I finally take them up on their offer and join Cassidy and Myra for dinner. We’ve just finished eating, our conversation light, and I decide to finally ask about the suspicion I have - the reason I’m sitting with them in the first place.

"Do shifters have some sort of mind control powers?"

They exchange a look and Cassidy laughs.

"No," Myra shakes her head. "Not as such."

"But they Dominance can do really scary things to humans. It makes us incredibly susceptible to their suggestions, a lot more compliant. And you know, horny." Cassidy explains with a sly grin.

Myra swats Cassidy for the last part, who just shrugs and continues, "All of them do it but the Betas and Alphas are a lot more potent. It's how they exercise control over other shifters. They call the ability Dominance, but I think it’s more like a pheromone thing. And I’m pretty sure the effect it has on us is incidental since shifters don’t usually mate with humans."

"So, it's not on purpose?"

This time Myra answers, "Oh, I'm sure sometimes it is," she looks me over suspiciously. "Like when there’s something they want you to do. They’ll probably make sure that you’re is under their control. Why are you asking? Did something happen with Alpha or one of the Betas?"

I flap a hand, shooing her question away, “No, nothing like that. I was just curious.”

She doesn’t seem convinced as she presses, “It really depends on who as well; Niles is a Beta but he’s nowhere near as potent as Alpha. And there are differences too. Kane tends to calm people whereas Anil works people up into blood lust.”

Cassidy whistles, “Ain’t that the truth. I’ve seen Anil lead training sessions that end with full-on shifter blood baths.” She shivers at the thought, “he’s the only one I avoid.”

Myra is watching me closely as Cassidy continues talking and I feel like Myra is letting me hear all this not to educate me but, to see how I respond. Just like in the morning, I feel like I am being appraised.

I steer the conversation away from shifter mind control. Cassidy is happy to talk about literally anything so it’s not hard to do. I try to stay calm like I am unaffected by what they’ve told me but I am livid to know that Alpha has been influencing my behavior. What happened in his office that morning was completely against my will and it makes a lot more sense now.

When they both leave to go to bed, I creep back upstairs, ignoring the little voice in my head that tells me what I am about to do is a good way to get killed.

Alpha’s study door is partially open and before I can second guess my insanely stupid decision, I push it open and barge in, only to stop dead in my tracks. Alpha is sitting on top of his desk, shirtless. His head is tilted to the side as he runs his hands up the arms of the man standing between his legs. Even with his back to me, I know it’s Kane. He has his arms wrapped loosely around Alpha’s waist, his face buried in Alpha’s neck.

Neither of them acknowledges that I’ve just walked in and I will my feet to go backward and out of the room. Just as I take a step back, Alpha’s eyes snap open and he smiles, his hand coming up to run through Kane’s hair as he drawls, “Come back for more?”

I think Kane wasn’t aware of me until that moment, because he immediately stiffens, his head snapping up. He doesn’t turn to look at me but everything inch of him is coiled tight, on high alert.

I try my best to ignore him and focus just on Alpha. I came here for a reason, I might as well see it through. I scoff, “you were controlling me. You knew I wouldn’t be able to resist.”

Now it was his turn to scoff. “Don’t blame your weaknesses on me, little one.”

That nickname is starting to get on my nerves. “Stop it. Stop all of this. Why am I here? Why didn’t you just kill me like Nia?” My voice rises with every word until I am shouting.

Kane still hasn’t moved, but Alpha places a hand over his shoulder, squeezes, and then gently pushes him back. He’s showing more consideration to Kane than I’ve seen him do for anyone else before.

He stands and stalks over to me. “Get out,” he says, his voice monotone. The response startles me and I stare at him confused.

“Are you deaf as well as lame? I said, get out,” he hisses. Now Kane turns and regards us both wearily.

I stumble back, knowing that the venom in his voice will only lead to violence. I don’t feel any attraction to him like I did earlier. I wonder the different effects that Myra said they each have are more related to their moods than something innate to that particular person. All I feel from Alpha is complete and utter fear.

My back hits the door and it slams shut. I turn around, my hand reaching for the knob, when he grabs me from behind, his arms pinning mine to my sides.

“Don’t you listen?” he asks, his voice soft. His breath fans out over my neck and I feel my knees give out. The fear that consumed me moments ago is replaced with a warm, sticky feeling like syrup running through my veins.

I shake my head to clear my mind but to no avail.

“Alpha,” Kane seems to have finally decided to join the conversation. “Let her leave.”

Alpha pretends not to hear him as he snakes an arm around me. “I can almost hear the thoughts you’re shouting in that pretty little head of yours. You’re correct, little one. Just being near me is a danger to you.” He slides his hand under my shirt, caressing across my lower stomach and dipping just below my pants.

“These past few months have been torturous,” he murmurs. It feels like he’s talking to himself now as he continues, “I did my duty and I didn’t keep humans around.”

His hand stops on my waist and his grip tightens painfully. “And then you, foolish little you, ruin all that work.”

