JERICHOAfter fighting with the two patrol wolves so that my mate could escape the night she came to visit, they called for backup and decided to make me pay for my disrespect. They beat me up pretty severely and then gave me a small dose of wolfsbane so that I wouldn’t heal as quickly as normal.My nose was broken, but that was the least of my worries. I also received a few broken ribs, some deep cuts on my face that probably should have gotten stiches, and a fractured pelvis. Since I had more severe injuries that needed to be dealt with, my once straight nose healed a little crooked. It wasn’t worth rebreaking to straighten it, so I left it as it was.By the time I saw Giovanna again, the worst of my injuries were healed well enough, but I still had quite a few bruises. Silas allowed his men to come at me occasionally with a few jabs just to keep me in my place. I think they also wanted to make sure that I looked rough when my mate saw me. It probably had something to do with
GINAI’m on the floor in my room doing my work out for the day when I hear the door unlocking. I don’t even bother to stop what I’m doing and greet whoever it is. Although the hallway is basically a dirt path, at least the floor in my room is paved with stone tiles. It took months of work, but I got it pretty clean in here, so it feels a little more livable.A few seconds later, Silas walks into my room. Dirt from the hallway clings to his shoes and leaves dusty tracks behind him. I’ll have to clean that up as soon as he leaves if I want to keep my floor to this level of cleanliness that I’ve worked so hard to reach.Honestly, it just gives me something else to do. I’ve been running out of way to entertain myself since I finished sorting files. As much as I enjoy working out to keep my body in shape and my wolf sated, since I had no space to shift and run, my hands still needed something to keep them busy.Silas watches me with a blank expression as I ignore him and finish my r
GINAThere are a few seconds of silence before a soft whisper on the other end of the line says my name.“Gina? Are you there?”“Yes, I’m here. Who is this?”“It’s Karli. I only have a few minutes before the security guard comes back.”“Karli?! Are you alright? Silas didn’t hurt your for helping me, did he?”“No, I’m fine, he just kept an extra close eye on me for a couple years, but he’s finally loosened up a bit.” She laughed but her tone didn’t hold an ounce of humor, “Listen, Silas and Quinten have gone a little crazy since you’ve been locked up. They have expanded our pack and done some things that look really good to everyone else, but I have a bad feeling about the direction we’re headed.”“Let me guess, everyone is so pleased with the pack growth that they remain willfully ignorant to the shady things that are happening?”“Exactly!” She shouts.“Why are you telling ME about all this? I can’t do anything to stop him. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m still locked up like
GINA Over the next several days, I’m brought delicious, gourmet meals to my room. I’m indulged with bath oils, skin care products, and makeup. They even had someone come in to give me a facial, manicure, and pedicure. Silas must be crazy if he thinks this pampering is going to make me forget the last 5 years and make me compliant, but I also know that he is trying to make me look presentable before I meet with Rieka, so my appearance doesn’t raise any alarms for her. In any case, any bit of cooperation that Silas gets out of me will be strictly self-serving. If doing what he wants can benefit my situation in any way, then I’ll do it. I refused to be used by him for a moment longer without getting anything for myself. Despite all the attention and special treatment I receive, the days seem to drag on. I’ve never been into the girly stuff, so rather than feeling like a relaxing spa vacation, it feels more like torture. I would much rather spend my day in the gym, and out on the
JERICHOWhen Karli first reached out to me, through another wolf named Matthias, wanting to help after Giovanna had been locked up, I didn’t trust her. I thought she had betrayed us and that was part of why I’d lost my mate again. I’d convinced myself that she was trying to win back her alpha’s trust by further betraying me and my mate, but she was persistent and kept working to prove her loyalty to us.Unfortunately, Silas had removed her from the patrols, and was keeping a close eye on her after her previous betrayal. She promised me that she had found a couple others who wanted to help, but I still didn’t trust her.Everything changed after I saw Silas hit Rieka.There was a new desperation and sense of urgency to get my mate away from this monster, and since I hadn’t been making any progress on my own, I finally decided to take a chance and trust Karli. We set up a new drop location for passing messages back and forth. Matthias was one of the patrols that passed by my house a
GINA As soon as we returned to the pack house, Silas instructed his men to take Rieka somewhere while he escorted me back to my room. There was no discussion of the events that happened. Immediately after walking into my room the door swings closed and I hear the locks clicking into place. Without giving it much thought, I step into the bathroom and turn the shower to the hottest setting. I feel disgusted with myself for the betrayal against Rieka, and it makes me feel physically dirty. I get in the shower and start by soaking and washing my hair. I scrub every inch of myself from the top down, but once I finished cleaning my feet, I realize that a shower isn’t going to make me feel any better. Turning off the water, I step out and wrap myself in a large towel. Water drips from my hair and skin leaving a trail behind me as I walk through the room to the closet to find something to wear. Since I have nothing else to do today, I dress comfortably in a pair of leggings and an ov
GINA The room cleared out quickly and I was immediately flanked by my guards, Perry and Samuel, as they ushered me back into the stairwell that led to my gilded cage. Surprisingly, we didn’t ascend the stairs, but just stood in the stairwell like we were waiting for something. I roll my eyes at the guards, “What are we doing here?” but they don’t respond. They are definitely the muscle without the brains. It seems like they are just the ‘yes men’ who do as they are told without question. The slip of paper hidden under the waistband of my leggings feels like a burning piece of coal against my skin, and my fingers are itching to pull it out and read it, but I won’t risk letting these two buffoons see it or take it from me. “I need to use the bathroom,” I twist my hands together nervously in front of me to help sell the lie. Neither guard looks at me, but one of them grunts in annoyance. “Are you going to let me use the toilet, or do I need to squat right here in the stairwell?”
GINAWith my guards just outside the door, I quickly unfold the paper to read the note. I don’t recognize the handwriting, and whoever wrote it didn’t sign their name. I’m sure that was intentional, so they wouldn’t be caught if somehow Silas saw the note.My hands shake as I begin reading:“You won’t be going back to your room.Silas will not let you go, despite what he promised your mate.We’re working on a plan. Be patient and remain vigilant.”Silas made a promise to Jericho? I didn’t know anything about this, and who has a plan? I wish I knew who this letter was from. I can only assume they are connected with Karli. What am I supposed to remain vigilant for? How will I know if I can trust some random wolf that might approach me?There wasn’t nearly enough information in this note.A loud bang on the door makes me jump, “Silas needs you back in the meeting hall!”Opening the faucet to mask the sound, I tear the note into small pieces and drop them into the toilet, destroyi