29. Kaylani
Chapter 29
Kaylani
M y skin feels like it's on fire. Sweat drips down my brow, and I quickly dash it away with the back of my hand as I stand at the nurses' station. The familiar scent of antiseptic and sterile air, a smell that used to bring me comfort, now stirs up an uneasy feeling in my stomach. My legs tremble slightly under my weight, and my breath comes in shallow gasps. I can't tell if it's the fever or the nerves making my head spin.
It could be both.
Or worse, it could be the start of my heat. I curse under my breath, realizing I hadn't prepared for this possibility. I need another dose of my suppressants. I glance at the time. Four am. The hospital is relatively quiet.
I take a moment to catch my breath, glancing around. It's weird that Sabrina isn't here. She's always the first one on shift. Her absence feels unsettling, adding to my already heightened sense of unease.
Maybe coming back to work was a bad idea.
I try to sip some water, hoping it will help soothe the feverish heat and the nausea churning in my stomach. The cool liquid does little to alleviate the discomfort, and I feel the sickness rising. I wish Sabrina were here. She always knows what to do.
My body feels like it's betraying me, the heat and sickness making it impossible to focus. With unsteady legs, I make my way to the locker room, hoping to find something in my cabinet that will help.
My hands are shaking as I fumble with the lock, my vision blurring for a moment. Finally, I manage to open it and grab the small bottle hidden at the back. The suppressants rattle as I shake one out into my palm and swallow it dry, hoping it kicks in quickly..
Taking a deep breath, I glance at myself in the mirror covering the door to my locker. I'm pale, sweaty, and clearly unwell. I head into the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face, trying to bring down the feverish heat, and take a moment to steady myself.
I clutch the edge of the sink, waiting for the initial wave of nausea to pass, the room spinning slightly. This strange, almost electric heat coursing through me feels worse than ever. Sabrina said the meds would help control my heat, but they've been making me feel off, like my body is rebelling against them.
Taking another deep breath, I straighten up and adjust my scrubs. I have to keep moving, keep pretending everything is fine. As I step out of the locker room, I push down the lingering unease. There’s no time to dwell on it now. I have a job to do, and I need to focus.
Just as I make it back to the nurse's station, the doors burst open, and Creed storms into the lobby with Vaughn on his heels. The memories of the last time my pack came rushing in here flood my mind, and my heart plummets. My heart drops from my chest into my stomach as the horrible images of Creed drenched in blood come back with full force.
I can hardly think straight as I rush toward them. Meeting them halfway with my every instinct screaming that something is terribly wrong.
"What happened?" I wheeze, each breath a jagged shard of fear and pain.
"She's not breathing, tiny. I'm so sorry. We tried to get here as fast as we could," Creed says, on the brink of hysterics.
She?
As soon as he reaches me, he pulls me into his arms. My gaze lifts to Vaughn's steady expression. "Was it Candi? Is she okay? Where is she?"
Vaughn's face is pale, his brows tugged together with worry. "No, it wasn't Candi," he chokes out, his voice trembling. "It's… Bex. We found her, barely alive. Hux... broke them out of the estate."
The shock of his words hits me like a physical blow. "Bex?" I whisper, my voice breaking. "But I thought… How?"
I clutch Creed for dear life, my heart shattering into a thousand pieces.
She's…alive?
I try to steady my breathing, but each inhale feels like a battle against the suffocating weight of fear. My mind races with doubts. The thought of getting Bex out of that hellhole just to lose her again is suffocating. "I'm not strong enough for this. I can't handle losing her again."
"Hux is right behind us. We'll save her tiny," Creed promises.
I nod, but inside, turmoil churns like a stormy sea. How can he be so sure? How can any of us be sure of anything anymore?
Vaughn steps up behind me and the heat of my pack clears my racing thoughts.
Sabrina should be here.
She's the one who always knows what to do, the one who can work miracles.
