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The longer we stayed with the Deofol pack, the weaker my bond with Talia became. I reached out several times. I couldn’t hear her thoughts or feel her emotions, but I could sense her presence at the other end of the thread that connected us. She was alive.
That would have to be enough to satisfy myself and my wolf until she was with us again.
My ears perked at the sound of the main door opening, but I was met with disappointment when I caught the scent of another guard and not my mate. That made two shift changes since she left.
The new guard made the rounds and dished out bowls of salmon and root vegetable scraps for me and the sled dogs confined in the cages around me. It was the best meal I’d had since we surrendered ourselves to the Defol pack.
Grateful for the small comfort of having a full stomach and enough protein to refuel my body, I forced my eyes closed and willed myself to sleep. It didn’t come easy or last for very long. Even at rest, my mind still managed to play out every possible scenario of why Talia was gone so long and what could have happened to her.
The familiar whoosh and click of the airlock opening and closing echoed through the building but I refused to get my hopes up - until I picked up the faint smell of honeysuckle.
Talia.
She’d been brought back under the escort of two wolves I recognized from the summit. Victor and Valerie. The same wolves who set Talia and I on the path to finding the demon wolf pack.
Seeing them on either side of Talia, it was obvious why.
They wanted her to return and spoon fed her just enough information to get her here.
“Galen.” She broke free of their grip, rushed to my cage and reached through the bars. Her fingers grazed my cheek before finding my lips. “Have they let you out at all?”
“For a few minutes. Enough to stretch my legs.” I lied, knowing full well she would sniff it out eventually, but the truth seemed pointless when it only served to upset her.
“Let him out.” She pushed to her feet, rounding on her escorts with her finger pointed. “I know you know the code. Open the cage. Now.”
“I think her new title has gone to her head.” Victor chuckled, flicking his gaze from Talia to his sister and back again. “We’re about to lock you back in your cage. You’re not really in a position to order us around.”
“Oh, just open the door and let him out.” Valerie let out an exasperated sigh as she walked to the back wall and retrieved one of the cattle prods. “If we grant you this small favor, Talia, we expect you to do us one in return.”
“What kind of favor?” Much to my relief, Talia thought with her head and not her heart, and asked for terms before she agreed to anything.
If she wanted to survive, there needed to be a limit to what my freedom - especially a temporary one - would cost her.
“I reserve the right to call the marker in at a time of my choosing.” Valerie tapped the end of the cattle prod against her palm. “That’s my offer and it’s non negotiable.”
I watched the hope drain from her eyes, helpless inside my cage to do anything about it except refuse.
“No.” My muscles cramped in protest of the lost opportunity, but I refused to have Talia indebted to either of them because of me.
“Galen, let me-”
“I’m fine.” I lied again, disappointed with how easy it was to do with our bond broken and her happiness on the line.
She deserved nothing less than my complete honesty and I failed her. Just like I failed to protect her from Bjorn and the demon wolf god.
“See, princess, he’s fine.” Victor strolled over to her cage and unlocked the door. “If you would be so kind.”
Talia knelt before my cage, pressed her face against the bars and kissed every inch of my skin available to her through the narrow slits.
Victor cleared his throat and coughed into his fisted hand. “Princess.”
She left my cage for her own on the opposite side of the aisle and crawled inside. Victor entered the code, took the cattle prod from his sister and returned it to its place hanging from a hook on the wall before escorting Valerie out.
“You’ve been locked up in there the whole time, haven’t you?” Talia peered through the bars on her cage, daring me to lie to her again.
“Yes.” I sighed, unable to hold her gaze or tell another lie, and pressed my forehead against the cold metal door of my crate. “But they’re going to have to let me out of here eventually to use the bathroom or clean up the mess if they don’t.”
“Galen, you should have at least let me try. Just because Valerie said the offer was non negotiable, doesn’t mean it actually was.” Talia turned on her side and mirrored my position. Strands of her golden hair spilled out of the slots between the bars in the window.
