Land of Wolves: Chapters 56-60 (Patreon)

Chapter 56

Adam lays back flat on the wooden cot and pulls me over him.

The wood groans under our weight, and I tense as I wait for it to break. This bed doesn’t seem sturdy, but I tentatively relax when a few long seconds pass and we don’t collapse to the floor below.

“Here,” Adam mumbles, lifting his arm and wrapping it around my waist.

It’s the first thing he’s said to me in hours. His fingers curl into a fist where it rests on me, and he holds me steady as I press my cheek on his collarbone and wrap my arms around my head. This position hurts my chest, but laying on him facing upward would be too uncomfortable.

“Does your back hurt?” I whisper, my voice so low I can barely hear it myself.

Adam clears his throat. “No.”

I’m not sure how much I believe that. I’m sure having to lay on wooden planks with somebody directly on top of you is far from comfortable.

Adam throws an arm over his eyes, blocking the room’s light.

It’s impossible to know what time it is, and it seems HPAW never shuts off the light. They installed a giant fluorescent bulb in the ceiling, and while I didn’t mind it at first, it sure as fuck makes it impossible to sleep.

My heart races as I breathe in Adam’s scent. He smells a bit musty, but it’s not anything unbearable. Caleb loved to complain that I smelt too much like Adam, and my lips curl into a smile as I recall how he and Adam would always open the windows in my apartment to air the smell of one another out.

Adam tightens his arm around my lower back. I’m willing to bet the HPAW guard watching us through the camera sees this as a romantic action, but I know Adam means nothing by it.

We lay in silence for a long time, and I doze off what feels like every few minutes before jerking awake in a panic. Adam is wide awake every time, squeezing my hip with a whisper that everything is okay.

I wish that were true.

Eventually, I can’t bring myself to fall asleep anymore, the pain in my chest too intense. I push off Adam’s chest with a low grunt, needing to get up and move around. He watches as I stand on wobbly legs and take a lap of the room.

I can walk from one side to the other in only seven steps, and I estimate Adam could do it in four.

“I mean, there’s no way Caleb would just let us rot in here,” I say, starting a conversation.

I need to keep trying. The old Evelyn wouldn’t give up until she had the information she needed.

Adam hums, the noise emerging from deep in his throat before he throws an arm back over his eyes. It seems he’s still choosing not to talk with me, a fact I’m quite pleased with.

“Do you think he could be dead?” I continue.

My voice grows hoarse, and I clear my throat with a slight wince. I need to be showing less emotion. HPAW probably expects I’d be a little upset about Caleb’s death, but I can’t go around tearing up whenever the possibility is mentioned.

Is it possible?

The more I think about it, the more I fear it might be. I know there’s no way Caleb would ever let Adam and me be taken, at least not without a fight. He’d have done whatever possible to stop it. I know he would’ve, but it’s been at least two days.

Maybe he needs time to make a plan?

My lungs burn, and I continue pacing the room as I run through scenarios. I need to know what happened during the attack, and I need to know who the fuck HPAW’s informant is. What if they’re still in the pack?

They could still actively be collecting and feeding information to HPAW.

Do the wolves think it was me? I assume so. It’s probably what I’d think if I were in their position.

I run a shaky hand through my hair before pausing and turning toward Adam. His chest rises and falls in a slow, even rhythm, but I know he’s awake. I doubt he’s slept since being captured, at least not thoroughly.

My attention shifts to his hand. The skin has healed, but his mark is no longer intact. I can still see the very edges of it that weren’t injured, but most of his hand is scar tissue now.

Does he miss it? Miss the physical reminder that somebody in the world is meant specifically for you? Your other half.

I miss mine.

I didn’t get to leave any part of it intact since it’s the color, not the design, I have to hide from HPAW. My back breaks out in a cold sweat as I carefully peel back the bandage to see it, and bile rises in the back of my throat as I eye my torn-up skin.

My hand looks like shit, and I’m surprised I didn’t fuck up any tendons or mobility in my fingers.

I have the pain medication to thank for that. It took the edge off and allowed me to be more precise than I typically would’ve been.

My hand shakes as I cover my mark back up with the bandage.

Is HPAW going to bring me into medical to have my wounds checked? I don’t heal like the wolves, and they can’t treat me the same way they do Adam if they want to keep me alive. Nothing is stopping me from getting an infection while I’m down here, especially if I’m not given clean water and fresh bandages.

And probably even some ointment.

“If he’s dead, I can’t imagine who would be next in line,” I say.

Adam moves his arm away from his eyes to peer at me, his face flat. He blinks, still staring at me, before rolling his eyes and turning away. I wish I knew what to make of it, and I wish even more I could somehow tell him what I’m doing.

I’d hate for him to think I’m genuinely with HPAW, but I’m sure it’s easy to draw those conclusions given my past. My prior relationship with them doesn’t paint me in the best light. I’d have to be a fool not to realize that.

“I thought sharing a wall with you was bad…” Adam sighs and covers his eyes once more. “I’m beginning to feel sorry for Alpha Caleb.”

I gasp, more than a little offended by what he’s insinuating.

Caleb enjoyed living with me, and I feel sorry for whoever Adam ends up with. I tap my foot against the ground, debating whether to continue speaking. It’s clear Adam isn’t going to give me any information, but HPAW would want me to keep prying.

A low buzzing fills the room, the noise making my pulse jump.

I freeze as I spin and stare at the door, recognizing the sound of the door unlocking from when I was brought in yesterday.

Adam’s in front of me a second later, blocking me from whoever’s about to enter. I instinctively place a hand over my chest, protecting my wound as four HPAW guards dressed in full tactical gear storm into the room.

They hold large guns, and I scamper back as one is pointed directly at me.

The other three are on Adam, and my eyes flicker from the red dot on his forehead to the two on his chest. What’s going on?

“Back up against the wall,” the guard pointing the gun at me orders.

I scamper backward, not wanting to argue with the man aiming a weapon at my chest. It’s not the first time I’ve had a gun pointed at me. HPAW was insistent I become comfortable in the face of danger, and they felt pointing weapons at me was an excellent way to train me for the wolves.

I always knew they wouldn’t shoot me, and I was pretty sure the guns weren’t actually loaded with bullets. Now, though, now I’m willing to bet the gun pointed at me is very much loaded.

And the guard is very much willing to shoot if I do something alarming.

His gun follows me as I press my back against the wall, and I struggle to remain calm as I watch the three other guards close in on Adam.

“Arms in the air,” one orders him.

Adam’s movements are slower than mine would be, and I struggle to breathe evenly as he takes his sweet time lifting his arms. He’s playing with fire.

“Turn around.”

I lock eyes with Adam as he spins. He looks unnaturally calm, and he stares at the red dot on my chest as a guard behind him rushes forward with a needle. The guard doesn’t hesitate to unlock the metal collar on his neck and slip it into his pocket.

