Darkmore Penitentiary (Supernatural Prison for Dark Fae Book 1)

by Caroline Peckham

  My heart ticked a little harder as I didn’t spot him and I rammed the mop handle against the metal door so it banged loudly.

  “Prisoner Eighty Eight!” I roared.

  I was just about to send out an alert when he leapt up from behind the door, grinning from ear to ear like the fucking Cheshire Cat. He was a big bastard with dark skin and the kind of eyes that promised murder from a mile away. Those eyes contradicted the crazy-ass fucking smile on his face. Every other guard in this place either fell for his sugary words or thought he was cuckoo. I knew better. This guy was the most dangerous fucker in the whole of Darkmore Penitentiary. And the trail of blood he’d left in his wake told me three things: he was intelligent, calculating and not to be underestimated.

  “Did you think I was goner?” he laughed in a deep tone, getting his face as close to the slot as possible. “Where would I go, Officer? To the moon?”

  I sneered. “Fucking crazy asshole,” I muttered, reaching for the hatch to shut it again.

  “No, wait!” he demanded and I paused as his gaze fell on Twelve. She had a sheet of hair covering her face, but something told me she was looking through it. I let Eighty Eight see her because I knew it was a form of torture in itself. Incubuses needed sex to recharge their magic and this sad fucker had been in the hole so long, his Order was no doubt craving it on a base level that was driving him crazier than he already was.

  “Who’s the girl?” Eighty Eight made kissing noises to try and get her attention as if she was a cat and I smirked when she didn’t even raise her head. “Hey kitten, come here.”

  “She’s new,” I told him. “Just processed her this week. She came in naked and wild,” I taunted him and he groaned.

  “Hey – look at me!” he barked at her, slamming his palm against the door in frustration.

  I laughed coldly, reaching for the hatch. “In your dreams, inmate. This one’s got a will of steel.” I slammed the hatch shut and a sense of power ran through me, feeding my most fundamental Fae instincts.

  “So you’ve noticed I can’t be broken?” Twelve asked lightly, tossing her head so her hair fell back over her shoulders.

  I moved forward so she was in my shadow, folding my arms as I glared down my nose at her. “Do you know what can break steel, Twelve?” I raised one hand, letting flames flicker between my fingers. “Fire.”

  Her eyes narrowed and she opened her lips to retort and most likely earn her a baton to the backs of her legs, when the door flew open at the end of the corridor.

  Jack Hastings ran in, his keycard falling out of his hand and skittering across the floor in his haste. I slammed my boot down on it, picking it up with a growl.

  “What is it?” I hissed.

  “There’s a fight up on six,” he gasped. “I can’t get them under control.”

  I rolled my eyes, striding closer to him at a casual pace and steering him back toward the door. “You’re Fae aren’t you?” I snapped. “Use the magic your preppy academy taught you how to wield. Or was Mommy and Daddy’s money poorly spent?” I shoved him through the door and glanced back at Rosalie on her knees. “I’m locking you in here, Twelve. This floor better be sparkling by the time I get back.”

  “Aye aye, Captain Dickwad,” she said lightly.

  I froze in the doorway as Jack tried to tug me out after him in his desperation to get back to the fight.

  “What was that?” I asked Twelve in a deadly tone, taking my baton from my hip and whipping it sideways so it extended.

  She raised her chin, saying nothing.

  “Wait – sir!” Jack called as I stormed back towards Rosalie with a snarl of fury.

  She waited for the attack and I took pleasure in every second as I caught her hair, dragging her upright before whacking the baton across the backs of her thighs.

  She hissed in pain, pressing against me and I caught a scent of her blood beneath her skin as her throat came too close to my mouth. My canines grew to sharpened points and hunger filled me so fast, it was almost impossible to resist. A growl rumbled through my chest as I lost my train of thought, a flame of need licking at the base of my throat. But I didn’t have any cause to bite her and the security cameras were pointed my way. The Warden would pull me up on it at the very least, if not suspend me from duty. I had to keep my head, but holy fuck, I couldn’t believe how tempting she was.

