The sound of the guards beginning the count downstairs rang up to me and I moved back to the bars. I leaned against them to get a look over the railing to the coop below where all the low ranking prisoners were lining up and approaching the guards to get their faces scanned as they took the count.
I sighed impatiently as I waited for them to get through the prisoners in the coop, leaning my forehead against the cold bars.
“If you don’t like predictable and boring routines, you’ve come to the wrong place,” Roary said through a yawn and I tilted my head to try and get a look at him in the cell beside mine. It was impossible but as he draped his bare arms through the bars I focused on them, my gaze lingering on the strength of his muscles for a moment before I looked away again.
“Good thing I don’t plan on hanging around for long then,” I muttered.
Officer Cain marched up the stairs in his black uniform with his dark hair swept away from his face harshly and a scowl in place that said he wasn’t in any better of a mood than he’d been earlier. Hastings followed him, looking less like death warmed up and more like a kid on his way to a theme park. His gaze slipped to me and I gave my little choir boy the kind of smile that was really too sweet for me, though the sparkle in his eyes said he didn’t know it.
They walked along the opposite gangway first, Cain scanning the prisoners on Plunger’s side of the block before turning and stalking along our side.
His gaze was hard as he reached me, but he didn’t utter a word as he held the device up to scan my face. A green twelve appeared a moment later and he strode on to check that my other neighbour was still in his cell.
When he reached the end of the line, he lifted his radio to confirm we were all accounted for and a long buzz sounded as all of the cell doors slid open.
I stepped out to join the masses heading for the Mess Hall and was almost trampled by the beast who occupied cell eleven as he stomped past me.
“Hey to you, too,” I muttered as he didn’t so much as acknowledge me. He was at least seven foot tall and almost as broad, his huge frame damn near bursting the seams of the orange jumpsuit he’d squeezed himself into. Inmates scattered as he barrelled through them and I couldn’t help but stare a little as he lumbered away.
“I see you met Pudding,” Roary commented lightly, moving to walk at my side as we followed the behemoth towards the exit.
“Pudding? Has he got a sweet tooth or something?”
“You could say that. Suffice to say that you should never try and take anything from his cell without asking. But if you want a friend for life then just hand over your puddings. Hell, he’s even pleased to accept the empty pots if you wanna eat it first.”
“Seriously?” I asked in confusion.
“Yeah, he’s a Monolrian Bear Shifter. They replenish their magic by stocking their home with supplies and hibernating, which means his cell is basically a trash heap.”
I snorted a laugh and reached out to brush my hand against Roary’s on instinct. Werewolves were pack animals and we were tactile by nature, though I was nowhere near as full on as some of my cousins could be. For example, I was perfectly content in my own bed and didn’t feel the need to sleep in a pack huddle. But it was in me to touch and hug more than other Fae and sometimes it was hard to stop myself from giving into those urges, even when they put me in the firing line for looking like an obsessed idiota.
Roary cut me a glance but he didn’t comment, hooking his pinky finger through mine for a moment before releasing me again. It was innocent enough but my stomach flipped over and my heart leapt like he’d just kissed me, not brushed his fingers over mine.
Grow the fuck up, Rosalie. He’s never been the one for you!
I opened my mouth to ask something else about Pudding as I fought off a mother fucking blush, but I was saved as Cain barked my name. Or rather, my number.
“I won’t call you again, Twelve!” he snarled as I drew closer to him in the crowd and I slipped away from Roary to join Officer Bastardo.
“Yes?” I asked sweetly, offering my choir boy a smile too.
“When was the last time you ate?” Cain demanded.
“Before I was caught. Yesterday lunch time,” I replied with a shrug which was punctuated by my stomach growling.
Cain’s eyes lit cruelly and I fought against the urge to curse him as I got the distinct impression he was about to ruin my meal.
“Let’s start your work detail now then. Instead of eating breakfast, you can help prepare it. Kitchens seems like a good fit for you,” Cain growled.