The needle is jabbed into Adam’s neck a second later, and I flinch as he pushes down on the plunger.

What are they going to do with him?

Adam doesn’t move for a long moment, but eventually his head droops and he stumbles forward. The guards shift, adjusting to each of his movements with practiced ease. I fear I’m moments away from a full panic when Adam finally drops, his body going limp at the snap of a finger.

He lands on the ground with a painful-sounding smack, and I can’t help but wince as he quietly groans and tries to push himself back up. He only manages to lift his torso about halfway before his arms give out, and the guards must take that as the sign that the drug has kicked in enough as two storm forward and yank him off the ground.

“Fight back, and we’ll kill her,” the one pointing the gun at me threatens.

My attention darts to him. I search his expression for emotion, but his face remains flat as he watches the guards drag Adam out of the room. The third guard quickly follows, and the one pointing the gun at me is the last to leave.

I slide down the wall the second the steel door shuts behind him.

What the fuck was that?

I will myself not to cry as I pull my knees to my chest and stare at the wall. What are they going to do with Adam? What they did to that wolf in the video Caleb showed me was vile, and Adam doesn’t deserve that.

Nobody does.

The room feels unbearably empty without him, and I rest my chin on my knees as I wait. They’ll bring him back here once they’re finished with whatever they plan to do, won’t they? I don’t know where else they’d put him.

They have to bring him back.

It’s impossible to tell the time in here, that within itself a sick kind of torture. It feels like we’ve been here for at least a day, but for all I know, it could only be an hour or two. Fuck.

I tap my foot against the ground, still staring at the door.

Are they watching me right now? I’m sure they’re interested in seeing my reaction to Adam being taken.

What feels like hours pass before Adam is returned. He’s still knocked out, and the same four guards as before step into the room and deposit him on the floor. He’s been changed into an HPAW uniform, but the shirt hangs loosely off his torso while the bottoms are impossibly tight.

The parts of him I can see from this angle look untouched, and I fight the urge to get up and run toward him. Is he even still alive? He sure as fuck doesn’t look it right now, and I stare at his back until I see it rise with breath.

Thank god.

The guards turn toward me, and I let my eyes trail over Adam one last time before meeting the gaze of the guard closest to me. It’s the one who drugged Adam earlier, and he licks his lips before jerking his head toward the door.

He forgot to re-attach Adam’s collar.

“Come with us,” he says.

Why? I don’t immediately move, and I nervously glance at the other three guards before shifting my attention back to the one who spoke. Does leadership intend to speak with me again?

Maybe Adam told them something? I’m not sure what they drugged him with, but given how still he is right now, I have a feeling he wasn’t doing much communicating. You can never be too certain, though.

“Up, Evelyn,” the guard repeats. I’m surprised he knows my name.

My muscles feel comically weak as I rise to my feet. The other three guards still point their weapons at Adam, probably wishing he’d give them an excuse to fire.

I hold my breath as I approach the guard who spoke to me.

He turns and walks toward the door, and I silently follow. I’m faintly aware of the other three guards walking behind me, their weapons likely on my back now. It’s nerve-wracking, and I do my best not to let it show as I enter the reinforced hallway that leads to the remainder of the facility.

The steel door shuts behind me with a loud thud, and the guard I’m following scans his card to unlock the second door. I’ll need to get my hands on one of those if I hope to escape.

He pushes open the door and steps into the hallway, and I let out a tiny sigh of relief when I spot my wheelchair sitting on the other side of it. I overexerted myself with my pacing earlier, and my body is paying the ultimate price.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

None of the guards answer, and two break away and exit leave while one grabs the handles on the back of my chair and the other posts up against the steel door. I white knuckle my chair handles as I get pushed forward, and I do my best not to let my panic overcome me as I’m led through the halls and into the elevator.

Where the fuck is Caleb?

Chapter 57

I sag in relief when the guard hits the button for the second underground floor. There are only two things on that level, the unique gym Dan and I used to train in, and medical. Given my current injuries, I highly doubt I’m expected to partake in any form of exercise.

The guard guides me forward once the elevator doors open, confirming my assumption as he turns to the left toward the medical wing.

I suppose I should be glad HPAW is taking enough interest in my well-being to ensure the doctors see me. It means, at least to some extent, they want to keep me alive.

The wheels of my chair squeak, and I focus on the annoying noise as I’m led into a hospital waiting room. Dan is waiting inside, and he dips his chin in greeting before turning to the guard.

“I can take it from here,” he says.

He doesn’t bother waiting for a response before he rounds me and takes my chair handles from the guard. Why’s he here? I assumed Dan would try and distance himself from me, and joining me on my visits to the hospital isn’t exactly a good look for him.

If HPAW decides I’m loyal to the wolves, Dan’s proximity to me will turn their eyes on him, as well. Despite how well they know him and how long he’s chosen to work for HPAW, they’ll wonder if I was able to sway his opinion toward the wolves.

They know we’re close, and his insistence on overseeing my checkups only draws more attention.

Dan pushes me down the hallway and into a private medical room. It’s bare, and I let my eyes travel over the white walls and clean, sterile furniture before peering over my shoulder at Dan. I’d pay good money to know what he’s thinking.

“How are you feeling?” he asks, meeting my gaze.

I shrug. “I’ve been better,” I admit.

He chuckles, a low, quiet sound, before guiding me toward the hospital bed in the center of the room.

He helps me out of my chair and onto the bed, and I’m happy to note my knees no longer shake when I stand. My legs still feel impossibly weak, but I’m regaining some of my strength. I don’t think I injured my legs at all, but my body as a whole has been struggling.

I’m willing to bet it’s a side effect of my head wound.

A tray of breakfast food sits on the small table at the end of my bed, and Dan smoothly hands it over once I get adjusted. My mouth is already watering, and I’m sure I’m a sight to see as I grab a fork and begin shoveling the eggs down my throat.

My last meal was before I was brought up to meet with leadership, and I’m starving.

When was the last time Adam was fed? He must be hungry, too, but asking to bring back food for him is too risky. I shouldn’t care about his well-being, and it would be a dead giveaway that our relationship is more than I’m pretending it is.

“How’s your hand?” Dan asks.

I slow my chewing, immediately on edge.

“It’s healing as expected,” I say. “I tore up the skin pretty bad, but all my fingers work.”

Dan nods and sits in the chair next to my bed. His stare is intense, and I do my best to pretend I’m not affected by it.

“What’re the odds I get moved back into a real room?” I ask. “I don’t exactly enjoy sharing a bed with a wolf.”

I need to get out of the cell. I’m not sure how I intend to get Adam and me out of here, but I know I need to be out of that room if I’m going to do it. It’s too guarded, and breaking in to get Adam out will be easier than both of us trying to escape from within.

