Chapter 24

24

T he bright light of the moon shines in through the little window at the rear of my cell, illuminating the space within and tempting my wolf to come out to play.

Soon.

It won't be long now until I'm running through the forest with the wind in my fur and the earth beneath my paws, bound for my home territory. I admittedly have no grasp as to what direction that's in from here, but my wolf will know. She's connected to the land through our pack bond. I have total faith that she'll get us there, so long as I do my part in getting us out of here, first.

All the pieces of my plan are firmly in place. The wolfsbane has fully left my system, my inner animal is ready to run, and the moon is full, lending her even more strength. The only wildcard is Cam. Everything hinges on him coming down here and unlocking that cell door, so now I just have to blindly hope he'll react how I need him to when the time comes.

I didn't ask to be assaulted, but at least I got something out of it. The way Cam swooped in to save me solidified that I've successfully won him over with my honey trap, giving me the confidence I need to go forward with my plan. He's spent every night since then camped out on the floor outside my cell, silently pulling guard duty so I can get some actual rest. I give him shit about it, telling him I'm fine, but he still stays. The dude's obviously obsessed with me.

Too bad I'm about to rip his heart out. Literally, maybe. I haven't decided how I'm going to kill him yet, but that has to be part of the plan if I'm actually going to get away this time. If I don't take him out, he'll just come after me again and toss me right back in this cell. It's a necessary evil. It's the only way I'll ever be free.

Still, each time I think about going through with it, my gut churns and the bitter taste of bile crawls up my throat. It's a big departure from the way I used to actively fantasize about killing the guy, which only makes me realize that in manipulating Cam to form an attachment to me, I've unwittingly formed my own to him. I sleep like a baby when he's down here standing watch, meaning subconsciously, I feel safe with him. And when I'm awake, our top-notch banter keeps my blood pumping. I know he's still technically the enemy, but he's not all bad.

Or maybe I'm just a sucker for red flags.

Blowing out a shallow breath, I roll onto my side on the cot and crane my neck to look behind me toward the window. Judging by the position of the moon in the night sky, it's time. My heart skips a beat at the realization, my palms going clammy as I suck in a shaky breath.

I can do this.

The first step is setting the stage. Cam's no Prince Charming, but the man clearly can't resist a damsel in distress. He proved that when he gunned down two of his own men for me. It's an easy enough role to play, considering I'm being held captive against my will and just survived an assault attempt. It doesn't take much to tug on the threads of trauma that have been woven over the past couple weeks and force myself to actually feel my emotions. I've been pushing them aside in favor of remaining focused on getting out of here, but now it's time to let the warden see me cry.

Tears spring to my eyes as I think about my family and what they must be going through right now. About my friends and all the people I've been missing; people I'd give anything to get back to. As they start to slide down my cheeks, I push up from the cot, walking over to the window and peering outside. The full moon is at its peak. My inner wolf stirs in response, my skin tingling with the urge to shift.

I squeeze my eyes closed as I spin to face the camera mounted in the corner of my cell, putting my back to the wall below the window and sliding down it dramatically. I don't want to risk my wolf showing herself in my irises, so I bury my face in my hands as I fold to the floor, a shuddering sob racking my body.

I'm not even faking it. Now that I've opened the floodgates, the repressed emotions are pouring out of me- all the anger, the fear, and the desperation I've felt over being taken captive. The blind hope for getting out of here alive and the overwhelming grief I feel about the way I have to do it. Preying on Cam's emotions just to end his life makes me every bit the monster he's labeled me as, but it's him or me.

I let myself have a good cry over it all, and sure enough, within a few minutes, I hear the lock panel at the top of the stairs beep. I hear the familiar thud of his boots on the steps, landing on the concrete floor and pacing over to my cell. I don't even have to look up to know that Cam's the one at the door, the keys clinking as he turns the lock. I know how he smells, how he moves. Shit, at this point, I even know how he breathes. I guess when you're deprived of everything but basic necessities and exposed to only one person for an extended period of time, you memorize them.

At the creak of the cell door opening, I glance up to meet his eyes, a fat tear sliding down my cheek. The sight of it beckons him closer, exactly as I'd hoped .

It takes little effort to call my wolf forward. As soon as I reach for her, she barrels through my mental barriers, the air shimmering around my body as she forces herself through. My bones snap and rearrange, my clothing tears and falls away. It might be the quickest I've ever shifted. In a blink, I've fully embodied my inner animal, my lips curling back in a snarl as I bare my teeth at Cam.

Surprise, bitch.

I've imagined the various ways revealing my wolf to Cam might play out, most of which involved him gasping in shock and stumbling back, completely caught off guard by my ability to shift. That's not what happens, though. Instead, he lets out an agonized yell, clutching at his head and folding at the waist. The unmistakable pop of bones echoes through the cell and he falls to the ground as his legs give way beneath him, the air around his body shimmering.

What the actual fuck is happening right now?!

