Alyx reappeared later that evening, a bundle of clothes in his arms. “Get dressed,” he said, dropping them on the bed.I crossed my arms. “No.”He frowned. “Get dressed or I will dress you myself.” A sudden, cruel gleam lit up his eyes. “I’ve been dying to get my hands on you.”“Turn around,” I snapped.“Like hell,” he answered. “Get dressed.”

I spent the night staring at the concrete walls around me. Every muscle in my body ached, and my eyes burned, but even so, I couldn’t sleep. Now and then, I fell into a fitful slumber, tossing and turning until I was shocked back awake. At one point, I gave up completely and traced patterns on the wall with my finger to pass the time.When Jeremy appeared with my breakfast, I could hardly stomach the thought of eating. He just watched me, not speaking, as I spooned porridge into my mouth. A few times, I had to resist the urge to gag. He didn’t say a word when he left, either, but I jumped when the door slammed shut behind him.Despondency folded around me, and I curled up in bed. I couldn’t even bring myself to plan some sort of escape–to even hope for one. Whatever they wanted with me, they were going to get. I’d never felt so helpless before. A few tears rolled down my cheeks, but I didn’t even have the energy to cry.I should have listened to Jack. I never should have run off with

AlyxHe ran beside his brother, his eyes trained on the trees in front of him. He knew this territory like the back of his hand, but something about it felt different. Something didn’t belong. Beside him, Rocky ran with his nose pressed close to the ground. It was rare for him to be separated from his twin, and Alyx could tell he was uneasy.They stopped for a moment to sniff around, and Alyx nudged his flank with his nose. It had been so long since he’d run with one of his brothers, and he was thrumming with excitement. Rocky picked up on his energy and gave him a playful snap.

Weeks went by, and I counted the days by clawing gouge marks into the concrete wall beside my bed. I’d finally mastered getting my claws to appear and retract, though I still hadn’t managed a full shift. Despite hearing my wolf, demanding that I give in, I just couldn’t do it. Alyx, in his infinite wisdom, though I had some sort of mental block.“You’re the one choosing not to shift,” he said, circling me. “You’re afraid to give in.”We were in the training ring. Jeremy stood off the side, his arms folded across his chest. He wasn’t as outwardly impatient as Alyx, but his hits landed just as hard. Sure, I

I was midway through my second month of captivity when Zoe came into my cell, a half-smile on her face.“Come on,” she said, gesturing for me to follow her. “You’re getting a better room.”I didn’t move at first. As much as I hated this room, it was familiar. Regardless of how nice Zoe seemed, I didn’t trust her. I didn’t trust any of them.Then again, a new room could mean they were getting lax. Maybe they thought I was getting used to this place. Getting complacent. I was still training without complaint. Still sitting through awkwar