Page 6 of Pack Captive

I shifted, holding back a wince as my ragged clothes tore under their hands.

The Second lifted an eyebrow at my filthy appearance. “I expected a Moon Caller to be in better shape,” he said.

All I could do was sneer at him as he knelt down near my feet. He pulled a thick gold bangle out of his pocket.

The bracelet was set with a milky white stone that gleamed with the same blue as his runes. Whatever it was, it had been enchanted by another Moon Caller, imbued with lunar magic.

The Second held it up. “As long as you’re wearing the shackle, you won’t be able to run from the Alpha.”

I stared at the bracelet, my impending imprisonment.

The new wolf lifted the corners of his mouth in a cold smile. “It’s for your safety,” he said.

“You’re taking me prisoner.” I was in complete disbelief. I was ontheirside, and they were shackling me?

“You could call it that,” he said. “When we trust you enough to not run away, we’ll take it off. Until that time comes, you wear it.”

He reached out and grabbed my leg. The palms of his hands were rough against my skin.

A slight shiver went through me that had nothing to do with the fact that I hadn’t been touched by a male in months, let alone one this attractive.

It was just horror at knowing my freedom was lost, and Fenn would do nothing to help me. He wasn’t even watching, his eyes averted in shame.

The cold Second opened the bracelet and locked it into place around my right ankle with a delicate click. Despite the tiny, almost fragile sound, I knew it would be keyed to his touch, and impossible for me to take off.

I was so furious, I almost missed what the Alpha said next.

“Do you have the others?” he asked another wolf who had shifted into yet another marked Warrior.

The wolf nodded. “Elderly and children,” he said. “Not much of a haul, but several of the pups have runes. The Claws will take them in and train them.”

I had no idea who or what the Claws were, but I wanted to tear his head off for assuming what he’d do withmypack.

The Alpha’s blue eyes flicked towards me again, running down my form and landing on the gold shackle around my ankle.

That was when I saw the bracelet around his own wrist, thinner and less obtrusive, with a matching stone.

I was sure this shackle was keyed to it. I’d been reduced to a dog on a leash.

“We got what we came for,” he said calmly. He smiled at me again, and I turned my head away.

He was the last thing I wanted to look at right now, no matter how beautiful he was.

The Second tilted his head, watching the emotions play across my face.

“You should be grateful,” he told me, his hand still warm around my ankle. He kept it there as though making sure the bracelet would be glued to me forever.

I lifted my lip in a snarl once more. “Grateful to be your prisoner? Never.”

To my surprise, the Second threw his head back and laughed. For a single second he no longer looked cold, but genuinely amused. “When you see Lykos, you’ll forget you ever said that.”

The other wolves remained around me, but they had backed up a little bit, giving me some room. The Second held out hand, offering to help me to my feet.

I ignored it, choosing to get off the ground on my own. The bracelet—theshackle—was heavy and cool against my skin, already an unwelcome itch.

“Don’t stray too far from Alpha Ryden,” he told me. “The bracelet will let you know when you’re at the edge of your boundary.”

My stomach lurched.

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