Dan licks his lips but doesn’t immediately answer. I don’t push for him to speak, knowing he doesn’t usually respond well to that. He does things on his own time and in his own way. Always has, always will.

“Benjamin wants you with the wolf,” he eventually says.

I resist the urge to groan. I was there for that conversation, and it’s not what I asked.

My frustration grows as I return to my food, eager to eat it all before it gets taken away.

It’s a bland meal of unsalted eggs and beans, but beggars can’t be choosers. This is the food I have eaten for most of my life.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot the door opening, and I shovel my food down my throat faster. I almost choke on it, and I cough into my fist before clearing my throat and sticking the last piece of egg between my lips.

“Hey, Bells,” Dan greets.

Bells?

My lips purse as I turn and realize he’s speaking to my blue-haired nurse. She steps into the room with a tight smile, her eyes darting quickly between Dan and me. I prefer Jay, and I suck my cheeks into my mouth as she slips on a pair of gloves and approaches my bed.

“Morning, Dan,” she says before turning to me. “How are you feeling, Evelyn?”

I shrug, my eyes darting between Bells and Dan. Dan smirks, his eyelids lowering, while Bells fidgets with her hands. It’s awkward, and the tension between them is odd. I continue looking between the two, confused, before recoiling as I realize they’ve fucked.

I don’t know how I know, but I do.

My frown deepens as I set my now-empty tray of food aside.

Dan leans back in his chair and lets his eyes travel down Bells’ backside, and I fight the urge to gag. She looks a bit older than me, maybe in her mid to late twenties, but Dan is at least fifty.

I don’t like to think of Dan as a sexual being, and I shake my head before forcing myself to focus on Bells.

She clears her throat and unwraps the bandage on my head, her touch surprisingly gentle. Her black scrubs swish slightly with each of her movements, and I stare at the wall behind her head as she cleans the stitches.

“You don’t need a wrapping anymore, but be careful not to get your head dirty. We’ll wash your hair the next time you come in,” she says.

I nod, and she urges me to remove my top so she can see my chest. My eyes cut to Dan, but he’s not paying attention. He’s probably already seen me naked thousands of times while I used the gym shower, and I know he has no interest in seeing my body.

He pulls out his phone and taps at the screen as Bells helps me out of my shirt.

“This one hurts the most,” I admit.

Bells frowns and pulls back the bandage. The skin around my wound is red and puffy, but it doesn’t look infected. She takes her time cleaning it, and I clench my jaw and breathe sharply through my teeth as she applies something that fucking stings.

I hate Bells.

“I know,” she says, seeing my poorly concealed pain. “This is always the worst part, but we need to keep it clean.”

Fucking bitch.

Objectively I know it’s because it’s my worst one, but I still don’t like it. I’d rather her leave it alone, and my entire body relaxes when she finally puts a new bandage on it.

“Can I give her some pain medicine?” Bells asks, turning to Dan.

Dan grimaces and sets down his phone as Bells helps me back into my shirt.

“She hasn’t been cleared for any,” Dan says. He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth, and I can tell he’s conflicted.

Eventually, he scratches his throat and turns back to his phone, and Bells glances in his direction before stepping out of the room. Where the fuck is she going? I tap my feet against the ground, hoping Dan doesn’t take this opportunity to hammer me with questions.

He doesn’t, thank god, and I perk up as Bells returns with something clenched tightly in her fist. She remains quiet as she opens her palm to reveal a small white pill, and I shoot her a questioning look before glancing at Dan.

He’s pretending not to know what’s happening, and I quickly snatch the pill up and swallow before either of them change their mind. It’s dry in my throat, but I force it down anyway.

Bells reaches for my hand, the last thing she needs to check, and I mindlessly watch as she pulls back the covering to reveal my ruined mark. The skin looks horrible, and thankfully there’s no sign of the deep red coloring.

I miss it, and jealousy flares inside me as I turn and look at the mark on her hand.

It’s the deep red mine once was, and I cock my head to the side as I admire the intricate design. Despite how much I once hated my mark, I’ve always felt they were beautiful. Most of them are relatively similar, and you have to look closely to find a match.

Bells’ is almost a floral design, similar to how mine was, but hers doesn’t travel over the top of her fingers as mine did. Instead, all the vines are cut off abruptly at her knuckles by a thick band wrapped horizontally across them.

It’s unique.

I cock my head to the side as I admire it, and my entire body grows stiff as I realize where I’ve seen this before. Adam.

I’m pretty sure he had a thick band across the back of his knuckles, too.

My throat goes dry, and I scan her mark again in a panic. This is definitely identical to Adam’s. How did I not notice it before? I suppose I’ve never really taken the time to look at her mark in detail.

Can I get her to help us escape? I doubt she cares to find her mate, most marked HPAW employees don’t, but maybe she’ll change her mind if I can get her and Adam in a room alone. The bond is strong, and it acts quickly.

Bells wipes my destroyed mark and applies some ointment before wrapping it again.

“Alright. You’re all set,” she says, tucking her hair behind her ear as she steps back to give me space.

Dan stands and helps me get back into my wheelchair. My guard is waiting outside the room, and he takes over pushing me once I’m in the hallway.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Dan says.

Tomorrow?

I lick my lips and give a jerky nod, and he cocks his head to the side before narrowing his eyes and leaving. He’s noticed something’s up with me, and I swallow past the lump in my throat before forcing my face into a level expression.

The last thing I want is to make him suspicious.

My guard brings me back to my cell, and the relief that washes through me when I see Adam is unimaginable. He pushes open the door for me, his head low.

He looks unsteady on his feet, the medicine they gave him still probably wearing off, and I hurry into the room so he doesn’t have to waste his energy holding the door open. He releases it the second I’m through the threshold, and I fight the urge to shout that I’ve found his mate as I sit on the bed.

“Are you okay?” Adam asks, joining me.

The wooden beams creak under his weight, and his hand lands on my knee before he abruptly grabs my shoulders and buries his face in my neck. I stiffen, shocked, as Adam sucks in a deep breath.

It ends with a quiet whine, the noise sounding identical to the cry of a wounded animal, but immediately after, Adam seems to realize what he’s doing and pulls away. I struggle to calm my heart, and Adam releases my shoulders and clenches his hands into tight fists on his thighs.

Silence is thick between us, and it’s wildly uncomfortable.

Thankfully he doesn’t ask, and I don’t volunteer any answers. We both know what just happened, but speaking it out loud is dangerous. I don’t know who’s listening, and HPAW wouldn’t hesitate to use Bells to torture Adam.

“Where did they take you?” he asks me.

Should I answer that? It’s a question he’d probably ask even if he didn’t just smell his mate on me.

“Medical. One of the nurses changed my bandages,” I say.

