Chapter 10

10

T hree days.

That's how long I've been trapped in this cell, and the realization alone makes me want to scream.

I thought for sure that someone would've come for me by now. Or if not, I thought I'd find my own way out of here. Instead, I've spent three days in forced confinement, cycling between depression and desperation and blinding rage, uselessly pleading with fate for some way to escape this nightmare.

Alive and unharmed, preferably.

To add insult to injury, I'm still completely cut off from my inner wolf. I haven't felt her stir at all since I've been here. Her absence is haunting me- it feels like I'm missing an integral piece of my soul without her; part of what makes me, me . I'm starting to worry she'll never come back.

Wolfsbane can't be permanent, can it? I haven't been injected with the stuff in days, so the fact that my wolf's still dormant is concerning, to say the least. Could they be dosing me some other way?

I grunt in frustration at that thought as I continue doing push-ups, irritated that my muscles feel so damn weak right now. My biceps burn with every rep, but I'm not content to just sit in here and do nothing all day, so I've been filling the time with circuit training. The range of exercises I can do is limited by the small space I'm confined to, but at least working out keeps me busy and gives me some sense of purpose. Though it's also frustrating since I'm not used to feeling my muscles fatigue so quickly or the noticeable decrease in stamina.

I don't think I've ever truly realized how much I rely on my wolf until now. I'm still physically strong, but without the capability to rapidly heal, I tire out easily. And my strength is just… less . It's hard to explain, but I feel my wolf's absence in every aspect of my being.

I'll never take her for granted again. And you know what else I now realize I took for granted? Hair ties. My long strands keep getting in the way of my workout, to the point where I wish I could just lob it all off. My hair's a damn mess, and even though I've finger-combed my tresses too many times to count, they're hopelessly tangled. When I get out of here, I'm definitely treating myself to a deep conditioning hair masque and as many hair ties as I can get my hands on.

Rolling over onto my back with a heavy sigh, I tuck my hands behind my head and start doing crunches, eyeing the tray near the cell door each time I curl up. My sexy tattooed warden dropped off the food earlier, but I figured I'd work up an appetite before indulging. Although, if I haven't been injected with wolfsbane again, then maybe they're using the food to dose me…

I curl up to sit as I mull over that possibility, chewing on my lower lip while staring intently at the grey plastic tray. Shit, what if I've been dosing myself by eating the food? I rock forward and crawl over to the tray, pulling it onto my lap as I sit back with my legs folded underneath me.

If they've put wolfsbane in the food, then all I have to do is narrow down which one it's in and avoid eating it. More and more food has been offered to me with each meal, and while a lot of it has varied, one thing has remained consistent since the beginning: the stack of crackers.

If it's in the food, it has to be the crackers.

I'm almost giddy at the realization, clinging to that thread of hope as I start scarfing down everything else on the tray. I need my strength, so I can't exactly go on a hunger strike, but I can leave those chalky crackers the fuck alone. I'm being given enough other food that I won't miss the calories.

After polishing off the fruit and cheese on my tray, I wash it down with a drink from my gallon jug of water. That new addition came yesterday, and I'm thankful I've got constant access to water now. I really didn't want to resort to drinking from the toilet to keep hydrated. The back is welded on, so I'd have to drink straight from the bowl, and ugh … no thanks.

With my luck, Cam would catch me doing it and make a dickish remark about me being a dog or something. He's such a goddamn prick. As nice as the man is to look at, every time he opens his mouth, I just want to punch him in it. In fact, next time I have the opportunity, I think that's exactly what I'll do.

Maybe if I can get my wolf back, I'll be able to overpower him and get the hell out of here.

Leaving the crackers on my tray, I return it to the floor near the cell door and resume my workout with a renewed sense of purpose. I need to stay in fighting shape for when my wolf returns. The coded door at the top of the stairs may present a challenge, but perhaps I can force Cam to cooperate if I get the upper hand.

He's a mystery, my captor. The things he says are at odds with the way he looks at me. While his words have been harsh and unforgiving, I swear I've caught glimpses of other emotions in his eyes. Sympathy. Excitement. Desire . It'd sure be fucking helpful if I could harness that last one, because there's no better time to get the jump on someone than when they've got their pants down.

