25. Hux
Chapter 25
Hux
I 've been at the estate for weeks now, though I'm not entirely sure how long exactly. I've begun to lose count. I pace back and forth, wondering when something else is going to happen. It's been the same routine—Sabrina comes, checks my injuries and leaves. I'm getting restless, and building a rapport with her isn't going as smoothly as I'd hoped. I run a tired hand down my face, feeling the overgrown beard.
Footsteps echo down the hallway, but I force myself to ignore them. I know what they mean.
"Please, no!" a girl cries, as whoever is forcing her down here strikes her to the floor.
"Open your goddamn mouth before I force you!" Jordan barks.
My anger roars to life once more. This was barbaric and the moment I got free of this basement anyone who works along side Michelle or Stacy will pay.
Starting with Titus.
Omega's tortured cries are a daily occurrence down here with the drugs they are forcing on them. Heat is definitely more than a suppressant, like Sabrina said. I've never heard of it before coming down here but it seems they give it every couple of days. Almost like they are preparing for something.
The Omega screams again, her scent almost familiar, but I can't place it. I inhale again, catching a hint of citrus and have to grit my teeth, resisting the urge to intervene.
The idea of barking at an omega to force them into submission disgusts me to my core. As an alpha, my duty is to protect, not to dominate through fear and violence. The mere thought of it makes my skin crawl.
My muscles twitch with the urge to tear Jordan apart, but I know it would be useless. The estate's security is too tight, and I don't think I'd make it very far before Michelle or the Hounds recaptured me. Plus whatever dynamic is going on between Stacy and Jordan is a factor I haven't figured out either.
I hear the girl sobbing, her whimpers echoing through the dank basement. The scent of her fear and despair fills the air, mixing with the citrus scent of her pheromones. Whatever it is the drugs are doing, it heightens their scent, amplifying the sense of helplessness and desperation.
It's sickening, and it fills me with a rage I can barely contain.
I collapse onto the mattress in defeat. Whatever this drug is… it's breaking them. It's taking away all their control, their power over their own bodies. It's only a matter of time before it drives them to the brink of insanity.
Jordan's voice is cruel and mocking. "That's better my pet. Now swallow it all," he croons.
The rustle of fabric and the sound of forced swallowing make my blood boil. I grip the edge of the metal bedframe, knuckles turning white. I can picture Jordan's smirk, the satisfaction he gets from tormenting the helpless.
The girl continues to sob, and it's more than I can bear. I take a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm, to think rationally.
"Stay in line, pet, or your next punishment will be worse," Jordan sneers. The sound of his fist connecting with flesh reverberates through the hallway, causing me to recoil instinctively. Anger rages a storm inside me. My fists clench in frustration. The moment I get out of this shithole, that alpha will pay for all he has done to these omegas.
"FUCK YOU!" her scream cuts through the air.
A scuffle ensues, and Jordan's low, menacing voice sends shivers down my spine. "Is that an invitation, sweetheart?" he taunts, his words dripping with malice.
Disgust churns in the pit of my stomach at his insinuation. How could Stacy have fallen for such an asshole? And why can't she see him for what he truly is?
"You put your dick anywhere near me, Jordan, and next time I'll bite it off," the omega growls and I smirk. A flicker of admiration stirs within me. This omega's got fire. I'll give her that. She's the only one who's been giving Jordan a run for his money, and for that, she earns my respect.
She grunts as he throws her against the metal door of her cell. "Get your disgusting hands off me," she bellows.
"Stop fighting me," Jordan alpha barks.
"I will never stop fighting. You disgusting piece of shit."
A growl rumbles up my chest. I despise alphas like Jordan and Adam. Alphas who get off on hurting those they see as less than them.
I can't take it anymore.
"Enough," I bark, getting to my feet and crossing my cell.
Jordan stops, looking across the hall at me with a sneer. "Mind your own business, Hux," he snaps, but there's a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes that I prey on.
I step closer to the bars, my gaze locked onto his. "Let her go, Hound," I command, my voice low and dangerous. "Now."
For a moment, there's a tense silence, and I can see the wheels turning in Jordan's mind. He knows he can't afford to push too far, not with someone like me challenging him. With a final shove, he releases her, throwing her to her knees. She gasps, but from my vantage point, I can't see her, though I can feel her fear and anger radiating through the bars.
"You got lucky this time, pet. But Hux won't always be here to save you from me," he growls, his threat dripping with malice.
"I'll kill you, Jordan," she slurs, her voice filled with venom. "One day, when I'm free of this place. The last thing you'll see is my face as the light fades from your eyes."
Jordan laughs, a harsh and grating sound. "Big words for a little omega," he sneers. "We'll see how tough you are when no one’s around to protect you."
