Chapter 4

Mateo

I knew it was a matter of time before Vance made his move. The tension had been building ever since I intervened during Rylan"s shower, and now, it was about to reach a boiling point. He wasn"t the kind of person to accept defeat willingly. If anything, he doubled down on his hatred, always planning to enact revenge.

I hoped Rylan would stay out of it; he"d been through enough already. I hated him in the beginning because of his family"s dealings, but the more time I spent with him, the more I realized he was very different from his father.

I was in the prison yard during our hour of recreation. The sun glared down, offering little relief from the oppressive atmosphere. No matter where we were and what we were doing, the prison always sucked so much.

Inmates milled about, some lifting makeshift weights, others huddled in groups, their eyes scanning the yard with bored disinterest. But, some of them, were looking at me. I knew they were thinking about me. I knew they wanted to hurt me.

I felt their gazes on me as I crossed the yard, my steps purposeful. I kept a wary eye on Vance, spotting him by the chain-link fence, surrounded by his lackeys. He was never alone, different from me. He was always with other inmates so they were stronger. I just wasn"t very sociable.

I knew a confrontation was inevitable, but I wasn"t about to back down. I never did, no matter the odds. Backing down would be like asking them to beat me to a pulp.

As I passed by, Vance called out. "Well, if it isn"t the self-appointed protector." His eyes gleamed with malicious intent. "You sure you wanna mess with us, Solstice? You know how this place works."

I halted, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. His threat wasn"t going to change anything. It wasn"t going to make me back down.

"I made it clear the other day," I growled. "Stay away from Rylan."

I knew that repeating myself wouldn"t change anything, but it was the only resource I had at the moment. The instance he tried to start a fight with me, then things would change.

Vance smirked, his eyes narrowing. "Or what? You think you can take us all on?"

I didn"t know if I could. Probably not, but I wouldn"t back down anyway.

He signaled to his crew, and they closed in, their faces set with determination. The guards, as usual, couldn"t care less about what was going to happen.

I glanced around, noting the other inmates had formed a circle, eager for the entertainment. Prison thrived on violence, and a fight between rival gangs was sure to be a spectacle.

However, this time, it wasn"t going to be much of a fight between two gangs. It was going to be me against them.

I took a step back, assessing the situation. They had me surrounded, cutting off any potential escape routes. They had probably planned for this way before I showed up. Vance was like that. Even though he didn"t appear to be much of a thinker, his plans were always good.

I knew I could take a few of them down, but the odds were stacked against me. I still didn"t fear anyone, obviously. I had been in worse situations.

"Back off, Vance," I warned, my voice steady despite the unease swirling in my gut. Did I think he was going to change his mind? No. He wasn"t going to.

He laughed, a cruel, mirthless sound. "Or what? You and your little omega think you"re above us?" He spat the word "omega" like a curse.

I didn"t know why he felt that way about omegas. They were part of our society. Wasn"t he looking for his omega just like I was? He should be.

Anyway, those things didn"t matter. Whatever Vance wanted to do with his life didn"t change what I thought about him. He was still pathetic and laughable.

I saw red. My hands curled into tighter fists, my body coiling, ready to strike. I was already prepared for the fight that was going to happen.

"You touch one hair on his head, and I"ll make you regret it," I snarled. I didn"t think I would ever feel so protective of my cellmate, but here I was. Things changed, to say the least.

Vance"s eyes glittered with challenge. "Oh, we plan to touch a lot more than that." His lackeys chuckled, their eyes threatening. They were not going to back down at all.

Before I could react, they rushed me, their fists swinging. I didn"t have much time to react. I dodged the first few blows, landing a punch of my own, feeling the satisfying crunch of my knuckles connecting with flesh. Fighting was exciting, even though every time it happened, I didn"t know if I was going to come out of it alive.

They kept coming, their numbers overwhelming. I knew there were a lot of them, but right now, it felt like there were so many more.

I fought with everything I had, my body a blur of motion as I struck out, aiming for vulnerable spots, trying to disable as many as I could. I landed a few extra punches, but I needed many more.

But they kept coming, their blows landing, my body absorbing the impact. And I kept thinking about Rylan. The thought was the only thing making me go on with this. Thinking about him being alone without me gave me slight anxiety.

I felt a rib crack under the force of a particularly brutal punch, and my vision blurred momentarily. Oh, fuck. I knew this was going to happen and I was powerless to stop it.

