Chapter 96 Chapter 96
Calum stared at the closed door for what could have been hours. Lately his life seemed to be taking turns that he never could have predicted. Then again, who in their right mind could possibly imagine any of this happening. That was it right there, he was now positive he had some sort of brain damage from hitting his head. Rather than demand some god damned answers, he joked with her.
Heaving out a sigh, he rotated his shoulders to get the blood flowing. At least he could move his arms now, she’d at least given him that. He looked down at his crotch, ok, maybe she gave him a bit more. Because that was normal, getting turned on while being held against your will… and what possessed him to smell her, he had no idea. One of my least brilliant ideas, ever. Clouding his mind with thoughts like that wasn’t what he needed. Whether the drugs they’d hit him with were still in his system, he didn’t know, but he was already having a hard time staying alert and focused. Although, right now he was focused on a closed door. He had no idea why checking her scent seemed so important, and he could barely smell over the bloody stench in this place. He thought for a second he smelled cinnamon, but that was impossible, this certainly wasn’t a bakery. When she’d looked at him with tears in her eyes, he felt like someone stabbed him in the chest. Calum glanced down at his chest, like he was going to find a knife sticking out of it. He could take on full-grown shifter in animal form, any species going berserk, but a single tear, hell, even the glisten of one and he turned pure coward.
Seriously, what was with people not knowing what they were lately? First Rayne… she had a good reason, her parents died before telling her. That almost excused the reason Kelsey didn’t know, except the fact she lived with other shifters every day after that. But this one… whoever she was… as far as he could tell was surrounded by cats, so many cats and they even had a fetish for collecting extras and chaining them to walls!
Had he agreed to help her? He went over everything that was said and still wasn’t sure. Maybe when… if she did come back tonight, he could persuade her to let him go. Shit. She said the collar needed a key? Reaching both hands up, he felt his way around the metal collar on his neck. No wonder his collarbone was killing him, damn thing had to be half an inch thick. Shit! It did feel like it needed a key at the back. Was that something the guard would carry on him or leave at a desk…
He really wanted to pace right now, not to mention he’d lost all feeling in his ass yesterday sometime. Closing his eyes, he concentrated and tried to see if he could hear anything outside the walls of the room. Huffing out a breath, he opened them again. Nothing. This place was solid, unless it was right outside his room, he was hearing nothing.
The door swung open and the guard walked in. “Figured a shower would be good while Shaelan has you doped up.”
Calum slumped his head down a bit and tried to look dopey. This might be my chance to get the fuck out of here.
The guard stepped closer and held up a rubber covered bar with a clasp at the end. “See this?” He clicked a switch on the handle and sparks arced out of the end. “This is clipped to your collar, so don’t try nothing.”
Or not. Holy fuck, he’d be a vegetable if he zapped this metal around his throat with that thing, if not completely dead. Well, at least he was going to get to stand up and wash off this stink. Maybe he could figure out more if he got to see outside this room. He relaxed his whole body and fought the urge to beat the guard to a pulp with his own lightening rod, as he moved around to do something with the chains.
“Okay, buddy, it’s on your collar so behave like a good kitty.” He laughed at his own quip.
He let him lift his arm while he undid the cuff at his wrist. I’ll show you a good kitty just as soon as you take that thing off my neck.
“Normally there’s two of us to take you to the showers, but Shaelan said you’ll be docile most of the day.” He chuckled, “don’t know what she gave you, but it makes my job easier.”
He stored that fact for later use. With only one, he may have a shot at this. Shaelan. At least he knew her name, that was more than he’d learned the whole time he’d been here.
Calum wasn’t faking when he stumbled as he tried to get to his feet. Every muscle was numb or so stiff he could barely move. The guard wasn’t overly helpful either, not moving the bar attached to his neck as he stumbled, choking him a few times in the process. I get out of this and I’m going to beat on every single… male, I come across.
“Slowly now, you hit the floor and I’ll have to call for help to get you back up.”