I pull free of Creed's hold and dial her number as I begin pacing back and forth. My footsteps echo in the empty corridors as I pray for her to pick up.
My eyes prick with tears as I reach her voicemail. I hang up, running a shaky hand through my hair.
"Doll?" Vaughn says, turning me to face him. "Who did you call?" The concern is evident in his eyes.
"Sabrina isn't here. How am I supposed to deal with this without her?" I blurt out, my voice trembling. The words hang in the air. A bitter truth, a stark reminder of life's cruel twists and turns.
The guys exchange a look, a silent communication I can't decipher. Then, the sliding doors open again, and Hux enters, Bex in his arms, and Sabrina right on his heels. My throat tightens as I gaze at her limp form. She looks unnaturally pale, her skin almost translucent, and her cheeks sunken in. It's a haunting sight, one that triggers memories of my mother in the grips of her drug overdose. But that can't be possible...
"What happened to her?" I demand, my voice edged with concern.
Hux's jaw is set in a tense line, his eyes ablaze with fury. Every muscle in his body seems coiled, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
"Ask the nurse," he hisses, his nostrils flaring. My eyes volley between them as Sabrina, who is trying to take her daughter from Hux's arms. His reaction is immediate and visceral. A low, guttural growl rumbles from deep within his chest, his grip on Bex tightening.
"Don't fucking touch her," he snarls, his voice dripping with a venom that I don't understand. Confusion swirls within me as I glance between them, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Let me help her, Hux," Sabrina pleads. But he shakes his head firmly.
"After everything you've done. I don't trust you."
For a moment, Hux just stands there. His gaze locked with hers, a silent battle raging between them.
"We don't have time for this! Take her to room seven," I interject urgently, attempting to diffuse the tension.
Please, let room seven be as lucky as before.
Finally, after what feels like eternity but is most likely just a few seconds, he turns and follows me into the room. I call for help as he lays Bex's limp form down on the bed, allowing the nurses to rush in and hook her up to the necessary machines. I find myself stuck watching them, unable to truly process that my best friend is right here in this room after all this time.
Sabrina steps forward to check on her daughter, but once again, Hux intervenes.
"What are you doing?" I hiss frantically, my patience wearing thin. "We are wasting time. Time Bex doesn't have," I say, with desperation in my voice. "Whatever is going on between you two will have to wait."
Hux's bright blue eyes flicker to mine, softening slightly under my gaze. And then, he says the one thing I wasn't expecting. "Ask your friend here what happened to Rebecca. Ask her how a mother could drug their child . How she could work for the Bramwell's in secret, knowing they have her daughter locked up," he growls, his gaze sliding over to Sabrina with so much malice it makes me flinch.
My heart plummets as I try to process his words, my breath catching in my throat. The implications of his accusations weigh heavily on me, threatening to drown me in a sea of doubt and betrayal. But amidst the turmoil, one thing becomes painfully clear: Bex's life is in jeopardy, and we need answers—fast.
My chest tightens with confusion and fear. "Sabrina," I question, my voice trembling. "What is he talking about? What's going on? Somebody explain to me right now." I glance between Vaughn and Creed, my eyes pleading for answers. "Somebody better start talking."
"Kay, Sabrina has been supplying heat stimulants for the captured omega’s. Bex has been forced to take them for months, trapped in that fucking basement, and now she is overdosing on it," Hux says, his voice a deep growl.
My heart clenches in my chest, a wave of nausea washing over me as I struggle to comprehend the enormity of Hux's accusation. The pieces of the puzzle fall into place, the truth too bitter to swallow. Sabrina's involvement, the strange medication, Stacy's sudden appearance at the hospital—it all makes sense now. I too have been taking this stimulant.
"Why?" I demand, staring at Sabrina, my gaze boring into her with accusing intensity.
"Answer her," Hux growls, his voice a low rumble that reverberates through the room.
But Sabrina remains silent, her eyes darting frantically as she searches for a defense, a justification for her actions. But there is none, and we all know it.