I spat out a mouthful of blood, my lips curling in a snarl. "You"ll pay for that," I growled. It wasn"t an empty promise. They would surely pay for it.

Vance laughed, his eyes wild. "You"re the one who"s gonna pay, Solstice. And your little omega friend too."

The mention of Rylan ignited a surge of anger within me, revitalizing my determination. Despite his constant presence in my thoughts, hearing Vance say his name filled me with a sense of empowerment, as if I could conquer anything.

I lashed out, taking down two of Vance"s crew with a well-placed kick and a vicious elbow. Both didn"t expect that to happen.

But they kept on coming, their numbers slowly wearing me down. Fucking hell. It felt like this could go on forever or until I succumbed to exhaustion.

I felt a blow to the back of my head, and my vision swam. I stumbled, my knees buckling. My body was weak and wasn"t responding anymore to my instructions.

They took advantage, raining down punches, their boots connecting with my ribs, my face. I knew, in that moment, that it was over. And yet, I wasn"t going to give up. I would only stop when I was dead.

I tried to fight back, but my body was failing me, the pain overwhelming. I grunted, ignoring it. It was almost too much, but I could withstand it.

Through the haze of pain, I heard the guards" whistles, their shouts to break it up. But they didn"t intervene, their inaction confirming what I already knew. Vance had paid them off, ensuring their indifference to my fate.

To be honest, for the most part, it wasn"t even necessary to pay them off. Most guards here already hated me. Chances were, the guards around the perimeter hated me so much they would rather kill me themselves.

With the last of my strength, I lashed out, taking down one more of Vance"s crew before my legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. I gave everything I could and it wasn"t enough.

I felt a boot connect with my side, and then darkness consumed me. And my last thought was Rylan. I worried about him, something I thought would never happen.

I came to slowly, my body throbbing with pain. I tried to open my eyes, but the light seared my retinas, forcing me to squeeze them shut again. I groaned, my throat raw, my mouth tasting of copper.

What happened? I thought I was going to die after they knocked me unconscious.

"Easy now." A soft voice, coming from someone who sounded concerned, reached my ears. "You took quite a beating."

I recognized the voice, and my eyes flickered open, adjusting to the dim light of our cell. I could never mistake his voice for somebody else"s. It could only be him.

Rylan stood over me, his eyes wide, his face pale. "What... happened?" My voice was little more than a rasp, my throat dry and scratchy.

Even though I couldn"t say it for sure, it appeared it had already been hours since I last saw the sunlight.

"They... they ambushed you," he said, his voice shaking. "The guards finally broke it up, but they took their time. I think Vance paid them off."

He thinks?I thought, finding his words amusing. It was pretty evident that they were paid off.

Then, I nodded, wincing as the movement sent spikes of pain through my head. "Figured as much," I muttered. "How bad is it?"

Rylan bit his lip, his eyes flicking over me. He looked concerned, something I was certain he would never think about me. I thought he hated me. The incident in the shower room had really changed everything between us.

"Bad," he said softly. "You have a few broken ribs, a possible concussion, and numerous cuts and bruises. You lost a lot of blood."

That motherfucker was going to pay for what he did. I would never rest easy until he did.

I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over me, forcing me back down. It was my blood pressure, most likely. My body just couldn"t handle the current state it was in.

"Damn," I muttered. "Guess I put up more of a fight than I thought."

For Rylan, I was beginning to think I could do anything. Strange feeling. I never thought I would feel something similar for anyone. I wondered what was happening.

Rylan chuckled. This was a moment of pure bonding when we felt more connected to each other than we ever did before.

"You shouldn"t have fought at all," Rylan said, worry in his voice. "You could"ve been killed."

I met his gaze, seeing the concern etched on his face. I didn"t think he was going to be concerned for my well-being. So much changed between us.

"I couldn"t let them get away with what they did to you," I said, my voice rough. "They needed to be taught a lesson."

And the thing was, I would do it all over again. There was nothing that could stop me from doing that, if it were possible.

Rylan"s eyes softened, and he reached out, his hand hovering over my injured ribs before dropping back to his side. "Thank you," he whispered. "For standing up for me. I know it"s not your responsibility."

I grunted, the movement sending a lance of pain through my side. It kind of was my responsibility because he was my cellmate and I couldn"t let anything bad happen to him. If anything bad were to happen to him, I would be the one doing it.

