Again.
“No, please!”
Ignoring my pleas, they throw me into the dark cell.
It was still more spacious than I was used to but less lavish. A dirt floor and nothing more.
At least this time, I have a small window. It’s hard to see out of it because it’s so high, but at least I’ll get some light. I try to distract myself, so the panic doesn’t set in again, and my inner demons surface. If that happens, I see red, and then it is lights out for whoever is considered a threat to my survival.
To please the devil within me, I must persuade myself I’m not dying. But I don’t know how much longer I can convince her everything’s fine.
“You have to let me out,” I plead.
Caleb grins.
He enjoys seeing me how he perceives me to be, an animal trapped in a cage.
That’s exactly how I feel. I’m getting desperate. Tears fall freely as I beg. I’d take torture over imprisonment any day.
“You can’t just leave me in here. Please, I’ll do anything. Just let me out.”
Caleb crosses his arms. He stands solid, still as stone with a disgusted look on his face.
He must hate rogues so much . . .
Unmoved by my tears, Caleb and his men walk away. Leaving me in the dark by myself.
“Wait! Come back!” I bang my palms against the bars. “Please. Don’t leave me here!”
The banging and my cries echo through the hall, drowning out their fading footsteps.
When the last man’s feet leave my view, I collapse to the cold, dirty floor. I gasp for air. My hands claw at my throat and chest, finding it increasingly difficult to breathe.
I scan the room for a way out—a weak spot. I don’t see any.
The walls are closing in. I’m a dog trapped in a cage once more.
This can’t be happening to me again.
Chapter SEVEN
Jay as a child.
Age: Unknown
They call me bait. I don’t like that name.
I also don’t think I like this place.
There are a lot of rules here.
Don’t speak.
Don’t look at anyone.
And don’t ask questions. They tell me I’ll learn quickly, so I’m hopeful. Especially if this is my new home. I’ve never had one before. It’s a little dusty, but that’s okay.
I don’t want to mess this up. The woman told me I’d be taken care of. The things she said about this place made it sound so nice—food, a place to sleep and other wolves like me—but I don’t see her anywhere. I’m starting to get a bad feeling she may have lied to me.