Adam nods slowly before clearing his throat and leaning back against the wall. His hands are still fisted on his thighs, and he clenches and unclenches them before clearing his throat again and running his fingers through his hair.

I’m sure he wasn’t eager to learn his mate is an HPAW nurse.

A sudden burning in my lips draws my attention, and I press them together with a slight wince. What the fuck? The burning stops before continuing again, and I bring my fingers to my lips and push against them.

It hurts, but thankfully my lips don’t feel swollen or anything. The pain is also exclusively limited to my lips, so I assume it’s not an allergic reaction to my medicine. Maybe it’s a side effect?

I gnaw at my bottom lip, doing my best to avoid the pain as I shift in my seat and eye the toilet.

I need to go.

“Can you turn away?” I ask. “I need to use the bathroom.”

Adam wordlessly places his hands over his ears and spins to face the wall. This is embarrassing, and I hurry toward the toilet before pulling down my pants. There’s no seat, so I’m forced to hover over it.

My thighs shake under the weight of my body, but I manage to pee without falling over or making a mess. Adam continues to cover his ears until I’ve finished and pulled up my pants, but the way he uncovers them the moment I’m re-dressed tells me he still heard everything.

Oh well. There’s not much I can do about that.

I return to the bed, my movements awkward as the burning in my lips steals my attention. Should I be worried about this?

Eventually, Adam shifts and lays back on the bed, and I hesitate before dropping myself onto him like before. He nonchalantly buries his face in my hair and smells me.

I imagine the top of my head is strong with Bells’ scent, considering she touched it when she removed my bandage and cleaned my wound. I can’t even begin to imagine how Adam is feeling right now, and I force my mind away from my burning mouth as I try to devise an escape plan.

Chapter 58

My lips still burn, the odd pulsating continuing throughout the night. It’s distracting, and it makes it impossible to sleep.

Not that I’d have gotten good sleep, anyway. The light and lack of comfort make it hard, and being unable to tell the time has messed with my circadian rhythm.

There’s a good possibility we’re trying to sleep when it isn’t even night. I assume a whole day had passed by the time we finally decided to lay down and rest, though.

How many days have we been here now? Three? Four?

I feel foolish for not keeping better track, and I debate trying to carve a tally mark into the cement wall before quietly acknowledging that my human nails aren’t strong enough to do so. I’d only tear mine up, and I’ve got enough injuries as it is.

Considering I was given breakfast when I went to medical yesterday, I assume it was morning. Will they see me at the same time today?

I curl a hand around my head, my fingers resting against the base of Adam’s throat. His arm is pressed over his eyes, blocking the light, but I can tell he’s not sleeping. Not once have I worked up and caught him resting, and I’m beginning to fear for his health.

Wolves can tolerate significantly more than humans, but even they have limits.

He still needs to sleep, especially if he’s to keep up his strength. I know he’s not being fed, nor has he received any medical attention, and sleep is the one thing he can still control. He needs to take advantage of that, but there’s no way for me to lecture him without alerting HPAW.

They’ll find it odd if I’m trying to convince Adam to sleep, but I might have no other choice.

I need him in tip-top shape when we escape, and exhaustion will make him forgetful and careless. We can’t have that, not when the stakes are this high.

He stopped trying to subtly sniff me late into yesterday evening, and I assume the scent of his mate has worn off. Bells and I had no prolonged interactions, so I’m not surprised it didn’t stick around for long.

What’s Adam thinking?

I’m sure he’s panicked over the idea of his mate being here, within arms reach of both him and HPAW, but I see this as a positive. The mate bond is so much more intense than HPAW realizes, and I have a good feeling that we can convince Bells to help us escape.

She just needs to meet Adam and feel the bond for herself. She needs to get sucked in by it. Consumed by it.

I doubt Bells has undergone as extensive training as me, and I’m sure that will make her easier to flip. She’s not prepared for the onslaught of emotions that comes with meeting your mate for the first time, and she won’t be as equipped to ignore them as I did with Caleb.

She’ll fall putty to Adam, and she can be our eyes and ears outside this cell.

I’m sure it won’t be too hard to find time for me and Bells to be alone. Dan seems insistent on attending all of my medical appointments, but I’m confident he won’t make a fuss if I tell him he has to stay out of the room while she bathes me.

She said she’d do it the next time I saw her, which I hope is today.

Dan’s an asshole even on his best days, but he’s not a pervert. He’ll give us space on anything I need to be naked for an extended time for.

Maybe I can get Bells to figure out who HPAW’s informant is. If she’s as close with Dan as I assume her to be, I’m sure she can find a way to convince him to disclose that information.

Men are weak when they’re horny, and we can use that to our benefit.

We need to know who it is, especially if that person is still within the pack lands.

I tap my fingers against Adam’s throat to the same rhythm as my burning lips. They hurt so fucking bad, and I don’t know what to do. I gnaw at my bottom lip in a sad attempt to distract from the pain, but it doesn’t help.

If it doesn’t let up soon, I’m going to fucking cut them off.

At this rate, by the time we escape this facility, I will be nothing more than bits and pieces.

Adam shifts below me, the muscles in his abdomen tightening before he relaxes once more. I’m uncomfortable lying on him like this, a feeling I’m sure he also shares, but there isn’t enough room for the both of us on the bed.

The only other option would be to spoon, and me using him as a mattress seems like the lesser of two evils. Especially because, when he’s not all tensed up, he serves as a pretty good mattress. His thighs are spread, allowing both my legs to fall between and lay on the wooden planks, and my torso rests on his.

I’m short enough that my face is in his chest, and the top of my head ends just below his chin.

Caleb would have a conniption if he saw us like this, my mate possessive. I doubt he’d be genuinely angry given our circumstances, but he’d surely force me into the shower before rubbing himself all over me until I no longer smell of my annoying neighbor.

My lips curl as I recall how he used to rub himself on my clothing. He thought he was so slick, but I know he was sneaking into the closet and brushing against my things whenever he had a moment alone.

He was like a cat, and I found great pleasure telling him that when I caught him doing it for the first time.

I want Adam to have those experiences. He deserves them, and even if it isn’t in the best of circumstances, I’m happy he found Bells. I’m excited to watch him act like a lovesick pup once we get out of here.

He’ll bend over backward to make her happy, and I’m eager for the embarrassing displays he’ll most definitely put on.

The wolves don’t have much shame when it comes to their mates.

I hope my knowing about her proves to him that I’m still on his side. If I weren’t, I’d have run to HPAW the moment I saw her mark, but I remained quiet. I didn’t utter a word, not even to her.

Adam curls his hand around the one I press against his throat, his tight grip borderline painful. I grow still, unsure of what he’s doing as he slides his other hand down my side. His touch is light, and I stop breathing as he slips his fingers into the back of my sweatpants.