"Don"t thank me yet," I said, my voice strained. "I may have messed up. Vance won"t let this go."

I knew he would, which was why I had to be prepared. Anything could happen again. He could show up right at this moment to finish the job.

A shadow passed over Rylan"s face, his eyes darkening. "What do you mean?"

He knew what I meant, but I was still going to explain it to him. I owed him as much.

I swallowed, my throat dry. "He"s not done with you, or me," I said, my voice hoarse. "He"ll come after us both, probably sooner rather than later."

Rylan"s eyes widened, and he bit his lip, his gaze dropping to the floor. He was worried, but he didn"t need to be. I would stand between him and Vance no matter what happened.

"What are we going to do?" He asked, his voice small.

I wanted to offer him reassurance, but the truth was, I had no idea. Vance had the guards in his pocket, and his crew outnumbered us. We were cornered, and the realization settled in my gut like a stone.

I supposed I should"ve tried to make more friends, but it wasn"t really something I did. Everywhere I was, every place I went, I never tried to befriend people.

Rylan must have sensed my defeat because he turned away, his shoulders sagging. Fucking hell, I thought. Now isn"t the time to be weak.

"I"ll do what I can to help you heal," he said softly. "I was a nurse before... before all this."

I nodded, grateful for his efforts, even though I knew it wouldn"t be enough. I was also surprised he was a nurse. I thought he"d only been a businessman his entire life.

"Thanks," I rasped, my eyes drifting closed as exhaustion pulled me back into the darkness. I was so tired. I wished I could sleep, but even if I wasn"t worried about Rylan"s well-being, I still wouldn"t be able to doze off, considering that Vance was still out to get me.

I drifted in and out of consciousness, my body succumbing to the pain and my battered state. For what Vance did, he was going to pay, no denying it.

Rylan tended to my wounds as best he could, cleaning my cuts, binding my ribs, and doing his best to ease my suffering. Despite our rocky initial encounter, he was still caring for me. Who would"ve thought this would happen one day? I certainly would have laughed if somebody had told me such a thing.

I could see the worry in his eyes, the knowledge that it might not be enough. Don"t worry, pretty little omega. You are doing your best and it should be enough.

Hours blurred together, a haze of pain and feverish dreams. I woke occasionally to the sound of Rylan"s voice, his soft whispers urging me to drink, to take my medication. I didn"t even know he had medicine with him. I thought he didn"t have anything.

He was full of surprises, it seemed.

His touch was gentle, his hands skilled as he changed my bandages, his brown eyes filled with concern. And even though there was no place for me to be thinking this, I couldn"t help but wonder what it would be like if he was using his hands to touch my cock. I knew he would like it.

Through my hazy state, I felt a sense of peace, an odd calm amidst the chaos of my injuries. I groaned slightly, wishing the pain would fade away. But it wasn"t going to be so easy. It wasn"t going anywhere at the moment.

Rylan"s presence soothed me, his quiet strength a balm to my battered body and soul. I would probably be dead right now without him.

No matter how much he was helping me, the undercurrent of danger remained, a constant reminder that our respite was fleeting. As long as we were in this prison, we would always be in danger.

After what appeared to be six hours later, I woke to the sound of raised voices. My eyes flickered open, my vision blurry but adjusting to see Rylan arguing with one of the guards.

He had some backbone in him, it appeared. I never thought I would see that day that would happen. It surprised me so much that I felt pride. Rylan might have learned a few things from me.

"You have to help him!" Rylan"s voice was laced with desperation. "He needs proper medical attention!"

It wasn"t even needed to be said. Just by looking at me, one could tell that I needed a doctor, or maybe several.

The guard, a burly man with a scar across his cheek, shook his head, his expression indifferent. I knew who he was. He wasn"t friendly towards me. To be honest, he probably hated me so much he wanted to kill me himself.

"Not my problem," he said callously. "He brought it on himself."

"But he"ll die if he doesn"t get help!" Rylan"s voice cracked, his eyes pleading. "And if somebody dies here, it will be on you."

He had a point. It was a very good one. The guard didn"t like me, but he didn"t want more trouble than he already had, and my death would add a lot more to the pile.

The guard sighed, his gaze flicking to me with a hint of reluctance. "Fine," he relented. "But only because you asked, Nightfang. You"ve got a way with words."