The Tiger's Omega - MxM

| THE TIGER'S OMEGA | 21 |

| KALEB

My head felt heavy and my ears were ringing. I groaned at the discomfort the sensations caused. With a little effort I peeled my eyes open. I felt groggy and my whole body seemed to weigh a ton. I shifted my weight to discover I was sitting on a cement floor with my back pressed against a wall. Above my head was a metal bar with a chain connected to it that looked to be adjustable. My wrists were cuffed and held above my head by cuffs that were connected to the chain and bar. It was cold and dank, there was no real source of ventilation, which made the air heavy and stagnant. I was covered only in Zev's shirt that I had worn to bed.

Where am I? I thought as a sliver of panic began to take root. Memories began pouring in. The fire, the attack, Larken. A shiver ran through me. I remembered all of that but not how I got here. Then, it clicked.

Jared.

I remember coming to a rundown house in the woods but then the memory gets foggy. All I knew for sure was that I stuck here and helpless.

Goddess, Kaleb, what the hell did you get yourself into! I mentally cursed myself as my lip wobbled and tears pricked the back of my eyes.

My pulse rose and my palms felt clammy. "ZEV!" I cried through our link only to be left with silence. It was like opening a door only to be met with a dark expanse of nothing. I couldn't even tell if he was alive. My blood ran cold. I couldn't even feel my wolf. My eyes burned as hopless tears filled them. I was alone. How did I even end up in this situation? How did the life of a simple, insignificant omega become so complicated?

A choked sob escaped me filling the deafening silence around me. I was startled out of my moping by the answering groan I heard to the right of me. A few feet away from me, leaning limply against the wall was Josh who was also chained to the wall in a similar fashion as I was except the chain that connected his cuffs to the bar was much shorter forcing him to keep his arms up uncomfortably high.

His eyes were pinched shut, a snarl of pain contorting his features. I gasped causing him to snap his eyes open. He blue eyes were bloodshot and full of so much pain. A lump formed in my throat. I didn't know how to react.

"Josh?" I asked uncertainly. The large man nodded his head but stopped with a grimace as the movement was obviously causing him discomfort.

"Hey, runt." he said dryly, a wry smile pulling at his chapped lips. "I was hoping he wouldn't be able to bring you here-" he was cut off by a cough that hacked its way up his throat. He groaned, spitting out a glob of blood. I cringed. He spit one more time before continuing. "I expected that tiger of yours to rip his head off before he could. His plan must have worked. "

"Jared," I said softly. Josh nodded gingerly before leaning his head against the wall exhaustedly.

"Yeah," he breathed, closing his eyes tiredly. "Him."

"I-I don't understand. What does he want with me? Why are you here?" Josh let out a weak humorless laugh.

"I'm just a subsistute. Entertainment for when he's bored or frustrated." he winced then sighed opening his eyes. "As for what he wants with you... I think we both know. Don't worry too much, I won't let him touch you that way. He'll have to kill me first."

I stared at Josh a little astonished. He was so much different from the Josh who bullied me. I didn't understand. Everything was too much.

"Why? I thought you hated me. " my voice shook causing Josh to look at me concerned.

"I never hated you. I was just... redirecting my frustration." I couldn't help the spark of anger I felt. He bullied me because he was frustrated?! I growled lowly, and I hate to admit that it wasn't scary or intimidating like Zev's at all. I sounded like a week old pup growling for the first time.