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“I can’t. If they hear, it’s over. But I promise you the world isn’t as oblivious as it used to be,” I promised her in a hushed whisper. “Now what do we need to do, to stop this bullshit.”
“Give me your hand.”
That wasn’t exactly something I was excited to do. Not after that show of power and fury. But I complied, resting my palm in her outstretched one.
The moment our skin touched, it felt like a fire-hot coal was squished between us, searing my flesh until I was screaming in pain. She let go and gave me an apologetic look.
“I’d have told you it was painful for wolves, but that doesn’t usually go over well.” I let out a dark chuckle and stepped back, glancing down at my seared palm.
“That’s not surprising,” I said. “Now what?”
“We’re done. Another failed pairing. They’ll ask to see your hand as evidence that we tried,” she said simply. Then her voice dropped. “Save us from this hell wolf and you’ll be rewarded beyond measure.”
“I’m not here for a reward but help is coming,” I promised her again before the door slammed open.
“The storm seems to be over, is that good news?” the guard called out with a lecherous grin. It fell as we held our palms up for him to see. He cursed and all evidence of his joking fell away. “Fuck, Grave is going to go nuclear.”
“That’s what happens when you try and change fate,” the witch said matter-of-fact. He barely cast her a glance of acknowledgment before taking me by the arm and leading me from the cabin.
“Round two, let’s hope for both of your sake that this one takes,” he growled.
Again I was shoved into a cabin with another violently angry witch. She was ready to risk it all but the chains holding her to the wall kept her from taking it too far. It wasn’t easy, but with the same sweet promises of help I’d given the previous witch, she calmed enough to do what we had to, leaving me with another burned palm.
It went on like that for all six of the sheds. And from the trail of guards and angry prisoners behind me, this was just a routine for them. Yet I was in excruciating pain and feeling even more helpless than before. I had a lay of the land now, but along with it came a true understanding of the hell here. And this group wasn’t even the tortured prisoners that we were forced to listen to in our cells most days.
By the time I was shoved back in my cell, I welcomed the darkness that awaited. Holt didn’t speak as I undressed and shifted into my wolf form. The searing pain radiating down my palm transferred to my paw as I shifted. Knowing it would take time I padded to the corner and curled up on the meager blanket I called a bed. Holt didn’t speak as he came over and sat next to me. His hand eventually went to my neck and he scratched softly at the fur there. It was strange to have someone I barely knew be so close, but it felt like we knew each other for years at this point. A friendship built on surviving together was one that didn’t hold the same boundaries as others. And in this moment his hand and presence were the only things holding me tethered to my sanity. This entire compound was fucked up and the level of anger and pain the prisoners endured daily was disgusting.
They’re coming. It’ll be over soon.
Those words replayed in my head, a mantra I used so I didn’t lose myself in this hell. I was an alpha. Being powerless like this wasn’t in my nature and it was taking everything in me to not jump the gun. I had to hold onto the hope that my Luna and my brothers in arms were working diligently to end this. And when they did, I’d be ready and waiting with an army of witches and wolves hellbent on vengeance. I’d planted the seeds of rebellion today, and over the next weeks while I waited, I’d sow them until we were all ready to strike. Grave would atone for his sins and by the time we were done with him and his guards, there would be nothing left.
ChapterTwenty
Leven
Steele was pushing his luck here and it had only been a week or so under his rule. Everywhere I turned, he was there, or one of his minions, waiting for me to slip up. But my guards and I weren’t stupid and we weren’t going to give them the chance.
The community we’d worked years to build was rendered to a misogynistic military operation. The women were forced to clean and cook, the men put to task on reconstructing the buildings that these assholes broke.
Except Antonio.
He had been forced to endure days of interrogation in the security office. They wanted our pack funds and insisted that he had access to them all. He did, but it was well encrypted for a reason and he wasn’t going to budge on his excuse. Saying Callum was the only one with access to it was not good enough for Steele though and he’d push until the end. Having to see new marks and bruises on him every day was pushing me closer and closer to risking it all. But I held back because they needed me.
“Hanging in there?” Emma asked as I went through the food line. Having her back was a relief. Steele had brought her and Ava back before dinner yesterday and I still hadn’t figured out his end game yet. She looked exhausted like we all did but she was attempting to keep up morale. We hadn’t heard from Vanya for days, though I hadn’t expected to either. It was safest for us to be radio silent on all fronts.
“Just peachy,” I deadpanned. “Have you heard from Hades again?” He hadn’t made it a day before his temper got the best of him. They’d thrown him in their guard building and we hadn’t heard from him since.
She blinked away tears. “Yeah. They allowed me to bring him food once. He looks really bad but he promised me he was all right. Even managed to flirt so I’ll take that as a good sign.”
“Five minutes, soldiers, then it’s back to work!” Steele barked the words out loudly enough we heard him inside where the serving line was. That was his favorite game but we’d all adapted and I scarfed down my food before I even hit the door. The tray table was backed up but I added mine on top. Guilt wouldn’t get me anywhere and they could handle the extra dishes. It boiled my blood that he was turning our strong wolves into slaves for his soldiers. The sheer audacity these men had to treat our people like trash was ridiculous. And it was insane that men who were yanked from their own home packs could continue the cycle without a single feeling of guilt. I’d have let them kill me before I’d go and do his bidding like this.
Then again… I had some fucking morals.
Steele started to bark out his daily orders but was cut off when one of his guards ran up. Fury clouded his expression as the guard hissed in his ear and my heart rate spiked in response. Was she back?
“Stay here!” he ordered before running off after them and right for the front gate.
“Like hell,” I growled. “Ready yourselves.” That was the only warning I gave the others before sprinting after Steele and his men. I wanted to watch this grand entrance firsthand.
