Chapter 32

[The Mute Alpha - Chapter 32]

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The wooden steps creaked beneath my feet as I descended, trying to be as quiet as possible. I didn't know who was down here, so being as discreet as possible was my goal. The further down I went, the colder the air became, nipping softly at my cheeks. Darkness also enveloped me, making it somewhat difficult to see. However, I was able to make out the stairs and a little bit in front of me. While the room didn't smell awful, the slight scent of mold and blood wafted into my nose.

By the time I reached the bottom, the hairs on my neck stood in alert. I noticed a small window against the wall, allowing a sliver of light into the basement. The room itself contrasted with the luxurious furniture and warmth from upstairs. My eyes continued wandering around the room cautiously, searching for any signs of life.

My body trembled when I saw the sight before me, bile threatening to rise up my throat. I held back a cry and found it difficult to form coherent words. My limbs felt frozen in place, unsure of how to react.

"Jaxton?" I called out, my voice barely above a whisper. At first I didn't think he heard me, but then his head lifted up at me, his eyes meeting mine.

My heart clenched as I rushed over to him. I felt tears rolling down as I saw the multiple wounds covering his weak body. Dirt, cuts, and dry blood decorated his skin, and I noticed various rips and holes in the fabric of his clothes. His typically bright, brown eyes stared dully at me, prominent bags underneath them. There was a large bruise underneath his right eye and a deep cut on his left cheek, and his usually clean face had stubble growing on it.

After scrutinizing his busted lip, I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face in his neck. "I thought I would never find you," I sobbed quietly.

"Autumn," a deep voice rasped out in a whisper. My breathing stopped as I stepped away from my mate. Jax stared at me, disbelief in his eyes, as if he couldn't believe I was here. He shouldn't be the one surprised right now, however.

"Did you just...?" I asked, my eyes widening in shock. What did they do to him? He didn't answer my question. Instead, his eyes roamed my body, pausing on the cut on my bicep. He clenched his jaw, and I could tell that the small action caused him pain.

"You...you shouldn't be here," Jax said. Despite the hoarseness of his voice and the unfortunate circumstances of our current situation, it still caused pleasant shivers to travel down my spine. I was still astounded that I couldn't comprehend the coherent words leaving his mouth.

"We need to get you out of here. Then we'll discuss how much trouble you're in," I muttered to him as I glared at the bindings trapping him in this hellhole.

"Don't touch them. T-They're silver..."

"I can go look for Kian, he has gloves for that very reason," I suggested, remembering he used them to break in. It was a risky move, but it would definitely be worth it if it meant getting him out of here. If only I could mind-link him.

"You need to leave," Jax mumbled, his eyes drooping. "...before he comes back."

"I'm not leaving you, Jax," I searched around the room for something to use, but found nothing. I turned around to face him again, determination set in my mind. "I came all this way here. I survived a damn avalanche and a rogue attack for crying out loud. No way in hell I'd leave you here. We are going to go home, mate, and-"

Suddenly the basement door creaked open, and I immediately shut my mouth, panic flooding through me in waves. There weren't many places to hide, and surely this man could sense my presence. Hell, he knew I was here, so he probably figured I would find Jaxton.

My fingers tightened around the gun in my hand as I ducked behind an old box. My hand quivered with anxiety as the man reached the bottom of the stairs on the other side of the room. He seemed to not be in any rush as he dimmed the lights and leisurely stepped towards my mate, his hands tucked in the pockets of his slacks.

The new lightning allowed me to get a better look of the bastard, who wore a black crew neck and had his long hair slicked back into a ponytail. I also noticed that the wounds on Jax were far worse than I thought.

I waited until the man was closer before I aimed my gun at him. I knew I was going to miss, especially because I wasn't very experienced with this kind of weaponry.

"So I heard your bitch is here. Somehow she found out about our little plan. Those two fools weren't good at being discreet anyways, so I knew Autumn and that boy would figure it out. Such a pity. It would've been a little fun to throw her off guard. However, I must find her before something...interesting happens." He chuckled, his head turning in my direction.

I bit my lip and pulled the trigger without any hesitation, my heart pounding against my chest. The man dodged the bullet just in time, somehow sensing it zooming through the air. I was right, he knew I was here.

"Such a dangerous game you're playing," he tsked as he stalked over. I went to shoot him again, but the gun only clicked. Fuck. It was empty.

I reached into my pocket to pull out the next cartridge of amo, but Keanu wasn't slow at reacting, unlike a certain someone. I didn't have enough time before he kicked the box  away from me, destroying the only protection I had. My hand immediately reached for the silver blade in my sheath.

I pointed the sharp object at the bastard as he towered over me. His hazel eyes twinkled in amusement as he smirked. "What is that going to do?" he taunted.

I moved to slash it at his leg but he lifted it out of the way and kicked my wrist. The dagger slid across the concrete floor away from my reaching fingers. My head fell back on the floor as I stared up at him.

"You're pathetic for an Alpha Female," he grinned, reaching down and yanking me up by the collar of my coat. "But at least you fought a little bit, unlike that sorry excuse of an Alpha over there."

