Reckless Regrets
Chapter 46

Tyson

As soon as we began the drive to the desert, I hated the fact that I’d essentially volunteered myself for this operation. Sure, I was the most suited for the job, but this would be the worst three days of my life.

I hated the heat, hated filth, and hated idiots, and I’d be dealing with all three at the same time. I said a prayer to the Mother Spirit that she send me her grace and keep me from regressing to the days when I could take a life without a second thought. I was going to be playing a role in there, and nothing more, I had absolutely no intention of having to kill anyone.

But that was as long as they didn’t f**k with me, or the ladies. Even though I barely knew them, my history with my mother and Taylor made it so I had zero tolerance for abuse to women. That would get a head cracked without a second thought.

I closed my eyes and slept the entire five-hour drive. I was sure that I’d probably get very little sleep once I was behind those doors, so I had to take advantage while I could. When I woke up, we were pulling over on a dark and lonely road in the middle of nowhere.

“What’s up, guys?” I asked.

“Everything is fine, Gamma. The prison is a few miles up ahead, and I figured we would get prepared before we crossed into its territory,” Henry replied.

By “prepared,” he meant that I needed to be roughed up some. Hades was a beast, but he wasn’t invincible. That was made evident last year when I was caught by James and his crew coming back from Rome.

“I know you’re right, but that doesn’t make this any less shitty. Just try and avoid the ribs, alright? My ribs are my kryptonite,” I told him.

“Yes, sir. I’m happy the Luna isn’t here to see this, I know how she feels about seeing you guys beat up, but I think that a few hits to the face should suffice.”

Henry and I got out of the truck and exchanged a few blows. I could see how he was mated with Aires; this guy was impressive and could take a hit just as well as he could give one.

When we were convinced that we looked just bad enough, Henry put reinforced shackles on my wrists and ankles before we climbed back in the truck and made our way to the gates. As we crossed over, I could feel Alaia’s borrowed power working. There was a slight buzzing in my head, and I was sure that my eyes were probably bright purple from the dark magic at work. Luckily she’d taught me an exercise that would suppress the power a bit, just enough to keep the glowing eyes to a minimum. I didn’t want to give anything away.

“Good luck, Gamma. I sincerely hope you make it home in one piece; my Sunflower wouldn’t do too well if she lost her oldest friend,” Henry said as he parked.

“I’ll be back to pissing her off in a few days; she won’t get rid of me that easily,” I replied.

Henry nodded his head, then set his face in a straight “no bullshit” expression. He’d flipped the switch, and it was go-time. The door to the truck was yanked open, and another of the warriors, Raul, grabbed my arm and pulled me out.

They made sure they were extra rough; I wasn’t their Gamma, I was officially Hades, and you never showed Hades mercy. We approached a poorly lit metal door with rusty hinges and a small splintered window that looked like it would fall in if I blew on it hard enough. This place was only standing because of the magic, and it made me wonder where all the money went.

When the door creaked open, a tall, dangerously thin man appeared before us. He was wearing all white and had his thin greasy gray hair pulled back into a long ponytail. When he smiled, his teeth looked like he’d just been snacking on s**t, and the smell when he spoke seemed to confirm my suspicions.

“Good Evening, gentlemen. I understand you are from the famed Blue Moon pack and have happened to capture the equally famous Hades. My name is Whalen, and I have to admit, I am impressed. Having you as a guest here is a dream, you’re our white whale,” he said to me.

“I give zero f***s, my man. Just do what you need to do and stop talking,” I replied.

“I believe our Alpha has wired the funds as agreed upon, so he is officially your headache now,” Henry said as he pushed me forward.

I looked back over my shoulder under the guise of giving him an evil glare but gave a wink instead.

“Yes, we’ve received the institution payment and will take it from here.”

The stick figure snapped his fingers, and three men appeared. They were supposed to be the muscle, but when they looked at me, I saw that even in shackles, I intimidated them. I would save this bit of information; I was sure I’d need it sooner or later.

They timidly grabbed my chains and led me into the building and down a dark hall. Once the door closed behind me, I heard the faintest voice in my head. It was Alexi, letting me know that they were still getting the signal from my tracker and could hear me clearly. I honestly worried if all the magic would cause too much interference, but thankfully that was not the case.

“We have never housed anyone with your reputation before, so please forgive us if the accommodations are lacking. But I do hope you’ll be comfortable here,” Whalen looked back at me and smiled.

The look and smell of this place screamed anything but comfort, and he damn well knew it.

“Whalen, how long is all of this going to take? I’ve got things to do,” I casually replied.

“We’ll be done when I say we are. Contrary to what you may believe, you are still vermin here; nothing more. I am in charge, and I call the shots. If you remember that you’ll be just fine, test me, and I’ll make your life miserable to the point you beg for death. I’ve got the temper, mental instability, and means to do it,” he announced.

“Again, stop f*****g talking. You all don’t believe in toothbrushes in here?”

I was pissing him off and loving it. I refused to let him have the upper hand or even think he did. And that wasn’t Hades, that was Tyson. Tyson wasn’t the kind of person to sit back and take orders from the likes of this guy, even if I was playing a role.

