Chapter Seventeen

Laura sat in the empty room, at a loss for what to do to pass the time, given this fun twist.

There was always banging her head on the table, and hope for brain damage.

She resigned herself to the current flow of things instead, standing to exit the room as she followed the length of the hallway to retrace her steps, finding her assigned accommodations. Her luggage sat neatly at home–like it’d never left. She chuffed, picking up the notebook she’d previously used. Beginning from where she left off earlier, she added any details she thought might help identify the shit collection of humans who’d held her captive.

“Hi.”

“Fuck!”

Her claws extended, tearing into the notebook.

“*Fuck*.”

Laura took a deep breath, smoothing what she could salvage.

“I’m sorry, I thought you were aware of my presence.”

Somewhere past the tenth Alpha–and a certain prince–Laura became increasingly annoyed with the scent, dampening her sense of smell.

A little too well. She turned to face the speaker.

Sitting eerily still in her position, the young female shifter–Beta–smiled politely.

She was dressed to the minimum of acceptable business casual: a white blouse, black slacks, and matching loafers. The smile on her face appeared amused, the girl’s tone registering as hyper.

“I’m Hannah, your assigned assistant.” Her green eyes were bright.

“Nice to meet you.” Laura fixed her tone.

“I’ve restocked your towels and washcloths, in addition to removing your personal items from your luggage into the closet.” She gestured toward a door on the far side of the room that Laura hadn’t paid much attention to.

“And so you did..” Laura trailed.

“No problem at all, please call for me if you require assistance.” Hannah moved to the door.

“If there’s nothing else I can do for you, I’ll take my leave for the morning, and check back in occasionally.”

“A new notebook,” Laura grumbled.

“Sorry?”

“Nothing, I’m good for now, thank you.”

“Yes, feel free to explore the grounds. You are free to visit the courtyard, the library, and the recreational center. The royal’s wing is really the only area off limits.”

“Got it.”

“Oh–the event starts at six in the main hall, please make sure to arrive on time. I’ll be here to assist you with your attire shortly before.”

Hannah practically skipped out the door, shutting it softly behind her.

Laura stared after the door, spinning in the chair when the sound of her footsteps, and her scent, disappeared.

*Sigh*.

Now she’d have to be on guard against this double-edged sword–a companion with a set of eyes and ears loyal to its owners. She stood, curiously moving to the mirror in the bathroom, making sure to shut the door behind her.

She allowed the mark to show, examining it in detail for the first time–which was hard to do, given its location. Visually confirming the mark did little to ease the knots in her chest.

She concealed the mark again, dropping her hair before moving back to the room.

***

“Vitals?”

She perched her glasses higher. They were fogging–*again*. It was way too humid for working conditions.

She hated it.

A beat passed as Simon leaned into the monitor, gnawing the tip of his nails.

“Stable.”

She released her breath, smoothing her bun from the threat of frizz as she entered the information.

“Chip?”

He checked a second monitor.

“Responsive.”

*Good*.

She nodded, fingers flying across the keyboard.

They couldn’t afford to fuck this project. They already crushed eggshells around the higher-ups who made it a point to breathe down their necks–though they did fuck shit up enough to warrant it. The amount of money spent on cover-ups wasn’t hushed.

“He’s waking.”

She glanced from her screen, peering through the privacy glass into the slightly depressed room in front of them.

The monitor beeped in time with the visible palpitations of the figure strapped to the table.

A snarl ripped through the cracks of the confining room, a highlight of the inadequacy of their temporary accommodations.

*Tsk*.

She *truly* hated it here.

Things were much better at the seaside location–lost thanks to Ida’s ill-advised social observation.

She didn’t find it a shame their team lead lost her life in the chaos, her ending paving the way for the better suited.

“Erin, are we green for the next phase?”

“Oh–yes.” Erin adjusted her waistband, turning to face Simon who sat chewing the end of a pen.

Her lip curled in disgust.

*If only he’d disappear too*.

***

Laura finally had events pieced together and organized–in a new notebook.

She also had a plan–a plan which involved presenting her account directly to the king and queen. Her only concern was the opportunity to approach them.

She drummed her fingers.

Her gums itched.

It hadn’t been that long since she’d shifted, and the force of the full moon wasn’t for another few weeks, but the added stress readied her body anyway.

She *could* push through..but why keep making herself uncomfortable when there was a vast expanse of private forest just outside.

She glanced at the clock on the wall.

*Four forty-seven*.

Lunch had long been served. Hannah checked in around one to see if Laura wanted to join some of the other ladies in the mess hall. She’d declined, preferring the lack of drama the room provided, and was brought a platter of food. Seafood. She’d melted.

Everyone else should be passing their time in their rooms, or meandering close to the grounds. It was cutting it close, but she had just enough time to stretch her wolf before coming back to shower and dress. She stood, swapping the notebook for a borrowed watch in her suitcase before turning toward the door. Her hand rested against the handle as she breathed–deep.

The smells assaulting her were so faded, it’d obviously been a while since anyone had walked the immediate corridor. She pulled the door open, closing it with a silent click before speed walking, her sneakers silent against the polished marble. Her nose guided her turns, the scent of pine growing as she steered clear of the obvious route–the front door. She didn’t want any questions since it wasn’t clear if the forest was considered off-limits. She took another right, ears buzzing in her strain to hear anything. She could make out a few, very distant, conversations.

She crossed the threshold facing the rear of the structure, successfully avoiding anyone inside. Her shoes crunched against gravel, an abrupt change from the marble interior. She’d stepped into a garden.

The forest edge was a little ways off, with nothing in between. The hedges surrounding the castle lined as far as she could laterally see, creating a barrier at the edge of the garden before the step into trimmed fields of grass. The path through the garden was well maintained–as it should be–a beautiful coordination of pinks and reds sprinkled strategically along the spiraling paths, larger blooms just out of reach.

Laura glanced at the rear of the castle, the grey walls towered above her, casting a long shadow that reached just past the garden. Her nerves jarred the longer she remained in plain sight.

She took off at a jog, hoping any eyes staring from the windows would assume she was out for a simple run.

She took the most direct path out of the garden, the smell of lilies rising and falling with the sway of the wind. Her gums gave way to sharp points, blood trickling from release. She licked her canines as her breathing came faster.

She passed the hedges, gravel turning to grass, to see the sun spilling across the meadow. Her vision focused sharply on the blades of grass crushing under her feet. The wind was freeing, her hair light on it as she moved.

The woods were about two football fields away. She picked up the pace, her body singing with the high of a pending shift, one she wasn’t trying to fight.

“Hey.”