Tori's POV:
"What the hell were you thinking!?" I held the man in front of me, clutching his shirt with two fists. He was pinned to the wall and looking at me with fear and shock.
"Do you know how many lives you've taken today!?" I growled slowly, grabbing the other conscious boy by the ear. I walked over until they were away from the unconscious one, not wanting to wake him just yet. The boy I held by the ear had black hair that slowly faded to a dark blue with blue eyes and pale skin. He stood tall, probably about 5'11- 6'0 ft maybe. He wore jeans and a blue hoodie with a black undershirt and I could literally smell the fear seeping off of him like a toxic flower trying to snuff you to sleep. My eyes fell on the other boy who's shirt I held still, clenched tightly. He was a little shorter than his buddy standing at maybe 5'9 - 5'10. His eyes were a light brown, his hair a bright blond. He had green round cuff piercings on his higher ear lobes. He wore a white shirt, which was completely see through because of the rain, and baggy jeans. They both wore boots though which shocked me.
I took a deep breath releasing both of them and pointed to the concrete floor of the cellar.
"Sit." Surely enough, both of them sat looking up at me with wide eyes. I felt Jay's arms wrap around my waist again but I could feel his hesitation with his action. I could also feel a little something bulging from his jeans and poking my back. Not right now though.
"You-" I started, pointing to the boy with black and blue hair, "explain, now."
It took him a moment, him glancing at his buddy before looking back up to me. I snapped my fingers, my head tilting and I'm sure my eyes are speaking every emotion I'm feeling.
"We were told they were abandoned..." I glared down at him, biting my tongue. Really? They were just doing it for fun?
"Don't bullshit me." I growled, moving forward to grab him once more. Jay's arms tightened though and kept me locked in place.
Breath, babygirl. We don't know if he's telling the truth. They're boys.
I continued glaring at the boy, mulling over what Jay had whispered in my head.
At 17-18 were you burning down houses and killing people? I sure as hell wasn't.
"Okay, suppose you did think they were abandoned. Why didn't you stop after the first house? I know for a fact someone lived there. Did you not stop after you heard the screaming or saw the fucking bodies!?" My voice grew louder and louder the angrier I got and I could feel the others, no... I could see the others like shadows in a very bright lighted room back away from me everytime I blinked. Except for Jay who kept me rooted in place. The boy looked panicked shaking his head while his buddy just glared off into space looking annoyed.
"That's not true! We didn't see or hear anyone! We were just told we'd get paid if we destroyed the abandoned houses out here! We were told they were abandoned, I swear!" The boy rushed out, shaking his head with a frown. The other boy scoffed, catching my attention.
"Do you have something to say?" I asked lowly, staring at him and just waiting for him to say something stupid. Jay's arms tightened once again. When he looked up, his eyes were hard and cold.
"He's telling you the truth and you aren't a damn role model so quit acting like our mother." His voice was cold and disrespectful. I'm not sure how I did it but one second I was in Jay's arms and the next, I was standing in front of him with my hand stinging. A loud clap had gone through the room and his face was tilted down and to the side, a big red welp forming. I crouched down to be at his level. Who the fuck does he think he is killing Jay's pack and family and then blatantly disrespecting me like that?
"If I were you, I'd keep that smart ass mouth of yours closed. Maybe a few bolts or whippings will help with it." I growled, remembering how just an ounce of disrespect got my ass in trouble big time. The baby began crying again, catching part of my attention. She's probably hungry. I had already checked her for injuries and there were none, thank God.
His eyes grew colder and I could see shock swimming in his eyes.
"Did you know there was a four year old who showed up at our door covered in blood and dirt, soaking from the rain and crying her fucking heart out?" I asked, my voice now scarily calm, keeping eye contact with him to see if I can find any hint of him knowing more, not being truthful, or him not even caring. He did care though. He cared a lot and I knew this by the way his eyes widened and his heartbeat sped up.
"I-" He stopped, looking down. "I didn't know, no. We were told the houses were abandoned." His voice was now so hushed that it was hard to hear and that's when I began to understand that they truly didn't know. These boys wouldn't hurt a fly...