“But ah- is that the best idea?” Hastings asked hesitantly. “Putting an Oscura in the kitchens? It’s all Lunars in there. Shadowbrook will kill her if-”
“Are you afraid of the Lunar Brotherhood or their leader, Twelve?” Cain demanded, his eyes hard.
“The Brotherhood are the ones who should fear me,” I replied easily. I wasn’t going to balk at the idea of being thrown to the Wolves. Which was an accurate description if I was about to come face to face with Ethan Shadowbrook. He was the leader of the Lunar Brotherhood inside the prison and the Alpha of their Wolf pack. He had a reputation for acting first and asking questions later, not least with the women he screwed. Rumour had it he’d had more than half the women in this prison in his bed within the first year of his sentence. Aside from his manwhore tendencies, he was brutal and bloodthirsty and if the photographs I’d seen of him were anything to go by, he was hot as all hell too.
The Lunar Brotherhood and the Oscura Clan had been enemies for as long as anyone in our generation could remember, but if my cousin Dante could bend the rules as far as they were concerned then so could I. And I already had a plan in mind for the Lunar Alpha. I needed him on side if I wanted my idea to work. I needed to have the entire prison under my sway, which meant uniting a few of the biggest gangs in here to give us unquestionable numbers.
I was already strengthening my ties with Roary which meant I was making an ally of him too. He ran one of the most notorious gangs in here, though the Shades weren’t as flashy about their power as the rest of the gangs. But his followers were loyal to their bones and there was nothing wrong with subtlety. It was impossible to count the members of his gang. I hadn’t even seen one yet myself, but I knew we were surrounded by them all the same. They’d make themselves known if they were needed.
So I was making progress towards merging the gangs already. And though the idea of blending the Lunars and Oscuras sounded insane, I’d done my research on the other gang leaders in here and I didn’t trust them one bit. They were devious killers who would just as easily cut your throat as stick to any bargain they’d struck. Ethan was a Wolf like me. If I could win him over on an animal level then our bond would be unbreakable. I just had to hope I could surpass the major problem of us being sworn rivals.
Cain caught my arm and drew me through the crowd, shouting warnings to make everyone move and let us through. Hastings fought to keep up and we finally made it to the bridge which led out of the cell block.
Cain drew me over it before anyone else was allowed to leave and he made a beeline for a small elevator which stood in the centre of the grey corridor outside. He hit the call button, activating it with magic and pushing me inside as it arrived.
I turned back towards the doors just in time to see the prisoners disappear into a huge stairwell across from us and start climbing.
The elevator ascended quickly and I waited to find out what new game my C.O. had in store for me.
The doors slid open on level two and we arrived in the Mess Hall before anyone else. For a moment, I looked around at the unfamiliar space, trying to get my bearings. Cain marched me between rows of metal benches with plastic seats as the scent of bleach assaulted my nose without giving me much chance to take it all in.
He headed all the way to the far end of the enormous space and pushed through a set of double doors where the scent of oatmeal filled the air and around twenty men and women were working to prep
are the food.
“Fresh meat!” Cain called, drawing the attention of the room full of Lunars. I hadn’t spotted Ethan yet, but he must have been somewhere nearby. “Look after her for me, Shadowbrook. I’ve got my own breakfast to eat.”
I glanced around at Cain as he backed out of the room, his eyes sparkling with malice. Hastings seemed inclined to protest about leaving me here and I offered him a sweet smile. Poor little choir boy, worried about me already?
He clearly didn’t have the balls to talk out against Cain twice on this though so he backed away with an apologetic smile and the doors swung shut again behind them, leaving me to the mercy of my mortal enemies. Not that they knew that of course.
In his excitement to leave me here, Cain had forgotten to tell them I was an Oscura. And what they didn’t know couldn’t hurt me.
I glanced between the closest Fae dismissively then strode into the kitchen with a swagger in my step and my hair swinging down my spine.
