<b>Chapter </b><b>397 </b>


    (Cole’s POV)


    It takes some time for me to relent to alpha’s request but it makes sense to talk, as much as I don’t want to. I take a seat at the end of the table, Jessa is on my right and alpha on my left. I’ve been in a bad ce all morning and I have no idea how to clear my head as I know escaping Red Fang with my life is going to be aplex undertaking.


    “I know this is going to scare you but it’s the only way out.”


    Is the first thing that registers in my head. Alpha started talking almost as soon as I sat down but his words are lost in the jungle of my thoughts and fears. He ces his hand on mine causing me to wince, whine and pull away from his touch.


    “I’m sorry.”


    I whisper as it’s a mental battle to get my body to stop overreacting to every touch I receive.


    “You’re having a hard time focusing.”


    Alphaments gently as he starts a light rub on my hand.


    “I’m sorry. I keep going over different options for getting back here but the only one that would


    work now is to straight up run.”


    I finally admit my greatest fear.


    “I know and you seem very fearful of doing exactly that.”


    I nod my head as I force myself to focus on the topic.


    “Why are you so afraid of running?”


    Jessa’s sweet voice reaches my ears.


    “My father has been telling me since I was sixteen that if I ever ran that he’d pursue rape charges


    against me.”


    “Isn’t that what he’s doing with the council now?” Jessa asks.


    “I’m not certain.” I admit with a sigh.


    “I know it’s hard to go back tost month when you got trapped in that link with him but what


    exactly did he tell you?”


    “He reminded me of what he had told me. That if the council came poking around there again I wouldn’t be allowed to leave the territory anymore. That he’d remove me from the prospect program. What he didn’t tell me was that he had started researching how to make me a feral after the second time they came. He wasn’t ready to start the process when they came after my run at Red Moon. I guess that’s why he let mee on this run.”


    I try to answer his question without choking on the words.


    “What do you understand, outside of what I exinedst month, about beingbeled a feral?” Alpha asks me gently.


    “Not much, sir. Just that it’s a death sentence if I leave my territory after the councilbels me as


    such.


    “As an alpha male, beingbeled a feral….”


    He pauses in the middle of the sentence giving me the sense that he really doesn’t want to tell me what it ultimately means.


    “If you don’t get out before the councilbels you a feral, then your father could kill you, very


    simr to what you survived in January, without repercussions.”


    I’m staring at him hard,pletely speechless trying to process what he just said.


    “Are you saying it would be legal for his father to kill him?”


    Jessa chokes out the question I couldn’t bring myself to ask.


    “I’ve been meeting with Ang daily for thest month. She actually started the meetings after we got you through the worst of the psychiatric meltdown your father caused. She exined that while you did not indicate a good understanding of what would happen if you were sess feral she felt that you understood enough that your response was actually quite normai.


    “I don’t remember talking to her. Most of that day and the days following are a blur.” I admit, quietly finding my voice again.


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