Selene was jarred awake by the sound of a door slam. Her hands instantly went to her neck as pain shot through her spine. The tendons had become stiff as she slept on Nick’s shoulder through the night.

Nick’s body tensed beside her, and he turned in the direction of the door. “Patience,” he whispered. “We’ll get out of here soon.”

She hoped he was right.

As he stood over by the bars, she examined him further. He was built and tall. Hard around the edges, but yet he’d been so gentle, ensuring her throughout the night to stay calm. His voice was deep, soft…and eased her fears. If it wasn’t for him, she probably couldn’t remain in the right state of mind. She’d never been locked up in a cell like this and held against her will.

His bronzed muscular back rippled as he gripped the bars. His toffee colored skin complexion reminded her of the candies she had always loved as a child. There were tattoos on either side of his arms. They were symbols of some sort. His head had been shaved, as if with a sharp razor. He was nearly bald.

Two men came down the stairs. They weren’t the same one’s who’d thrown her in the cell last night. One of them carried a tray in his hands. He bent down and slid it under the cell.

Selene thought she heard a growl escape Nick’s lips.

“Do you think we’re stupid? It’s poisoned!” He used his foot to push the tray back under the cell. The blunt force caused it to crash into the opposite wall and the bowls of soup splattered across the walls and onto the guards’ pants.

One of them came to stand outside of the cell, meeting Nick in challenge. “It seems you can’t be contained by cell. Perhaps you’d like to be tied up again like the rabid animal you are?”

“Do with me what you will, but what did she do to deserve being in here?”

“Direct orders from Darius.”

“She’s a woman, for God sakes. Have respect.”

The guards gaze shifted toward her. Selene lowered her gaze to the floor.

“The bathroom. We need to use it,” Nick hissed.

“There’s a drain on the floor behind you.”

“You asshole! You’re no better than that sick crook who leads you.”

“If you really need to piss, that’s where you should go.”

“The woman…you want her to pee on the floor?”

The guard shuffled his feet a bit, as if unsure on what to do. “Alright. One at a time. The human goes first.”

Selene rose on shaky legs from her sitting position. She met eyes with Nick as she walked toward the open end of the cell.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, and then turned his attention to the guard. “If either of you so much as touch her, I’ll rip your throat out.”

The threat seemed real, but the guard leading her to the small bathroom stall never laid a finger on her.

“Quickly,” he ordered, and shut the door behind her.

The first thing she looked for was a way to escape. It was pointless. The windows were barred and someone had hammered a board over it from the outside.

As she hoovered over the toilet, careful not to touch the surface of it, she exhaled, releasing the water she’d been holding in her bladder throughout the night. She would have died from absolute embarrassment if she were made to piss in the drainage on the floor while Nick and the others watched.

The water in the faucet was icy cold, but she washed her hands of the dirt and blood anyway. Then she brought handfuls of water to her mouth, quenching her thirst. The mirror over the sink was old and clouded over with dust. She took the heel of her palm and cleaned off a corner of it. The reflection that stared back revolted her. She looked like one big hot mess. Like a wild woman.

She dipped her head and splashed water over her face and attempted to rub her face clean.

“It’s enough.” The guard rapped on the door. “Your time is up.”

“Okay. Coming.” Using just the water, she ran her fingers through her hair combing it back and out of her face.

Before she exited, she stuffed the metal key down lower into her bra. It was her last hope, but she still hadn’t figured out how she’d get away all by herself once she was free from the confines of the cell.

She was placed back into the open cell, and Nick followed the same man to the bathroom stall.

When Nick was gone, the taller one eyed her intensely, a smug grin on his face. “It’s a shame you won’t eat,” he drawled. “Our alpha has plans for you and you’ll need your energy.”

She shivered, and shook her head to rid her mind of what she’d almost been forced to endure the night before.

“I have no intentions of being part of his plans,” she said, keeping her gaze on the floor.

“Last night was your warning,” he said. “This is your cool down period. I’m not sure why he’d even spare you. I suspect you won’t be so lucky tonight.”

She glanced up. “Tonight?”

“You’ll get another chance…or be served your punishment alongside your cellmate.”

“Punishment?” Her heart seized in panic. “What do you mean?”

“He’s not too happy about you assaulting him before his business meeting.”

This time she laughed. “He’s saying that I assaulted him?” She stood up to face him with only the bars separating them. “He’s a sick bastard who tried to rape me.”

The man reached through the bars and grabbed her by the throat.

Her breath rushed out of her as he squeezed hard.

His teeth were barred, sharp and long. Like canine teeth.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the heel of his hand was pushed against her voice box.