He spins me around fast enough that I would have fallen over if not for his hold on me.

“Liam,” Kane hasn’t moved from his spot by the desk but he sounds more like he’s growling than speaking. I wonder if physically interfering would make things worse.

This time Alpha, or Liam, responds to Kane, looking over his shoulder at him. “She's going to be a problem until the end, isn’t she?”

I follow his gaze over to Kane as well, my eyes wide with fear as I barely manage to get out, “end of what?”

I instantly regret speaking because Alpha’s head snaps back around. He smiles broadly, showing off his wickedly sharp canines and I want to melt through the door.

“I won’t warn you again. Get out.”

He lets go of me and I immediately open the door, almost throwing myself out. I look back as he closes the door after me, his eyes burning. Kane comes up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist right as it shuts.

I wonder if I would have died in that room if Kane hadn’t been there. The whispering voice of reason I had been ignoring is now screaming in my head. Stupid! Idiot! Fucking idiot!

I can barely walk so drag myself along the wall of the corridor. As I pass by another partially open door, a voice inside calls, “Come here, human.”

I am already on edge from Alpha and can't even imagine what Anil wants from me. The only interactions I’ve had with him have been, at best, unpleasant, and at worst, absolutely terrifying. But, I know that I am not supposed to ignore commands from pack members. While Myra has never explained what the exact consequences are, I’m sure I don’t want to find out. Still, part of me wants to say ‘fuck it’ and keep on walking.

I close my eyes and sigh; he probably just wants to say something rude or make me run a pointless errand - it will be over in a minute. Since that encounter outside the greenhouse weeks ago, I’ve had no direct interaction with him and I want it to stay that way.

Walking in, I am surprised by the room. It’s sparse. Nothing hangs on the whitewashed walls. The only piece of furniture, beyond a large chair by the window, is an extremely large bed in the center of the room.

Anil is sitting in the chair, a glass tumbler in his hand filled with amber liquid. He is wearing a bathrobe that hangs open, exposing his tan muscular chest. I don’t look any lower to see if anything else is on display.

“Aren’t you supposed to ask me why I called for you?” he drawls, swirling the liquor around in the glass.

I hold back a snort of derision and respond, “How may I serve you, Beta Anil?” If nothing else, Myra has drilled into me the importance of proper titles, and everything I’ve heard about him and experienced myself tells me my best chance is to just keep my head down and play it safe.

“Excellent question,” he declares and then downs the drink in one gulp. He hisses and then smiles “If only it was enough to make me drunk.’

He drops the glass on the floor and gets up, leaving the bedroom and entering another through a door on the far side of the room. From the steam wafting out, I’m guessing it’s the bathroom.

“Oh, human!” he calls in a mocking sing-song voice.

I bite my lip, take a few deep breathes to calm my buzzing nerves, and slowly walk into the bathroom.

His robe is discarded on the floor and he’s lounging in a jacuzzi. The only thing obstructing my view is the bubbles rising to the surface. He is sitting with his back against one side, head back, arms splayed out along the rim, with his knees just sticking out of the water.

I stand by the door not knowing what I am supposed to be doing. After a tense minute, he cracks an eye open and sighs, like I’m not doing it right, “Well? Get in already!”

My heart drops to my stomach and I want to run. I already dealt with this type of shit from Alpha, though he’d never gone this far. I figured that maybe Alpha did it because of his position and that fact that, as he reminded me repeatedly, I lived or died by his hand.

I feel so stupid for thinking that cutting my hair and hiding away in the greenhouse would keep me safe. As I stand there in Anil's bathroom, utterly defenseless, it dawns on me that when Myra and Cassidy said they were rarely bothered by anyone, maybe it just didn't happen to them. I am not part of whatever rules keep them safe - I am on my own.

Anil sits up slightly, his eyes on me, as I wonder if he’ll care enough to get out of the bath and catch me if I make a run for it.

“I am not a patient man,” he chides before leaning his head back again.

I don’t want to be naked but he hasn’t said anything about taking off my clothes. I sit down the tub’s edge and roll up my pant leg, removing my prosthetic and the layers of silicone and cotton socks I use to pad my stump. I breathe in deeply and swing around, sliding into the tub in my long-sleeved shirt and pants.

A lazy smile spreads across his face at the sloshing sound of me entering the water, clearly thinking he’s won. But when he opens his eyes and sees me sitting opposite him in soaking wet clothes, his eyes grow stormy.

“Smart, are we? Come here then.” He spreads his legs, offering me space between them. \When I don’t move, he warns, “If I have to come and get you, it will be a far less pleasurable experience for you. It’s the same to me either way.”

His words did not convince me to move any closer; my body feels like it’s locked in place. He doesn’t seem concerned by my trembling as his hand snakes out and grabs my shoulder faster than I can see.

I am pulled forward into his embrace, my body pressed against his. I can feel every inch of him through my clothes - every hard inch.

He laughs, “You’re not a virgin, are you? No, humans are a promiscuous bunch.”

