3. Kaylani
Chapter 3
Kaylani
M y body hurts.
Every jolt from the truck sends waves of agony coursing through me. Each breath feels like shards of glass scraping against my lungs. Black dots dance in my vision, threatening to consume me as I struggle to keep my eyes open, to cling to consciousness amidst the pain.
Vaughn fought off Adam, his fists raining down on him with such ferocity.
I've never seen someone take such a beating in all my life.
The echoes of his fists crunching bone have my stomach rolling in protest. I've never witnessed something so gruesome before. As a nurse, I've seen my fair share of the aftereffects of violence, but nothing compares to watching it unfold before your eyes. Watching Vaughn pummel Adam into the ground. I should feel something. But I feel nothing but relief.
Is Adam dead?
If he is then that would mean our bond will start to dissolve. I'm in such bad shape that I can't even discern where the worst of my pain originates from. Is it from the bond bite, slowly dissolving mine and Adam's connection? Or is it from how cruelly he abused me?
I'm not sure, and the uncertainty gnaws at me, adding to the agony pulsing through my veins. I try to find a sense of calm in knowing that I'm safe now, that he didn't get to finish what he started.
I cling to consciousness, to Vaughn's presence, and pray that the worst is over. Vaughns familiar scent—bittersweet dark chocolate—engulfs me, a soothing balm over all the chaos that’s happened tonight.
I whimper as Creed's truck hits a pothole, jolting my injured rib.
Creed.
Was he okay? Where is he?
When Adam had arrested Hux for Dane's murder, he had been with Vaughn. But through the events that unfolded tonight, I don't know what happened to him. I try to open my eyes further to look for him, but the swelling, and the darkness inside the truck's cabin, obscure my vision. With the pain, I had almost managed to forget how I got into this situation to begin with, but everything suddenly comes rushing back—all the memories, all the pain. Like a movie reel playing out tonight's events.
My best friend was killed because of me.
Murdered.
Because Adam chose me as his omega. Because I’m not good enough. Because I’m just a stray.
Oh god, Rebecca. It's all my fault. A sob racks through me, bursting past my lips as I wail through the overwhelming anguish.
"Bex," I cry. The mere thought of her sends a pang of grief through me, clawing at my heart with icy fingers. "I'm so sorry," I choke.
How could I have let this happen?
Guilt presses down on me. Suffocating me. Squeezing the air from my lungs.
Each sob is like a dam bursting, the tears streaming down my face in a torrent of grief and regret. The pain in my heart is far greater than any physical injury. It's a raw, searing ache that consumes me from within, leaving me hollow and broken.
Every memory floods back with brutal clarity—every laugh, every shared secret, every moment we cherished together. And now there is nothing left but a void. A gaping hole in my heart where Rebecca once stood. My best friend, stolen from me. Punished because of my mistakes, my choices. The guilt weighs heavy on my soul, crushing me beneath its suffocating weight.
A warm hand lands on my thigh, halting my mental spiral.
"You're safe," Vaughn says, but I barely hear him through my haze of tears. Of course he would try to soothe me. It's in his beta nature.
But I don't deserve it.
Creed had told me the same thing back at the hospital during my panic attack. But this time, those words do little to soothe my pain.
I just cry harder. "It's my fault."
"What that fucker did to you is not your fault , doll."
That hadn’t been what I’d meant and I start to shake my head to indicate that, but with Vaughn’s words, those memories take over.
Adam had ripped my clothes off. Shoved my face into the dirt to muffle my screams. His slimy fingers had dug into my hair, anchoring me in place. I was small, hopeless, and at the mercy of an alpha who wanted nothing more than to own me like a possession. My chest rapidly rises and falls. I can still feel the way he ripped my clothes from my body. Rough and unyielding. Violating me in a way I don't think I'll ever forget or recover from. Luckily he hadn't finished what he started.
Small mercies.
My chest tightens, and my hands clench into fists as I try to hold back the dam of emotions that threaten to consume me, but I can't. I've never felt more broken.
"Look at me, Kaylani," Vaughn demands.