"Who?" I calmed down enough to be gentle with them, looking between the two. They're just boys... When they both looked at each other, I could see loyalty but fear in their eyes.
"The man who took us in a couple of years ago. He's not a good man but-" The blue haired boy started, looking at his buddy.
"He keeps a shelter over our head and food in our bellies." The boy who I had thought was still unconscious was sitting against the wall rubbing his head.
"He took us in. I was 7, those two were both 4. We've been with them since." I looked between the boys and felt a tight pull in my chest and guilt clawing at my throat.
"We just needed the money to try and get our own place to escape him." That was the blond haired kid. I studied each of them, many questions going through my head before looking at Jay who had tensed behind me at these kids' admissions. I could see rage dancing in his now dark blue eyes. When I turned back to the boys, I sighed. I pity their circumstances... I never had it that bad.
"How old are you all?" Jay asked, moved the both of us so we sat against the wall. I don't know much about tornadoes but I am not leaving this cellar until that swirly wind of death and the sirens are gone. The sirens hurt my ears really badly...
"I'm 18." That was the boy, well I guess man, who was unconscious. This man had brown shabby hair with green eyes and olive skin, his build a little more stout like a boxer. He probably stood about 6'0 ft, just a bit shorter than Jay. He wore a green shirt that was tucked in his pants, a belt, and boots. This boy had no hair dye, piercings, or any of that. He just looked like a boy- a man I mean. I keep forgetting he's our age.
"I heard them call you Lucas." Jay stated rather than asked.
"Yeah but you can call me Luke. I'll take responsibility for this if you let them go." Luke seems like a pretty responsible person aside from burning houses down.
"No can do." I answered quickly, shaking my head while standing up. I want the baby back and by the way Gifford handed her over like she was a disease, I'd say I wasn't the only one relieved.
"Why?" His voice was even, calm, but I could still hear him trying to keep his emotions in check. Maybe that's something him and Gifford, or maybe even Colby, can work on together.
"Because I'm not letting y'all go back to a man that hurt you. Nor am I letting you guys leave without a proper investigation of what happened tonight. I have too many questions and we need answers, especially if this is from a man of any sort." I hummed, moving the baby girl who I would probably place at 2 months into my arms.
"You can stay with us for the time being. You'll be staying in our house though because I don't trust y'all yet." That was Jay. His voice wasn't mean or rude, it was just a matter of fact statement. He is the alpha after all.
As I settled down in front of Jay again, I leaned back so my back was against his chest while watching the baby girl who had grown quiet at my gentle rocking. The other two boys haven't answered but if he's 18 then the other boys are either 15 or 16 now.
"And what do we call the two of you?" I asked gently, looking up to the boys who sat against the wall watching the situation.
"Well-" Started the boy with blue hair, "You can call me Lane and this hunk is Jake." I nodded and sighed as the baby girl started crying again.
"Do you know why she's crying?" Jay asked, looking over my shoulder down at the baby.
"Could be from the coldness, could be she's hungry, needs a diaper change, is sleepy and fighting sleep, or she's uncomfortable. Hold on..." I answered, moving my knees up a little so the baby could lay on my thighs without being upside down or too much forward. Her crying sounded like it was about to stop for a hopeful second but picked right back up. I gently undid the blanket, patting her diaper which was sure enough full. I sighed, sadness crawling in my chest.
"Her diaper is full." I wanted to cry. Apparently I can't even take care of this baby.
"Why're you fixing to cry? Mothers usually leave a pack of diapers down here in storage." Jay was laughing at me which made me smile but the tears didn't dry immediately. It took a second, Corrinna and myself both trying to calm down enough and get rid of that painful feeling like there was a worm eating through my chest.
"Is that your baby?" Lane asked, watching the whole transaction with something like envy or sadness around him.
"No. I found her in one of the houses that was burning. Her family was already dead." I whispered, watching Jay who tensed at my words.
"By the fire?" His voice was steely cold and I watched all three boys tense, their eyes swimming with guilt.