What the fuck does he think he’s doing?

His fingertips press into the top of my underwear, and I’m seconds away from sitting up and punching him in the eye when he subtly pushes into the skin on my butt with his index finger, pulls back, and pushes again.

What the hell?

I remain unbearably tense as he pokes me, his movements subtle enough that any cameras shouldn’t be able to detect it from underneath the fabric of my thick sweatpants.

It takes only a few seconds to realize he’s perfectly matching the rhythm of my burning lips.

Oh.

My breath halts, and I swallow past the lump in my throat as I try to understand what it means. I was taught Morse code, the dots and dashes permanently ingrained in my mind after years of having it drilled into me, but this isn’t that.

It’s similar, with short taping and longer presses, but Adam also slides his finger from side to side and moves it in slight arches. Tears fill my eyes, and I blink them away to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

Caleb’s alive, and he’s trying to communicate.

I just wish I knew what the fuck it meant. How does Adam understand what it means? He’s clearly well taught if he can replicate Caleb’s movements so smoothly, the two synchronized.

Is this Adam’s way of informing me what the pain is? Of telling me what he knows?

He squeezes my fingers still resting on his throat before releasing, and I take that as a silent order to stop publicly tapping the rhythm into his skin. HPAW might see and recognize it to be some message, even if I wasn’t able to draw that conclusion.

I lick my lips, struggling not to move too abruptly and give anything away as Adam slides his hand out of my pants. He curls his arm around my waist before slipping underneath my shirt, his palm warm against my skin as he moves it up my spine and around my torso.

He cups my ribcage, careful not to touch my bandage, before wiggling his fingers between our bodies until his thumb rests over my nipple. It’s terribly intimate, and I squeeze my eyes shut as he brushes his finger over it.

I know what he’s doing, and I remain as still as possible as he uses my body to communicate with Caleb.

If HPAW learns that infidelity causes pain to the other half of a mated pair, they would, without a doubt, use that against us. I don’t even what to imagine the horrible things they would do, and I force myself to tune out the feeling of Adam stroking my nipple.

My body reacts to the stimulus, and I can feel my nipple harden under his touch. I feel guilty, but there’s nothing I can do to stop it. Maybe the slight pleasure will help ensure the message gets sent.

Will Caleb’s nipple burn as my lips do?

I want to know what Adam’s saying.

The pain in my lips stops, and I hope that means Caleb’s getting the message.

I also hope it means he’s stopped whatever it is he’s doing to make my lips burn. I assume he’s kissing somebody, but I don’t want to think too deeply about it.

It’s a necessary evil, but still an evil.

A low buzzing halts Adam’s movements, and within the blink of an eye, I’m flat on my back and he’s crouching near the end of the bed, his eyes locked in on the steel door. My heart is pounding in my chest, fear about being caught filling my veins.

Adam was subtle in touch, but if somebody was watching closely, they could have picked up on it.

I’ve allowed Adam to pull up my shirt to check my chest wound, and he’s taken it upon himself to peer at and prod me multiple times a day. I hope HPAW thinks him putting his hand up the front of my shirt was just him getting nervous about my wound.

The door opens, and three guards pool into the room with their weapons pointed at Adam.

“Against the wall,” they order him.

He hesitates, his weight shifting on the balls of his feet, before he cuts me a sharp glance and backs up. I can tell he isn’t pleased to remove himself from in front of me, and he glares daggers at the one soldier who points their weapon toward me.

I’m sure there’s a red dot in the center of my forehead, matching the one on Adam.

I struggle to my feet as Dan enters the room. His attention is on Adam, and he slowly looks him up and down before turning toward me. His expression grows venomous as he notices the dot on my forehead.

“Remove it.”

There’s no question as to what he’s referring to.

The guard pointing their weapon at me clears his throat, looking uncomfortable.

“I’m under orders to—“ he starts.

Dan lifts a hand, stopping him. “Remove it.”

The guard purses his lips before shifting his weapon toward Adam. Dan nods, silently pleased, and even Adam looks happy with the change as the muscles in his shoulders soften.

Aw.

The big bad wolf doesn’t want me dead.

Dan shifts his attention toward Adam once more. He seems intrigued as he evaluates the wolf and takes a step closer to get a better look. Is this the first time he’s seen one in person? His role was always to train me, and I’m willing to bet he never had a reason to visit the few wolves we’ve captured over the years.

He’s not involved in torture, nor is he a medical professional or scientist.

He’s just a really good soldier and mediocre caretaker.

My being locked in with Adam probably gives him the perfect excuse to come down here, and he’s taking full advantage of it as he approaches Adam. The guards adjust as Dan gets close, clearly displeased as they move around the room and fix the angle of their shots.

The burning on my lips begins again, and I shut my eyes when I realize it’s a different pattern than before. I need to memorize it for Adam.

“Interesting,” Dan says to Adam, his voice deceptively calm.

I open my eyes. What’s interesting?

Dan turns to me, the man cocky as he puts his back to the wolf that could tear him apart within seconds. Adam’s close enough to kill Dan before the guards have time to react, and I’m shocked by Dan’s carelessness.

It’s unlike him.

“Come,” Dan orders me, jerking his head toward the door. “We’ve got a busy morning.”

I fix my shirt and sweatpants, my clothing having twisted in my sleep, before hurrying toward the door. I hope Bells is working today, and I hope having slept on Adam all night has put enough of his scent on me that it registers in her mind.

The scent of her mate, even if our human noses can barely pick it up, will soften her.

This has to work.

Chapter 59

I tap my fingers against my thigh as I follow Dan into the elevator.

It seems HPAW decided I’m well enough to no longer need my wheelchair, but Dan wordlessly keeps a slow pace so I don’t struggle.

Behind me are the footfalls of the guards, and they chat loudly to themselves as they return to their posts. I take a second to eavesdrop and see if they’re discussing anything worth knowing, but when I realize they’re only talking about some sports game, I zone them out.

They disperse as the elevator doors close, sealing me inside with Dan. He reaches forward and scans his ID card before hitting the button for the first above-ground floor. My mouth goes dry. The only things on that floor are the cafeteria, public gym, and housing units.

Am I being moved into a room?

It’s not what I expected, and until this morning, I would’ve been grateful. Getting away from Adam seemed our best option for escape, but now that I need him to communicate with Caleb, we need to stick together.

I don’t understand the secret code, and even if I did, there’s nobody else I can use to trigger the mate bond pain. At least, not anybody that would let me send a message. Any guard would expect sex, and they’d notice if I tapped them in odd, repetitive motions.

Fuck.

“I had to pull some strings to get you removed from the cell for meals,” Dan says, breaking the silence.