  I shoved her to the ground and her hair tumbled around her as she braced her palms on the ground. I kicked the bucket of water up and it sloshed over her lap, washing everywhere around her. I pointed the baton at her in warning, my fangs bared.

  “Disrespect me again and it’ll be more than bruises you have to worry about.” My eyes slid to the overturned bucket as suds floated around on the ground. “Clean this shit up.”

  I turned and strode after Jack with adrenaline bursting through my veins.

  Fuck, I’d never wanted to bite a girl so hard in my life. And I would get my teeth in her eventually. I just had to bide my time. Then she’d have a real reason to fear me.

  My heart thrummed wildly as I continued scrubbing the floor, my movements slowing as I listened to Officer Cain and Hastings’ footsteps as they moved away from me.

  My jaw was clenched tight and I was gripping the scrubbing brush so hard that it was hurting my hand. Officer Cain was damn lucky he’d left before I’d rammed it up his ass.

  I released a slow breath, calming my Wolf which was screaming at me to fight back against him. But I wouldn’t do it. Not head on. That was a fight I couldn’t win in my situation. But I’d learned a long time ago how to defeat an enemy who held power over me. I knew how to keep my head down and work the unexpected angle. By the time I ripped the rug out from under him, he’d really believe that I was broken. And in the end that would be his downfall. My papà had taught me that much if nothing else.

  I was sopping wet from the waist down and the cold water chilled me right down to my bones in the freezing corridor. I cursed Cain in Faetalian as I sat back onto my heels. He was so sure he would beat me into submission, but he was an idiota. I didn’t know how to submit. If my mamma and papà couldn’t force me to when I was a pup, then one power hungry asshole didn’t stand a snowball’s chance up the ass of a Dragon. I’d survived in the hands of monsters until my Aunt Bianca had saved me from them and they were far more determined than Cain could ever be to see me break. I had the scars to prove it. Which was damn near impossible for a Fae. I could heal from almost anything with the right magic. But not from what papà had done. That had left its mark on me inside and out.

  I ground my teeth as I thought about the way Cain was coming at me. This wasn’t going to stand. Rosalie Oscura was no one’s bitch. But I already had a plan for how I was going to turn the tables on him and my little trick had worked.

  As he’d grabbed me, I’d made sure to tip my chin back, exposing my throat and his true desire in the same moment. I’d seen the look in his eyes, the hunger, the need. He craved my blood. I was one of the most powerful Fae I knew and blood filled with magic like mine sang to a Vampire like a Siren’s song. And that was all I needed to know. Because there was a simple equation involved in claiming a hold over someone.

  First, you exposed their deepest desire. Second, you made sure you held it in your fist and used it to lure them closer, promising it, maybe even giving it up from time to time, while never relinquishing control of it. Because all the time you maintained your hold over it, you maintained your hold over them.

  So now I knew two things about Officer Cain which I could use to gain the upper hand. He ached for my blood, and he was addicted to the hunt.

  I can easily work with that.

  He was so caught up in making me his that he wouldn’t even realise that he’d become mine until it was too late for him to escape me.

  Once enough time had passed for me to feel confident that Cain had definitely gone, I dropped the scrubbing brush and looked around at the empty corridor, wondering if my luck really was this good.
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  I’d been trying to figure out how I was going to get down here and take a look at the isolation unit for myself and I’d begun to think I’d have to get myself sent down here to make it happen. This was so much better than that option.

  A bang sounded behind me and I flinched as I spun around, my eyes widening as they fell on the open hatch on the front of Sin’s door. Cain must not have secured it properly when he’d closed it and I suddenly found myself looking into the eyes of the man I’d come here to set free.

  “If I begged the stars to paint me a portrait of the woman I’ve been fantasising over while I’ve been stuck down here, then she’d be you,” Sin growled in a low voice which had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. “Bigger tits maybe…but I’d need to see them to be sure…”

  I snorted a laugh dismissively. “You’ve been without tits for so long that you’d probably get excited to see Cain’s if he offered.”