It took a lot of determination to keep his head hung down, so his hair blocked his expression. That guard needed to shut up and not make him do something that was going to get him electrocuted.
Once out into the hall, he walked slowly, staggering a bit here and slight stumble there, so he had more time to look around and see if he could figure out the place.
The walk wasn’t as long as he would have liked. All he got to see was a hallway with a door at the end, and four more closed doors before they reached the shower room.
He had him strip and stand facing him with his arms straight out as he clipped his collar to a locked clasp behind the shower. Flipping the water on, the guard went and stood by the door.
Calum looked at the empty soap holders and glanced at the seat at the end of the waist high stall, no soap or shampoo there.
When he finally accepted this wasn’t a bathe clean deal, only a warm rinse, he turned to put his face into the spray, which was more of an excited trickle than actual pressure. A movement beside him almost jolted him out of his supposed dopey act. He turned his head to find Dale, one of the men he had been coming to find—chained to the shower wall three feet away.
Dale’s eyes widened, so Calum gave a quick shake of his head so he wouldn’t say anything to give away the fact they knew each other. He still didn’t know what was going on in this place, but giving them information about fellow clan members to use against them, was never a good idea.
“I’m down here.” The guard bellowed from the door.
Calum turned to see what was going on… stitches, shit. He turned again to get the injured area out of the water. The guard gave them a quick look, then walked out the door and out of sight.
Dale looked over his shoulder at the door, then stepped as close as he could with the length of chain he’d been given. “How the hell did they get you?”
“With two darts.”
Dale looked beaten and worn, bags under his eyes. “Oh, damn. Dart barely punctured my coat and I was out.”
“What is going on with this place?” He glanced back to the door.
Dale shook his head and wiped the water out of his eyes. “If you don’t know yet, I’m sure you’ll find out.”
“Have you seen Marc or Gene?” Calum stepped back out of the water so he could hear if the guard was returning.
“What? They’re here too?”
“I don’t know. I tracked you guys here. Now tell me what the fuck is going on.” He thought he heard laughing in the hall.
“It’s some kind of… breeding farm or… fuck, I don’t know what else to call it.”
Calum almost gagged from jerking around too fast because collar did not turn with his body. “What?”
Dale nodded. “Swear on my momma’s life. They feed you some kind of aphrodisiac herbs and then toss a woman at you while she’s in her heat cycle.” He frowned. “Both I’ve been with smelled like my mate. That’s not possible, right?”
Calum glared at him. “There’s only one. Must be what they’ve given you.” He needed to sit down, or something. Breeding farm? They had men, he’d been hit by them, hunted and drugged by them… why the hell would they need to chain up fellow shifters and use them that way? He glanced at the door again. “They’re cats? The women?”
Dale nodded again. “Not old, fat or ugly either, from what I can tell in a room that’s almost dark.”
“Do they ever let us out of the rooms?” He heard voices coming down the hall.
“No. Only here every few days.” Dale stepped back under the water.
The guard walked in before Calum could say another word. Turning he leaned a hand on the wall and hung his head under the spray. Breeding farm. His brain stuck there. He’d never heard of such a thing. Other than the Tomas family… but they were one-forms and using the shifters as enforcers. What reason could other shifters have to do this? Did that woman, Shaelan, know what went on? Judging by the things she said, he didn’t think so. Could he use that to get out of here? She seemed compassionate. Or she just let him believe she was, to get what she wanted out of him…
“You look like your going to slide down to the floor green-eyes, best get you back to your room.” He flipped off the water and handed Calum a towel.
Calum didn’t even care if he was dry, he just went through the motions. Handing the guard back the towel, he took the clean pants and put them on.
“Be back for you in a minute.” He told Dale as he clipped the rod back to Calum’s collar.
A fucking breeding farm. Calum walked where he was guided on numb legs. A fight ring he’d heard of. People holding shifters and than putting them in a ring together to tear each other apart for entertainment, but this? This was… he didn’t know what, his brain was on pause. This was a lot to digest and later he’d still have to process what he was going to do about it.