The Biker Alpha Who Became My Second Chance Mate Chapter 104

Daxon stepped back, his eyes scanning me like I was a puzzle he was trying to solve. “Seraphina tells me you've been busy,” he said, glancing at the loose shackle, his voice calm now, which was somehow worse than his anger.

“You think you're clever, don't you? Breaking free like that.”

I didn't answer, just watched him, trying to gauge what he'd do next. My left hand was still chained, the bolt in the wall holding firm, and my right arm was useless, the broken bones grinding every time I moved. I was trapped, and he knew it.

“Seraphina,” he called, not taking his eyes off me, “come here.”

Her footsteps came quickly, eager, and she appeared behind him, her face flushed with excitement, the knife still in her hand. “What do you want me to do?” she asked, her voice practically vibrating with anticipation.

“Tighten the other chain,” he said, nodding toward my left wrist. “Make sure she can't pull that trick again.”

She moved toward me, and I pressed myself harder against the wall, my broken hand twitching instinctively to protect myself, even though it was useless.

“Don't touch me,” I said, my voice low, but she just smirked, grabbing the chain and yanking it tight, the metal biting into my skin.

“You're not going anywhere,” she said, her face inches from mine, her breath hot and sour with wolfsbane.

She pulled the chain harder, and I bit my lip to keep from crying out as the metal dug into my wrist, fresh blood welling up where it cut into my skin.

Daxon watched, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. “You're wasting your energy, Athena,” he said, his voice almost bored. “You can fight all you want, but it won't change anything. Tristan's coming for you, and when he does, I'll be ready.”

My heart lurched at Tristan's name, fear and a little hope twisting together in my chest. “He's smarter than you think,” I said, forcing the words out despite the pain. “He won't fall for your trap.”

Daxon laughed, a low, guttural sound that made my skin crawl. “You think he's going to wait for backup? You think he's going to sit around planning while his precious mate is chained up in a basement? You don't know him as well as you think.”

I swallowed hard, my throat dry, because he was right about one thing—Tristan wouldn't wait. He'd come for me, no matter the cost, and that was what terrified me most. I had to get out of here before he walked into whatever Daxon had planned.

Seraphina stepped back, wiping her hands on her jeans like she'd just finished a chore. “What now?” she asked, looking at Daxon like a dog waiting for a command.

“Now we wait,” he said, his eyes still on me. “Tristan will come, and when he does, we'll deal with him. And her.”

Seraphina's face lit up, a sick kind of glee in her eyes. “You promised me,” she said, her voice sharp. “You promised me Tristan.”

Daxon's expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—annoyance, maybe, or amusement. “I promised you'd get what you want,” he said, his tone flat. “Don't push me, Seraphina.”

She flinched, just barely, but I saw it. For all her bravado, she was scared of him, and that gave me a sliver of hope. If I could exploit that, maybe I could find a way out.

“Get out,” Daxon said, waving a hand at her. “I need to talk to our guest alone.”

Seraphina hesitated, her eyes darting between me and Daxon, but she didn't argue. She turned and climbed the stairs, her footsteps fading as the door creaked shut behind her.

Daxon crouched in front of me, his eyes level with mine, his face so close I could see the faint scar running along his jaw.

“You're tougher than I thought,” he said, his voice almost soft, like he was impressed. “Most people would've given up by now. The old Athena would've given up too”

“I'm not most people, and neither am I that Athena you know.” I said, my voice steady even though my whole body was screaming with pain.

“No,” he agreed, tilting his head, “you're not. But that's not going to save you.”

He stood up, brushing his hands together like he was dusting off dirt. “You're going to watch everything you love fall apart, Athena. Tristan, your pack, your family—they're all going to pay for what you've done. What they did. For locking me up like a nobody.”

“we haven't done anything, because you deserve more.” I said, my voice cracking. “You're the one who's been lying, manipulating, hurting people.”

He shrugged, like it didn't matter. “Call it what you want. In the end, I'll have what's mine, and you'll have nothing.”

He turned and started for the stairs, but he paused at the bottom, looking back at me. “Don't try anything stupid,” he said. “You won't like what happens if you do.”

The door slammed shut behind him, and I was alone again, the silence pressing in around me.

My body was shaking, my broken wrist throbbing, my face stinging from Seraphina's slaps and Daxon's blow. The wolfsbane was still in my system, making my head feel like it was stuffed with cotton, but I couldn't stop now. I had to keep going, had to find a way out before Tristan walked into their trap.

I looked at the bolt holding my left wrist, the one Seraphina had tightened. It was still solid, but I'd gotten the other one loose, and I could do it again. My right hand was useless, the bones broken, the pain so bad I could barely think, but I had to try.

I reached out with my left hand, my fingers brushing the bolt, and started scraping at the concrete, ignoring the way my nails tore and my fingertips bled.

Hours passed, or maybe it was minutes, time was hard to track in the haze of pain and wolfsbane.

The bolt was starting to loosen, just like the first one, and I could feel it wiggle under my fingers. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep me going, enough to give me hope.

I didn't know how long I had before Daxon or Seraphina came back, but I knew one thing for sure, I wasn't going to stop fighting.

Not now, not ever. Because no matter what Daxon said, I wasn't trash and I wasn't going to let him or Seraphina take everything from me.

Daxon didn't want me dead for now and that was my advantage. One of us was going to get tired and it wouldn't be me.

I was going to get out of here and I was going to make sure they paid for what they'd done.

I just needed to break my second wrist, but how? The metal was cutting into my skin but I kept twisting anyway because the pain meant I was still fighting and as long as I was fighting they hadn't won yet.

I was still focused on what I was doing when I heard a voice behind me and every muscle in my body went rigid.

"When did you get this stubborn?" I froze as I heard Daxon's voice behind me.

When did he get here and how had I not heard him coming? My heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it but I forced myself to keep working at the restraints even though my hands were shaking now.

"You know what babe?" He said making me feel disgusted and I could hear him getting closer with each word.

The nickname made my stomach turn because he used to say it with love and now it sounded like poison coming from his mouth.

"I'd rather die than be your babe, you disgust me" I said spitting on the floor to show my disgust.

I needed him to know that whatever he thought he still had over me was gone and that I would rather die than give him the satisfaction of breaking me.

Daxon looked up with a burning gaze and I knew immediately I'd managed to piss him off which was exactly what I wanted because angry people made mistakes.

A smirk appeared on my face because I was glad I could still hurt him after everything he'd done to me and it felt good to see that rage flicker across his features.

"I pity Tristan the most" he said with devilish glee but I didn't let it get to me even though the mention of Tristan's name made my chest tight with worry.

I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing how much that scared me or how much I needed to know that Tristan was safe.

"Imagine losing your two mates in the hands of the same person" and all the blood drained from my face immediately because those words made my world pause.

Two mates. He'd said two mates.

My knees felt weak and suddenly I couldn't breathe properly.

What was he talking about?

"What did you just say?" The words came out as barely a whisper because my throat had closed up and I felt like the world was tilting sideways beneath me.