Chapter 8 Aurora
AURORA
Idrift in and out of a heavy sleep, my limbs feeling like they’re filled with cement. Something’s wrong. The soup. The soup they brought us earlier—it tasted bitter. I didn’t finish mine, but I had enough.
A metallic click pierces my consciousness. The cell door.
I try to open my eyes fully, but my lids feel weighted. The fluorescent light above burns into my retinas through the sliver I manage. My heart races while my body refuses to respond.
Footsteps. Confident, measured steps approaching our cots.
I strain to turn my head, the simple movement requiring monumental effort. My neck muscles barely respond, allowing just enough rotation to see the outline of a man standing over Olivia’s cot.
Jax.
His broad shoulders and imposing stance are unmistakable even in my compromised state. Why can’t I move? The panic rises in my chest like floodwater, but my limbs remain unresponsive.
“Miss Harrison,” Jax’s voice is smooth, controlled. “I hope you found the accommodations acceptable.”
To my horror, Olivia sits up with ease. Her movements are normal, fluid. She wasn’t affected. Did she not eat the soup? Or was mine specifically targeted?
“As acceptable as a prison cell can be,” Liv responds.
I try desperately to call out, to warn her, to do anything. My mouth won’t form words—just a slight moan escapes my throat. Neither of them notices.
My sister stands now, facing Jax directly. She doesn’t appear drugged at all.
I fight against whatever is paralyzing me, willing my fingers to twitch, my legs to move. Nothing responds. I’m trapped inside my own body, forced to watch as Jax moves closer to Olivia.
The helplessness is suffocating. My sister is standing there, vulnerable, while I lie here useless. What did they put in my food? Why am I the only one affected?
Jax closes the distance between himself and Liv in two long strides. Before she can back away, his hand shoots out, fingers wrapping around the back of her neck.
“You have your father’s pride,” he says, voice dropping to a dangerous purr. “But in a much prettier packaging.”
I try to scream, but my throat produces only a pathetic whimper. The drug pulses through my system, leaving me conscious but useless.
Jax’s fingers tighten on her neck, not enough to choke but enough to control. His thumb traces small circles on her skin. The gesture looks almost tender, making it more revolting.
“Let go of me,” Liv demands.
Jax leans closer, his face inches from hers. His gaze roams over her features, lingering on her lips, then her throat, then lower. Not like he’s admiring her, but like he’s cataloging parts of a meal.
“I wonder what Reed sees in your sister that he doesn’t see in you,” Jax murmurs, his eyes flicking briefly toward my paralyzed form before returning to Liv.
I struggle against the chemical prison of my body as Jax’s grip on my sister’s neck tightens.
“Such a waste,” he breathes, his free hand rising to hover near her face. “Hunter had you all wrapped up like a present he never intended to unwrap.”
Liv tries to pull away, but his grip holds her firmly. “Don’t touch me.”
The corner of his mouth lifts in a cruel smile. “Your sister seems to enjoy being touched.” His eyes flick toward me. “Don’t you, Aurora?”
My fingers twitch—the most movement I can manage. A small victory lost in the horror unfolding before me.
“I bet you’re responsive,” Jax continues, his attention back on Liv. His hand moves to her collarbone, fingers tracing the exposed skin above her gown’s neckline. “I’ve been watching you since Hunter arranged your engagement. The way you move. The way you tilt your head when you laugh.”
His palm slides lower, cupping her breast through the fabric of her dress. Liv’s face freezes in shock, but he doesn’t release her.
“I could make you forget all about any other man,” he whispers. “Show you what it’s like to be with someone who knows exactly what this perfect body needs.”
I manage to push a ragged sound from my throat. Useless. Pathetic.
Jax’s thumb circles over the peak of Olivia’s breast as he leans closer. “I bet you get wet when a man takes control. When he tells you exactly what he’s going to do to that tight little—”
“Get your hands off me,” Olivia spits, her voice trembling with rage rather than fear.
His smile widens, seemingly pleased by her defiance. “The things I could do to that mouth,” he murmurs. “The ways I could make you beg.”
I try to scream as Jax’s hand shoots out and grabs Olivia’s wrist. Her eyes widen as he forces her palm against the front of his suit pants. My stomach lurches as I realize he’s hard, the outline clearly visible even from where I lie paralyzed.