“You can start chopping onions for the lunch,” a girl commanded, pointing me toward a bucket full of onions.
I swept my gaze over the symbols stitched to her breast pocket. Centaur, water Element, irrelevant.
“No,” I replied, waving a hand at her dismissively.
She bristled angrily but I just kept walking.
The kitchen was huge, long metal work surfaces taking up the centre of the space with ovens and stoves dominating one wall and a door which led through to the pantry in the back corner.
I checked the room one more time, studying the Fae in it again as I ignored the curious looks I was getting. My aura was powerful enough to make them hesitate instead of coming at me and I could probably count on having another minute or so before one of them grabbed a hold of their balls and tried to rein me in for a second time.
Ethan wasn’t in sight so I headed towards the only place he could hide.
The pantry door opened easily enough and I stepped into the dimly lit space without bothering to knock.
A deep growl sounded and a huge girl stepped in front of me, barring my way on. “Get out of here, pup,” she snarled. “Before I have to break something.”
I sized up Ethan’s Beta with interest, her dreadlocks pulled back into a bun and her dark features set in a wall of don’t-fuck-with-me. She certainly had a dominating presence and I could tell she was a Werewolf without having to look at the symbol on her chest, but I doubted she’d pose me too much of an issue if I had to force her aside. But like Aunt Bianca always said, you won more friends with honey than lemon.
“I was just hoping I could grab an apple or something,” I said innocently. “I haven’t eaten since before I was arrested and I’m ravenous.”
The Beta opened her lips to chew me out, but another voice spoke before she could.
“I’ve got something you can wrap your lips around here, love,” a guy called. “Give us some privacy, Harper.”
Harper eyed me irritably for another moment before stepping out into the kitchen and closing the pantry door behind her.
I took another few steps into the room until I rounded the enormous freezer and I took in the large pantry with interest as I finally found what I’d been looking for.
Ethan Shadowbrook was perched on what looked like a heap of potatoes at the back of the wide space and I moved towards him as my eyes adjusted to the dim light.
I could feel his gaze scraping over me as I moved and my inner Wolf lifted her head like she’d caught the scent of something truly worthy of her attention.
My heart beat faster as I came to stand before him, my eyes scraping over the white tank top he wore, his jumpsuit tied at his waist to reveal the sleeves of intricate tattoos which lined his powerful arms.
He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees as he assessed me just as keenly as I was him, causing a little cascade of potatoes to roll to the floor by my feet. His dark blonde hair was swept away from his face, accentuating the strong lines of his jaw and cheekbones and his piercingly blue eyes caught me in their snare and reeled me in.
I could feel the power of our inner Wolves rising to the surface of our skin to assess each other, and I released a slow breath as adrenaline trickled through my limbs. This wasn’t just some top dog built for posturing, he was a true Alpha, someone who could pose me an actual challenge, someone I could get into trouble over.
“My, my, what big eyes you have,” he teased as he continued to keep me captive in his gaze.
“I thought you had something for me to eat?” I asked, fighting against the desire to move closer to him. That was what he wanted, to reel me in like every other girl he’d fucked and ditched. But that wasn’t me. I didn’t chase anyone.
“Get on your knees and I’ll give it to you.”
I laughed, tossing my hair over my shoulder and turning my back on him. It was damn hard to do, but I wasn’t going to bow to this Alpha. And I was willing to bet no one usually turned their back on him; I certainly couldn’t remember the last time it had happened to me. It was one of the most insulting things a Fae could do to another Fae, it said that you didn’t see them as a threat and I was pretty damn sure he’d hate that idea.
I headed away from him, setting my gaze on a crate of apples as the sound of a potato avalanche filled the room and announced Ethan getting to his feet.
I kept walking as I felt him closing in on me, snatching an apple from the crate just before he caught me and whirled me around. His hands landed on either side of me, gripping the edge of the crate and boxing me in.
A growl escaped him as he leaned in close to me and a shiver ran down my spine. “What’s your name?” he demanded.
