CAGED (Mackenzie Grey #2)

by Karina Espinosa

  “What are you talking about?”

  My chest rose up and down in quick successions like I was gasping for air. My mind ran at warp speed as I processed the riddle of my Vision Quest and what had happened with Emma. I felt like I was trippin’ on speed, as I tried to connect everything.

  “She said this was my journey to take. What if she means I need to go back to the Pack? Look,” I reached for the paper where I had written my Vision and pointed to a line in the riddle. “Oppression rests in idle hands of the brave. Not to toot my own horn, but I’d like to think I’m brave,” I joked.

  “What are you saying, Ace?”

  “The oppression of Lunas! What they’re doing is wrong and I haven’t done a thing about it. What if it’s my job to change things…for Emma,” I could only imagine what I looked like to Roman. All wild eyes, sweaty from a work out, and possibly diagnosable. I think I was losing my mind.

  His laugh was strained. “Ace, come on, even you have limits. The wolves haven’t changed their ways and I don’t think they will anytime soon.”

  I shook my head. “Look at this part: Only one will champion and lead the enraged. I know I’m not the only Luna who is sick of their misogynistic ways. I can do this, Rome, I know I can. I have to—for my own freedom.”

  His hazel eyes were filled with unspoken concern. We weren’t the overly emotional type, and although we weren’t even a couple, I knew deep down, I had a special place in Roman’s heart—as did he in mine. We weren’t forever, but we were something. And making sure I stayed alive was what I knew he would do.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” he questioned. The good thing about Roman was that he never told me what I had to do. He acknowledged I had a brain of my own and trusted my instincts even when he wasn’t sure. It was a trait I wished Sebastian and Jonah could have one day.

  “Yes,” I nodded. “I don’t want to be on the run forever and I can’t throw Emma to the wolves.”

  His eyes narrowed as he gazed at me. I knew just by the rigidness of his indestructible body that he wanted to disagree, but that wasn’t Roman. “Fine,” he conceded. “What are you going to do?”

  My gray eyes glistened with excitement. “I’m going to start a riot.”

  Chapter Six

  As we drove back to the apartment I called Lucian and told him my plan. Needless to say, I was his least favorite person at the moment. I hadn’t even placed the call on speaker and Roman could hear every scream coming from the Head Vampire of New York City.

  “Pet, I cannot protect you in the City! I won’t be able to get involved,” he explained.

  “It’s okay, Lucian, I’ll be fine.”

  “No—no you won’t. You don’t know the whole truth yet and it’s better if you disappeared to Colombia. Believe me when I tell you, Pet, it’s for your own good.”

  I groaned. “I don’t care. Call me stubborn, but I can’t be moving every time someone catches a whiff of me.” I tried to divert the topic, I knew what truth he was speaking of. I knew it had something to do with my parents. Charles—Jonah’s father and the Alpha of the Northeast region—told me I was adopted before I left New York. I wasn’t stupid, I knew there had to be some truth to it, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t want to know. My parents were the ones who raised me, anyone else was just a damn stranger that I didn’t care to meet.

  “Mackenzie!” Lucian blurted out in a very uncharacteristic way. He’d never used my government name.

  “Lucian!” I mimicked.

  “They’re a lot of people out there that know of your…identity. Once you step foot in the City, the Brooklyn Pack isn’t going to be the only thing you have to worry about. You’ll be in serious danger,” he said. “This isn’t a game, Pet.”

  There was a pause in the conversation. Who the hell was I that I would have bigger problems than being a lone-wolf? I wondered to myself.

  Roman found street parking two blocks down from our apartment building. We sat in the Jeep in silence with my cell phone still glued to my ear.

  “I understand, Lucian,” I whispered, “but there’s something that’s telling me I have to do this. As if…as if this is what I’m meant to do. Does that make sense?”

  He didn’t answer me. “I’ll do what I can, but I make no promises,” he said before the line went dead. I looked at my phone as it went back to the home screen—my reflection stared back at me.

  “I understand why you have to do this,” Roman said. “You have to stop running and stand up for yourself. So what’s the game plan?” he asked.