"How could you?" I breathe, my voice trembling with anger and betrayal. I glance at Bex, the heart monitor showing that she's stable, for now. "I trusted you!" The words escape my lips before I can stop them, each syllable a painful reminder of the bond we once shared.
"Kay, please let me explain—" Sabrina's voice wavers with desperation, but I cut her off with a sharp hiss.
"No. There is nothing you could say to explain this, Sabrina," I retort, my tone icy with disdain. "You knew she was alive, and you didn't tell me?"
She steps forward, reaching out to me, but Creed and Vaughn move to block her path. Their silent solidarity speaks volumes, a reminder that I am knot alone in this.
My gaze flickers between my pack, each face a reflection of my turmoil. Hux's presence should bring comfort, but right now, all I can focus on is Bex.
Vaughn turns to me, his hand gentle as he lifts my chin to meet his gaze. His dark eyes bore into mine, filled with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine.
"This is your choice, doll," Vaughn says, his voice low and steady. "If you want her gone, say the word."
I swallow hard, the weight of my decision pressing down on me like a lead weight. Just then, the monitors go haywire, like a cruel act of fate. If I make her leave, Bex likely dies. But how can I trust Sabrina after everything she's done? Bex begins to convulse, foam spewing from her mouth. The drugs are overloading her body.
"No!" I scream, rushing to Bex's side. My heart races as I try to remember everything I know about treating overdoses. "We need to stabilize her now!"
Sabrina pushes forward, her face pale but determined. "Kay, please, let me help."
"Fine. Do something, anything, please save her," I cry. "But this doesn't mean I forgive you." I point a shaky finger at her. My anger at her betrayal is easier to manage than the thought that my best friend is dying and I can't do anything to stop it. I've never felt more hopeless than I do right now, and it's all my fault.
Why didn’t I search harder?
I replay every decision, every moment when I could have done something differently. I should have known something was wrong. The signs were there—the Breeder facility, the Hounds involvement, the feeling in my gut that something was terribly off.
But I ignored it all, convinced myself that she was already gone. But no, she has suffered for months and what have I done?
Nothing.
I think back to all those times she's been there for me. Every time Adam hurt me and she held me while I cried. She was always the strong one, the one who held me together when I was falling apart. And now, when she needs me the most, I’m useless.
My hands shake as I hold hers, feeling the coldness of her skin seep into my bones.
Tears blur my vision as I look at her. She’s so pale, so fragile. This can’t be happening. Not to her. Not after everything she’s been through. We’ve survived so much together—how can this be the end?
"I should have known," I whisper to myself. "I should have done something. I'm so sorry." The guilt is like a weight on my chest, making it hard to breathe. Every second that ticks by is a reminder of my failure.
"Please," I plead, my voice cracking. "Fight, Bex. You have to fight. I can't lose you. Not after everything."
I think about my mother, about how I lost her to a similar fate. The fear, the helplessness—it’s all coming back, and I can’t bear the thought of going through it again. I won't survive it.
Sabrina works frantically, her face a mask of determination. Despite my anger, I can see the pain in her eyes, the regret. But it’s too late for apologies. Right now, all that matters is saving Bex.
Sabrina barks out orders to the nurses. The room is a blur of movement as they work to save Bex. I hover by her side, my hands trembling as I hold her limp, cold hand.
Hux stands over me. "She'll pull through," he says, more to himself than to me. "She has to."
I don’t know how, but I pray that he's right. And I’m so damn glad that they had each other down there. If it weren't for Hux, Bex might not have made it this far. The thought of her being alone in that basement, suffering, is unbearable. I should have found her sooner. I should have done more.
Memories of the past six months flood my mind—the times I could have pushed harder, searched longer, trusted my instincts instead of brushing off my fears. My heart aches with the weight of it all. "It's all my fault," I whisper, tears streaming down my face. "I should have been there for you, Bex."