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When he didn’t force me to help out in the camp, I spent time in my cabin making fire, reading books that I stole from our rare visits into town, and catching squirrels or buck for dinner. Back then I cried every time I had to kill for my food. Eventually, I understood that my survival meant they had to die—I didn’t kill unnecessarily or gruesomely like Kellan and the rest of the pack.
During the change, Kellan would bolt my cabin doors and would leave me locked up in chains bolted to a steel rod until late the next afternoon. I managed to get a spare key and started unlocking myself in the mornings.
As I got older, Victor wanted me to be more involved, he didn’t want me left alone for hours and hours. We did horrible things. At first I was in charge of finding victims. I went out with a few other guys and we walked the town until we found humans or other species who were homeless or wouldn’t be remembered. I would deliver them and have to tie them to massive, thick wooden posts in the center of the camp. They’re eyes still haunt me; pleading to be released. None of them knew what would happen to them, but they figured it out when they were faced with the blood soaked sand beneath the posts, the chains that cut into their wrists and ankles, and various torture devices scattered around the “stage.”
When I turned 16, Victor decided that it was time for me to participate. My skin crawled at the memories. He threatened to cut off my fingers and feed them to me if I didn’t do what he asked. I remembered it all—the cries, the blood, the pain as I tore into them and the pack jeered. After two years of that horror I cut the hidden door into my cabin. Every night, before the change, I would turn in early, lock the door, and sneak out into the woods. I started to watch the scout routes and eventually I made it into town.
A year later I built up the courage to make my escape. They caught me outside of Morgan’s bar, and if she hadn’t saved me, I would have died. I still refused to think of those years and what I was forced to do. I hated myself for it, I couldn’t imagine how Morgan or Emily or Cassian would feel if they knew about it.
I made my way along the edge of the camp to a space that was heavily covered with bushes and shrubs. The bushes had a small opening underneath, which gave me enough space to sit and watch over the camp. Once I spotted Gray, I could track him when he left. The only downside was that I would have to leave after sunset because of the change which is when the patrols started to increase. Luckily, there was a place nearby that would allow me to get back early in the morning.
I settled into my compact watching space and pulled out my phone. The service was almost nonexistent and I doubted that I would be able to get a message to Cassian or Emily, but I sent one to each of them to let them know I was here and safe.
As soon as I shoved it back into my pocket, I heard a crunch a few feet from my shrub nest. I held my breath as Kellan’s scent drifted into my space. Please work, necklace… I pleaded in my mind. I was sure he would be able to hear my heartbeat, it was banging against my chest so hard that I could hear it in my ears.
“Any news on the girl? And how did she get past the perimeter guard?” Kellan snarled. I couldn’t see him, but I could feel his proximity. The perimeter guard was useless, I managed to get past three times.
“Sorry, boss. I’m not sure, there was no scent or tracks either. No one in New York has seen her.” The second voice whimpered. “We’ll keep looking.”
Their voices started to fade as they made their way into the camp. I smirked at the strain in Kellan’s voice. He’d obviously received a thrashing from Victor. He only ever got that way after a mistake that he had to answer for. Before, he’d blame it on me and I would get the beating, now that I was gone he had to take responsibility. I released the breath I was holding and spotted the gray blonde hair that belonged to my brother and the shorter male beside him as they made their way back to the camp.
I smirked, I was right under his nose, and he had no idea that I was there. I would have loved to jump him and tie him to one of those poles—one day I would.
My satisfaction turned to ice in my veins as a scream filled the woods—another victim. I had no doubt that Kellan would take his time and that he already had since Emily’s escape—he enjoyed drawing the torture out more when he was angry. Years ago, he bragged that it calmed him down.
Cassian would never have been able to hold himself back from storming into the camp, he would have charged in the moment the scream pierced the air. He would have been beaten up, not killed, but close enough.
The scream echoed through the woods again. I hoped that whoever she was, that she died quickly.