  I turned to him and reached for his dirty blond hair. My fingers slid through his tousled locks as he leaned his cold cheek to my forearm. His hazel eyes bore into me with desire, sending prickles of goosebumps across my skin.

  “I spend one more night with you,” I said as I leaned over the console and brushed my lips over his. “And then I stop running.”

  ***

  I booked a red eye flight to the East Coast for the following night. I couldn’t leave until I spent some time with Roman. I wasn’t in love with him, it wasn’t like that with us, but I did love him. And if he ever needed me, I’d be there in a split second—or more like five hours since that’s how long a damn flight back West was. He made me promise to call him often, so he knew I was safe and offered to even come with me. That was definitely a no-go. Bash and Jonah would have a fit. They tolerated Lucian, if I brought another vampire into the mix, I wouldn’t hear the end of it.

  The warehouse hadn’t aged a bit. It felt as if it was just yesterday that I had pranced around the first floor, overflowing with the confidence every young adult in their early twenties thought they had; oblivious to the repercussions of my actions—and not just turning my back on the Pack, but taking the life of someone else—no matter how much the Skin Walker deserved it. I had fled to the West Coast to never again think about this dump in Brooklyn—but here I was, pushing through the double doors. Blasted by the freezing air of the A/C, and the smell of brimming testosterone, I entered the main floor as wolves from the Brooklyn Pack milled through the cafeteria-styled room. For the first few seconds, no one noticed me standing under the threshold, but after my scent filled the air, one by one, heads turned in my direction. None of them mattered to me. There were only two people I had been scanning the area for and I shouldn’t have been surprised when I found them in the middle of the main floor, drilling holes of pure hatred in my direction.

  “Honey, I’m home,” I said and the chaos ensued.

  ***

  A blur of faces whizzed past as Sebastian strode toward me, clutching my arm as he dragged me to the basement. Jonah marched on my other side. Being between the two best friends—the Alpha and the Beta—I felt at home.

  “You do know I’m able to walk on my own?”

  “Shut. Up.” Bash growled and I could feel the heat—and not the sexual kind—seep out of his pores. I guessed things hadn’t changed around these parts, I would be forever cursed with the ability of pissing Sebastian Steel off.

  “Well this wasn’t the welcome wagon I expected. I was hoping I’d at least get a hug, or a cake. I’ll take either or,” I grinned but I was the only one.

  “If you know what’s good for you, you’d shut the hell up, Mackenzie,” Bash gritted through his teeth. “You’re a real idiot.”

  “Hey! I resent that!” I scoffed.

  “I can’t believe this...” Jonah mused.

  They pushed me into Sebastian’s small office, messy and cluttered as I remembered, and slammed the door shut after them. I turned around to catch them both pacing the room. I wanted to sit down but then I recalled what kind of extracurriculars Bash was into with resident mean girl, Vivian. I wondered if they mated and if she was the Alpha for the Lunas. I prayed she wasn’t because if so, we were going to war.

  “What the hell were you thinking? Are you mentally unstable? Have you lost your bloody mind?” Sebastian roared and I had to take a step back. His fury hit me in waves and I was r
eminded who was Alpha.

  “Easy there, Champ, I haven’t lost my marbles—at least not yet.”

  “Then what would make you resurface after all this time? We had lost your trail months ago, you were free,” Jonah said, ever the pacifist, but I knew he was upset too.

  I savored that tidbit for a moment—I’d been free. I had successfully fled the Pack and all of their misogynistic ideologies, but because I’m a glutton for torture, I’ve returned to where it all started.

  “I was never free,” I said as I straightened my posture. I wouldn’t let them intimidate me—not now and not ever. “No matter what, I would always be looking over my shoulder. The minute I seem or smell familiar to anyone, I’d have to pack up and run. That isn’t freedom.”

  “You know what we mean, Mackenzie,” Jonah said. “You aren’t giving us any choice in what happens next.”

  “I know,” I nodded. “Whatever you have to do, I understand.”