I look on in horror as thick dark fur sprouts from his corded forearms and the fabric of his clothing rips away, a wolf taking shape. I've never seen such a slow, clumsy shift before, but that's exactly what this is. Cam is transforming into a wolf. A fucking Alpha wolf, judging by his size.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

The air clears, and the animal left standing in Cam's place is truly a sight to behold. His glossy fur is black as night, his eyes like liquid gold. He might just be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, but that's not the real kicker. It's the way my own wolf goes feral in response to seeing him, which can only mean one thing.

Mate.

An intense sensation of euphoria rushes through me as I'm overwhelmed by Cam's citrus and clove scent, drinking it in like oxygen. I'm simultaneously shocked and giddy, distraught and delighted. If I thought my emotions were heavy before, it's nothing compared to now. Now, it's like they're amplified tenfold, crashing into me like a goddamn freight train and nearly knocking me off my feet.

As abruptly as my wolf pushed forward, she's kicked back into the recesses of my consciousness, and despite it being involuntary, I easily shift back into my human form.

I can't say the same for Cam.

He's having a hell of a time with his shift, his animalistic roar dissolving into a human scream as his wolf pulls back. His inky black fur recedes into his tattooed skin, his face contorting in agony as his bones pop and his body rearranges itself. When the air finally clears, he's slumped over, panting and sweating, the tattered remains of his clothing hanging off him in shreds. And when he lifts his head and our gazes collide, I feel the jolt of the fated bond between us snapping into place.

"Oh hell no!" I blurt, eyes flying wide as I blink at my captor in disbelief. " You ?! No, no, no ! You've gotta be fucking kidding me!"

Cam isn't paying attention to my meltdown, though, because he's in the midst of his own. He's choking on air as he struggles to catch his breath, staring down at his hands like they don't even belong to him. "Wha… what did you do to me?" he rasps, his horrified gaze lifting to meet mine.

"You're a shifter ?" I spit, pointing an accusatory finger in his direction. "You're hunting your own kind?!"

"I'm not a fucking werewolf!" he shouts back.

Is this guy for real right now?

"Clearly you are," I scoff, stumbling back a step as my whole world is knocked off balance. My mind is spinning, my wolf chanting a chorus of mate in my brain like a broken record while I try to shut her up so I can fucking think.

This can't be happening. Shifters have a distinct scent, and I've never smelled it on Cam before. Except now… fuck, I smell it now ! How the hell is this possible? And why is he acting just as shocked about this turn of events as I am? !

"What did you do to me?" Cam demands, his tone edged with panic. "Did you bite me or something?!"

"What do you think this is, Teen Wolf?" I snort, rolling my eyes. "Being a shifter is genetic, not a fucking disease!" I throw up my arms in exasperation. "Do you really expect me to believe you didn't fucking know?!"

He goes to take a step toward me, but then his eyes flash gold and he doubles over again, clutching his head in pain. "Make it stop!" he yells as the air starts to shimmer around his body, dark fur sprouting from his skin, then receding.

Honestly, it's almost as painful to watch as it looks like it is to endure. I remember my first few shifts as being uncomfortable, but since my brother's wolf manifested first, he helped coach me through them until shifting became second nature. It's painless so long as you don't resist.

Cam's clearly resisting his wolf, and the result is horrific. This was supposed to be my opening to subdue him and get the hell out, but instinctually, I want to help him. I need to help him.

"Stop resisting!" I shout over the sounds of his agonized groans, moving closer as the loud pop of a bone shifting in his leg brings him to his knees. "Accept your wolf, let him through!"

He lifts his head weakly, his eyes flashing chaotically from dark to gold as they land on me. "Just get out!" he bellows.

Dude is having a really bad time right now.

My inner wolf whines as she watches Cam through my eyes with hearts in hers, urging me to stay and help our mate, but fuck that. Shifter or not- mate or not - he's still the man responsible for my captivity. This is the opening I've been waiting for, and he just told me to leave. Why the hell would I stick around?

I dart past him toward the cell door, skidding to a stop and whipping around to ask, "What's the code?"

Cam screams out in torment again, clawing at his head as another snap of his bones takes him down to the ground. "B-back way," he pants, chest heaving as he reaches an arm out to gesture vaguely toward the hallway in the opposite direction of the bathroom. "The old s-storm cellar," he chokes. "Two four one four five!"

Shit, he's a mess. As much as my wolf doesn't want to leave her mate, I'm in fucking survival mode here, so I do what I have to. I bury her as deep as I can, ignoring her keening cries to stay and help. I sprint out of the cell and down the dark hallway, turning the knob on the only door at the end. It opens to a cramped, oddly shaped room with a short set of stairs at the back, leading up to an angled door with a keypad affixed to the rusted lock.

One way out of here, my ass.

I cringe at the sound of a wolf's pained howl echoing down the hall as I ascend the steps two at a time, punching in the numeric sequence that Cam gave me on the keypad. The light turns green as the lock disengages, and I shove at the door, forcing it back.

I suck in a ragged breath of fresh air as I climb out, relishing in the sweet taste of freedom.