Chapter Six
Kai looked about as freaked out as Joe felt. They sat down in the far corner of the room, keeping as much distance as they could between themselves and the door.
“But we’re not slaves,” Kai pointed out.
“I don’t think they care about that.” He thought back over their brief encounter. “The second man, Marcus, seemed to be in charge. He was an alpha and the same species as the first guy. I think they’re hyenas. Maybe.”
Joe hadn’t encountered hyena shifters before, but these guys had a sense about them.
“Does it matter what they are? Who are they going to sell us to? The lions?”
Joe put an arm around Kai’s shoulders, to offer comfort as much as to help with the symptoms he knew were still bothering the omega.
“I don’t know, Kai. But it doesn’t change the facts. River Den will be looking for us, and so will Axel.”
“Looking for you, you mean. They’ve never met me. I’m just some stranger.”
“You’re not some stranger to me,” Joe replied. “And I’m not leaving you behind. Where I go, you go.” Always.
There was a strange realization as he said it. Though he and Kai hadn’t known each other long, he felt strongly that where he went Kai should go too. He could only hope Axel felt the same.
The door opened again a few minutes later. It was the first guy and another that Joe recognized from when they were abducted. He and Kai stayed huddled in the corner.
“My name is Kevin,” the first guy announced. “This is Scott. Here’s how this works. You want to eat, right? Maybe have something to drink?”
Joe glanced at Kai before giving a cautious nod.
“Good. And we’re reasonable people. We’re not here to mistreat you or let you starve. And, after the day you’ve had, I’m sure you’d like to wash up, have a good meal?”
Joe nodded again, more firmly this time. They weren’t going to fight their way out, so their best chance was to play along and do what they could to drag things out until rescue came.
“Great. I’m glad you’re seeing things our way. You two are going to step outside and follow me and Scott. Two of our colleagues are waiting outside to walk with us, so don’t get any ideas.”
Joe got to his feet, reaching to pull Kai up with him.
“That’s the way,” Kevin said encouragingly. “Nice and slow.”
Kai clung to his hand, following behind him as Joe made his way to the door. Scott and Kevin stepped out of the doorway and Joe followed. They hadn’t been lying, out in the corridor there were two more shifters standing there. Neither of them were alphas but they were easily a foot taller than Joe. They definitely weren’t fighting their way out, especially given Joe still felt weak from whatever they’d injected him with.
They followed Kevin and Scott along the corridor. Joe saw a handful of other doors that looked identical to the door to their cell. How many people were being held there?
Turning left at the top of the corridor, Kevin opened the next door and ushered Joe and Kai inside.
“You have half an hour.”
The door shut.
It was a bathroom. There were bars on the window and Joe stepped toward them, reaching up to give them an experimental tug. They didn’t budge.
He turned back to Kai. “I guess we should wash up.”
There was a stack of towels in one corner and plenty of soap and shampoo. Not to mention hot water. They took turns using the facilities and showering before drying off and getting dressed. By the time the guards returned, they were both feeling much more themselves.
Kevin looked them up and down. “Good. There’s dinner waiting for you back in your room.”
They were escorted back by the same four shifters. Kevin opened the door, but before Joe could step through, the shifter caught him by the arms and turned Joe to face him. There was a sharp pinch in his upper arm and he glanced down, struggling to free himself.
“Just something to keep you settled,” Kevin said, his tone soothing, a contrast to how hard the shifter’s fingers were gripping him. “I don’t want to open the door tomorrow morning and find a wolf snarling back at me.”
Joe growled low in his throat and Kevin laughed. “See, that’s cute. But I wouldn’t be saying that if your jaws were locked around my arm, would I?”
He was shoved inside, and Kai was next, the omega white-faced by the time he was ushered inside, the door closing firmly behind him.
Recalling what Kai has said to him before, Joe took a guess. “You’re not a fan of needles?”
The omega shook his head, rubbing a hand over the needle mark on his arm.
“I cut myself badly working on the farm once. They gave me stitches.”
Whatever drug they’d been given didn’t have any immediate effect, so they were able to sit down and eat the food left for them. When Kevin said he wasn’t going to let them starve, it was clear the shifter meant it. There were two full plates of food, bottles of water, cans of soda and an assorted collection of fruit.
Joe also noted that they’d put two mattresses down on the floor. As well as a bucket in the corner. Grimacing, he turned his attention from that to the food.
“It smells okay,” Kai said, looking at him hopefully. It took Joe a moment to realize that he was probably waiting for his okay before eating it.
“Well, there’s probably no reason to drug our food if they’re jamming needles into us every time they see us. We’d better hurry, though, or we might fall asleep before we get a chance to fill our stomachs.”
He tried to keep his tone upbeat but both of them were quiet and subdued while they ate. There was no hiding that they were in a bad spot, and it was likely things were going to get worse before they got better.
After they ate, Joe pushed their two mattresses together. He’d noticed Kai shivering again.
“Can you shift yet?” he asked quietly, already knowing the answer.
Kai gave a small shake of his head.
“Come on then, let’s lie down, and I’ll tell you the story of how Axel, Hunter, Dara, and Seth went to rescue Seth and Dara’s brothers from the Red Fang pack. I haven’t told you that one yet, have I?”
Kai shook his head, looking intrigued. He settled down on the mattress closest to the wall and Joe lay down beside him.
They were face to face, and Kai reached out a hand, his fingers brushing a spot on Joe’s jaw.
“You’ve got a bruise.”
“Probably from those guys manhandling me into the van. Don’t worry, it’ll be gone by morning.”
Kai’s breath hitched. “I’m scared, Joe. What happens tomorrow? What if we’re sold to different people and separated?”
Joe tugged him closer, hugging him. “If that happens, then you have to do everything you can to escape and get back to one of the dens. I’ll be doing exactly the same. And if you can’t escape, don’t lose hope. I’ll find you. Whatever it takes, however long, I won’t stop looking.”
Kai sighed against him, and Joe felt the omega’s tears soak through his T-shirt.
“It’ll be okay,” he whispered. “I promise.”
“I believe you,” Kai said. “I don’t know why, but I do.”