There was commotion to the left of them as Nick emerged from the stall. The moment she blinked, Nick tore away from the one who escorted him and crossed the room.

“I warned you,” Nick growled, shoving her attacker violently, nearly ten feet across the room.

The man’s body slammed against the wall but he scrambled back up with malice etched on his face. This time his fangs dripped with saliva. He growled like a dog.

Selena’s gaze darted from her attacker to Nick. His expression was the same. Furious. With canines, fighter’s stance, clenched fists, and all.

They came together swiftly, flesh hitting flesh.

She screamed aloud, shattering her own eardrums and cowered in the furthest corner of the cell.

They fought like two pro wrestlers, pinning each other to the floor and trading punches to the face and chest.

The man standing off to the side barged forward, trying to separate the two, but he ended up on the ground with a busted lip for his efforts. He got up and retaliated, grabbing what looked like a broken off piece of long metal pipe.

Selene cringed when he swung at the fighting pair. Her heart settled only a bit when he missed, hitting absolutely nothing but thin air.

One would have thought two animals were fighting by the way they tumbled across the floor, oblivious to everything else around them with sharp growls and fervent snarls escaping their mouths.

The taller man caught Nick off guard as he recovered from a blow, held up a clawed hand, and slashed Nick across the abdomen.

Nick howled in pain, and she pressed her own lips together, mentally sensing the agony he must have felt.

The other man helped by taking the opportunity and hitting Nick across the back with the metal pole.

Nick fell to his knees right in front of her and the cell.

At that moment, their gazes met. His eyes were wild and savage. His fangs were barred. Her pulse tripped, and her heart nearly stopped as she stared at the man she did not recognize anymore.

“Nick?” She whispered.

His stare softened, but at the same time the pole was raised over him again by one of his attackers.

“Kill him,” the other encouraged, holding his hand to his bloody throat.

The man swung, delivering another blow.

Nick’s body lunged forward, face first onto the floor.

Her legs moved on their own accord and she rushed to help him. When the man lifted the pole again, she shielded Nick with her body.

“Please. Stop,” she cried.

“Move, you stupid waif, or I’ll swing,” he warned, his eyes bulging in anger.

They were going to kill him. She couldn’t live with the knowledge of someone dying trying to save her.

“I will do whatever you want. Tell your alpha I will do it,” she pleaded.

The stunt man lowered the bar, but only slightly.

Nick didn’t appear to be conscious as she pushed at his shoulder. She turned back to their attackers. “Don’t kill him…please.”

“It’ll be a while before he recovers.” The man lowered the bar. “I’ll tell our leader that you have acquiesced. We’ll be back for you.”

They trekked back up to the stairs. The injured one left a trail of blood behind. Even though they’d been left outside the cell, she heard the locks being bolted shut, barring them inside once again.

Selene shifted her attention back to Nick. Using all her strength, she turned him over in her lap.

His chest moved up and down slightly, but she still put her hand close to his lips to confirm that he still breathed.

“Nick.” She carefully touched the skin surrounding the bloodied gash in his side. The sight of blood had been something she’d never been able to tolerate. Her stomach grew queasy as the red fluid continued to slowly spurt from his side. “Wake up.”

The strong smell of copper wafted under her nose. There was also another underlying scent. A scent that was unique to him.

She shook him again, but his body felt heavy and limp on her lap.

When he didn’t respond, she eased him on to the floor and then rushed back to the bathroom stall. Using the sharp end of a metal shard she found, she tore the bottom end of her shirt and drenched it with water.

Selene dragged Nick across her lap again and gently pressed the cloth around the wound. She wanted to apply pressure to stop the blood flow, but didn’t want to inflict pain. Biting her lower lip, she pushed as firm she could onto his side. She wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with the other end of the shirt as she kept the pressure applied.

She hadn’t really taken a good look at him before, but she couldn’t help but study his features now. His facial structure and jaw line were well defined giving him a clean edgy look. His lips were well formed—not too full and not too thin. He was far from the average male, and exceptionally handsome. He was nearly twice as big as her, but from what she could see of his arms and chest, most of it was pure muscle.

He wore some type of cologne, or maybe it was just the way he smelled. Almost like pine trees still wet from morning dew.

She smiled, thinking about the holiday season coming up. Spending it with family this time around was important for her. She’d never take family for granted again. They always complained that she never came to visit. Her excuse year after year was that her patients and clients needed her help more.

Selene traced the outline of his thick eyebrows with the tip of her finger. His skin color was similar to hers—a smooth tea-colored complexion. He’d shaved recently, but she still detected a hint of stubble along his jawline.

