Page 6 of Connected

“Ahh… finally. Now I have your attention.” The gold-toothed grin greets her. “I trust you sleeped well, Katrina?”

“What?” she questions. Her tired eyes survey the room and she tries to establish from the surroundings exactly where she is, but the gray concrete walls offer no clues—the room is brightly lit by a single bare bulb hanging from the center of the room. She’s confused by the two blood-stained medical couches at the far side of the room and the various assortment of medical equipment scattered over the countertops and floor.

“Zak…” she calls again. Her eyes widen and her pupils dilate with the brightness. As she focuses on her teammate—he’s naked and shackled to the wall in front of her. A thick leather collar on a short heavy chain around his neck; his hands and feet held by a matching set of restraints.

“Fuck.” She curses and attempts to pull free from the hands holding her and her eyes focus on the gold teeth of her captor. “Alvarez!”

Her stomach churns in somersaults with sickness and she feels like she might pass out. Suddenly someone grabs at her hair and yanking her head back, they tip water into her mouth.

She coughs, choking as the bottled water continues to fill her throat quicker than she can drink it down. Then it stops, and she gasps for breath—water and saliva dribbling down her chin as Alvarez lets her go. Her head slumps forward; her body still held in place and stopped from falling to the ground by the large mass of flesh behind her. There’s another unexpected shock to her system as Alvarez pours what’s left of the water over her head; the cool liquid running down her naked body making her gasp.

“Fuck you,” she spits wide-eyed staring at him.

“That better,” he grins. “I wonder how long it take you. One thing you should learn. I am not a patient person. But I know it will take you a while. I’m told that sedative it potent. It has to be, to knock out aLupa.”

He nods to another of his clan and Kat watches as they cross the room and take something from inside of a canvas bag laid on the old plastic table in the corner. She frowns but stays quiet as she wonders what it could be and sneers in frustration as another large droplet of water drips, annoyingly, from her hair down her cheek.

“We should take care of the Lupa first. Lupa—your wolf, I mean. After all, we don’t want to put anyone in danger now, do we? I no wanna have to kill you, not after I go to all d’trouble to find you.”

Kat frowns as she listens to him speak. His accent is an odd mixture of effeminate Mexican tones, and she’s not sure if he’s stressing the twang to make himself sound menacing. She wants to laugh but given her and Zak’s precarious situation, she doesn’t. Even so, she can’t help but allow a mocking smirk to curl on her lips.

She continues to watch the other ‘meat mountain’ as he holds what looks like a square red jewelry box.

Zak groans loudly and calls out. He pulls hard straining against his bonds but once again he’s prodded hard in the ribs with a long wooden staff. Its silver dipped tip sears hot red marks onto his skin and he struggles to contain his cry; growling in anger on the outside, he whimpers with pain in his head.

“Oh, he so feisty,” Alvarez smiles. “I so gonna enjoy breakin’ him. You know there too many ways to make a wolf compliant and I adore them all.”

As he laughs, Kat stares blankly and makes a low deep, but angry growl.

The sound rumbles from inside her chest as she concentrates, focused desperately on trying to wake Luna from her slumber; she’s still trapped in Kat’s subconscious in a drowsy drug-induced coma.

Keeping her head lifted, she makes a quick assessment of the situation.

Looking at Zak and the two skinny weasels minding him—they continue to prod randomly at his flesh with the cane. Kat can see him flinch each time the pointed metal end touches his body, and even though he’s trying desperately not to show a reaction, she can tell the silver hurts. It burns and stings, making his flesh red-raw and he takes a deep breath, biting his teeth hard against his lip as he stifles his cries.

Kat can see how bloodied and beaten he is; this has been going on for some time before she awoke. His chest and stomach are covered in deep mauve bruising. “Zak are you okay?” She continually calls out his name, just waiting for any response. She just wants to hear for herself that he really is all right.

“Oh, ohhh… it is Zak?” Alvarez grins. “Thank you, Katrina. See…Zak mi beautifulniño.” He moves closer, standing in front of Zak, stroking his chest; his hands massaging his muscles. “You could have just told me that but instead you make me do all dis damage to your gorgeous body.” He flicks his tongue, licking Zak’s cheek.

Zak sneers and growls as he tugs hard against the chain leash attached to his neck. The ferocity with which he pulls takes Alvarez by surprise, and he quickly steps back.

“Whoa… fuck,” he laughs in amusement. “You really, really are a magnificent, niño—a powerful beast. That was naughty, niño, giving daddy a fear like that, but you really are makin’ me hard.” Alvarez closes his eyes and sniffs against Zak’s neck. “I can’t stop t’inking what we are going to do together. Still, we have t’ings to take care of before I give you playtime. I have business with Katrina I must attend with first. Stay. Wait for me.” He grins in a delighted pleasure then turns his attention back to Kat.

Stepping forward, he stares her in the eyes. Watching, he can see her trying to rouse her wolf.

“Oh, no. No-no. No, think about doin’ dat. I can see in your eyes what you are t’inking, but no. Let me assure you of one t’ing, I might be just a little sad, but he will be dead before youcan kill me.”

“Go to hell, you son-of-a-bitch!” Kat scowls as her dulled green eyes stare into his fiery orange.

“No, no Shhh… shu-shu… Relax.” He holds her chin, lifting it so he can look at her. “You know, you are incredibly beautiful. I so wish you were my taste but… alas, you not.”

He strokes his hand down her neck, over her naked breast, feeling gently the smooth skin and the firm roundness as if it’s something alien to him.

“Get your fucking hands off me!” She recoils in horror, her heart beating hard in her chest. The touch of his hand on her body makes her feel sick, and she screws up her eyes in disgust; closing them so she doesn’t have to look at him.

Watching him, Zak yanks hard forcing against his restraints, “Hey, you sick fucker… Yeah, you… You leave her the fuck alone!”

“Oh, don’t worry gorgeous, niño,” Alvarez laughs, “you no worry. No need for jealous, she really isn’t my type. I like big boys, niño, like you. Don’t worry, I told you, Daddy’s gonna play with you later. We gonna have so much fun. But you really do need to be more patient.”

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