  “Mmmm, say that again,” he begged in a voice as rich as velvet.

  I couldn’t make out much of him through the small hole in the door, but his dark gaze was pinned on me and made my skin tingle. I got to my feet and turned to face him as I shook my hair back out of my face.

  “Which part?” I asked.

  “Tits,” he replied in a tone so damn sexual that my toes almost curled.

  This was a creature whose nature matched his name. Sin. That was what he was, what he could be. And every sugar coated word which spilled out of his mouth was both a promise and a threat. Because a creature like that would chew you up and spit you out if you weren’t careful with him.

  “What will you give me if I do?” I asked slowly, playing into his game in hopes of winning him over. I needed him on side if I wanted to get him out of here and as of yet, he seemed to be engaging with me well enough.

  “I can make a girl come just by saying her name in the right way,” Sin purred. “If I ever get out of here then I’ll give you that and a whole lot more besides…”

  “That’s not much of an offer though, is it?” I taunted, drawing my long hair back over one shoulder while he watched the movement hungrily. “You’re stuck in there and I’m out here…”

  I glanced up at the CCTV camera which sat at the furthest end of the corridor watching my every move. But it wasn’t like I was doing anything wrong. I’d been left down here alone and talking to Sin wouldn’t give any of my plans away. Besides, I’d broken enough laws in my time to recognise pretty much every kind of security device there was and the cameras they were using to monitor us were basic. They didn’t even have an audio feed on those things, so they wouldn’t be able to tell what I said to him.

  “I’m a man of my word,” he replied roughly.

  “A man with as many faces as you could give as many words as he likes and keep whichever ones he chose to,” I pointed out. Jerome had warned me about Sin’s loose relationship with the truth. He never lied, but his words were always coloured by whichever part of his psyche happened to be front and centre in that moment. Meaning he could paint pictures with his words and lead you down any number of false trails before bringing you back to the point at hand. But I wasn’t going to fall into his traps.

  The corner of Sin’s eyes crinkled and I was almost certain that had made him smile.

  “Do you want me to beg?” he asked.

  “I don’t hate the idea,” I admitted.

  “Please.” His tone was rough with more than desire. This was need. Pure and simple. And I was pretty sure I could make good on that transaction.

  “I have a confession to make,” I told him, walking forward slowly and unhooking a few of my jumpsuit buttons to reveal more of my white tank top to him.

  Sin groaned like I was performing a top rate sex show, not just loosening a few buttons and I ceased my movements as I came to stand just out of reach of his cell.

  “I came here for you,” I said slowly, watching what I could see of his face for some reaction.

  “I can come for you too, if you’d like?” he offered suggestively.

  I snorted a laugh. “I don’t think you jerking off over me while I scrub the floors is the healthiest way for us to start off a business relationship,” I joked and Sin stilled.

  “I beg to disagree. Are you always this wet or is it the effect I’m having on you?” Sin asked, his gaze dripping over my soaked jumpsuit.

  “Why don’t I feel like you’re taking me seriously?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

  “Because they’ve had me locked up in here for weeks, or months…hell, sometimes it feels like years. I don’t know how to take you seriously or even how to be sure if you’re real or not…” His eyes scrutinised me like he really was trying to figure out whether or not I even existed and I sighed. I’d known that being down in the hole for a long time wouldn’t have been particularly good for him, but I was starting to wonder if he’d come unhinged. And that wouldn’t be good. Not good at all. I needed him if I was ever going to execute my plan to get out of here. Worse than that; my outside help relied on me keeping up my end of the bargain. Namely, getting Sin Wilder out of Darkmore Penitentiary and into the hands of the person who’d contracted me to help him escape. Jerome would cut me off without a moment’s hesitation if I failed in my part of the deal.

