grab a hold of me so they can bpunish /bme for everything wrong they know I did. I’m chained like an animal for days until someone finds me. It takes months for me to heal physically from his damage and the memories never truly fade.

    I don’t understand alpha. I don’t know why I need to return but every instinct I have is screaming at me that I must. There is something bigger than what I already have on myptop to get and the only way to find it is by breaking into my father’sputer onest timeb./bb” /b

    My fists shake with the tension of squeezing his shirt between them. I’m falling apart at the thought of returning home and for the life of me I can not figure out why. If leaving is this devastating then why am I doing it? Am I truly that weak that when given the opportunity to leave everything behind I return instead?

    (Demetri’s POV)

    I remain silent as I hold this young man. His body shakes, almost violently, as he clings to me. His tears slowly lost in the fabric of my shirt.

    “I came to check on you, knowing that packing up and leaving would be hard. There are optionsb./bb” /b

    “No alpha. Either you put me on a 72 and force me to stay in the hopes that Xavier will get

    back to you at thest second or you let me go. I’ve been fighting my wolf for weeks on this

    decision as it no longer makes any sense for me to leave but he’s steadfast on our return. He knows something that I don’t and he insists that I find it.”

    He somehow manages to choke through his exnation.

    “Has he ever been wrong?”

    I know I have asked him this before but somethingpels me to ask again.

    “No. Being here is the first time I’ve been able to realize that he’s never wrong.”

    “Which is why you’re so willing to leave?”

    “I have no other way to exin it.”

    “I need you to allow something with me. You’ve been refusing it for a while bbut /bbit’s /bbsomething /b

    that you need. Will you sit on the bed with me?”

    To my surprise, I can feel him nod against my shoulder. I’ve steadily increased the time bI /bspend with him, giving him as much positive attention as he will ept but it’s been a real struggle

    for him thest two months.

    He recently admitted that his refusal was because he doesn’t want to remember such kindnessing from a stranger when he has endured such brutality from his own father.

    I slowly release my hold around him as he backs away, slowly making his way to the opposite side of the bed. He sits on the edge, his back towards me, his posture screams the fear he’s in even though he’s agreed to sit with me.

    “Move into the center. I’m not going to hurt you.‘

    He hesitates a moment before pushing himself into the middle, curling into a ball when he stops. I make my way over to the bed, sitting far enough away that I can slip my legs around him. He’s tense as I slide one leg under his while curling the other around his back. I can tell this is going to be a bad reaction before I put my hands on him. Just as he’spelled to return to the pack that’s causing his

    time.

    Premendous fear I ampelled to hold him onest

    ny arms around him. His fight or flight response makes I get as close as I can before wrapping my arms around him. His fight or flight response makes me cringe as his yelps and screams echo off his bedroom walls. His fight is weak, showing me how much he wants what I’m giving so I let him fight it out until he copses against me, his fear and sadness escaping loudly through his sobs. He’s wrapped his arms around mine, holding me tightly to his chest. I sit with him silently. Holding him as if he’s one of my own waking from some horrid nightmare. Only his nightmare is real and he’s only hours away from entering hell again.

    I allow my own tears to drop as I know I’mpletely helpless. Xavier was unable to get a meeting with the council. The only response he received was that they were short staffed from members leaving or retiring and overwhelmed with higher priorities than to look into an abuse case where the abused isn’t talking. I’m holding one of the worst cases of Battered Adult syndrome I have encountered in the ten years since I’ve started epting prospects and he’s falling through the cracks.

    The bSon /bbof /bRed Fang

    bChapter /bb472 /b