Suddenly, Nick opened his eyes. “Selene.” A slow grin spread across his face.

Her heart raced anxiously. “You’re awake.”

He groaned. “Awake…and feeling awful.”

“I’m sorry, I tried to stop the blood.” She reduced some of the pressure to his side.

“No.” He placed his palm over her hand. “Keep applying the pressure.”

“I thought you would never wake up.”

Nick lifted his hand, catching her off guard. His palm was surprisingly soft as he stroked the side of her face. “You have dimples.”

“Yes,” she said, shyly. A feature she’d inherited from her mother.

“I like them.” He continued to study her face, while his head was cradled on her lap.

“You didn’t have to do that for me. You could have been killed.”

“I’m a man of my words, Selene. I intend to get you out of here.”

“We’ll be separated soon.” She frowned, as awareness set in. How would she save herself now from that sicko they called Darius. She hadn’t been thinking rationally when she’d agreed. All she wanted was for them to let Nick live. “They said they’d be back for me.”

“I won’t let them take you.” He lifted himself, cringing as he bent at the waist.

She steadied him. “Are you okay?”

“Dizzy, yes, but nothing I can’t recover from.” He removed the bloodied cloth from his side.

Selene braced herself again, not sure she’d be able to take in the gruesome wound again. But when she looked this time, the deep claw marks were closed over with what looked like new skin. She gasped. Blood caked around the scar, but most of it was dry.

“How could you have healed that fast?”

“It was nothing,” he mumbled. “Just some scratches.”

“You didn’t see what I saw.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Only moments ago I could see your flesh. The cut was so deep that I didn’t think I could stop the blood flow.”

“Well, you did. Thank you.” He replied. “Now we have to get you out of here.”

“How can we escape this?” She lifted an arm, pointing toward the door. “Even if we did, how would we get past the guards out there?”

“I’ll worry about that,” he said, carefully. “But this is no place for a woman to be.”

“It’s no place for anyone to be.”

“At least we’re out of the cell.” Nick stood and then held his hand out to help her up. “Come.” He led her to the small window near the opposite side of the room. “I’m going to lift you up and I want you to tell me what you see.”

He lifted her effortlessly using only his bare hands until she was eye level with the window. His hands were strong and firm at her waist

She glanced out across the landscape and at the fields through which the guards had carried her. The sun was high in the sky, allowing her a clearer view of the surroundings outside of the dungeon walls.

At first glance, the backdrop was beautiful. Had she not been confined, a view such as this would have been something she would have sat for hours looking at. Majestic mountaintops were as far as she could see. They were still dusted with the evidence of snow, which had likely fallen the week before her visit. The ground and treetops were covered in frost. What was probably lush greenery was now a field of straw, hay, and crumpled grass.

“What do you see?” He urged.

“Nothing but fields and mountains.”

He lifted her higher and the immediate perimeter of the building they were in came into view. “What about now?”

There were two men working outside the shed adjacent to them. “I can’t see the guards, but there are others close by. It looks like they’re hauling wood.” To the right of them, two wolves lay in the clearing next to the field. “There are wolves.”

“How many wolves?”

“Two.”

When Nick set her down on the ground again, she sighed. “There is no escaping. They’ll know.”

“Have hope. We’ll do it this evening, as soon as the sun grazes the mountain tops.” He grabbed her shoulders. “I should tell you this…there is a long history between Darius and me. I have no doubt that he’s holding me for something other than my trespassing.”

“A long history? What do you mean?” Did he know Darius personally?

“Darius has been very spiteful over the last decade. There are things that I can’t actually tell you, but know that I will get you out of here.”

“You’ve known him a decade?”

“I’ve known him longer than that.”

Nick moved to the bathroom stall and she followed. He splashed some water on his face.

“Then you know these people? They’re not strangers to you?”

He turned to glance at her, but did not speak. He seemed to be weighing his words, as his gaze shifted behind her.

“How can I trust you?” She asked.

“You can trust that I will keep my word.”

He sounded more hopeful than she felt. She needed to get out of here and maybe worry about and consequences and repercussions later.

Selene slipped her fingers down into her bra and took out the key. “I grabbed this somehow.”

Picking up the key, he held it between them as they inspected it. “What happened to you before you came here? Why did Darius attack you?”

She swallowed. It wasn’t something she wanted to think about or rehash. “He tried to rape me.”

Nick’s face hardened in fury, and his lips were drawn taut. “I will kill him.”

“No more stalling around here.” She grasped his wrist. “It’s enough. I just want to go home.”

The creases in his forehead disappeared. He opened her hand, and pressed the key into her palm. “As soon as the sun grazes the mountain tops…”