"I don't need anyone to protect me," she spits back. "Especially not from an alphahole like you."
"You really think you can take me down?" Jordan scoffs. "Keep dreaming, sweetheart."
"Every night," she replies, her voice low and fierce. "And every day I get closer to making it a reality."
Jordan narrows his eyes, his anger barely contained as he gazes down at her. "I'll be back for you, pet."
As his footsteps fade down the corridor, the tension in the air slowly dissipates. I lean against the bars, my gaze fixed on the girl's cell door across from me.
"All I wanted was to party at The Omega Den, but no . I just had to be taken and thrown in here like some damned animal." Her words pierce through the air, echoing with frustration and despair.
I freeze, the pieces of the puzzle suddenly falling into place with alarming clarity. The Omega Den.
That's where I recognized her from.
My heart hammers in my chest as I realize who this woman is. The shock of recognition sends a jolt of adrenaline coursing through my veins.
Rebecca, kitten’s best friend.
"Rebecca?" I question, my voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes widen as she stares at me, disbelief evident in every line of her face.
"You're Rebecca, aren't you?" I ask again, my heart hammering against my ribcage.
"How do you know my name?" she whispers in confusion, but I'm too stunned to answer.
"My fucking god. It really is you. Are you okay?" I ask, though as soon as the words leave my mouth I regret them. How could anyone be okay in her situation?
"Oh, I'm just peachy," she quips, her eyes meeting mine. Her blonde hair is a tangled mess around her head. "How do you know who I am?"
"Kaylani told me how you were taken," I reply, the weight of the revelation heavy in the air between us.
Her eyes widen at the mention of her best friend. "Kay... Is she okay? Where is she? Don't tell me she's down here too," she pleads, desperation seeping into every word.
I shake my head, my heart aching at the thought of Kay's absence. "No, she's not. She's with our pack," I explain, trying to offer whatever reassurance I can.
"Our?" Rebecca asks, confusion evident in her voice.
"Yes," I confirm, my throat tight with emotion. "I'm Owen Huxley, her alpha." Though Kay doesn't know it yet. "Call me Hux."
"What the hell are you doing down here then? You're not an omega," she observes, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"I killed an alpha at my club," I admit, the weight of my actions heavy on my conscience.
She chuckles, a bitter edge to the sound. "He probably deserved it," she quips, a hint of dark humor in her words.
Her eyes widen comically as words continue to spew from her lips. "Wait, your club? Holy shit. You're the daddy alpha. Kay's daddy alpha," she murmurs under her breath, her disbelief palpable.
I nod and she continues. "Wow, you're Kay's daddy alpha and somehow you ended up directly across from me in this hellhole? What are the odds?"
I shrug, unable to shake the disbelief coursing through my veins. The realization that Kay's best friend is standing right in front of me feels like a twist of fate, too incredible to comprehend. "I'll get you out of here," I promise her. "I'm sorry you got caught up in this. No one deserves to be treated like this."
A sad smile tugs at her lips. "I'm not sure how much power you think you have, Hux. But you don't look like you have much sway."
"My pack will come for us," I assure her.
"If my own mother won't help me out of this mess what makes you think your pack can?" she asks.
"Your mother?"
She nods. "Yup, nurse Sabrina Clearwater is my mother. I'm Rebecca Clearwater, at your service," she says sarcastically.
Why would her mother willingly supply drugs to her child's captors? It didn't make any sense. My mind races with questions and suspicions, each one more troubling than the last. Sabrina, the nurse who tends to my wounds and administers the drugs, is Rebecca's mother. It's a connection I hadn't expected, and one that raises unsettling possibilities.
"Your mother," I begin, struggling to find the right words. "She's the one who... supplies Heat?"
Rebecca's expression darkens, a mixture of anger and resignation flickering in her eyes. "Yes Hux, try and keep up," she mutters bitterly. "She's been working for the Sterling's for years."
The revelation hits me like a physical blow. How could a mother willingly participate in such cruelty, especially knowing her own daughter is among the captives? It's a question that gnaws at my conscience, fueling my anger and determination to find a way out of this nightmare.
"Why?" I demand, my voice laced with frustration and disbelief. "Why would she do something like that?"
Rebecca's gaze falls to the floor, her hands clenching the bars of her cell. "She thinks she's doing what's best for me. But it's all a lie. She's been brainwashed by them, just like everyone else."
The pieces start to fall into place, forming a grim picture of manipulation and betrayal. Sabrina, once a caring mother and healer, now a pawn in the Sterling's twisted game of control and dominance.
I glance back at Rebecca in utter disbelief. She's been down here alive all this time. Four months. Alone. But no more. I'll get us out of here and expose the Sterling's once and for all.