Ty woke up slowly, disoriented and aching everywhere.
The bed beneath him was nothing like the thin, lumpy mattress in his assigned quarters.
This one was large, firm yet plush, with soft dark sheets that smelled faintly of gun oil, sweat, and something that was unmistakable.
Noah's scent.
Ty's eyes snapped open. He was in Noah's private quarters—the same room where everything had spiraled out of control the night before.
His body hurt. Deep, throbbing pain radiated from his ass and lower back. His thighs felt bruised, his hips sore from being manhandled. Every small shift sent fresh reminders of the night's events through him.
Cum and lube still leaked slowly from his hole, making him clench involuntarily and wince.
Ty sat up with a groan, the movement pulling at abused muscles.
The room was a disaster—sheets twisted and stained, pillows scattered, a lamp knocked over, clothes torn and discarded on the floor. The heavy scent of sex still hung thick in the air.
Memories crashed over him like a wave.
Noah throwing him onto the bed.
Ripping his clothes off.
Four thick fingers stretching him open while edging his cock.
Being folded in half and fucked mercilessly while standing on the bed.
The brutal pounding in missionary, Noah licking the old scar near his eye.
Being spooned and fucked slow and deep while Noah sighed in peaceful relief as his black veins disappeared.
Ty's stomach churned violently.
He barely made it to the edge of the bed before throwing up on the floor, bile and what little he'd eaten the day before splattering across the concrete.
His childhood friend—the sweet, innocent Noah who used to share his last scraps of food and laugh at his terrible jokes—had turned into this unrecognizable monster who had fucked him raw, filled him with cum, and whispered possessive filth while he was drugged out of his mind.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, breathing hard. "Fuck… fuck."
Noah wasn't in the room.
Good.
Ty forced himself to stand on shaky legs. His ass throbbed with every step as he found a set of spare black clothes folded on a chair that was probably left for him.
He dressed quickly, wincing as the fabric brushed sensitive skin. The clothes were slightly too big, but they covered the bruises and bite marks.
Ty took the opportunity to search the room.
He rifled through drawers, checked under the bed, scanned the desk covered in maps and reports.
Nothing useful.
No keys, no documents about the locked bolted door, no hints about what Noah was doing with the captured fleshbounds.
He stepped into the bathroom and immediately froze.
The large walk-in shower brought back vivid flashes of the first time—Noah pressing him against the glass, fingers inside him, grinding their cocks together until they both came.
Ty backed out quickly, rubbing his face hard.
"Fuck this," he growled, anger and shame burning in his chest.
He wasn't gay.
He had never been into guys. Yet he had moaned like a whore under Noah, had come multiple times while that monster fucked him senseless.
And he had been the bottom—taken, used, filled. The thought pissed him off more than anything.
Ty left Noah's quarters, moving carefully through the corridors toward the training center.
Every step sent a dull ache through his ass, but he forced himself to keep going. He wouldn't let this break him in.
The training grounds were busy as usual.
Soldiers sparred, ran drills, and lifted weights under harsh lights.
Rafe was overseeing a group of newer recruits, barking orders.
"Ty," Rafe said, noticing him immediately. He looked him over with a frown. "You look like shit. Feeling better after yesterday? You disappeared pretty quick."
Ty forced a nod. "Yeah. Just needed rest. I'm fine now."
He didn't wait for more questions.
He headed straight for the heavy bags and started punching with everything he had, ignoring the pain radiating from his lower body.
Each impact jolted through him, but he welcomed it. Pain meant he was still in control and wasn't losing his shit.
A short distance away, a woman was training hard on her own—tall, muscular, with short-cropped dark hair and sharp features.
She moved with confident precision, sweat glistening on her toned arms as she practiced knife forms.
She was attractive in a dangerous, capable way.
It had been a long time since Ty had really talked to a woman.
The underground was mostly men, and the few women were usually paired off or focused on survival.
Ty wiped sweat from his brow and approached her during a break, offering a small smile.
"Hey. You're one of the higher ranks, right? I saw you during the last supply run. Impressive form."
She turned, raising an eyebrow but looking mildly amused.
"Kara," she said, voice steady. "And you're the new hotshot with the perfect dart shot. Ty, right?"
"Yeah. Mind if I join you for a bit? Been a while since I sparred with someone who actually knows what they're doing."
Kara smirked. "Flattery already? Bold. Sure. But don't expect me to go easy."
They fell into light conversation as they trained together—trading tips, joking about the rookies, the usual surface horror stories.
Ty turned up the charm, complimenting her strength and precision. If he could butter her up, maybe get close to someone higher-ranked, he could fish for information about the locked door… or at least find some normal human connection.
Pleasure would be a bonus, if she wanted it. Anything to feel in control again.
"Want to grab something to eat after this?" Ty asked, flashing a grin. "I owe you for the tips."
Kara laughed. "Smooth. Yeah, why not. Mess hall in thirty?"
"Perfect."
A short distance away, Jax watched the entire exchange with narrowed eyes.
Jealousy twisted in his gut.
He had been trying to get closer to Ty for days, and now this? Rafe was saying something to him, but Jax barely heard it.
Up on the elevated balcony overlooking the training grounds, Noah walked with a small group of his inner circle, discussing the captured fleshbounds.
His eyes immediately locked onto Ty talking and laughing with Kara.
The sight sent a surge of possessive rage through him.
Ty should still be exhausted, asleep in his bed. Instead he was flirting with someone else right after their heated night together tangled in the sheets.
It almost felt like cheating.
Noah's jaw tightened.
The faint black veins under his skin pulsed once.