It was my 15th birthday. 8 years now that I've spent it without my parents. I'd wonder what they would look like now. What are family would be like. I'd be preparing for my first shift as a wolf with them. They would be there with me while I was going through my the pain but it would be worth it. Instead, I've spent my birthday doing my normal chores— cooking, cleaning, and just doing everything at request. Today, I was beaten so badly to "remind" me that I was worth nothing. That because it was my birthday I wouldn't get treated differently. Sir would tell me he thought I didn't deserve to be in this world and that I was only here just to do things for him and I would serve my purpose here. Even though I wondered why I was spending my life in these conditions, I knew that one day my purpose in my life will happen. Everyone was put here for a reason. Even after 8 years, I still try to think about everything my parents said to me. Id be a strong wolf, that it would be like no other, but this day, my 15th, I didn't shift. Everyone is supposed to shift at 15. My body is to weak— so weak because of the life that I have here. This awful life. I don't even know if I'll shift. As long as Im living here, it won't happen. This awful place.

"Hi."

His voice was so deep, so soothing and raspy. Never heard anything like it.

Despite the state he was in, he still gave me a very charming smile with a dimple on each cheek. His hair looked very messy and was falling into his eyes a little bit, but he still managed to look handsome.

They're for sure no men I've seen that have looked this breathtakingly beautiful.

I shuffled away from the bars just to put some distance between us, the bars helping my situation.

We kept looking at each other. I was the first one to break eye contact, twiddling my fingers that have become interesting at the moment.

"You know, it's rude to not to speak when I'm clearly trying to have a conversation with you," he spoke smoothly with so much confidence.

I lifted my head up and saw that he was very intently staring at me. He looked me over like he was taking me in. I don't know why, but it made me want to make myself more presentable to him.

I actually cared for once.

"Um hello," I whispered, hiding behind my curly hair.

He scooted closer to the bars still having that smile on his face. How can he smile like that? I know he hasn't had the best treatment in here.

He probably had a whole life already. Parents that are worried about him. Although he looks a bit older than me and definitely doesn't look like he's in high school still. He could have a girlfriend or a crush? What if he's just a student in college trying to graduate and get a job to help benefit his pack? Everything what I imagine anyone's life would be outside of mine. There's so much you don't know about someone by just looking at them. They always have a story about them, no matter who they are.

"Well I can tell you don't talk much do you?" he asked.

Looking at the ground, I shook my head, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear.

Mystery man chuckled a little but then found it becoming a cough. I looked up at him again— he held his side hissing in pain. They must've hurt him really bad in just one day.

After his coughing fit, he slid the tray closer to him. Disgust was clearly written in his face while he picked up the fork and messed around with what looked like some type of chili.

"Are you sure this is even edible?" He asked while putting the forkful of "chili" up to his mouth.

He kept wanting to talk to me and i just kept wanting to leave. But at the same time I wanted to talk to him for hours.

"I'm not so bad you know." He was chewing the chili now. he mumbled something I couldn't here still with this repulsed look on his face.

You would think he is happy guy outside of this all. What has this pack robbed him from. He probably had a perfect life. A perfect family. A perfect everything.

"What's your name love?"

Love. Love?

I hesitated, feeling very tingly, " K-Kayla. My name is..Kayla." I hate myself honestly. I couldn't even talk to him with out frikin stuttering and speaking so quietly. Why does he even want to talk to me anyways. What's so remotely interesting about me all of a sudden? I was just here to give him his food, not a full on conversation. Something was so alluring about him and it was scaring me.

Hopefully Sir isn't wondering what my next "whereabout" is.

"Kayla a beautiful name for a beautiful girl like you." The way my name rolled off his tongue just added to the "alluring" sensation. His voice was deep and rich when he said it. Comforting.

I just stared at him. Beautiful? No one has ever called me beautiful before and why should I believe him? I've literally only said two sentences to him.

"You're also cute when you blush. Did you know that?"

Two. Two compliments now.

I have no idea what to do.

