<b>I </b><b>pick </b>the pair of basketball shorts that Damian favors up off the floot near the chair. They dropped <i>to </i>the floor when Coles reacti bie t? r and almost fall. I lean over in the chair holding them open for him to step into. He starts with his uninjured right side, sliding his leg inside sets 101 when he attempts the same with his left that he struggles. He tries twice, wincing badly each time but fails to get hits foot high <b>erwag</b><b>. </b>Belere encourage a change in tactics, he lifts his leg even higher, but he can’t bite back his yelp.
I cringe at the sound as I quickly get his leg into the hole of the shorts before gently pulling his leg back to the ground. He’s grahbed a hold of the post or the end of the bed with both hands as he whimpers through the pain. I pull the shorts up his legs and the waistband gingerly past the bar. I can see <b>spots </b>appearing on the white gauze coveting the open wound left after surgery. Dr. Pierce changed the bandage this morning.
On top of discovering the silver in his blood his infection appears to be worsening. I’m hoping to avoid another surgery on his leg. My understanding is that she has added a stronger IV antibiotic to his growing list of medications this morning. The only time he’s left the medical wing today <b>was </b>when he joined us for dinner.
I pause at his waist, gently letting go of the stic. Just as I had hoped, he has the same stockiness of the average alpha just not the height, making <b>the </b>legs long and loose fitting but the waist fits perfectly.
I react swiftly as I see him start banging his forehead on the post. Damn, this shit must be hurting him badly for him to resort to this. I ce my hand on his head as I speak firmly.
“You’re not going to do this. Come here.”
He freezes at the sound of my tone but makes no effort to move<b>. </b>
“Come.”
My tone is still firm but with a gentler note as I pull his hands off the post and onto my shoulders<b>. </b>I’m relieved when he follows my movements instead of fighting them. Heys his head upon my shoulder again, his ragged breathing carrying a persistent soft whine behind it. I sigh deeply <b>as </b>I ce one hand on his waist and the other on the back of his head, slowlybing my fingers through the lightly tangled strands.
“This isn’t the best time to ask this, while you’re experiencing <b>so </b>much pain and anxiety. But it will help me to understand why you reacted the way you did after I allowed you to teach my daughter.”
He pushes himself off of me and looks into my eyes. For the first time I see confusion mixing with the underlying fear he <b>always </b>seems to have.
“Allowed?”
He sounds shocked but I’m pleased he was able to pick up on my wording considering the state of mind he’s in right now. He shakes his head hard as he drops his gaze to the floor again.
“You didn’t allow it, alpha. I made a deal with you. You take your pound <b>of </b>flesh from me, not her.”
“You did.” <b>I </b>state simply with a sigh. “But I only agreed to allow you to <b>teach </b>her. I never agreed to punish you in her ce<b>.</b><b>” </b>
I ce my hand under his chin but he roughly pulls away, telling me <b>exactly </b>where his mind has gone. It’s going to be a struggle to get him back but I’m quite strong willed myself.
I ce my hand under his chin again. This time there’s no pressure on him to move but he’s ufortable with the contact and moves out <b>of </b>my grasp.
“Cole,” my voice is patient but concerned.
“Have you been punished forplying with something as you would for your defiance<b>? </b>Like right now. I want you to look at me. You know I do. Yet you’re as afraid of giving me what I’m asking for as you are of defying me.”
He’s trying to move away from me, I can feel the pressure on my hand as he tries to find a way to get past without hurting himself or touching me. It’s not a purposeful position, but he has no way of achieving his goal without climbing over the bed.
<b>The </b><b>Son </b>of <b>Red </b><b>Fang </b>
<b>Chapter </b><b>282 </b>