Chapter 5 Left him there

Reid's POV

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" Damien asked. 

"I don't understand, how could the Moon Goddess do this to me?" I said as I stared out the windshield in front of me.

"What? What are you talking about?" Damien asked.

"I hate hybrids! She knows I hate hybrids!... Why would she do this to me?" I said as I ran my hands through my hair before running it down my face.

"Who? What are you talking about? You're making no sense." Damien said, confusion dancing across his face as he glanced at me.

"Is this about the one in the last cell?"

"Yeah," I said quietly, my stomach churning again.

"Man, you gotta tell me,...what's going on? You're making me nervous now."

"It was my mate." 

I jerk forward as the tires screech, and the car jerks off to the side. The car finally comes to a stop as I grip the dashboard and my door.

"Are you fucking kidding me!? That was your mate and you just left him back there? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

I looked over at Damien after I pulled my stomach out of my ass, from his little stunt.

"You may be my cousin and Beta, but watch the way you fucking talk to me! I am your Alpha now!" I said angrily. I'm not in the mood for his bullshit. 

"I'm sorry about that man, but how could you do that? How could you leave your own mate back there like that?"

"I don't know." Was all I could say.

"Just drive," I said, looking forward again.

"Where too? Back there to get your mate? Or home without our Luna?"

My head snapped in his direction, 

"That hybrid is not your Luna!" I said through gritted teeth

"Wow, man!" Damien said as he put the car in drive, and began driving home. 

"Wow!" He said again.

Neither one of us said another word the rest of the way home. As soon as we got home, the car jerked to a stop. Damien through his door opened before climbing out of the car and slamming the door shut. I sat there for a few moments, watching the retreating back of my best friend as he stormed toward the house.

I sat there alone with my thoughts, trying to wrap my head around everything. I slowly make my way out of the car and walk into the pack house. 

"Hey honey, how was your visit with Ace today?" I heard my dad ask as he came out of the kitchen. 

I stop and look at him for a moment, unable to form any words. I slowly turn toward the stairs and head upstairs to my room.

"Honey?... Reid! Is everything okay?" My dad asked as I began climbing the stairs. 

But I don't respond, I just keep walking up the stairs. Wanting as far away from everyone as possible.

I feel numb as I take off my clothes, before stepping into the shower. I feel like the stench from the dungeon seeped into my pores. I can still smell it on my skin and on my clothes.

I get in the shower, turning it on as hot as I can. I feel my skin burn as the hot water rains down onto my skin, and it begins to turn red. I grab the loofah, drenching it in soap before scrubbing my body as hard as I can. 

I can still smell it. I can almost feel the stench covering my body. I scrub harder, feeling as though I'm scrubbing the skin off my body. 

I feel my shoulders shake and I realize I'm crying. I crumpled to the floor and felt the water as it poured down over my head.

I bring my knees up, wrapping my arms around them, and dropping my head onto my knees as I break down crying.

I just left him there...

I feel my chest ache, knowing I just left him there like that. Remembering his poor broken body, curled up on the floor in his own waste. Remembering how skinny he was, every bone I saw, every cut, and open wound that covered his body. 

He was so small...

How could I do that? How could I just leave him there like that?

I squeeze my eyes tight as I ball my hands into fists. I throw my head back, as I open my mouth and scream as loud as I can.

I crumpled to the floor, laying down as I cried.

I hear banging at the door, and the sound of my father's voice on the other side.

I don't say anything, I just lay there crying... I can't look at them, I can't do anything, I can't move. The only thing I want is to go back there and get him.

I hear the door break open as my father comes rushing in. He opens the shower door and pulls me up off the floor.

He pulls me into his lap and I throw my arm around my father, my face goes to his neck as I cry and grip his shirt.

"Son, hey, it's okay... It's okay now." He says as he rubs my back and squeezes me tighter.

"What's wrong, what happened?"  My father's soothing voice asked.

"I left him there Father, I left him there!" I said. My chest ached, and my heart felt like someone ripped it out.

