Noah’s POV
My heart is trying to burst out of its bony cage, and it’s all from a busy mix of emotions.
There’s fear for Zane’s condition. Disappointment in myself for not being strong enough. Anger at Damien for choosing me and giving me to his brother.
"Stay close to me" Lucas says quietly as he takes the next turn, and I follow him.
The whole mansion is starting to feel like a fever dream, and like every dream, the beautiful decoration and brightness slowly fade away as we walk down the hallway.
The place slowly turns gloomy.
There are still sea-like motifs and flowers along the wall, but it’s all just to give color to a dead place.
"The basement is that way" Lucas says and I follow his line of sight. The door of the basement looks more like the door to another room.
"Don’t try anything funny, there are cameras everywhere" he nods at a CCTV sitting on the wall. It would be unnoticed if Lucas hadn’t pointed it out.
"I’m not going to do anything" I say.
"You won’t even stand a chance" he mutters before knocking on the door that leads into the basement.
I hear the beep of a device as someone opens it from inside. It’s a woman dressed in leather pants and jackets, and from her scent, I suspect she’s an alpha.
She looks from Lucas to me with the most bored expression on her face before sighing.
"What now?" she asks.
"Luna’s permission. He wants to spend thirty minutes with Zane" Lucas says and she scoffs.
"That would be a waste of time. The omega has been mute for almost forty hours" she says and I draw my brows together.
"What did you people do to him?" I ask and she looks at me for the first time.
"What we did to him? Isn’t that something you should know better, dear governor’s son" the lady spits out and Lucas places a hand on her shoulder.
"Aria, don’t" he says and she shrugs his hand off. "Wait here for me" the alpha female, Aria, says and walks back in.
"What is she talking about? Why would I know better?" I ask, irritation at her attitude is bubbling inside me.
"It’s advisable to let it go, if you start this conversation with Aria, it won’t end well for you" Lucas says.
I watch the woman’s back as she walks past what looks like prison cells. Their basement is a prison...
"Come" Aria orders, and before I go, Lucas gives me a quick guide.
"I won’t go in with you. But listen to anything you’re told to do, and don’t look at any of the cells" he says.
I go in, and I badly want to disobey, but I choose to listen to him. I keep my eyes ahead, fixed on Aria’s confident back.
In here, the air smells heavily like scent control spray. The types used in official meeting spaces.
"Bring out the green one" Aria says loudly.
Someone taps me on the shoulder, the touch distracts me and I don’t get to see who Aria is talking to.
"You’ll wait here, governor’s son" the man says. His voice is as hostile as he looks, and he leads me to a room with a wooden table and two chairs.
"What about-" he slams the door shut before I can complete my question.
Alone in the white room, I stand by the door with my body frozen. I don’t know if this is a trap, or if they’ll really bring Zane to me.
My questions are answered immediately when the door is opened, and a young man in dirty clothes is roughly shoved into the room.
My omega starts to whine, and my body starts to shake at the whiff of the familiar scent.
The sweet smell of green apples I have bonded with, the smell that I associate with every happy memory.
"Zane" I breathe his name out, hugging him tightly even before the door is shut.
He doesn’t hug me back, but it’s okay. It’s okay because I get to hold him. I get to see him again.
"Zane" I repeat.
"I’m sorry, I’m- I’m sorry" I say, keeping him as close to me as humanly possible.
He’s not moving, but I can feel his lungs expand with each breath he takes, and I feel how small he is.
"I’m so sorry...I couldn’t save you, I couldn’t save anyone" I sob against his neck, holding him so tight that I’m scared I would suffocate him.
"You-" he starts to talk but stops.
I don’t want to break our hug, but I do. I break the hug to look at his face.
He looks the same but different.
My best friend has lost so much weight, his black hair is long and shaggy, he looks starved, and his eyes, those beautiful green eyes are now dead.
The Zane I know is always full of rebellious fire. The coolest guy on my block. He’s stubborn, unstoppable, proud and beautiful.
"You smell like him" he growls.
"I-I know" I stutter.
"Why do you smell like him? Did he touch you?" he grabs me firmly and I press my lips to stop myself from crying out.
"He was going to hurt you" I say.
"I’m going to get out of here, then I’m going to kill all of them" he says. His voice is rough as he speaks.
I know what he means now, so I shake my head, "he didn’t touch me like that" I say.
"I’m still going to kill them, every last one of them and save the oldest one for the most painful torture"
"Z-Zane" I gasp.
"I was supposed to protect you. I promised your parents that I’d be the best guard" his green eyes fill with tears.
"Zane, I promise I’m okay" I try to smile, but he isn’t smiling. He’s in prison, placed in here by my husband and his family.
"I married him" I say and Zane steps away from me. My best friend looks defeated as he looks at me from the small distance between us.
"He was going to hurt you, and I know- I know I can still save our home" I say, hating the way he’s looking at me.
"I failed" he whispers.
"No"
"I swear, I’ll save you. I don’t care what I’d do, but I promise you, you won’t be married to that monster for long" he says.
"Just hug me, Zane. I miss my best friend" I say and the omega hugs me this time around. He presses his face into my neck, right into my scent gland.
"I miss you too, I miss you so much Noah" he says and I blink away the tears gathering in my eyes.
I shouldn’t be crying right now. I’m with Zane and he’s not hurt. As long as he’s okay, I can work harder to save us.
"I...the other day, I heard you scream...did he hurt you?" I ask, pulling away to check his body.
"Damien, that bastard was trying to force food down my throat" Zane says and I blink in confusion.
What?
In the last few days, many things have not gone in the way I expected. I was expecting something...terrible.
"But...Zane..." I look down at his weak body.
"I won’t eat the enemy’s food, Noah. I’d rather die than eat something he gives, just hold on for me" Zane says.
"Time up" the door is opened by Aria, and I look at Zane with worry. I don’t want to leave him again.
"Please, thirty minutes isn’t up yet" I say and Zane growls at Aria.
"Time. Up. Get the fuck out" Aria hisses, holding up a taser.
"Fine, don’t...don’t hurt him! I’ll leave" I yell, hating Aria for being less than human.
Zane hugs me again, "I love you...I love you" he mutters before he get pulled away from me.
I can’t survive this...I can’t.
I need Elias.