Bite Marks (The Lycans 5)

I heard the distant clang of metal on metal and knew these sick assholes—whoever the hell they were—were coming. Was it for me, though? I pressed myself farther against the corner of the wall, made myself as small as possible, and hoped the shadows in this part of the cell would keep me hidden.

The door at the end of the room opened and clanged shut, the sound of clothes rustling seeming overly loud, and the stomping of feet coming closer had my entire body tightened.

I held my breath, praying that they couldn’t hear how hard my heart was beating.

I saw the shadows before their bodies came into view, two large men dressed in what I assumed was their guard attire, dragging a very small body between them. Not a child, since I could make out her slight curves, so definitely a female by the size and shape of her body.

When they came into view, I could see her long black hair was concealing her face. The tips of her toes dragged behind her, the soles of her feet facing upward. I didn’t know if she was unconscious or just too weak to hold herself up.

God, what had they done to her?

Bruises covered her arms, handprint-sized blue and purple marks on her pale flesh.

They opened the cell beside me, dropped her too roughly onto the cot pushed against the wall, and locked her in. It was the first time I watched them securing the cells, and I realized it wasn’t… normal.

There was this hazy look in front of the locking mechanism, this wavy air I found myself actually blinking at a few times to clear my vision, telling myself I was seeing things, because it couldn’t be real.

And then the strange apparition was gone.

The guards left but not before one of them stopped and peered into my cell. I held my breath, tried to be as still as I could, but I knew he saw me. His nasty and eager smile proved that.

“Come on. You know Tore doesn’t want anyone messing with her,” the guard who was purposefully not looking in my direction muttered and elbowed the other man. “He’s already gonna be pissed about her face.”

The guard staring at me grinned wider but thankfully turned and left. When I heard the door shut, I exhaled.

A long moment of silence stretched out, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Assholes,” a faint feminine voice said hoarsely.

I snapped my head in the direction of the other cell, the bars thick, leaving hardly any space between them. I heard the rustling of material, then watched as her small form shifted on the bed. She groaned and then rose, sitting on the edge of the mattress, just breathing in and out slowly.

“Although the term ‘asshole’ is kind of a compliment compared to those guys.” Her voice was strained, as if it hurt her to even speak. The image of her slight shape covered in bruises flashed in my head again, and I found myself standing and walking over to the bars. At first I just stood there, staring at her, not saying anything.

“Are you okay?” Such a stupid question. I took another step closer. She didn’t move or speak for long moments, so long I didn't think she’d respond. But then I watched as she turned her head in my direction, lifting a hand to push the heavy fall of her dark hair away from her face. The shadows made it impossible to see her features clearly, and I had a sneaking suspicion they kept things dank and dark down here to keep everyone off-kilter.

Because how could you not feel hopeless when it felt like you were in a hole?

“I’m okay.” Another long pause. “Thanks for asking.”

I could tell she was looking at the ground, and the tone of her voice held a hint of confusion.

“I can’t remember the last time someone asked me that.”

My heart lurched in my chest, and I reached out to grab the bars, the metal cold and rough. I felt some kind of low-level hum moving through them and let go to look at my hands, turning them over, but otherwise I saw nothing wrong with them. I’d assumed there’d be marks, painless burns.

I lifted my hands and hesitantly touched the bars again. I could feel that hum move up my arms. My brows pulled down in confusion.

“Magically enforced. It keeps everyone in order. Since you're human, it doesn't have the same effect, since you're weaker and can’t break or bend the metal.” The woman stood and took a couple of steps toward me. “It lets the big boys know their place here and who’s in charge.”

I focused back on her and swallowed my nerves.

Magically enforced. Okay. “Where am I?”

She exhaled again and lifted her hand to grab her hair, pulling it all over to one side of her shoulder. She moved closer, and I watched as she started braiding the thick length. “You don’t know where you’re at?”