  Sebastian’s nostrils flared. “What do you have up your sleeve? It can’t be this easy.”

  “So glass-half-empty. Why can’t a gal come by and visit her pals?” I smirked and it only angered them further. “If it’s such a big deal, I can always go.” I moved to leave but the two wolves blocked the door.

  “You know we can’t let you leave now,” Jonah said.

  “Well then, pop the champagne because I’m back, bitches!”

  I plopped myself on one of the office chairs, hoping it had been cleaned, and interlocked my hands behind my head. My legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles as I waited for the boys to do or say something. I had to tread carefully, Sebastian was already questioning my motives. Because, let’s be honest, no one in their right mind would come back to this—but I had—for Emma and everyone else like her, like me.

  “Did you at least miss me?” I asked with a sweet smile. I shouldn’t have been goading them, but I was curious. Did I leave an impression on them like they had on me?

  Sebastian wouldn’t look at me, but Jonah’s milk chocolate eyes softened and that one dimple peeked out. “Of course, Kenzie,” he said.

  “Good,” I smirked. “So what’s the plan?”

  “We take you to the Estate, Charles needs to talk to you,” Sebastian said. “We leave at first light tomorrow.”

  I clapped my hands together. “Perfect,” I stood to leave. “Now if you boys will excuse me, I have someone else to see.” I inched toward the door but they both blocked my exit. “Relax guys, I’ll be back.”

  “Who are you going to see?” Sebastian clipped out.

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Amy, duh?”

  Jonah diverted his gaze and Sebastian stiffened. Something was wrong.

  “Why? What aren’t you telling me?” My hands clenched into fists. The energy in the room shifted, giving me a touch of claustrophobia.

  “About Amy…” Jonah started and my heart began to race. No, God, please not Amy…

  “Calm down, Mackenzie,” Sebastian warned.

  “Do not tell me to calm the fuck down. What happened to Amy?” I barked.

  “Nothing’s happened to her,” Jonah quickly retracted. “But…”

  “But what? Spit it out already, damnit!”

  “She’s here,” Sebastian finally said and I froze.

  “What do you mean she’s here?”

  A million scenarios started running through my mind at lightning speed. Had they been holding her prisoner? Did she become a werewolf? Was she…dead?

  “She’s in the warehouse,” Bash said. “With Jackson.”

  “Why? Is she here against her will?”

  “What? Of course not!” Jonah exclaimed. “She’s here by her own volition. She’s with Jackson,” he said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

  I didn’t care who the hell she was boinking, I told Jackson to look out for her, not get into her pants! She was supposed to stay as far away from anything supernatural—it was the whole purpose of me leaving her behind.

  “Where is she?” My body vibrated, trying to keep my anger in check.

  “She’s upstairs, in Jackson’s room,” Sebastian answered, his gaze following my every twitch.

  I didn’t waste any time excusing myself or apologizing. I pushed past them and sprinted out of the basement to the main floor. Wolves were huddled around, waiting on their Alpha to give them instructions on whether to keep me a secret or not. Like it mattered—I was going to make myself known whether they liked it or not. But first, I needed to find Amy.

  I took the stairs to the second floor, two at a time, and pounded my fist on every single bedroom door until everyone inside came out to see what all the ruckus was about. It wasn’t my proudest moment, but goddamnit, she wasn’t supposed to be involved.

  “Jackson, you son-of-a-bitch, you better come out and face me!” I yelled to draw him out. It didn’t take long for a door at the other side of the warehouse to pop open and a burly, shirtless man with that stupid hipster beard emerged. Those familiar chocolate eyes flashed gold as recognition hit him. There were too many wolves in the warehouse for me to zero in on just his heart beat, but it didn’t matter. He knew I was pissed.

  “You!” I pointed at him from across the way. “You’re dead!”

  He held the door slightly closed, keeping something or someone, from my vision. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who that was. This wasn’t the reunion I had in mind.

  “Mackenzie,” he said loudly. “Just hear me out,” he tried to plead. All I saw was red.

