Chapter 31

Zara

The healer left the light on when she left. I still didn't know what that visit was for, or why she took blood samples. She didn't explain anything. But she did leave the light on, so I was grateful.

I trained for a little while. I shadowboxed. If the opponents I imagined as I punched, kicked, and ducked resembled a certain pair of Alpha Twins, well, no one else would know that.

My daily meal arrived, and then the lights went off. I kept myself from screaming somehow. It was night. It was time to sleep. That was all.

I sat with my back pressed against the wall and tried to convince myself that the lights would come back on in the morning. It didn’t work.

Time ticked by, slow as a slug. I closed my eyes and failed to sleep. The door opened.

I stared at the patch of shadow on shadow and tried to figure out whether I was dreaming or hallucinating. Surely I hadn’t been isolated in the dark long enough to actually lose my mind?

“Zara,” Lucian’s voice rumbled through the darkness.

Did he think I would answer him?

“Zara, pet, we need to talk,” Kieran’s voice echoed his brother’s.

Yeah, no, I wasn’t crawling to him like a good pup any time soon.

Something clicked, and warm amber light filled the room. Lucian placed a small lantern on the floor. Why didn't he just turn the lights back on?

“I'm not talking to you,” I told them, and I didn't care how petulant I sounded. “You locked me in the dark.”

I wasn't scared of the dark. I wasn't. I just hated the isolation and the silence and not being able to see.

“We didn't, not this time,” Lucian said. “The power's out. We're all in the dark.”

I snorted. “What, did a squirrel crawl into the transformer?”

The last time the pack compound lost power, that was actually what had happened. It took the pack's repair team two days to find it. That was why I added a generator to my cabin.

“Possibly,” Kieran said, “Or it could be sabotage. We're not sure yet.”

They might've been telling the truth. It might've been a lie, another one of their mind games. The Twins loved their games. And they loved to remind me that I was their toy.

“So why are you here?” I asked, trying to ignore the way their sheer presence filled the tiny room.

“The full moon is soon,” Lucian said.

“And?” I stood up and put my back to the wall.

Lucian stalked across the room until he stood inches away from me. I looked over his shoulder, unwilling to meet his eyes. Unfortunately, that meant I locked eyes with Kieran instead. His pale blue eyes glittered in the lamplight, full of some emotion I couldn't read.

“And,” Lucian hissed, “You will keep your bargain. You will soothe our wolves.”

“Or what? You'll lock me away in the dark?” I snorted. “Starve me some more, maybe? You didn't break me last time. You won't break me, ever.”

“We're not trying to break you,” Kieran protested.

“Then what are you trying to do?” I asked.

Lucian huffed. “The lights will stay on.”

“Once we get the power back on,” Kieran added.

“Your meals will be increased. You’re not on punishment,” Lucian said as though Kieran hadn’t spoken, “But you will stay here.”

“Why?” I asked.

Lucian shook his head. “It’s necessary.”

“How is any of this necessary?” I demanded. “All the killing, the violence, punishing anyone who defies you. What does it get you?”

Lucian shrugged. “We’re Alpha werewolves, Zara. We can’t afford to be nice.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean you have to be cruel,” I retorted.

Lucian leaned over me, and rested his palms on the wall on either side of my head.

“You haven’t seen me be cruel yet,” Lucian said. “Keep refusing your end of our bargain, and you just might.”

You hunted me and stuck me in here without giving me a single chance to explain. You assumed I was guilty.”

“The evidence was compelling,” Lucian said.

“I promised I wouldn’t poison you, and I didn’t! But my word isn’t good enough, huh?” I demanded.

“We didn’t get this far by trusting people,” Kieran said. “Not even pretty little she-wolves.”

“Yeah, whatever,” I said. “Fine. You want my help? We make a new bargain. It’s obvious this is going to take longer than I thought. You didn’t find your mate at the Ball, so we need to work out something long term.”

Lucian growled. He leaned over me. “You think you can refuse us?”

I felt his breath on my face. I remembered his hands on my skin, his teeth scraping my throat. I didn’t want to refuse him. But I was not going to kneel and whine for these bastards.

“What, you think you can force me?” I said. “I’ve got news for you, Alpha, what I do for you isn’t something you can force. If I’m not calm, I can’t make you calm. That’s how it works. I’m sharing my emotions with you. If you threaten or force me, all you get to feel is my fear and helplessness. I’m sure that’ll be great for your wolf-bonds.”

Lucian growled again and grabbed me by the shoulders. I thought he’d shake me, but he didn’t. He just tightened his grip until it was almost painful.

“I am not,” he growled. “Going to hurt you. To make you help us.” He sighed. “But you will help us. You have to keep your word.”

“I’m not the one who broke our bargain,” I said. “All I wanted from you two was the chance to earn my freedom. And you put me in a cell. So we are negotiating a new bargain, and you are going to keep this one or I will do whatever it takes to get away from you.”

I was risking my life to help them. Using the bond to soothe their wolves could rebound on me and kill me. I couldn’t explain that to them, so I shouldn’t be mad that they didn’t understand. But I would still demand their respect. Because I deserved that much, damn it.

“Fine,” Lucian said. “What do you want?”

“Out of this cell, for a start,” I said.

Lucian shook his head. “No. Try again.”

“I want my damn freedom!” I shouted.

“You can’t have that,” Lucian said.

“Why not?” I asked.

Lucian just shook his head.

I huffed. “I won’t help you while I’m trapped in here. So enjoy the full moon.”

“If we did let you out, would that be enough?” Kieran asked.

“No,” I said. “I don’t want to be your servant anymore. And I refuse to wear that damn collar, whatever happened to it. I’m not your pet.”

“Fine,” Lucian said.

“I want to go back to my cabin. You can visit me there,” I said.

“No,” Lucian said. “You stay with the pack.” He paused. “But I will return your computer, and arrange for internet access. I will restore your phone to you, as well.”

“I want new locks on my door,” I said. “And I want to have the only key.”

Either Alpha could force the door open, I knew that, but I wanted some concession from them.

“Why?” Kieran asked.

“It’s called privacy,” I said.

“Must be a human thing,” Kieran muttered.

“Yeah,” I said.

“We will consider your bargain,” Lucian declared. “What do you offer in return, exactly?”

“I soothe your wolves, whenever you need, but I do it my way. You don’t get to demand, you just come to me when you need me,” I said.

“That’s fine,” Kieran said. “We usually don’t know what we need when it happens anyway.”

Lucian grunted, and turned away. He walked out the door. Kieran followed with a grin and a wave.

I was still locked in.