(Demetri’s POV)
Although I’m grateful that he didn’t make a fuss, his silence as we enter the banquet hall for our food is concerning me. I can’t help but look between the food on the buffet and back at him as I go through the line, grabbing all my favorites.
Jessa grabs arge te and piles a lot more food than I’m used to seeing her eat on it. I can’t tell if she realizes <b>that </b>he’s yet to even pick a te up but she certainly has enough to feed two people.
They follow me easily to the door situated in the north east corner of the building. I pull out my key
card and scan it across the key fob receiver pushing the door open as I hear the lock click.
We enter the private conference room that’s separate from the rest of those in the hall. It’s a simple
room, about <b>ten </b>feet wide by twenty feet long. The table inside is four feet by eight feet with desk
chairs that provide morefort and support than the stic, easy to clean chairs pack members use. It’smon for me to use this room when I have visiting alphas in the territory so I know I won’t be bothered giving me the opportunity I seek for going over the main n I have for Cole leaving his pack.
He immediately walks to the windows at the south end of the room, standing silently as he looks
outside. His continued distress is evident in his hand stim as he opens and closes it rhythmically.
Jessa chooses a spot at the south east end of the table to put her te down as I drop the door stop
at the bottom of the door.
“I’m going to leave the door open for a moment so we can bring some drinks in here. I need you to stay in here while we get them, Cole.”
“Yes sir.”
He responds without looking at me. I motion to Jessa to follow me back out, I know she wants to
stay andfort him but I also know he needs a moment alone to adjust to this new room.
While I have not purposely challenged him by putting him in unfamiliar settings we have had to enter enough different situations that I’vee to recognize his needs, space and time is one of
them.
Jessa and I grab several bottled drinks from the buffet and Jessa grabs a protein drink that I assume is for Cole before heading back to the conference room. Cole is in the same ce we left him, the only difference is he’s pacing, his squeezing tic still holding the rhythm he had when we walked out.
“Cole,e sit with us. I know you didn’t grab a te but I got extra. We can share.”
Jessa’s pleas seem to fall upon deaf ears as he continues his short, silent walk between the two
walls.
“Cole, talk to me son. I know what happened with William was rough but I need your help understanding why you’re still having such a hard time recovering.”
“It’s not just William receiving those shots. I’ve been in a bad ce all morning.” He whispers after a long pause.
“Talk to me. I can’t help you process what’s going on and any triggers that you may have had this
morning if you don’t tell me about them.”
“William was the only trigger, sir. The rest just has to do with the approaching end of my time here. I’ve never had a countdown before. Forward knowledge that it wasing to an end. With all the other packs, the alpha simply consulted with the doctor to verify I could travel. If I was stable
enough to do so, they would show me to my room. I’d receive the instructions to pack my stuff, that
everyone from Red Fang was leaving after lunch.”
“Were you injured whenever they sent you away?”
“Every time I talk I get punished for lying because they couldn’t validate my ims.”
“So you have increasing anxiety simply from knowing when you’re going to return. This is a decision
that you are making.”
“I’ve already exined it to you!”
I’m shocked into a momentary silence as Jessa shrinks down into her seat. Her sensitivity towards angry alphas is going to make this fated bond a lot harder to establish between them.
“Yes, Cole. You have exined why you feel it’s necessary for you to return. That doesn’t make it any
easier for me to let you go.”
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