“Feel what you do to me,” he growls.
What happens next makes my blood run cold. Olivia makes a small sound in her throat—a soft mewl that doesn’t sound entirely like protest. Is it closer to... pleasure? The noise is brief, barely audible, but unmistakable.
No. This can’t be happening. My mind rejects what my ears just heard.
Olivia’s cheeks flush deep crimson. She looks mortified, as if her body has betrayed her. She tries to jerk her hand away, but Jax holds it firmly in place.
“Stop,” she whispers, but the command lacks the conviction of her earlier defiance.
Jax laughs—a deep, knowing sound that echoes off the concrete walls. His eyes gleam with predatory satisfaction.
“I knew it,” he says, his voice dropping an octave lower. “You’re a dirty girl beneath all that proper society polish, aren’t you?” He leans in closer, his lips nearly brushing her ear. “Just gagging to get a real fucking by a man like me.”
The drugs in my system prevent me from vomiting, but bile rises in my throat anyway. I manage to twitch my fingers against the thin mattress of the cot, but nothing more. Helpless tears leak from the corners of my eyes.
Olivia stands frozen, her hand trapped against his erection, her face a mask of confusion and shame.
“Feel how big I am,” Jax commands, his voice rumbling through the cell. “Go on. Feel what a real man is like.”
I fight against the paralyzing agent in my system, desperate to scream, to move, to do anything. But I can only watch as my sister’s slender fingers wrap around his length through his pants.
To my shock, Olivia squeezes him, her hand sliding along what’s clearly far larger than I would have expected. Her movement isn’t tentative—it’s deliberate, almost sensual.
Is this the plan she mentioned? Playing seductress to gain his trust? Or is this something else entirely? The uncertainty churns my already nauseated stomach.
“That’s it,” Jax purrs, his eyes half-lidded with pleasure. “Good girl.”
The praise drips from his lips like poison honey. I try to convince myself Liv’s playing a dangerous game—that this is all strategic. But the flush spreading across her cheeks tells a different story.
Olivia’s tongue darts out, moistening her lips in a gesture that looks disturbingly genuine. Her breathing has quickened, her chest rising and falling rapidly against the bodice of her gown.
Jax’s free hand catches her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “You know what’s funny?” he asks, thumb brushing across her bottom lip. “The only man who can make you see fucking stars isn’t some corporate pretty boy. It’s a villain.”
His words hang in the air between them. Olivia doesn’t pull away.
“I can sense it,” he continues, voice dropping to a seductive rumble. “You’ve always craved a villain like me. Someone who understands the darkness.” His fingers tighten on her jaw. “Someone who doesn’t just peek into the abyss, but lives in it.”
My tears flow freely now, sliding down my cheek into my hair.
Jax’s hand slides up Olivia’s thigh, disappearing beneath the fabric of her gown. My sister’s eyes flutter, her lips parting. His movements are slow, deliberate, as if he’s savoring it.
“Let’s see how the princess really feels about the monster,” he murmurs, his fingers traveling higher.
I’m screaming inside my immobilized body. This can’t be happening. Not to Liv. Not while I’m lying here unable to help her.
Jax’s expression changes suddenly—his eyes widening slightly before darkening with unmistakable lust. “Fuck,” he growls. “You’re soaked.”
The predatory smile that spreads across his face makes my soul shrivel. His fingers are clearly moving beneath her dress now, and Liv’s breathing has become shallow, uneven.
What terrifies me most is that my sister’s hand remains firmly on the bulge in his pants. Her fingers continue to squeeze and stroke his length through the fabric. Her eyes hold a mixture of shame and arousal that I can’t comprehend.
“You’re so fucking dirty,” Jax says, his voice thick with desire. “Getting wet for the man holding you captive.” His gaze rakes over her flushed face. “While desperately clinging to my cock.”
Olivia’s lips tremble, but she doesn’t pull away. Her fingers tighten around him, a gesture that seems to please him immensely.
The paralytic drug keeps me immobile and powerless. I can’t save my sister from this monster. I can’t even save myself. All I can do is pray that Hunter finds us before something truly unforgivable happens.