Chapter 36 CAPTIVITY
My scalp tingles with the need to shift. I have to get out of here. I have to warn Samuel and both packs. They have to know what Logan was doing.
"You," I spit. "You are responsible for all of this. For Logan. For the deaths of Samuel's parents. The attacks on all the other packs. You leave a trail of bodies and destruction in your wake."
"She's quite a fireball," he says to Logan, his jaw set in amusement. "We could use her."
Use me? No. Never.
"You'd have to kill me first." I make my voice as low and dangerous as I can manage.
They both laugh at me as I if have told a joke then Grog speaks again. "That's not necessary. We have other ways to make you cooperate with us."
"Us? So what, you're a team now? You dragged him into this!"
He turns to Logan and smiles. "You didn't tell her? Well, this is amusing."
"What exactly do you want with me?" I ask impatiently. "I'm sure you can find other willing wolves to join your league of evil."
Grog turns back to me. He is no longer smiling, but serious. "Because you're an asset. If we have you, we can ensure Samuel will work with us." Then he turns to Logan. "And he thinks you'll eventually come around and help us too."
I gape at him. He really thinks I'd help them? He really is gone.
"You're delusional. Both of you. And what have you done to Dominic? Did you kill him like you did everyone else?"
"Contrary to what you think, I don't kill without reason. He did nothing so he's still alive. He'll wake up in an hour and by then we'll all be gone."
"No." I try to jerk out of Logan's hold. Like I know, it is pointless. What if Samuel was here with me? Would they have hurt him? Would they have kidnapped him too? We are out numbered. Grog hasn't come here alone.
"This kind of works out perfect when I think about it." Logan speaks this time. "The day Josephine died, the day I was leaving, you show up. You cut our work in half. We thought we were going to have to fight through half your pack to get to you. You've made it so much easier."
I nearly drop to the ground. He is right. I have made it easy. And I had grossly underestimated what Logan was capable of. I was convinced he was just hurt, and grieving. I guess in a way he still is.
"I can't replace what you've lost," I say to Logan. "I can't make all this better. Only time can do that. You're dealing with resentment and loss. It's a lethal combination. You're not thinking."
"But I am," he says. "We have a way to fix everything. You'll see."
"Come on," Grog says, facing the trees. "She's been gone a while. They'll start looking for her soon. We need to get her to our pack. We can talk more there."
"No," I protest again. "If someone see's you you'll never be able to get away with this. The pack is bigger than the two of you."
No one answers.
Logan spins me around and forces me to follow after Grog. His hand grips my arm firmly.
We walk the opposite direction of the pack community into part of the forest I don't even know. And I have been a pack member here once. Soon a large number of wolves surround us. Some have shifted and some had not. They are large and intimidating.
"You got her," one of them says. "And here I thought she would run and we would have to take her down."
I swallow at that. Take me down?
"Just to knock you out," he clarifies. He reads my expression.
So maybe its best I didn't run when I could have. They would have caught me anyway. And then I'd be unconscious.
"You'll have to do that anyway," Grog tells him. "We can't have her knowing where headquarters is. We have to trust her first. Then we'll movie her to the house. I won't make that mistake again. This one won't escape."
An unnamed guy moves towards me, but I am too wrapped up in my thoughts to even move. Not that it would matter.
Doreen, I think. They must mean her. She said she escaped from a house. And Grog was there. The house is where they held her and...Noah! We have him. Are they going to go after him to? Try to get him
A pinch on my neck sends me spinning. I feel weak and tired. The feeling only lasts for a moment and it's gone, then I feel myself slipping into an oblivion, and I see nothing else but a black void.
My neck and back ache. My head is hard to move. There is a stinging at the base of my neck and it feels like there might be a tiny knot there.
That must be what they used to knock me out earlier. Was it some kind of serum?
"Open the door," a soft, gentle voice says. "I've brought her some food."
The sound of feet hitting a hard floor and metal clinking vibrates through the room. Then lighter footsteps come closer.
I don't move. I am afraid to. I don't know where I am or who is here with me. All I want is Samuel and I was taken from him. I can't even feel him or reach him. Tears start to seep from my closed eyes.
My soul is aching because of the distance between me and my mate.
When I force my eyes open I find myself staring at a blank, white wall. I let my eyes travel up to the ceiling. It is white too. It has the feeling of an insane asylum. Shivers run down my spine, I am a prisoner.
I turn to examine the rest of the room, trying to ignore the pain running through my body. It is a struggle to roll over until a set of soft, cold hands help me. I tense, but they still help me move. I feel the smallest bit of relief when I see that the hand belongs to a small, thin girl. She is beautiful.
Her long red hair falls in waves around her face and cascades down her back. Her skin is naturally light though she looks recently sun kissed. The pink of her cheeks only add to her other pretty features.
The first thought that comes to my mind is, why is she here with me? is she a prisoner too? Was she taken away?
"Hi," she says and draws back her hands. "I'm glad you're awake. I was beginning to worry about you."
Seeing me now trying to sit up in the bed she helps me again. When I am in the sitting position I want watch her with caution unsure if I can trust her.
"I thought you'd be hungry. I brought you some food. You'll regain your energy quicker if you eat something," she explains. Her eyes glance at the food on the small two person table a few feet from the bed. I am surprised to see that isn't the only thing in the room.