Slowly I turn to face him. His dark eyes travel along my face and sweep down my body, his jaw set tightly, nostrils flaring. I lick my dry and cracked lips, trying to get some semblance of moisture back. I hate how worried he looks and I want to tell him I'm okay. But in truth, I'm not and the words get lost on my tongue.
“What happened when you met with Michelle? Did something happen to Rebecca?"
Those words set me off the deep end again. What little control I have over my emotions is gone and they burst from my chest in painful wails. My hand feeds into my hair, tugging at the strands roughly as I sob. Try as I might, I can't find relief from the tidal wave of pain that crashes down around me.
"She's dead, Vaughn. And it's all my fault!"
"Damn it," Vaughn growls, the cabin of the truck rocking as he slides out, slamming the door closed behind him. The next thing I know, my door is yanked open and Vaughn pulls me into his arms, holding me close.
"Doll. I'm so sorry, but it’s not your fault," he murmurs into my neck. "I'd give anything to go back to that diner and stop you from leaving with him. But I promise you, I won't let anyone hurt you again. And they’ll pay for what they did to your friend." He pulls back to look at me, his thumbs brushing away the tears that relentlessly fall down my cheeks. "Your mine to protect. Remember?"
I cry harder at his promise. That's all I can do.
I don't deserve someone like Vaughn. The beta who gets on my nerves and pushes all my buttons. The one who has proven he will protect me.
But no one protected Bex.
"How am I supposed to tell Sabrina her daughter is dead?"
"Don't worry about that for now, doll. Let's get you inside. We’ll get you cleaned up, and tomorrow I'll go with you to tell her, okay?" he says, as he gently wipes my tear-streaked face.
I nod, grabbing him and pulling him close again, his bitter scent calming me slightly. I inhale, my lungs burning in protest, but I don't care. I need his strength.
Boots crunching on gravel pulls a scream into my throat. Adam's hard, green eyes flash across my mind. But it isn't cloves and tobacco I smell. It's caramel. Sweet and thick, settling over my frayed nerves.
"Fuck, tiny. What did Adam do to you?" Creed asks.
My gaze meets his. The same green eyes as the alpha who did this to me. But unlike Adam’s—malicious and evil in their depths—they’re full of fear.
Fear for me.
"He tried to fucking rape her, he beat the shit out of her, Creed," Vaughn growls.
"Fuck my alphahole of a brother. He'll pay for this," Creed vows.
Creed's eyes slide to Vaughns briefly, before settling back on me.
"Probably would have killed her if I hadn't stopped him," Vaughn says from behind Creed.
"God damn it, tiny. I'm so sorry." He runs his hands through his blond hair in frustration.
"Are you okay? What happened in that office after I left?" Vaughn asks Creed.
Creed's jaw tightens, and his eyes darken with a mixture of anger and guilt. "After you left, I saw Hux. He's holding up okay, but she has him in a cell."
For some reason, I get the feeling he isn't telling us everything.
"She's out of control. We can't let her get away with this," I growl, and his face hardens.
"I won't let her," Creed promises, his voice firm. "But right now, we need to focus on keeping tiny safe and getting her the help she needs. Why didn't you take her to the hospital, Vaughn?"
"No. I can't see Sabrina right now. I can't—" I choke on a sob.
"Shh tiny. You're safe. Can I pick you up? Get you inside?"
"Where are we?" I murmur, as he slowly pulls my battered body into his arms. My eyes search the surrounding darkness, but it's pitch black around me and so I'm still not sure where we are. Fear trembles through me and I mentally add the dark to my growing list of fears.
"The Omega Den," Vaughn answers, as Creed carries me toward the building I hadn't noticed before.
I cling to Creed's shoulder, his and Vaughn’s presence the only thing keeping me from falling apart completely. "Please, don't let him hurt me again," I whisper into his neck, my voice trembling.
"We won't," Creed assures me. "We'll keep you safe, no matter what."
As they guide me away from the scene of my nightmare, I feel a glimmer of hope. With Vaughn and Creed by my side, maybe—just maybe—I can begin to heal.