I cock my head to the side, repeating his words in my mind, before clearing my throat and spinning around. Dan leans against the wall, his feet kicked out and crossed at the ankles. He’s typing something on his phone, and he locks and shoves the device in his pocket before meeting my gaze.

“We’re going to eat?” I ask.

He purses his lips before giving a curt nod.

Oh. I glance at the ground before frowning and licking my lips, hoping to look disappointed.

“I thought maybe I was being moved into a housing unit,” I say.

I’m so fucking relieved I’m not, but the Evelyn who hates the wolves would be eager to get away from Adam. She’d hate being stuck in a cell with a wolf, forced to share a space and bed with him.

Dan looks mildly guilty as he shakes his head. “Even I don’t have the power to change your living arrangements right now,” he admits.

I know he doesn’t.

This order came directly from leadership, and nobody would listen to Dan even if he demanded a room to be cleared for me. They’d immediately call Jonathan, and after a lengthy conversation about why Dan is going against direct orders, he’d probably be fired.

He’d never risk his job, especially for me.

The elevator doors open, and I follow Dan to the cafeteria. I never thought I’d see this room again, and my palms grow sweaty as I peer around. A few people are lingering around, most sitting at tables with coffee and laptops.

I turn toward the giant clock that hangs above the buffet table. It’s 10:30 AM.

Just knowing the time feels like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and I watch the second-hand tick as my lips curl into a tiny smile.

I do my best to hide it, but it’s hard.

Heads turn in my direction, and I’m sure if I look hard enough, I’ll find a few people whispering about me. It’s probably not a secret I’ve been returned to the facility, and I can only imagine the rumors that have spread about me these past few days.

Or even these past few months. I’m sure there’s been numerous.

I ignore the staring as I make my way to the buffet table. Dan probably intentionally brought me here when the breakfast rush was over, but there’s still a decent spread of food here.

He hands me a plate, and I eagerly fill it with sausage links and eggs. They’re still hot, and the smell has my mouth watering as I follow Dan to a nearby table. He picks a relatively secluded one, and I keep my head low and avoid eye contact as I eat.

“I’m going to see what I can do about having you removed from the cell,” Dan says, breaking the silence. “I don’t want you alone with the wolf once we begin testing.”

Testing? My chewing slows, and I clear my throat before forcing myself to swallow. I knew they’d want to test Adam eventually, but it’s still hard to hear the confirmation.

“When do they plan to begin?” I ask.

I want to know what they plan on doing to him, but Dan won’t give me that information. I’m surprised he’s even mentioning the testing in the first place.

Dan licks his lips, and I anxiously shove a piece of sausage between my teeth. It burns my tongue, but the pain helps keep me rooted. Despite what Dan says, I need to keep myself from getting emotional.

I need distance from Adam, and I’m sure Dan’s closely evaluating my every facial twitch and body movement.

“Tomorrow,” he answers after a brief pause.

Tomorrow? A surge of panic rushes through me, the emotion sharp and intense. That’s too soon. I need Adam to help me communicate with Caleb, and he needs to remain in top shape for our escape.

I know what Dan means by testing. It’s torture.

They’re going to torture Adam.

Dan tilts his head to the side, and I crack open the bottle of water he took from the buffet. I need the distraction, and I take a long sip before responding.

The burning in my lips begins again, and I mentally curse Caleb for his timing.

“Well, good luck getting anything useful from him.” I force myself to laugh, and it seems to work as Dan straightens his spine with a confused hum. “I read in one of Caleb’s reports that the wolves in his immediate pack have a poison in one of their teeth in the odd chance they’re ever captured.”

I have no idea where I’m going with this, and I take another sip of water as I struggle to come up with something, anything, to say.

“He’ll probably take it the minute you begin testing him,” I continue.

Dan leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. I meet his eye and hold it, needing him to believe what I’m saying.

“Why didn’t you mention this before?” he asks.

I shrug, struggling to focus as my lips pulsate. They feel like they’re swelling, but I’m sure it’s all in my head. I’ve been dealing with the burning for over a day, and if Caleb’s actions led to any physical symptoms, it would have been noticed by now.

“It’s not like I’ve been given many opportunities to,” I say.

Dan falls silent as I finish the last few bites of my foot and set down my fork.

“You can probably run an X-ray scan to figure out which tooth it is,” I suggest.

Anything to get Adam into medical where Bells is. Unless things have changed since I was last here, HPAW keeps one doctor and three nurses on staff. That puts the odds of Adam meeting Bells pretty high.

He’s smart, and I have to trust he’ll be able to figure something out when he meets her.

Dan runs a hand through his hair, looking thoroughly stressed.

“Is there anything else we should be aware of?” he asks.

I shake my head. Does he actually believe me?

Dan pulls out his phone, and I try to slyly peek at the screen as he pulls up his email and types out a quick message. I can’t make out what he’s writing, but I hope it’s about needing to take Adam to medical tomorrow.

HPAW rarely captures wolves, and I know they won’t want to take any risks with the one they were finally able to catch.

I have no idea what the fuck I’m going to say when they realize Adam doesn’t have poison in his tooth, but hopefully, I can play it off as something Caleb must have planted to test my loyalty.

The burning of my lips stops, thank fucking god. Caleb did it for hours before, but now it seems like he’s testing the waters. I didn’t respond, and he probably realized that means I’m either not with Adam or in a position where it’s safe to send a message back.

“Let’s get you to medical,” Dan says, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

He sounds mildly annoyed, and I’m careful not to test his patience as we make our way to the elevator. There’s something about being underground that’s terribly constricting, and my chest feels tight as we descend.

I hope Adam’s scent is still on me. I can’t smell it myself, but I hope Bells will be sensitive to it. She needs to be.

My pulse races as the elevator doors open, and I wait for Dan to exit before following. His strides are long as he makes his way to the same room I was brought to yesterday, and I bite at the inside of my cheek as I approach and sit on the edge of the hospital bed.

Dan’s phone begins to ring, and he quickly looks to see who’s calling. His lips twitch as he stares at the screen, and after a second, he jerks his head toward the door.

“I need to take this.”

He’s gone a second later, and I peer around the room to ensure no personal items are left behind like before. There aren’t, and I frown as I flop back on the bed and stare at the ceiling. Objectively I know the cheap, hard hospital mattress isn’t comfortable, but after being forced to spend my nights on Adam’s chest, this bed is the best thing I’ve ever laid my body on.

It feels amazing.

The door opens, and I peer through my lashes as Bells enters the room. Her blue hair looks extra vibrant today, and the dark roots she once had have been covered up. I stare, an odd feeling of hatred washing over me.

While Adam and I are being held in a cell underground, HPAW employees continue living like nothing’s wrong. They get their hair done and have a grand fucking time.

Nice.

“Morning, Evelyn,” she greets.