Everything is dressed in white. A small white couch sits in the middle of the room. It is a lovely seat that can only hold two people. An open closet and set of Chester drawers stands against another wall. There are a few articles of clothes in them. There is also the white table and chairs I saw before and in the corner of the room is a small bathroom with a white sink, toilet, and shower. The door is also white and stands wide open.
At least there is a door. I didn't expect any privacy here. Wherever the hell here is.
The whole room is like a tiny studio apartment minus the kitchen. I guess they don't trust me with one. After all, I can set the entire place on fire by simply turning on the stove if I wanted to.
"I can see you don't trust me yet and that's okay. In your time here I hope that will change and we can become friends." Her voice is smooth and kind. She seems so innocent. Something inside me tells me I can trust her, but my mind is still cautious.
"You have all the essentials here. Everything you'd need if you were at home." Her smile catches me off guard. is she trying to make me feel better about being here? She seems so comfortable.
"This cell is the nicest out of all of them." She takes a short look around. "If it weren't for Logan you might have been thrown in with the others. The other cells are concrete. They're cold and hard. Not comfortable at all."
She blinks and waits for me to speak. Her expression is hopeful.
"Where am I?" I ask.
"A secure location. That's all I can say. Once they feel they can trust you they'll move you to the house and I can show you around. That's where I live. Me and Grog."
A bile rises in my throat. "You're with Grog," I say. Then realization hits me. "You're Amelia."
She quickly cuts me off. "We don't talk about him here. It's not allowed."
A flicker of sadness passes through her eyes and I feel it for her. I want to argue with her and tell her it is okay, that I won't tell, and then her eyes find the cell where a guard stands listening in. She looks back at me with a plea.
We can't talk here. I understand that now. I nod. "Okay."
Relief is evident on her features. She relaxes again.
"I knew your friend Doreen when she was here."
I nod. "Yes. She told me about you."
She smiles. "All good things I hope."
"They were."
Of course. You are the one who helped her escape and her only friend here. I know I can't say these things, but I want to. I want to thank her. And maybe, just maybe, she can help me too.
"Here." She holds out two small brown pills between her fingers and waits for me to take them. When she notices my wary expression she laughs. "It's alright. It's only Advil. You're probably in pain, aren't you? It's expected."
She really seems to know a lot. It probably isn't even her choice. From what I understand, she's been here a while."Thank you," I tell her, popping the pills in my mouth and swallowing them. She gets up and hands me the cup of water from the table and I take it thankfully, coating my throat with its coolness. It is like breathing a breath of fresh air. I need that.
After handing her the cup I get up and walk to the table where the food is. It smells delicious and my stomach growls at the scent. She laughs again.
"Go ahead. Eat. I can get you more if you're still hungry."
I nod and without hesitation I sit down and dig in. I wonder how long it has been since I ate. How long have I been here unconscious?
Many questions circle my mind and as I scarf down the food. The soup is hot and burns my mouth but I don't care. Next I move on to the chicken and vegetable wraps and moan. It is so good.
"We eat a steady diet here," she explains. "We are careful of our calorie intake and exercise daily in both human and wolf form. We want you and everyone else in your best possible shape. You will be stronger and increase your stamina. That will pay off when you're fighting. You'll get training too in that if you prove yourself worthy to Grog and the other wolves. Ultimately he has the final decision though."
The way she talks about how things are here like she's lived her whole life here makes me sick. I bet she doesn't even remember her life outside this pack now. I drop my food and look away. Tears start back in my eyes.
Oh no. Is that how it will be for me if I don't escape? Will my previous life disappear from my thoughts and mind like it was never anything more? No. I can't let that happen. I am not Amelia.
"What's wrong?" she asks with concern. She is suddenly right beside me. "Are you not well? Would you like to lie back down?"
"Yes," I nod. I think that would help."
I am nauseous. Maybe if I lay back down I won't throw up.
Amelia is quick to help me. I thank her as my head hits the white pillow. She looks worried for me.
"I'll be fine," I assure her. "I'm just tired and sore."
She doesn't say anything though she looks a little more at ease. I glance at the door to the guard standing outside and then back to Amelia. I wish there is some way I can get a message to her. I have so many questions and I need to know if she can help me.
For a moment I wonder if I can write it down for her discreetly so she can understand what I can't say. Just as I start to ask her for the pin and paper she quickly shakes her head..
My brows draw together in confusion. Does she already know what I am going to ask her? Then with clear words she speaks. "I hope they'll move you to the house soon so we can talk more and become friends. I know they'll see they can trust you soon."
Her eyes are trying to send me some sort of secret message of their own and I try to understand it.
"Trust," she says. "It's very important here. Let them see you're one of us." She looks back to the guard at the door who hasn't moved and then at me again. "Earn their trust."
I slowly understand what she is telling me. I have to make them see that they can trust me and so they'll let me out of here. Maybe then when I'm at the house, and less guarded, Amelia can tell me what I need to know.
She gives me a little hope, but at the same time, that sounds like so much work. How long will it take me to gain their trust? Days? Weeks? Months? What will I have to do to prove to them that I am with them and not against them?