  Before I could talk myself out of it, I crossed the hallway and walked straight up to Sin’s door. His eyes widened hungrily as I approached but he didn’t move, like he thought I’d vanish if he so much as blinked.

  “I’m real,” I growled fiercely, reaching out to touch his cheek to prove it to him.

  Sin gasped as my palm pressed to his face and his hand instantly landed over it as he half dragged my arm through the hatch.

  I stumbled forward a step, my chest banging into the door as my heart leapt with surprise. I cursed him, meaning to wrench my hand back, but as I looked through the hatch and eyed the rectangle of space he’d been stuck in for months, I couldn’t force myself to do it. He was all alone in there. And I knew how that felt, even if I tried my hardest not to remember.

  Sin groaned in a way that went beyond sexual desire, he needed this. Needed real contact with someone in the same way that I needed to run beneath the moon. It was a part of him, a part which had been starved while he was left to rot in this cage.

  I flexed my fingers, grazing them along the beard which lined his jaw and a shiver raced through his skin at the simple touch like it was the most loving caress in the world.

  “I was sent to get you out of here,” I breathed, eyeing him as his other hand moved to grasp my wrist, his fingers sliding beneath the sleeve of my jumpsuit and dancing against my skin like he just couldn’t get enough of it.

  I swallowed a lump in my throat as I watched him. He was huge, easily big enough to be a Dragon Shifter, his body thick with muscle and his dark skin inked with tattoos. His black hair was scruffy like the beard which grew on his skin and I guessed that it was pretty hard to cut your hair when you were left alone in the hole. But the unkempt state of his hair only drew my gaze to the strength of his features and the light in his eyes. As a resident of the isolation block, he’d been given a pair of grey pants and a black tank top instead of the orange jumpsuits I was growing too used to and the difference it made was staggering. He seemed like this alien creature, so separate from the rest of us that he didn’t even know what he was anymore.

  “A friend of yours hired me,” I pressed, keeping my voice low just in case any of the other residents of the isolation block could hear us, though I doubted it through those heavy doors.

  Sin eyed me for a long moment but I couldn’t figure out if that meant anything to him or not. Jerome had told me they were close, like brothers, but Sin’s poker face was top class. Not so much as a twitch of recognition flashed in his eyes. I might as well have been talking about the weather instead of telling him about the guy who was willing to part with a small fortune to bust his ass out of here.

  “I’ll never be free, little bird,” h
e murmured eventually in that deep tone which nearly had me undone.

  There was something undeniably captivating about Sin Wilder which could have been his Order shining through or could have just been him.

  “I beg to disagree,” I replied, tossing his own words back at him. “I’m known for getting what I want.”

  Sin’s eyes flared hungrily and he shifted towards me, still running his fingers back and forth over the skin of my arm while looking at me intently.

  “And what do you want?” he asked. “I can give it to you…could give it to you if I wasn’t stuck in my Fae form. I could be everything you desire embodied.”

  “How does that work?” I asked in a low voice because a large chunk of my plan hinged on a hope I had about his Order gifts, but Incubuses were rare enough that it had been hard to research a definite answer to my questions.

  “With a single touch, I can get a read on your deepest desires, your darkest fantasies, and become them for you-”

  “Yeah, that’s great and all,” I said dismissively and he raised an eyebrow at me in surprise. “But what I’m more interested in is whether or not you can choose what form you take on?”

  “Why?”

  “Curiosity,” I replied innocently, shifting my fingers against his cheek again and eliciting a groan from his lips. “Could you become me for example?”

  “You’re my dirtiest fantasy so I’m sure I could manage it,” he teased and I bit my lip against an amused smile. “Although there are a few anatomical areas which don’t exactly shift…”

  “So you’d look like me but you’d still have a cock?” I asked, snorting a laugh.

  “A big one,” he replied with a wicked smile.

  I really laughed that time and he shifted forward suddenly, releasing his grip on my hand as he moved to press his face to the gap in the door.

  I stepped back in surprise, folding my arm against my chest as it continued to tingle with the memory of his flesh against mine.