I covered my cheeks and my hair covered the rest of my face, leaning against the wall. How can I be cute and beautiful when I don't look like the rest of the other girls. Their hair is combed and healthy. Mine is frizzy and I can't even get my fingers through it. They also had nicer clothes and makeup and as far as I know, that's part of what makes a girl "beautiful" or "cute." I don't have any of those things. But then again, this man, he could be like just all the others. Wanting to do those things to me.

For all I know, he could end up being strong enough to break these bars and get a hold of me next time I come in here. When I first saw him, he did smell of higher power and that must be one of the reasons why this pack wanted him. How they got him is a different story. And to be honest I really don't want to find out. My experience with guys is if they get angry or don't get what they want, they'll do whatever they want. One with higher power could be even scarier considering how much stronger they are and how they can make you so submissive by just the sound of their voice. If I happen to be in the area of any man though, they'll take it out on me.

Mystery man laughed again— the best sound I've ever heard as much as I hate to admit it. He was starting to remind me of the guys in my romance books. I've always encouraged that shy girl to take a chance but now I can see where they're all coming from. It's different I guess when you experience it. Guys in books are just fantasies to me. They don't exist, it's all a fairy tale or a happy ending.

Happy endings don't exist. They're made up.

The chili was gone now and he sat back on his hands. It wasn't a lie that this man was extremely fit. Places in his shirt were torn and I could see some of his muscles underneath. I wondered how a strong guy like him ended up in here. But like I said, he probably has his own story. One I wouldn't understand just by looking at him.

But what am I doing? I cant expect to get to know this guy just because he's the only person that has complimented me. So far, my luck with the guy department in non existent or they try to do those things that I don't even like to think about.

What makes him any different?

Sliding closer to the bars, I slid my hand under the little rectangle to retrieve his tray. Noticing what I was doing he scooted a little closer to me, also scooting his tray towards me, so I could reach.

Our faces were really close. The bars were the only thing from our faces touching. But I had to get close to the bars in order to get that stupid tray. I don't being this close to a man. It never ends well, but the bars keeping us apart was reassuring me a little bit. He was looking intently at me, I could tell. I felt the coolness of the tray underneath my finger tips. Just when I was about to get a hold of it, mystery mans hand touched mine. I felt some sort of igniting feeling in my hand that I let out a quiet yell and retracted my hand back.

What the heck was that? And how come I liked it? I shouldn't like it.

I looked at him and he was looking at his hand with this soppy smile. My body seemed woken up and it felt alive. But this still scared me. He came from outside these walls I've been living in for ten years. Not knowing anything else besides what's in them is nerve racking and scary.

This can't be related to anything scary though. The smile on his face is telling me otherwise like he's been waiting for the feeling for so long. Like it was a drug. All of this is confusing.

I just needed the tray.

He finally looked back up at me and could tell that I was scared, which made him look confused as if I'm supposed to know what's going on right now. I didn't know and I'm sure it showed.

If only he knew my life story.

This time, I put my hand quick through the bars and grabbed the tray as fast as I could. That feeling was to much the first time, I couldn't imagine what another time would be like.

I stood up getting ready to walk away. Already fast walking to the door, he spoke.

"Wait - wait Kayla."

I stopped in my tracks but I didn't turn around to look at him. I just listened. The chains and shackles started rattling and I could hear him stand up to get a better view of me so he could see I was still there.

"I never really got to introduce myself. My name is Adrian.. love."

Staying there a bit longer, I could here his heavy breathing, anticipating for me to answer back.

A moment of silence passed, the place where my hands were on the tray was starting to get warm with how sweaty my hands were starting to get. I was still recovering from whatever electricity went through my body.

I didn't wait any longer as I started my fast walk out of the prison ward. All guys scared me. Anyone scared me because no one has been exactly "nice" to me. So why did it feel different with him? The way he talked, the way he acted, the way he looked at me was all different. Whatever it is I have to keep my guard up. People just don't like me and it's not going to change.

I closed the door behind me making my way through the hallway with one reoccurring thought on my mind.

Adrian.