I wasn’t entirely surprised to wake up after the full moon alone. Realising Cyrus was the man in the dark of the black space had been a hell of a moment. When the lights went on and he was right there, there was no clothing to hide his huge frame, every muscle tensed and fixated on me. I could have died.But I already miss feeling utterly weightless in his arms. My body melded around his huge shape. I loved how massive every feature of him is. Trying to wrap my legs around his waist left me so splayed out my sex had rubbed mercilessly against his rigid v-line. My hands barely covered all of his cheeks.He oozed pure strength, combined with an earthy, unquestionable sexiness that meant I could no longer look away. To make him crack and finally admit there was something between us was electrifying. But now I need more. I want to know all about his tattoos, the scars on his body, what brought him here. Why is he so quiet? Has he received any notes?Now he knows it was me every moon, wil

There is a limited take-up for my little art class. I tried to be diplomatic and not time it for Vera’s meditation. Maybe next time I will. Especially if I see her pawing Cal again. Just because I encouraged him to try that tactic doesn’t mean I enjoy seeing it in action. I set the wrinkled Laurel and Rex up with some charcoals and try my best to talk them through a still life. I took some classes as a teen, and I try to remember the best bits from the instructor. Soon, I have two happy little fossils sketching two potatoes. It should have been a more dramatic fruit, but I had to work with what the stores gave me. The three of us fell into a quiet space, heads full of lines and shadows. I worked on the piece of my mother, and they focused on the knobbly bits of the brown vegetable. Footsteps sounded, and I looked up, hoping as always that it was Cal. Sadly, the beige-wrapped, silver-haired Elvie stuck her head through and exclaimed, “oh how fantastic! I saw your poster!” “It’s jus

Cal assures me Ervin’s threat was real. I should probably be more scared, but when he is there, how can I be? One look at the power in his body, the intent in his face. He’d kill for me. I have no doubt in my mind he would do whatever it took. Which is crazy really. I forget about everything when I’m with him. My father has disowned me yet I end up twirling, parading my silky nightwear to Cal. Revelling in my body's shivers of anticipation as his eyes meld between navy blue and brown. I never rocked the boat or really pushed Ryan's buttons. I was already turning into someone meeker. A flame sputtering, struggling to find its oxygen. He made decisions, and I went along with them. Telling myself it’s part of the mate bond. I didn’t fly off the handle, not like Cal makes me. Perhaps the Goddess wants to extinguish the bigger, more annoying aspects of my personality. Maybe that’s why she paired me with Ryan. Smooth out the kinks. Staring at the sleeping man beside me, I struggle to see

I’m sticking to my side of the deal. I remain his enforcer. I monitor, I report. He can’t hurt me if I shut all the feelings down. I've learnt my lesson the hard way.The cruel dreams I've had where she approaches me in white, seeking me out with love, not fear in her eyes. What else is there to think of her as but an angel? My knuckles are still red raw. I couldn’t handle myself for the first few nights after it all fell apart. In the room with the cells, where Mireille was first locked up, there is a separate annexe. While she slept, I had time to stare at the walls far too long and noticed the odd outline.It opens with a concealed metal mechanism. I don’t know who else knows about it, but so far, those small square metres of space are my only sanctuary from Raze. And now from Mireille.I am careful not to go there too often. Raze can't know every move I make. After all, I am the rat in his latest game.Will I go mad and kill everyone? Or will I keep quiet and survive at any price

My eyelids flutter open and I’m staring up at a grey ceiling. This isn’t my room. The bed is cold and hard, a thin mattress failing to disguise the metal underneath. My head is pounding but I think whatever I’ve been given has numbed me from feeling my wrists and ankles. Gingerly lifting them up it’s clear I’ve made a complete mess of myself. “Hello?” I feebly cough. “Hello?” Then I turn my head to the side and realise exactly where I am. In the cells. The silver bars enclose me and I am ready to scream in outrage all over again. On the floor waiting for me is a tray with food and drink. So their answer to my struggling with the lockdown is to increase the harshness of it? “Bastards,” I mutter before shutting my eyes and willing myself back to the quiet sanctuary of sleep. When I wake up again the lights have dimmed. So it’s night time. I know that much. My wolf must have been busy healing me. I flex my maroon, blood-encrusted limbs without too much pain. Still laid on the metal b