***

After a painfully long intake process where I was stripped, searched, and searched again, I was finally released to mingle with the rest of the population. I would occasionally get a word from Alexi or Matt, letting me know that they were still with me, and I would scratch my ear, right next to the chip, letting them know that I could hear them.

I walked around and was happy to see that my suspicions were correct. 90% of the people wanted nothing to do with me. The majority of them were probably here for some bullshit reason and just wanted to fly under the radar so they could stay alive.

Then there were a few who were bold enough to make eye contact and hold it. I knew that these guys were the ones I’d have to watch out for. They were trying to make a name for themselves to be top dog, and taking me out would be the perfect way to do it.

Not on my watch.

Classifications seemed to be a foreign concept here as well. Every type of shifter was mixed together, and the few women I saw were tossed in with everyone else. They looked worn and tired, but I couldn’t focus on them. I needed to replace Gabby and Marisol; I was here for them. I walked over to a bear who I assumed was from a weaker family line only due to his size. When he noticed me, he tried to walk away, but I cut him off.

“Do you know who I am?” I asked.

“Yes, I know who you are,” he answered, never allowing his eyes to meet mine.

“Good, that saves me the trouble. And you know what will happen if you f**k with me?”

“I can guess.”

“Whatever you’re thinking, make it ten times worst. I need a woman, where can I replace one?” I asked.

He looked confused but lifted his finger to point to one of the ones I’d passed on the way over.

“That is not a woman; I’m not too sure what that is, to be honest, but it’s not what I’m looking for. I need a real woman,” I clarified.

“Aunt Maddy has a new girl; we call her The Duchess. She’s some alphas daughter who now has to take d**k all day every day,” he said.

“I like stuck up chicks. Where can I replace The Duchess?”

“She’s on the third tier, but you’ll want to go see Matilda before you can go to her room. And you’ll need cash. The b***h is fetching a premium, so broke guys like myself, unfortunately, can’t get a taste.”

“Cash isn’t a problem. Where’s Matilda?”

He pointed again, this time to a woman who looked like she’d gotten into a fight with a flame thrower and lost.

“What the f**k?” I found myself whispering.

“She pissed off a dragon; the evil old bat won’t be doing that s**t again,” he replied.

“Thanks, Little Bear. I’ll let you know if I have any other questions,” I said as I walked away.

“Come on, man! My name is Ronnie; you can’t call me Little Bear in here!” he yelled behind me.

I just waved and kept moving towards Matilda.

When she noticed me coming, she turned in my direction and smiled.

“Ahh, our newest resident. I’m delighted to be meeting you. I’m a big fan,” she said.

“Cool, I’ll get you an autograph later, but for now, I need some time with The Duchess.”

“So soon? You’ve just joined us, don’t you want to settle in first?”

“If I don’t blow off some steam, I’ll blow this place the f**k up. It’s your choice,” I threatened.

She raised her one good eyebrow and nodded.

“She’s very busy; she’s booked for the entire week with no openings, I’m sorry.”

“$5,000,” I offered.

Matilda looked surprised and took a step back.

“Excuse me? She’s only worth a few hundred at most,” she scoffed.

“Well, consider it a bonus for letting me skip the line. $5,000 for one hour.”

She looked me up and down before she nodded. If she was a fan like she claimed, she knew that money didn’t matter to me; at all.

“I’m sure we can make that work. Come with me,” Matilda said before she made her way up the stairs and down the corridor.

As I made it to Marisol’s room, I saw what I was sure was a vamp walk out while zipping his pants. I wanted to murder both him and this crispy b***h in front of me, but I had to play it cool.

“For $5,000, I’m not looking for sloppy seconds or thirds. Get her cleaned up, or I’ll replace something else to do with my money,” I threatened.

“I’ll send Gabby in; she’s been doing a beautiful job keeping our Duchess nice and fresh. You can wait here.”

Matilda turned and left before I could respond, and once she was gone from sight, I moved closer to the room and stepped inside. Marisol was lying on her side facing the wall wearing a filthy green gown that was covered with fresh b***d, and I hated even to imagine what else.

The room wasn’t even suitable for an animal, let alone a person, and it made me even angrier. I took a step closer, and my foot grazed a broken milk crate on the floor, making Marisol jump.

“Whoever you are, just get it over with. I’m all out of fake m***s and smiles for the day, so you’ll just have to imagine I’m enjoying it as much as you,” she said.

“Hey there, Troublemaker.”

I watched her as she heard my voice, and it began to register.

When she’d visited Blue Moon, I refused to call her by her name; she was Troublemaker then and would always be. I knew that if she heard the nickname, especially in here, she would understand. Cautiously, she rolled over, and when her eyes landed on me, she began bawling her eyes out; and I panicked.

“Woman cut that out! You do not know me, do you understand? If this is going to work, you’ve got to play the part,” I harshly whispered.

She nodded and wiped her face, and just in time, because Matilda and Gabby showed up a few seconds later.

“If you don’t mind waiting outside for a few minutes, Gabby here can get our girl all cleaned up and ready for you.”

I stepped out and heard the guys chattering in my ear, but I tuned them out. Step one was complete; now, I just needed to keep these women safe and replace a way out of this s**t box.