Never Give Up

Chapter 2 - Zane

My heart broke when I finally got around to getting into seeing her, it completely shattered when she told me she wasn’t Reece. Where the f**k was she then? And who the hell was in that room? Mother fucker.

“Zane!” the rage of the one and only Alpha of this family.

“Lord Almighty above, give me strength,” I mutter to myself. “Yes. You called?” I sneer back.

“Boy, it would do you some good to remember who I am and what I do. I demand respect from you. Just because you are family doesn't mean I won't rip your throat out.”

"I'd like to see you try" Asher speaks to me. Grumbling to myself, I try not to make him even angrier. His face gets red, brighter than a tomato. Now that s**t makes me laugh.

“Dad, seriously, you need to chill the hell out before you have an aneurysm or something. Lord knows your heart won’t take kindly to you bursting a blood vessel,” I say, a small smirk on my face.

I really don’t know why he’s so upset. Personally, I think if anyone should be upset, it should be me. Or perhaps the girl who isn’t the one who he clearly thinks she is. A girl I don’t even know, but I am really concerned why she is here locked away in a closet-sized room. s**t, this is going to end badly for someone. Knowing my luck, it will be me.

Sighing, my shoulders slump as I think of damn, what’s her name? She’s now trapped in that room. How the f**k am I going to get her out of here? The girl was beautiful, and what I can only imagine as flawless skin is now marked with bruises, her soft, chocolate-brown hair matted and in need of a good wash. Her soft, rosy lips are now dry and cracked, and her amazing hazel eyes, which once shone with love, are dull and lifeless. Her spirit is damaged, but I shall do everything in my power to build her back up and make her whole once again. That bastard is going to pay for what he has done to her.

Leaving the lounge as he settles down to watch f**k knows what on the TV, stuffing his fat face with more junk than the city dump will see in its lifetime, I quietly walk down the hall. I need to know she’s okay.

Standing outside her door, I can hear her screaming, breaking my heart. I unlock the door and make my way in. She seems to relax a little when she realizes it’s me, she looks exhausted.

“s**t, baby, everything is going to be okay. I will get you out. I promise. You just need to give me some time.” I run to her and wrap my arms around pulling her slender frame against my own. I can’t believe how broken she is, and that bastard did this to her, you just can’t pick your family.

“Motherfucker,” I growl. This s**t needs to end now. I’m going out of my freaking mind trying to come up with an idea to get her out of here.

I cradle her closely, however she fights me. Clawing her nails over any exposed flesh. Wrapping my arms over hers, so I am able to pin them to her sides. I love the fact she still tries to fight, even a small chuckle escapes my mouth.

Even her scent is driving me crazy, that alone should have told me it wasn't Reece. I take a deep inhale of her sunflowers and honey scent.

It isn’t much longer when she finally lets me win, I start to feel her breath slow to a steady pace. Knowing she has fallen asleep from exhausting herself in fighting me. I lay her down, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

As I leave the room, I look back at her sleeping peacefully without a care in her world…no drama, no pain, momentarily escaping the nightmares. Closing and locking the door once more, I make my way to the gym. I’m in major need of relieving some of this damn frustration.

Changing into some gym shorts and removing my shirt, I start by doing a gentle jog on the treadmill before upping the speed and incline. I keep pounding my feet on the rotating belt, trying to get my body to loosen up. Yeah, right. Like that’s going to happen.

After an hour on the treadmill, my legs feel like rubber, so I head to the punching bag. I picture my Dad on the bag and let my arms rip against the leather, feeling my muscles shake at the impact as I punch harder and harder, pushing myself to rip that bastard to pieces.

It isn’t easy be a part of this family, for sure it sucks f*****g ass when you want nothing to do with this lifestyle. Why do I stick around? Because of situations like this, where someone I care for can be in trouble and I’m some kind of buffer to stop it, or at least muffle the blows.

“Zane... Zane, where the f**k are you, boy?”

Growling, I hit the bag one more time as Dad walks through the door.

“What do you want?” I pant.

I completely fail at keeping my anger at bay. I have so much adrenaline pulsing through my body, my wolf Asher is snarling in my mind, one wrong move from him and I’m going to rip him apart.

“I need you to go pay a visit to the warehouse on the west side. It’s important and I only trust you to do it.”

Smirking at his comment, knowing what will happen when I get there, I say, “Sure. I just need to go shower, then I’ll be on my way.”

Smiling, I head upstairs to grab a quick shower and get my s**t together. Leaving the girl will be hard, but this is a plan that needs to stay on track.

I send a text to Rafe when I get to my room.

Dude, any chance u can get to the packhouse?

Sure. Is that fucker there?

Yeah, he is, but so is Reece

Ur shittin’ me, right?

Wish I was. She’s completely falling apart. Think I’m being set up, too. I’m bein’ sent to the other compound. Oh, and when I say Reece…I mean her twin sister, it’s all a f**k up. Just get here man

FUCK! What do u need me to do?

Just get here for the girl.

I’ve got it covered!

I know this is going to end badly. I could see in that fucker’s eyes that he was setting me up, which is why I asked Rafe to keep an eye on the Reece lookalike. He’s my brother and the only one I trust with my life. We’ve been causing trouble together since day one, and Mom had her work cut out with the pair of us.

Once I’m showered and dressed, I scribble a quick note for the girl so she doesn't worry, even though I know she isn’t completely happy or comfortable with me at the moment.

Grabbing my bag and cell, I make my way back to her room, pushing the note under the door so I don't disturb her any more than she already has been. She needs time to adjust to what has happened the last few days, and I know I am not someone she needs to see right now.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’ll make it better. I swear,” I whisper, pressing a hand to the cool wood of her door.

I move away to go in search of Alpha, still trying to formulate a plan.

All I want to do is go in there and comfort her, tell her everything is going to be okay and that I won’t let anybody hurt her anymore. Walking away from her is the hardest thing I've ever done, but I know I must to protect her.

Rafe has been here every step of the way. As much as I think he is a prick at times, there is just something about him that makes being here easier.

I smile to myself as I think of that boy… No, wait. Rafe is all man now. He would make the underware of a saint fall-down and turn the most butch lesbian into a drooling schoolgirl.