  Jackson couldn’t keep Amy back any longer, she pushed out of the room and underneath his arm. Her petite, tattooed frame was the same as the last time I saw her. Flaming red hair picked up in a messy bun, and luckily she was completely dressed. Her wide eyes and slacked jaw was frozen as she saw me.

  “Mackenzie,” I saw her mouth.

  “Amy,” I sighed. “What are you doing here?” The anger in me washed over and I could no longer stay mad with her there. This was my best friend and I missed her. The last thing I wanted was for her to see me for the first time in over a year, and see a monster.

  Amy strode over to the stairwell closest to her and made her way to the main floor—Jackson following behind her.

  I took the stairs to the first floor where Sebastian and Jonah stood in Amy’s way.

  “Get out of my way,” I said, not understanding why everyone was acting like this.

  “We’ll let you near her as soon as you calm down, Mackenzie,” Sebastian said and I wanted to throttle him.

  “I am calm!” I yelled. “What the hell is going on? Amy?”

  She stood between the Alpha and Beta and put her hand on Bash’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, she won’t hurt me,” she said.

  “Obviously,” I rolled my eyes. “Is that what you morons think? That I’ll hurt her?”

  Sebastian straightened. “We don’t know where you’ve been, Mackenzie. You could be feral.”

  “Feral? Like a fuckin’ cat?” I cocked my head to the side, they couldn’t be serious.

  “You could be dangerous, you have to understand our concern. We don’t know you anymore,” Jonah said.

  I could feel the heat of my body go up a notch, my neck and cheeks a blazing red. I left for a year and now I was a stranger all over again. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was none-the-less. Especially from Amy.

  “What do I need to do to prove that I’m not the next Unabomber?” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

  Sebastian nodded his head back to the basement. “Follow me,” he said.

  Before following Bash to his office again, I paused and looked to my best friend. I saw disappointment and anger directed at me. I wasn’t stupid, I figured she’d be pissed that I left her behind. My gaze passed hers to Jackson, my eyes flashed silver.

  “You’re dead meat, Cadwell,” I said before I left.

  ***

  It was just me and Sebastian in his office. He had calm downed a bit from earlier. I expected him to be frust
rated with me like always. My immaturity was a pet peeve of his. I took the time to check him out—all of him. The body of a fighter and the face of a fallen angel. All square jawed and Roman nose, his hair the color of ink and those icy pale blue eyes that struck the fear of God in anyone.

  “So what’s the game plan, Bash? Torture me until you deem me trustworthy?”

  He shook his head and sat behind his desk. “I wanted some alone time with you. How have you been?” his crystal blue eyes warmed a centimeter. His large frame relaxed a tad when I sat across from him.

  “I’ve been better,” I said. “What’s the deal with keeping me from Amy? She isn’t pregnant, is she?” I could barely keep the look of horror from my face.

  “No. But you’re a wild card right now. Your temper is erratic, you need a cool down.”

  “I would never hurt her,” I said with earnest. If I could tell a single truth, that was it. I would do anything to keep Amy safe—like move across the country without her.

  “You shouldn’t have come back, Kenz, it isn’t safe for you.”

  I quirked a brow. “Why? Because I’m a lone-wolf?”

  Sebastian huffed with impatience. “Do you think that even matters anymore? You’ve been a free lone-wolf since we met you, Mackenzie. You’ve had special privileges that others have not been afforded. Aren’t you curious as to why?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Does it matter? You’re gonna tell me anyway.”

  “I’ll only tell you if you honestly want to know.”

  “I only want to know what kind of danger I’m in. Everything else is irrelevant.”

  “You’re a hot commodity, Mackenzie. Alphas all over the country are going to want you to join their Packs—and they may not be as reasonable or considerate as I have been. They might just take you by force.”

  I scoffed. “Let me guess, you want me to join the Brooklyn Pack for my own safety?”

  Sebastian shook his head. “No, Mackenzie. I’ve already asked you and you literally ran away. I’ve learned my lesson, you can’t be tamed,” he smirked. “I’m just giving you the heads up—as a friend.”