"No. That's why we need to figure out who sent them out here and how many houses they were meant to burn. We need that little girl who showed up..." I whispered feeling overwhelmed all the sudden. The murder could still be out there. I could practically hear every one of the boys release a relieved sigh though from not being responsible.
"If not by the fire, then how?" Jay asked, turning to me with furrowed eyebrows. His bright blue eyes were searching mine while his jaw clenched and unclenched on repeat, creating that feather muscle.
"The parents' throats were slit. I'm not sure if anyone else was there, the house was starting to rock because of the wind and smoke was filling the room. I couldn't see or smell much but I heard her coughing and wailing from the heat. A part of her room had caved, her cradle holding a board up." I hummed. I know I should be more worried but with this wailing child in my arms, I felt calm. I grew up with babies and more than not, they were my comfort.
I could see the stress weighing on Jay with this new information and I wanted to help, I just didn't know how. So I did the only thing I could think of.
"Baby, come here." I called, moving so I held the baby in one arm and my other hand was free. He looked at me confused before just accepting whatever was about to happen. He came over and sat carefully in front of me, laying his head on my thigh, leaning the back of it against my stomach.
You wanna talk about it?
Jay just gently shook his head no so I nodded leaning down to kiss his forehead. Then I let my free hand run through his hair while I waited for the diaper that was in his lap.
Baby, can you hand me the diaper?
His arm reached down before the diaper was in the air in front of me.
Thank you.
I took the diaper and laid it down beside me before grabbing the little pink fuzzy blanket I found in her crib and laying it on the concrete so she wouldn't be cold or get scratched up. I gently laid her down, my head cradling her head while I leaned over. They had a very specific way at the facility to take care of the babies to ensure they were safe and nothing we did would kill the baby. I removed the hand that cradled her head but kept a hand on her stomach to let her know I was still here.
"I gotta change you, pretty girl." I whispered, smiling when she smiled for a moment. Her smile is adorable. Her eyes worry me though. One's blue and one's brown, heterochromia if I can remember correctly but that's not what worries me. One eye is really red and the other one seems to be bothering her as she's been blinking a lot.
"You don't think the smoke will blind her, do you?" I asked, worriedly looking at Jay who looked up at me from my lap.
"It's possible. I'll have Lexi check her out." He answered and I could feel him trying to search my mind so I let him in. There wasn't much to see, I kept a lot of my worries and any bad events in the back of my mind locked in a very rickety broken down box. Sure, sometimes they slip out like little sneaky snakes but most times they are okay.
I looked back down to the baby on the pink blanket before looking up and around.
"Do we have wipes?" I asked, wondering if we had water or paper towels. It's not suggested but doing it once won't hurt her. Now if you did it multiple times, that would be another story.
The lights finally kicked back on allowing the whole room to light up. I stared in shock. The room had lights on all sides, there are wooden pull out shelves and drawers that have metal door knobs. There was a pull out bed and couch and two doors that open up to a little kitchen. There was a sink in the kitchen and in the next door there was a pantry that had a lot of canned food, baby formula, jarred food, bottled water, and laundry detergent. There was dried fruit and silverware as well as all types of dishes. Fortunately, I saw there were two baby bottles in there which I thanked the Lord for but as I watched Jay move around looking for wipes, I looked down. What if the hatch is blocked after the sirens stop? It's been nearly 30 minutes since the tornado sirens kicked on, about 20 minutes since the tornado went over us. I had never experienced a tornado before so I feel weirdly excited but numbly scared. I covered her legs and arms with a blanket so she doesn't get too cold. It is really cold here. How are we breathing?
"There are vents and pipes leading into here providing oxygen. Also if something was covering the hatch, they'd find us in less than three days. We have food and water. The only thing we don't have that we should install to upgrade these cellars is heat and toilets." Jay stated, smirking a little when I lifted my eyes to his with shock.
"You forget Andrews entered your head." He laughed, finally finding the wipes in one of the wooden cabinets.
"We'll be okay, babygirl." He stated, moving back and laying back down to how he had once been. Now to wait for the sirens to leave.