Jax didn't react to his comment. Instead, he just hung his head, slipping in and out of consciousness. I narrowed my eyes at the man clutching me, growling lowly at him in warning.

"Hell, if it weren't for me, he'd still be a mute little fucker. I did him a favor," he stated proudly.

I thrashed around, swiping my claws at his flesh. Unfortunately, I missed, building up my anger even more. "Fuck you!" I spat at him.

He chuckled, clearly enjoying my misery. "Feisty, aren't you. You know, Alpha, you got yourself quite the girl." He walked over to Jax, shoving me forward as well. "It would be a shame if anything happened to her like your Beta."

"Theo?" I cried out. "What did you do to him?"

Keanu glanced at the Alpha, who sent a murderous glare his way, before answering my question. "It's not what I did, sweetheart. I'm not the one who left him in an unfamiliar town filled with raging rogues."

My breathing halted for a moment as I processed his words, "What?"

"Once they catch the Beta's scent, they will not hesitate to rip his limbs apart," he grinned. "Wonderful, isn't it? Now I just need to get rid of you so Alpha boy, over here, can accept his long overdue fate."

I tried not to let myself get too worked up. I was sure Theo was fine, and the bastard probably lied to get a rise out of us. However, I couldn't help but worry, especially because Theo was seriously injured, on the brink of death. What if he didn't survive? What if he was actually dead?

"Why are you doing this?" I questioned with the little bit of confidence I had left.

"I want him to feel every ounce of pain I had to deal with," he gritted out, gripping my jaw tightly. I tried to move away but he wouldn't release me.

"So this is just some cliche revenge story?" I questioned. "He wasn't even the one who murdered your parents. He was just a child."

Keanu laughed out humorlessly. "You think that's what this is about? You're even dumber than I thought if you believed that bullshit."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Then please enlighten me."

"My parents did die in that war, but I couldn't care less about those fools. They were dumb enough to fight with you vile creatures. My unfortunate mate, on the other hand, was a rogue. Grew up alone, fending for herself. Your Alpha, over here, murdered her."

My eyes widened in surprise. "What? He must have had a reason."

"Reason or not, she belonged to me. Now I'm going to murder you right in front of his eyes, because he needs to know what it feels like to lose the only person you are meant to be with," he growled out, slipping out a sleek weapon from in his pocket.

"Wait, I'm still confused. What about his parents, you murdered them when he was just a child. Why?"

"His father was the reason my mate was a rogue. He was the reason she suffered," he answered, eyes narrowed.

"Wolves become rogues for reasons. Don't you know anything about us?"

The man grabbed my neck, his thumb pressing against my throat. I choked, attempting to breath. "I know that your kind should not exist. You have too much power. There's nothing I can do about it, though."

"W-What did...what happened to your mate?" I questioned in an attempt to prolong my death.

"The Alpha and Luna banned her parents from the pack for treason. Her mom was pregnant at the time and had to give birth in the middle of nowhere. She didn't survive once my mate was born, so her dad had to take care of her alone. They joined different rogues and stole from other packs in order to survive. He was caught trespassing onto someone's territory and was murdered on site. Guess whose territory it was."

I glanced at Jax. "You can't really blame him though. He was just trying to protect his pack."

"The man pleaded for mercy, Autumn. He explained that he only needed food for his daughter. But this man over here felt no sympathy. He ordered for all rogues to be killed on site."

"He's just trying to protect his pack."

"I had already helped my mate avenge her mother by killing the people who forced them out of their homes. But then, her father died and she lost it. I was the only one left for her, and she wanted revenge. She died before she could accomplish her goal."

I stared at this psychotic man. He was really going a bit too far, because Jaxton was only protecting his pack, thinking of them before anyone else. And his parents probably had a perfectly good reason for banning her parents, especially if it was treason. I could only feel sympathy for this man. His mate's anger and rage influenced his own decisions. His actions were caused because of a broken heart.

When I didn't respond to his little story, he took that at his cue to continue. "Enough wasting time," he said. "I've been waiting for this moment."

He shoved me down to the floor so that I was kneeling a couple feet in front of Jax, who sent daggers at the psycho. My eyes welled up with unshed tears, refusing to believe that this was the end of my life.

"Is this really necessary?" I asked, making my voice sound strong. I bit my lip when I felt something cool press against my temple. I closed my eyes and controlled my breathing, trying not to let him detect the fear taking over my body.

I heard a click, which only made me gulp as I anticipated his next move. Slowly, I looked up at my mate for the last time. The chains rattled as he shifted in an attempt to escape, but it was useless. He and I knew it.

"Autumn," he called out to me, his glossy eyes meeting mine. My heart clenched in pain. There was so much I wanted to do with him. I wanted to watch over the pack by his side. Start a family. Set Kian and Theo up. Now I couldn't. I couldn't imagine how he would cope without me. It was rare for a werewolf to be capable of living without their mate, especially if an Alpha lost his Luna.

Keanu pushed the gun harder against my skin, and I winced, mentally preparing myself.

Then a loud gunshot echoed throughout the room and a piercing scream escaped my throat.