I dip my chin, but otherwise don’t respond. I know it’s not her fault, that she’s being used and lied to just as I was, but seeing her still makes me angry. I hate everything her life stands for, and I think Adam deserves a better mate.

My eyelids flutter shut in a slow blink.

I’m starting to sound like Sash.

“Are you feeling up for a shower?” Bells asks, ignoring my rude greeting.

I sit up and plaster a timid smile on my lips. I have a job to do, and I can’t let my feelings get in the way of it. Bells is our best chance of getting out of here, and I need her on our side. I need her to recognize the mate bond with Adam.

She approaches, and I slide off the bed before entering the bathroom. There’s a small shower in here, and Bells enters and shuts the door before turning on the water.

“Why don’t you sit?” she suggests, pointing toward the in-shower chair.

For fuck’s sake. I attempt to remove my shirt, but I can’t move my arms in the right way to get it off. Bells steps forward to help, and I pretend not to notice how her nostrils flare once she’s in my proximity.

She smells Adam.

She does an excellent job pretending nothing is amiss as she helps pull my shirt over my head and removes the bandage on my chest. The stitches look better than before, the skin significantly less inflamed.

That’s good.

I remove my bottoms before grabbing a washcloth and stepping into the shower. The floor is slippery, and I hold the railings so I don’t lose my balance as I lower myself.

“I’m excited to get the smell of the wolf off me,” I say.

Bells raises a brow, and her lips purse before she gives a curt nod and reaches for the shower head. I clear my throat before glancing nervously at the bathroom door.

Is Dan still on the phone? I don’t want him to overhear our conversation.

“I’ve been having to share a bed with him,” I continue.

Her nostrils flare again, and I can tell she’s upset. She may not understand why, but I’m willing to bet she’s aggravated that I’m sharing a bed with the man she smells on me. The bond should call to her. I hope it does.

Bells grabs shampoo and begins to wash my hair. She slows around my cut, her fingers carefully digging into the scalp around it. It hurts, and I crinkle my nose until she moves away and rinses the suds.

She moves to conditioner next, massaging it into the ends of my hair while I squirt body wash onto my washcloth and begin cleaning my arms.

I hesitate, unsure how far I should push this, before continuing.

“He’s been getting handsy lately.” I sigh and tilt my head back into the water. “I think I just might give in and screw him as a last ‘fuck you’ to Caleb.”

Bells clears her throat. “I don’t care to hear these things.”

She sounds livid, and I pretend not to notice as I grin and spin toward her. I want her angry. Hopefully, it means that if Adam is brought here tomorrow, she’ll push to be the nurse who treats him.

The bond will urge her to, and it’ll be up to him to convince her. I know I can’t do it, but he should be able to. He’s got the bond on his side.

Once she’s hooked, I can use our visits to talk with her and create a plan.

“I know it sounds disgusting, but sex with the wolves is amazing. They’re big, and I’m sure Adam can fuck.” The words feel disgusting as they leave my mouth, but I force them out anyway.

Bells shoves the shower head into the wall holder before storming out of the room, the door slamming behind her. My lips curl, and I hum quietly as I wash my body. She returns after a few minutes, looking guilty.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles. “I shouldn’t have left.”

I smile. “Don’t worry about it.”

She grabs the shower head and helps me to finish rinsing myself, the silence between us long and awkward. We don’t speak again, and I don’t push.

I think I’ve got her exactly where I want her.

Chapter 60

I plant my good shoulder into the door and shove at it, desperate to get inside. It’s next to impossible, and panic works through me as I put all my weight against the door and open it just enough to slip inside.

My eyes land immediately on the crumpled man on the floor, and I let out a loud squeak as I rush toward Adam. He’s lying in his stomach, unmoving, and I struggle to contain myself as I press my fingers to his neck to check his pulse.

My hands shake, and I drop my forehead onto his chest as I feel the slight pulsating underneath my fingers.

Thank fucking god.

“What happened to you?” I whisper, my voice so low I barely hear it myself.

Adam doesn’t move, and I hesitate before grabbing his shoulder and trying to roll him onto his back. The man’s fucking heavy, and my arm screams in pain as the pulled muscle is pushed to its limit. I don’t care, and I continue shoving at Adam until I’ve got him on his back.

His eyes are half open, and I pry open his eyelid to see if he’s alert. He’s not, and I slide my shaky hands down his torso in search of any injury or explanation. There’s nothing, and I grimace as I slide my attention to his neck.

I don’t find any blood or holes that would signify he was drugged, but I imagine those wounds would have likely healed by now.

What happened to him?

Tears fill my waterline, and I fight not to let them spill as I search Adam again for any injury. I still don’t find anything, and I cup his cheek before pushing his knotted hair out of his face and planting myself on the ground between him and the door.

If any guards try to come in here and touch him, they’ll have to go through me first.

I don’t care how this may look to HPAW, my eager defense of the man I claim to hate, and I’m too anxious to dial back my concern.

Did they do this because I told Dan the lie about the poison in their teeth? My back sweats, and I hold my breath as I reach for Adam’s mouth and pry my fingers between his lips. He doesn’t fight me, his muscles limp as I open his jaw and peer inside.

All his teeth are still intact.

I can’t imagine what other reason they’d have to come in here and knock him out. Dan said they were going to begin testing tomorrow, and HPAW isn’t known to deviate from their plans. If they were decided on tomorrow, they would wait until tomorrow.

Adam’s chest rises and falls in a slow, even rhythm, and I place my hand on the center of it as I direct my gaze toward the door.

If he were going to die, he’d be dead already.

I remind myself of that fact as I count his breaths. Their pattern is the only thing keeping me from losing my mind right now, and I shut my eyes and force myself to breathe at the same slow rhythm in a sad attempt to calm down.

It doesn’t work, unsurprising, and I practically leap to my feet a few hours later when Adam finally lets out a quiet groan. My neck cracks with how hard I snap my head toward him, and I shuffle onto my knees as his eyes flutter open.

His dark brown eyes meet mine, and I let out a sigh of relief when they narrow and flicker around the room. He tries to lift himself into a sitting position, and I reach forward to help when I notice how badly his arms are shaking.

“What happened?” I whisper.

Adam doesn’t immediately answer. He licks his lips and runs a hand through his hair before leaning toward me and sniffing. I’m sure I still carry the faint scent of his mate, but it’s probably mostly dissipated by now.

“It seems one of your ex-boyfriends isn’t pleased with our relationship,” he says.

My ex-boyfriend? I sure as fuck don’t have one of those.

I was by no means chaste during my years here, but it was always well-established between my partners and me that our sex didn’t mean anything. They’d never sully themselves by developing feelings for a marked woman, let alone one tied to the Alpha, and they’d especially never go as far as to publicly act on it.

“What did he do?” I ask.

Adam lifts his shirt, but underneath it is nothing more than smooth skin and flexed muscles.