I haven't had much of a chance to lay any more groundwork for that, though. He'd said he was going to interrogate me yesterday, but both times he dropped off my food, he didn't stick around to chat. Not that I'd tell him shit anyways. I'd rather cut off one of my own limbs than put anyone I love at risk of being harmed by these lunatics, but if I could at least get to know him more, I'd be able to identify his weaknesses to use against him.

I'm doing jumping jacks when I hear the now-familiar beep of the door at the top of the stairs unlocking, followed by the lights flicking on overhead. Not pausing my workout, I continue jumping as I glance over toward the stairs, and sure enough, Cam comes into view as he reaches the bottom, his gaze pinging to my bouncing tits.

To be fair, it's probably hard not to look with the ridiculous way they're bouncing right now. These idiots didn't think to give me a bra and mine is likely still on the floor of the bathroom down the hall. After my shower, I was provided with a plain white t-shirt and a pair of black boxers, neither of which actually fit. The oversized shirt is like a dress on me, landing at my mid-thigh, and I had to roll the waistband of the boxers a half a dozen times to get them to fit snugly on my hips. Pretty sure the clothes belong to Cam. They smell like him.

Not that I've been sniffing this t-shirt embarrassingly often or anything.

I had to get creative with my attire once I decided I was going to do a circuit workout, so I folded up the hem of the shirt and secured it tightly around my chest so I wouldn't knock myself out with a boob. Okay, maybe slightly exaggerating there, but they're big enough to bounce excessively, and if his intense stare is anything to go by, then the warden has definitely noticed .

As if he suddenly realizes that he's been staring, he deliberately looks away, stabbing his fingers through his dark curly hair as he strides toward my cell. I just keep right on jumping as if he's not even here. As if I didn't just catch him checking out my rack.

He toys with the keys in his hand as he approaches my cell door, sticking one in the lock and pausing before turning it. I clock him eyeing the tray on the ground, frowning before he glances up to meet my eyes. "You didn't eat all your food," he murmurs, a little crease forming between his brows and his expression tightening.

Guess that confirms I was right about the crackers.

"Trying to cut back on carbs," I say flippantly, though it comes out breathy and stilted since I still haven't paused my jumping jacks.

Cam's jaw clenches, the muscle in it feathering. He stares at me pensively for a long moment, like he's trying to work something out, but then he just shakes his head with a scowl. "Finish eating and I'll take you for a shower."

I stop jumping, panting as I raise an arm to wipe sweat from my brow. "Just dying to see me naked again, huh?" I scoff.

His eyes darken. "Don't flatter yourself, beastie."

Turning the key in the lock, he pushes open the cell door while I roll my eyes and snort a laugh. " Please . You want me so badly you can't even stand it."

I expect him to sling back some snide retort, but instead, he catches me off guard by stepping into my cell, stalking toward me with a predatory gleam in his eye. I'm so taken aback by his approach that I don't even have time to process what's happening before he's backing me up into the rear wall, pinning me against it with his massive form and pressing a tattooed forearm firmly to my throat.

"You couldn't be more wrong, yet here you are, throwing yourself at me again," he growls, the low, gravelly tone of his voice giving me the good kind of shivers. "Could you be any more desperate?"

My pussy is a damn traitor, because as hateful as this man is- as much as I loathe him and everything he stands for- the bitch has the nerve to get wet in response to that sexy ass voice of his and the weight of his hard body pressed against mine. And seriously, why the fuck does he have to smell so damn good? Maybe it's just because he's clean and I'm badly in need of another shower. Yeah, that's it.

I roll my eyes again, trying my best to appear unaffected by him as I wet my lips with my tongue. I'm not even surprised when his smoldering gaze drops to my mouth before pinging back up to meet mine.

"Tell me, Luna, does your Alpha mate know what a slut you are?" he asks mockingly.

I laugh in his stupidly gorgeous face in response. I can't help it; this moron really thinks I'm mated to my brother .

Anger flashes in his eyes and he presses his forearm in tighter against my throat. "What's so funny?"

