Page 38 of Pack Kasen: Part 1

“Because?”

“No one else wanted to do it,” I lie.

His eyes turn thoughtful as he scratches his jaw. “It’s been some time since I’ve been in the city, but aren’t the students that give speeches usually top of the class?”

Ah, so this guy went to college.

Maybe.

I eye him some more, conscious he didn’tactuallyadmit that he went to college. He’s being as careful with his words—and what he tells me—as I am.

We’re not in the city. That’s something I didn’t know before. Considering the sheer size of Montana, I could literally be anywhere. That nugget of information might not be helpful, but it’s something new.

“I did okay,” I say vaguely.

I’m graduating at the top of my class, which is why they asked me to give the speech. I worked hard for it, and it’s an honor that helped me secure a job in one of the best accounting firms in the country.

Yet here I am, squatting to take a piss in a bucket like a literal animal in a zoo.

I was wrong about the Viking being a three out of ten. For making me do that? He’s a minus ten.

The door suddenly swings open, and Troy straightens, a mask coming down over his face as he turns away. I’d expected the Viking, and I think he had as well, but it’s another guy.

A familiar one.

From the quick flick of his hazel gaze to the lock on my cage, he’s definitely a guard, checking to make sure the prisoner is nice and secured.

“Troy, we have a meeting over breakfast,” he says, turning away from me.

One mention of breakfast makes my already hollow belly feel even more empty.

Troy flashes me a grin as he turns to leave. “I’ll be seeing you, pretty lady.”

But I’m not focused on him anymore. My mind just made a connection.

“I know you.” I step up to the front of my cage as I try to remember Corvette guy’s name. Cruz. “You were watching me on campus, and you blew me a kiss.”

Why would he do that?

If someone is watching you, surely they’d want to be secretive and not draw any attention.

Cruz peers over his shoulder. “You would have sensed someone watching you. I had to get you to stop questioning that feeling and tell yourself it was just a creep, so you wouldn’t notice the other guy watching you until it was time to grab you.”

He walks out then, closing the door and leaving me alone to ponder.

His plan worked perfectly.

I totally missed the other guy until it was too late.

“If I wasn’t so pissed, I’d be impressed,” I mutter.

Because as ideas go, it’s a good one. I wonder who thought of it?

12

AREN

“You seemed… tense during breakfast,” Finan says delicately.

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