Truth. I could hear the frustration in his voice. Seems as if, no matter how high you were in the pecking order, there was always some douche-canoe with his hand up your ass, controlling your actions.
He stood then. “Follow me,” he said as he turned and moved toward the door. I wondered if they were just going to let us freely wander behind.
Yeah, not happening. Our hands were magically cuffed at the doorway by the two guards waiting there. I liked to think it was me they were so afraid of, but I knew better.
The guards stayed around us as we were led out of the office section and toward the large barred gate that seemed to mark the beginning of the actual prison. Upon Jeremy’s command, there was the distinct whoosh of magic, followed by locks clicking across. The metal double doors swung open. The moment I stepped across the threshold I almost fell to my knees. I paused and had to close my eyes. My breathing was deep and even as I fought to regain equilibrium.
“You okay?” Braxton’s low voice had my lids shooting open. “Keep breathing, it can be hard to adjust to the loss of power. Especially when you’re strong.”
He wasn’t kidding. I used the familiar and piercing blue of his eyes to ground myself. It felt as if there was a cloying cloth pressed onto my energy. This was like the magical cuffs, only a thousand times stronger, pushing my power down, suppressing my natural urges and limiting my strength.
I attempted to call on my wolf but I couldn’t reach her. She was there but hidden, unreachable. Unlike the cuffs, this time it felt as if she was gone.
I howled then, in one long, unbroken note. Where was she? I’d never been away from my wolf before. I was dying.
Braxton stepped into me then; he couldn’t hug me, his arms were secured behind his back, but his warmth still surrounded me, his scent washing over me, his comfort enough to halt my hysteria. I rested my face against the hard planes of his chest as I gulped down the emotions, my breathing rapid and shallow. He continued with the comforting touch until, finally, I was able to stand on my own.
“I’m okay … I’m okay,” I repeated a few times. “I just … can’t touch her, my wolf. She’s locked away from me.”
He nodded. “I know, but she’s still there. Don’t let your brain convince you that she’s dead or you’ll go insane … well, more insane.”
“Thank you,” I murmured into his hard chest. “I love when you point out the obvious to me.” I tilted my head back to glare at him. He returned my look with a lazy grin.
Jeremy jarred us out of our little bubble. “Move it.”
I shifted my glare to him, but couldn’t summon up enough anger to bother with words. Then we were moving again. Apparently it was time to dive into the jungle.
Chapter 13
The cloying pressure of suppressed energy was worse in the long channel of the shifter wing. There were more woven securities there. Silver bars lined the rows of cells, which were about eight by eight meters in size. We walked along the length, each sparse room empty. There were hundreds of cells, one after the other along both sides of a center stone path. Finally, Jeremy led us into a cell which was close to the end. Inside were two small beds with thin mattresses. Other than that, there was a sink and toilet, which thankfully had a curtain that could be pulled across for a semblance of privacy, and a small desk which held a few books and pens and paper.
Jeremy freed our wrists. “You are entitled to literature, art supplies, and, once a day, outside of meal times, you can request a beverage and snack. This is on top of the lunchtime, which happens in the main circle.” I rubbed at my arms again. “Keep your heads down, don’t cause trouble, and this week will be over before you know it.” He made his way back to the door. “Showers are in the morning. You receive new prison cottons then. Mack and Sam will take you to the circle now.” He waved at the two beefy guards before turning and leaving our cell.
The larger of the guards moved closer. “Don’t try any bullshit moves, Braxton.” He looked like a Mack, so I was going with that. “You know I have my whip and I will not hesitate to use it.”
I’d seen those whips when we were captured.
Braxton didn’t remove his eyes from Mack. “Their whips have silver imbedded into the leather. It hurts like a bitch and the healing is really slow.”
I pulled my eyes away and narrowed them on the men. Those fuckers hit my boys? People needed to die, seriously.
“Move it, bitch.” I was shoved out the door by Sam. I stumbled but stayed on my feet, although my arm brushed the silver and I could feel the burn. It was only the slightest graze, so like a mild sunburn, but it would take a while to heal.