Chapter 22 Ayden
I couldn’t believe that I was putting up with this shit. The way that Dax was all over Calliope in the back seat made me grip the steering wheel until my knuckles were white. I was losing her—losing both of them to an alpha they could take hunting. It took everything in me not to punch the steering wheel. I couldn’t show any sign of aggression in front of Calliope, it would just set her off. None of us needed that, least of all her. I tried to take a few calming breaths, but they came out in a rumbling growl. I was thankful I pulled into the warehouse before anyone could ask any uncomfortable questions.
As soon as I put the SUV in park, Calliope and Dax filed out. I expected Cain to follow them, but he stayed and gave me a look that demanded answers. “What is going on with you?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t bother denying it, I can feel how sad you are.” He pressed himself across the center console, his head in my lap looking up at me. “So, what’s up, Alpha?”
“Am I?”
“Are you what?”
I sighed. “Your alpha.”
“You are—always will be.”
That wasn’t as reassuring as he clearly hoped it to be. “You can’t promise that.”
He sat up, rolling onto his knees until he was staring into my eyes. “If you are no longer my alpha, then I am dead. You will always be the man that I come home to. The man I want to crawl into bed with every night. I can’t even imagine life without you.”
“I love you too.” I couldn’t help but smile. “Come on, Calliope’s not going to wait long. We’d better hurry if you want to watch.”
“Plus, she and Dax are alone right now.”
He was teasing me, but as much as they might trust the alpha, I didn’t. “Yeah, that.”
I shifted, climbing out of the driver’s seat as Cain came around the SUV. Holding my arms out, he came to me, helping me to settle. I didn’t like anything about this situation. There wasn’t anything I could do, so I pressed on deeper into the warehouse. Darkness swallowed us as I headed to the back wall. Pressing in the right place released a soundproofed door. When it slid open, I could hear an alpha threatening Calliope.
I couldn’t stop myself from rushing forward, headed towards the man who was chained against one of the walls. Dax beat me there, grabbing the alpha by his throat as a growl rumbling from him. “If you want to keep your tongue for the duration of your life, I suggest you don’t use it to threaten my omega.”
“It’s really not necessary he keep it.” Calliope was facing a table in the corner. Light glinted off the metal of her tools. There was one notable piece that always made my balls shrivel. A large, knotted toy sat at the end of the table, every insertable inch was wrapped in overlapping barbed wire. “But I do so like to hear them beg.”
She selected one of the scythes and crossed the room to him. “You aren’t going to do shit.”
“You say that,” she tapped the side of his face with the tip of the blade, “but you chained to this wall says differently.”
With a motion of her head, she sent Dax to the other side of the room. “I remember you. You begged so sweetly beneath me.”
Pride welled up in my gut when she showed him no reaction. Lining the edge of the blade up with his wrist, she dug it into his arm, pulling downwards. The skin fell in one solid piece making the alpha scream. “When I get out of here, I’m going to have you below me again.”
She moved to the other side, repeating the process. His scream was like music to my ears. The clatter of the blade hitting the concrete was the only sound as she grabbed him by the chin. Forcing his head down at an uncomfortable angle, her words rang out with a rage I hadn’t known she felt. “You will not be having me or any other omega beneath you ever again.”
“I took care of you.”
“You did no such thing.” Her hand lashed out, sending his head to the side. “Every second of the three years you were around me was unbearable.”
Whatever he was about to say was cut off by Dax charging him. His fists flew smashing into the alpha’s face. He struggled under the first few blows before collapsing under the assault. Calliope stopped him with a hand on his arm. “It’s okay, baby. I have a plan.”
Cain struggled against me where we had posted up by the door. I let him go with a sigh. He went to Dax, pulling his hands down and leading him to a smaller table in the corner. He reached into the cabinet and pulled out a first aid kit. I couldn’t help the ache in my chest that formed watching him take care of the volatile alpha. I forced myself to ignore what was happening, turning instead to watch as Calliope grabbed the toy.
She picked up a remote that triggered the pulleys to set him out from the wall enough that she could slide behind him. The toy disappeared, but I could see her arms bend. When she pushed, Samuel came awake, screaming. “Oh, quit your whining and take it like the good alpha bitch you are.”
Blood was collecting on the floor as she filled him with the nightmare dildo. I had seen enough. Turning, I headed to the black sedan I kept here and headed home.