"You've seen me naked! Do I look like I'm marked to you?" I cackle.

His brows furrow in confusion, his tight hold on me slipping. "Marked?"

I take advantage of his momentary puzzlement, planting my palms against his chest and shoving him away hard. "Yeah, dumbass. When wolf shifters mate, they mark one another. Did they leave that out of your ‘Shifter Hunting for Dummies' manual?"

He takes a menacing step toward me, but I quickly react and jump sideways, recognizing this as a prime opportunity to get the hell out of dodge. The cell door's wide open, so Cam's big ass is the only thing standing between me and freedom right now.

Too bad he's on me so fast that I can barely even blink. His burly arm locks around my waist as I go to dart past him for the door, hauling me back into him.

"Let me go!" I grit out, throwing an elbow into his ribs. At the same time, I use my other hand to grab onto his fingers, bending them back sharply. He hisses a breath in through his teeth and his grip on my waist falters marginally- just enough for me to twist around and jab a knee into his groin.

Hey, I never said I'd fight fair.

"Bitch!" Cam chokes, but even though his face screws up in pain, he doesn't let go of me. And when I throw my weight into him to try to knock him off balance, it only sends both of us crashing to the hard concrete floor.

His large body mostly breaks my fall, but he's quick to recover from the impact, the two of us rolling together on the ground as we grapple for the upper hand. I use everything I know from my years of squad training, throwing punches and kicks at his body. My opponent dodges every blow with finesse- I'd almost be impressed if I didn't hate him so much. Almost. I'm literally fighting for my life, so when my fist finally connects with his nose and blood sprays from his nostrils, a sick surge of satisfaction burns through my veins.

"Fucking stop !" Cam barks, somehow managing to get his hands around both of my wrists and flip me underneath him. He pins me with his much larger body, chest heaving as he glares down at me with blood dripping from his nose. "You really think you're any match for me, little girl?"

I jerk my head up, slamming my forehead into his. Probably not my best defensive maneuver, since it hurts me just as badly as it must hurt him, but the pained groan that slips from his throat on impact gives me a twisted sense of victory, even if he doesn't let up on his hold.

"The fuck is your problem?" he snarls, tightening his grip on my wrists to the point of pain.

I flinch, and he must see it because he subtly readjusts his hands, still keeping me locked in place but in a decidedly more comfortable way.

"My problem , asshole, is that you're literally holding me hostage," I seethe, still writhing beneath him in an effort to get free. He's too damn strong, though. Too big. And now that he's got me pinned, I'm at a severe disadvantage. " Let. Me. Go! "

To my surprise, he actually does. He shoves up to his feet, wiping at his nose angrily as he backs into the doorway of my cell, blood streaking over the back of his hand. "Do I need to get you a fucking shock collar or something?" he sneers, his upper lip curling in disgust.

I huff out a breath as I scramble up from the floor, fists clenched and ready for round two. Much to my disappointment, he doesn't meet my challenge for a rematch. Instead, he grabs onto the bars of the door and slinks back another step, swinging it closed in front of him with a metallic clang.

"Clearly you can't be trusted to leave your cell right now," Cam says flatly, twisting the key in the lock. "If you want to shower, you're going to have to learn how to behave yourself." He jerks his chin down to indicate the tray on the floor. "And eat your food, or I'll assume you're not hungry and stop bringing it."

"Screw you, Cam," I spit.

There's a flash of surprise on his face at my use of his name, his fists clenching at his sides and the muscle in his jaw ticking. He opens his mouth as if to respond, but then he clamps it closed again, shaking his head with a scowl. Guess I caught him off guard with that one.

Turning on a heel, he stalks away silently, his movements jerky and his shoulders bunched with tension. Shit, if I knew calling him by his name would provoke such a reaction, I would've done it sooner.

Like clockwork, the door at the top of the stairs slams, and I take a moment to brush off my clothes and readjust the way my shirt's tied before resuming my jumping jacks. If I'm going to beat this guy at his own game, then I need to keep up with my workouts and build my strength. Because I will find a way to escape this cell.

Even if it's the last thing I do.