“He and his friends drugged me, then he beat the shit out of me when I couldn’t more. Eventually, he stomped on my head, and I guess I must have passed out.” Adam says this like it’s the most casual thing in the world, but I’m horrified.

I want to ask what the man looked like, but I know it wouldn’t do any good. I have a type, tall men with dark hair and brown eyes, and I probably wouldn’t know who Adam was describing. Many HPAW guards meet those criteria, and I’ve slept with plenty of them.

Guilt threatens to worm its way into my heart, but I force it down.

I refuse to feel bad for the sexual decisions I made before meeting Caleb. Caleb’s told me himself that he understands humans have different values and doesn’t think differently of me, but I can’t help but wish I had saved myself for him.

HPAW encouraged me to sleep around, even when they most definitely shouldn’t have, but they didn’t force anything on me.

Adam grimaces as he pushes himself to his feet, and he wavers slightly before taking two steps toward the bed and collapsing on it. I follow, careful not to apply too much pressure to his torso as I slot myself between him and the wall.

Laying on him is more comfortable, but cuddling up to his side provides him better access to my breast.

My nose crinkles. I never thought I’d end up in an HPAW cell having my nipple used as a telephone.

Adam lays on his back, struggling to catch his breath after dragging himself from the center of the room to the bed, and after a few seconds, he rolls onto his side. I’m not sure the best way to do this, and Adam seems conflicted, too, as he rests a significant portion of his torso on mine.

He’s heavy, but his back blocks the view of the room and, hopefully, the cameras.

“Here,” he mumbles, sliding his arm under my head.

I use his bicep as a pillow, knowing this is far from comfortable for him. He looks as stiff as the boards we’re lying on, but I’m sure I’m no better.

This is very literally one of the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever done.

Adam slides his hand up the front of my shirt, his movements slow so they don’t draw too much attention. I shove my arm between our bodies and rest my thumb against his bicep.

I haven’t felt any burning in my lips since the cafeteria, and I clench my jaw as I realize I don’t remember the rhythm I wanted to memorize earlier. So much has happened that it’s escaped me, and I curse myself for having been so forgetful.

Hopefully Caleb will repeat it.

Adam slips under my sports bra, his fingers trailing over the bandage Bells re-wrapped after my shower. I could tell she was pissed about what I said regarding Adam, and I’m surprised she didn’t turn green with envy.

I shut my eyes as Adam brushes his fingertip over my nipple.

He pulls away afterward, spreading his fingers so they rest on other parts of my boob. I wonder if he’s ever touched a woman’s breast before.

I know he received blowjobs in college, but I never asked if he touched the females in return. I’d assume not, but I hope he was. I’d hate to be the first woman he’s touched.

I don’t want to take that from him and his mate, even if it’s done out of necessity.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, my voice low.

Adam kisses the top of my head, his silent forgiveness everything. As annoying as he is, Adam’s a good friend. Even when he was tattling on me to Caleb and ordering me to stop crying inside my own apartment, he was still keeping me company most evenings.

I hope this doesn’t ruin that, and I hope we can be friends again when we’re out of here.

I can feel Adam’s pulse where my head rests on his bicep, his heartbeat strong as it pushes his blood down his limbs. I’m relieved to hear it, and I hope he’s recovering from the attack.

It’s unbelievable a guard took it upon himself to come in here and beat Adam, and I hope whoever it was is facing punishment. HPAW leadership won’t take kindly to guards coming in and messing with their goods.

He could have scrambled Adam’s brain, or killed him, and it’ll be a long time before they get another healthy male wolf again.

Adam taps his finger against the skin next to my nipple, and I press my lips together before giving a slight shrug. I don’t know what’s taking Caleb so long to respond.

Another few seconds pass before Adam brings his fingers back to my nipple. Unlike last time, he doesn’t immediately begin to press and circle the skin in his secret little language. Instead, he runs his thumb along the length of my breast before lightly pinching.

I press my lips together, wishing more than anything I could ask what he thinks he’s doing. Adam continues to do this, playing with my nipple until it’s taking everything in me not to pull away.

My body reacts to it despite my brain screaming no, and I clench my jaw as the lower half of my body grows tingly. Adam continues, and I turn and bury my face into his bicep to hide the sharp breath I suck in.

Adam still hears it, naturally, but thankfully he takes that as his cue to stop. He pauses and pulls away for a brief second before beginning the short tapping and long presses that I know are his way of communicating.

This is so terribly uncomfortable, and I count to five as I wait to feel something back. For a long moment, there’s nothing, but then I feel the burning. It’s intense, always is, and I force myself to focus as I repeat the pattern into Adam’s bicep.

I still don’t know all the intricacies of the bond, but maybe it can recognize my lack of arousal and doesn’t deem what’s happening between Adam and me as cheating.

Adam didn’t need to warm me up the first time, but maybe the initial shock had something to do with that.

What is Caleb doing to ensure I feel the burn of his kisses? Who is he kissing?

Jealousy flares inside me, despite knowing it’s entirely uncalled for, and I grind my teeth as I continue repeating the pattern of the burn on my lips into Adam’s bicep. I release him when it stops, and he hesitates before returning his fingers to my nipple.

This goes on for what feels like hours, and I so desperately want to know what’s being said. Is Caleb coming to rescue us? What’s happening?

HPAW intends to begin testing Adam tomorrow, so the wolves need to come soon. We don’t have the luxury of waiting, but there’s no way I can tell him that without being overheard.

Eventually Adam pulls his hand out of my shirt, his movements still slow so he doesn’t draw attention. His lips meet the top of my head again in a gentle kiss, and I hope that means something good.

Adam flops onto his back, and I suck in my first full breath since he rolled onto me earlier. It feels good, and I didn’t realize just how much oxygen I was missing out on until I was able to fill my lungs entirely again.

I slide my hand away from his bicep before propping myself on my elbow and staring at Adam. He raises a brow as he notices my attention, and the corner of his lip twitches upward just slightly before he throws his arm over his eyes to block the light.

I suppose this means he intends to sleep.

I should do the same.

I haphazardly throw myself onto his chest, using him again as a mattress as I settle my legs between his and rest my head on his sternum. Both my arms wrap around my head to create a cocoon of darkness, and I do my best to calm down and find sleep.

It’s probably not even that late, but there isn’t much to do beyond sleep. It’s almost easier that way, passing the time with blissful ignorance. Staying awake means thinking, and thinking means stressing about things out of my control.

The fact of the matter is I have no idea what’s going on, forced to trust Adam and Caleb blindly, and there’s very little I can do to change that.

I huff into Adam’s chest and curl my arms tighter around my head.

I’m praying Adam is able to figure something out when he, hopefully, comes in contact with Bells tomorrow.

He has to.

____

We're getting Caleb soon, I promise!!