I try to pull back but he grips the front of my shirt and rips it down to my sternum

“Wouldn’t you prefer to take those off? Wet clothes are unpleasant.” he smiles toothly, enjoying the way I squirm to get out of his hold.

I watch in horror as one of his fingernails extends into a razor-sharp claw and cuts my shirt the rest of the way open, slicing through my sports bra as well. He’s careless and leaves a shallow cut from my sternum to navel.

He tugs the garments off me, wrenching my arms back as if I am a ragdoll, and then roughly palms one of my breasts, leaving pinpricks of blood in a circle around it. I look down at his hand, no longer human. The tips of each of his fingers have inch-long claws that are now digging into my skin as he kneads my flesh.

I bite back a whimper, my eyes going wide and I grab for his hand as he lets me go and it drops below the water, presumably to make quick work of my pants as well. “Please,” I beg, my eyes stinging, “You don’t have to do this, please!”

“Have to? Of course not. But your very existence in this house annoys me and I try to deal with annoyances head-on. Maybe after I’ve broken you, I‘ll forget about you altogether.”

He flips me over as if I weigh nothing and presses me down so my stomach’s against the edge of the tub, his body covering mine. My hands scramble on the tiles, nails digging in to try and find purchase as I kick, hoping to catch him somewhere sensitive. My left foot connects but, it seems to have no effect on him as he bears down on me, feeling like a ton of bricks on my back.

The sound of fabric ripping only further fuels my panic as I buck and yell. I can’t let this man do this to me. I’m not a virgin but the only man I’ve had sex with was a long-term boyfriend. After everything that this place has taken from me, I can’t lose any more of myself to it.

I scream, failing to form any words, as I frantically try to pull myself out of the tub. With one forearm across my shoulders, he keeps me pinned as his other hand destroys the rest of my clothes. As with my shirt, he digs into my skin as he removes them, leaving more shallow cuts down my sides and legs.

He caresses my lower back, his hand slowly sliding down. His arm on my back eases off, and I tense, ready the fling myself out of the tub. But then it feels like Wolverine has just run both sets of his claws down the backs of my thighs.

I gasp at the sickening sensation. I’m barely aware of myself as I begin to scream again, not recognizing my own voice. Intense pain immediately follows.

I feel my vision tunnel. I know this pain; I’ve felt it before. When they pulled me from the car wreck, my right leg mangled, I’d felt pain like this. When they said the nerve damage I’d sustained was irreparable, I’d known this pain. And when the doctors had finally determined that a below-the-knee amputation was my best chance at living a life without constant agony, I’d finally been able to move beyond this pain. But here it is again - unbearable pain.

I feel a burning sensation move up my throat and don’t try to stop it as I vomit all over the side of the tub. That seems to startle Anil enough that he gets off of me.

“Humans really are disgusting,” he sneers.

I turn my head just enough to see him getting out of the tub and grabbing his robe. “I expect this all to be cleaned up by the time I get back,” he orders, his nose wrinkled as he exits.

There’s movement in the adjoining room and then something is slammed into the wall as a low, male voice growls, “What the fuck, Anil? Bleeding a human in the packhouse? Are you insane? I could smell it down the hall!”

Anil growls back and I manage to keep one eye open long enough to see him get thrown back into the bathroom, hitting the tile floor hard enough to make it crack.

This time I hear Alpha. “I have allowed certain behaviors to go unnoticed. I have allowed my Betas to have a voice in this pack. But if you cross me again, I will rip off your head and mount it on the front door.”

Other voices joined, but everything is becoming quieter now, so I can’t figure out what they’re saying. My body is getting heavy and I let go of the rim of the tub, falling backward with a splash. My face and chest are coated in vomit and the backs of my thighs are bleeding heavily. The water is a muddled reddish brown.

As I drift I wonder if he’s cut me deep enough to kill me and also if swimming in vomit laced water with open wounds is going to get me an infection.

I don’t know how much time passes before someone comes to get it. They get into the tub and pick me up, putting one hand behind my shoulders and the other under my thighs. The pressure makes my skin feel like it is ripped all over again and I cry out.

I am quickly repositioned and cradled in the crook of their arm with my head tucked into their neck. The person carries me out of the tub and into a shower, where we stay, letting the warm water soak us both until it begins to run clean. I turn my face away from the spray and I breathe in deeply, recognizing the scent of clean laundry and trees; Kane.

I allow myself to relax into his arms, barely aware of anything through the pain. I’m almost completely swallowed by darkness when a small voice breaks through. “Ama?” It’s Nia’s voice. She's calling for me.

My body hollows out and I come to my senses enough to realize that I’ve started to let myself forget. I’d pretended that focusing on the here and now would help me prepare for escaping but I just made it easier to accept being here. I’ve been trapped for weeks and have very little show for it. I am no closer to escaping, no closer to avenging Nia. I’ve done exactly what I told myself I wouldn’t do; I’ve accepted the gilded cage and clearly haven't fully understood the danger of being locked in it with wolves.