Page 56 of Vicious Luna

As Matty slowly leans down, bringing the syringe toward me, I muster every ounce of strength left within my being. A rush of adrenaline floods my veins, and it gives my exhausted body the boost it needs to spring forward, cocking back my fist and landing a hard punch to his jaw. The momentum sends him stumbling back in a daze, and I seize the opportunity to snatch his keys off the floor and shove up from the ground, sprinting out of the open cell door and down the hall toward the old storm cellar.

At least I have the wherewithal to go that way rather than up the main stairs into the cabin. I’d for sure be caught if I tried to make a run for it through the main house, but the cellar door leads straight outside. I bound up the crumbling stone steps, where I encounter the first stroke of luck I’ve had since being caged- the numeric sequence to unlock the door hasn’t changed. The light on the keypad glows green as it disengages and I push the heavy door back, bounding out onto the side lawn.

I’ve only got minutes to make my escape- maybe even just seconds. Taking off at a dead sprint, I round the side of the cabin and frantically hit the unlock button on the key fob in my grasp, the lights of one of the SUV’s in our fleet flashing to indicate which vehicle it belongs to. I yank the door open, hopinto the driver’s seat, and crank the ignition, my pulse racing as the engine roars to life.

Slamming the gear into drive, I floor it down the driveway, tires squealing against the asphalt as I peel away from the safehouse. I don’t look in the rearview mirror to see if anyone’s following. I just drive like a madman until I hit the end of the long drive, turning where it bottoms out on the little mountain road and speeding toward the nearest highway.

I have no idea where I’m headed. I have no home to return to; no family other than the man who disowned me. I just drive without any grasp on a destination, breathing a sigh of relief when I finally glance up at the mirror to see that nobody’s behind me.

I did it. I’m free.

Well,this is less than fucking ideal.

After escaping the Guild safehouse, I drove for hours, instinct guiding me north. I guess I’m not surprised that I wound up chasing down the one person who can shed some light on what happened the night I transformed, nor am I surprised that I was quickly intercepted and apprehended after turning off highway four and onto the forested road we’d identified as access to the northern wolfpack’s territory. Some red-haired prick blocked the road with his truck, hauled me out of my SUV, and blindfolded me before dumping me off in this room. Though the termroomis generous. I know a prison cell when I see one.

I’m underground, if the cold dampness, lack of windows, and cinderblock walls are anything to go by. There aren’t any bars in this cell, though- just a steel door on one side with a small window looking out into the hall. The fact thatthe room’s completely empty indicates they must not keep their prisoners for long. That certainly doesn’t bode well for me.

I’m sitting on the floor across from the door with my back against the cold wall, wondering what the hell possessed me to come here in the first place. I just escaped captivity, so it was pretty damn stupid to go somewhere I’d just wind up a prisoner again. I guess my need to understand outweighed my own sense of self-preservation. That, andher. Avery. Something deep within me ached to see her again; something I can neither comprehend nor explain.

The muffled sound of footsteps in the hall has me snapping to attention, my gaze pinging to the door in front of me. A strange sense of excitement lights me up from the inside moments before the lock clicks and the doorknob turns, and a breath whooshes from my lungs when I see her step inside.

Fuck, she’s even more stunning than I remember. Tiny denim shorts hug her hips, highlighting her long tan legs and the sexy-ass tattoo crawling down her left thigh. The ribbed white tank top she’s wearing is tight around those full, perfect tits of hers and her long blonde hair is styled in loose waves, cascading over her shoulders like a damn mermaid. Her sunkissed skin is practically glowing, and the deviant smirk on her plush lips is a sinner’s dream.

Avery closes the door behind her, folding her arms under her boobs and leaning back against it with an arrogant lift of her chin. “How does it feel to be the one locked in a cage for a change?” she asks, the smug look in her eyes mocking me.

As much as I’ve missed our lively back and forth, I’m too worn down to even come up with a decent retort. My shoulders slump in defeat as I hang my head between my spread knees. “Just get it over with,” I murmur, stabbing my fingers through my hair. “Put me out of my misery. I’d rather be dead than one of you.”

“You honestly didn’t know?”

“How the fuck would I have known?” I snap, jerking my head up to meet her eyes.

She stares back at me blankly, a skeptical brow arched. “I mean, shifting into a wolf is sort of a dead giveaway, dontcha think?”

“Yeah, well that never happened before,” I mutter, flickering my gaze away once more. This role reversal is uncomfortable, to say the least, and she’s fucking eating it up now that she’s the one with the power.

I wonder if she realizes she always had it.

“You sure?” she mocks, clucking her tongue condescendingly.

I snort a laugh. “Pretty sure I would’ve remembered turning into a monster.”

My beastie rolls her eyes, shaking her head in exasperation. “You still think that’s what we are? Even now, after everything?”

“I don’t know what the fuck to think,” I mutter.

She heaves a sigh, bending her knees and sinking down to sit on the ground with her back against the door. She drags her pouty lower lip between her teeth, dark lashes fluttering as she drops her gaze to the floor. “What do you wanna know?”

“Huh?”

Whiskey-brown eyes flicker back up to meet mine. “About being a shifter,” she clarifies. “If this is all new to you, then I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

I swallow thickly, unsure where to even begin. “How do I stop it?”

“You can’t,” she replies, my stomach sinking. “Your wolf’s part of you, whether you like it or not. The sooner you accept that and integrate, the better off you’ll be.”

I scowl in confusion. “What does that even mean?”

“It means you become one and the same. You share space in your brain. Once you’re fully integrated, you’ll have complete control over your animal side. You’ll be able to holdyour wolf back when you want to or let him out when you need to.”

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