“A name can hold a lot of power,” I replied. “Maybe you should just call me Twelve.”
“And maybe you should be bowing to the ruler of this place,” he said icily.
“Oh? Who’s that then?”
“Me. I’m number one around here,” he replied cockily, like someone who really believed that and I couldn’t really deny that his arrogant bravado was turning me on.
“I don’t bow to anyone,” I replied evenly, refusing to show him my cards as he hounded into my personal space, his hips pressing flush to mine.
“I don’t think you understand,” Ethan said darkly, lifting his jumpsuit where it hung from his hip and unfolding it so that I could see the number one standing proudly beside his Werewolf symbol and the Elemental sign for water.
“Oh wow,” I breathed and his lips twitched. “I didn’t realise you were a water Elemental. Do you like getting wet then?”
A dark laugh escaped him and I had to bite my lip to stop myself from leaning into him as my muscles tightened at that sound. I had thought getting close to the Lunar Alpha would be difficult but it wasn’t. It was harder to keep away.
“That smart mouth will get you into trouble around here,” Ethan growled.
“Is that a promise?” I took a bite from my apple and he inhaled deeply as he leaned in to me, his nose pushing into my hair.
“Do you want it to be?”
My inner Wolf howled yes, she was already panting with need in a way that made my fingers tremble where I gripped the apple, but I forced myself to hold back. If he wanted me, he could do the chasing.
“I haven’t decided yet.” I took another bite from my apple and Ethan shifted forward, biting into it too. I inhaled sharply as his hands moved from the crate behind me to grip my waist and he pinned me firmly in his gaze.
“I beg to disagree.” He plucked the apple from my hand and tossed it away. “Give me your name,” he demanded, like he just had to know it.
The Wolf inside me was scratching at the confines of my skin, aching to get out and prove herself to him. She wanted to challenge him, fight him, make him bend to her desire and I was having trouble holding her in check. There was something about this stranger which called to me like the song of the stars themselves. I wasn’t sure if it was fate or pheromones, but my body was aching to find out.
“Earn it,” I dared him and his piercing blue eyes glimmered with the challenge.
He caught my chin in his grip and tugged me close, his lips brushing mine for a fleeting second before I turned my cheek and he kissed that instead. Ethan growled as he ran his mouth down my neck and I gasped as pleasure raced beneath my skin from the rake of his lips against my flesh.
His hands found my jumpsuit and he pushed it off of my shoulders in a move so casual, he had to have had way too much practice doing it. I growled at the thought of that, my Wolf not wanting him near any other women despite the fact that I’d literally just met him.
I let him push the jumpsuit off of me, the material falling from my shoulders and cascading down my thighs to pool around my feet.
Ethan growled as his hands brushed along my bare thighs before he shifted them up beneath my tank top, his calloused fingers moving over the firm muscles of my stomach.
Pleasure chased the movements of his hands on my skin and it took me a moment to realise I was touching him too, my hands griping his firm biceps as I explored every curve of his huge arms.
I could have tried to keep playing him, but we both knew where this was heading now and it seemed pointless to dance around it. I caught his chin in my grip as his mouth made it to my collar bone and yanked him back up so that I could kiss him like I ached to.
Ethan growled hungrily as he kissed me, his tongue pushing between my lips in a firm demand which I gave in to without any protest. He tasted like honey and sin. I shouldn’t have been kissing him like this. I certainly shouldn’t have been about to do anything else with him. He was born to be my enemy but he was my equal too. I could feel it in the pit of my soul. Wolves spent their lives hunting for a mate who could equal them and I’d all but given up on finding another of my kind who could rise to the challenge, but now here he was. A man with a tattoo on his arm branding him as someone who I could never be with. Someone who had sworn to fight against my family to the bitter end. And yet he was also someone who was making me feel things I’d begun to believe I never would with another of my kind.
Darkmore Penitentiary (Supernatural Prison for Dark Fae Book 1) Page 9