"Who? Who did you leave, and where?" My father asked.

"My mate!... I just left him there!"

"You're mate?" My father asked, shock lacing his voice as he grabbed my face, and pulled it back to look at me. 

But I can't look at him, I can't bring myself to look into the eyes of my father, so I look down. I don't want him to see the person that did this, that left their own mate back there in that hell.

"What are you talking about son? Where did you leave him?" He asked, concerned.

"In the dungeon... At aces. I fucking left him in there." I cried harder as I dropped my forehead against my father again.

My father pries me off of him forcefully. He holds me away at arm's length, his hands gripping me harshly,

I can feel his fingers digging into my skin.

"What the fuck are you talking about!?" He yelled angrily. 

****

As we sit in my father's office, I struggle to look at him, still too ashamed of myself... Well, technically it's my office now, but at the moment he's the one sitting in the Alpha's seat. 

He was so furious, I thought for a moment he was going to claim the title again and take it from me... And to be honest, I wouldn't have blamed him, or even protested.

I sit directly across from my father, with Damien to my right, keeping an empty chair between us. I think Damien is so upset with me, he can't even stand to sit near me.

My father forced me to tell him everything that happened. I reminded him of my hate for hybrids, and the fact I'm still trying to find Anthony's killer. I told him about my conversation with Alpha Ace, and the reason we went there today. 

I told him I assumed these were rogue hybrids, that were thrown in the cells for coming onto their property and attacking like rogues do. 

But neither Damien nor I were prepared for what we actually saw down there. I told him everything we saw. How the hybrids were being treated, how it looked like they were barely alive, and how they were raping them, while chained to the walls.

I watched my father's expression as I told him everything. His jaw clenched tight, he gripped the armrest tightly, his claws dug into the woods, and I could hear it creak. He leaned onto the opposite armrest, onto his elbow. His chin rests on his fist, as the anger swirls in his eyes.

"I can't believe you went there with the intention that you did!... I raised you better than that! I know you're angry at hybrids for what one did, but you can't blame the entire race of hybrids, for something only one did!

I'm glad you came to your senses once you got down there and realized how wrong that was. At least you understood what fucked up is, and didn't go down a path I couldn't save you from!"

He paused.

"As for your mate, I hate to say this, but you did the right thing by leaving him there-"

"What!?" Damien yelled angrily, cutting my father off as he stood up, and looked at my father as if he just grew two heads.

My dad growled at Damien as he glared at him. Damien immediately dropped back into his seat and bared his neck to my father

"I'm sorry sir!" Damien said.

My father sighs as he looks back at me. 

"Like I was saying, it was the right thing to do, to leave him there. But not for the reasons you're thinking Damien!" He said, glancing at Damien, and giving him a firm look.

"I don't think Ace would have let you just take him out of there. Not alone at least. I think all hell would have broken loose if you told Ace he was your mate and tried to take him with you. 

And the fact that you were only there with Damien, It just wasn't safe for you to attempt to bring him home."

I was relieved when my father said that. Because to be honest, I was surprised when he first started talking. For a moment I thought he actually agreed that I left him there.

"I want you to let Ace know you're coming back over there today. But this time, we're all coming with you. But I want you to keep that little detail out when you talk to him."

"Who's all coming?" I asked

"Your dad and your aunt for starters, since the twins are almost unstoppable. And for added muscles, we're bringing Xander and Marcus." My father said.

"Damien, you're staying here. You're the beta now, so you're going to hold things down here while we're gone."

"Yes sir!" Damien said, bowing his head.

"I'm going, to make sure everything runs smoothly, and make sure you keep your cool. I know you can get a little hot-headed, and we need to do this the right way. We don't need to be starting a war... At least not just yet." 

My Father's eyes glaze over for a moment before returning to normal.

"Okay, I just linked everyone that's coming with us. We'll fill them in once we're on the road. Meet me outside in 15 minutes... Reid, let's go get your mate!"