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“Look out!” I cry when Cassian doesn’t move.

He simply lifts his hand, and as Quentin descends on him, Cassian grabs him by the neck and hurls him forcefully through the air.

The wolf falls to the ground, and there’s a large cracking sound that has me trembling.

Cassian crouches beside him and places his hand on the beast’s throat again.

The wolf writhes in Cassian’s hold, but he doesn’t let go. “You seem to forget your place here, Quentin. Would you like me to remind you?”

A strange chill fills the room, and the other shifter goes still, whimpering now. He shifts back and gasps, “She’s human! She doesn’t deserve to be here!”

“She’s here because I want her to be here. You were warned. I told you to stay away from this part of the building. If you come here again, I’ll rip your insides out and shove them down your throat.”

The violent threat makes me want to vomit.

Cassian grabs Quentin by his hair and starts dragging him out of the room. “Come here again and you won’t like what I do to you. She is under my protection.”

They disappear from view, leaving me behind. Gripping the edge of the table, I try to steady myself, my legs shaking. What the hell was that? How was Cassian able to take on that massive wolf without even blinking an eye? He didn’t even shift forms!

Who is he?

My body feels cold as I look around. I have to move fast. I can’t afford to delay things any longer. If one of these shifters can come after me, what’s stopping the others? Cassian won’t be here to save me every time.

I look around the lab, and my eyes flick toward the security cameras placed in the corners. Each camera covers the blind spots to make sure no area is hidden. But when Cassian threw Quentin just now, he dislodged one of the cameras.

This is my chance.

I pretend to stumble and pick up one of the syringes, hiding it in my bra. The next part is going to be dangerous, but it’s the most crucial step in my plan.

I have to draw the blood of the silver wolf.

Within a couple of minutes, Cassian returns. He looks around the damaged lab with mild irritation. “I’ll get this place cleaned up. You don’t have to worry about him anymore. He won’t approach you again. Come. I’ll take you back to your cell. There’s nothing you can do here today.”

He’s being surprisingly civil. Not that I trust him.

As we walk, he suddenly asks, “Why haven’t you asked me about moving you to another place to sleep?”

My skin crawls. “I feel safer with the wolf,” I bite out.

I see him smirk. “Let’s see how long that lasts. Get in. Your meal will be sent to you.”

I make a big show of trying to walk around the wolf lying on the floor of our cell. I can feel Cassian’s eyes on me as I huddle in a corner as far away from my companion as possible.

“You could ask me to give you a proper room.” He sounds smug, and when I look at him, my eyes narrow into slits.

“I don’t need any favors from you.”

I see the flash of anger cross his face. “Fine. Stay here. But don’t blame me when this beast rips off your arm when you roll over in your sleep.”

I ignore that. But when he walks away, I call out, “Don’t forget my food! My blood sugar drops if I don’t eat! I can’t help you if I’m dead, Cassian!”

The silver wolf gazes at me, and I gave him a weak smile.

“Please don’t kill me today. Because you might want to.”

The food arrives an hour later, and Cassian sets it down before me. “Eat. I wouldn’t want you to die without finishing my task.”

“How considerate of you,” I say sarcastically. When he lingers, I stare at him. “Do you mind? I don’t like an audience when I’m eating.”

He tilts his head. “You’re losing weight. Your clothes are hanging off you.”

I tap the dish with my finger. “Speaks volumes about how much you’re feeding me. Are you worried that if you give me enough to eat, I might suddenly gain some superhuman strength and break through the cage and run away?”

He looks amused. “I don’t see you getting past me. Even if you did, you’d have to contend with the twenty guards stationed outside.”

My lips twist in an angry smile. “You’re so funny. Now, if you’re done trying to half-starve me, can you leave? I’d rather not see your face any more than I have to.”

He leans down and grabs my jaw, forcibly tilting my head back, his voice harsh. “I don’t care much for your rudeness, Maya.”

I swallow but refuse to back down. “Well, then, it sucks that you’re stuck with me, isn’t it?” I push his hand away. “My food is getting cold. Unless you put some poison in this that you want to watch me eat, go away. I’ve had enough of you shifters for one day.”

“Insolent little thing, aren’t you?” he murmurs, releasing me.

“I’m sorry, I forgot I was supposed to be nice to my captors,” I sneer at him.

“Any other shifter would have killed you already.” His voice is quiet.

“Why haven’t you, then?”

He shrugs, watching me with a curious expression on his face. “I don’t know. I’ll send you some more food.”

Once he leaves, I let out a sigh of relief and look toward the beast in the corner. “Can you believe him? He’s crazy on steroids.”

I make sure nobody is around before uncovering the dish.

A steak. How nice. Lately, the quality of my meals has been improving.

I cut off a little piece for myself and then scoot over to the wolf in the corner with the plate. “Hurry up. Before he comes back.”

He quickly starts to eat the meat, and I use his distraction to approach him.

He’s used to my touch now, so he doesn’t react immediately.

Taking the syringe from my bra, I consider surprising him, but I have a feeling I wouldn’t like his reaction.

Taking a deep breath, I show him the syringe, and he goes stiff.

I keep my voice low. “I don’t know if you can understand me, but I need your blood. Please don’t hurt me.”

He doesn’t bite me, but a little growl rumbles from his throat as I take off the cap and lift his paw.

Hoping for the best and praying to every deity out there, I insert the needle under his skin.

He is used to so much pain that he doesn’t flinch, but I hold his gaze as I begin to draw his blood.

After a moment, he goes back to tearing at the meat, ignoring me.

When I have enough, I pull out the needle, put the cap on it, and stuff the syringe back in my bra before gently rubbing the spot on his front leg.

“There. All done. Who’s a good boy?”

I rub his ears, expecting him to snap at me, but instead he rumbles in approval, his eyes closing. Despite how dirty he is, his fur is soft. My heart is in my throat as I pet him. I’m about to stop when he rearranges himself on the ground and places his head in my lap.

I freeze in place. What is happening here?

Letting out a shaky breath, I continue running my fingers through his fur, my heart pounding with each breath I take. This is a disaster waiting to happen. I should stop. But I can’t. He seems…content. For the first time since I arrived, he’s relaxed. How can I take that away from him?

I keep my voice calm and low. “I’m going to get us out of here. Now that I have your blood, I’m going to help you find your way back to who you were. And then I will help you shift back. And then we’re going to escape.”

I try not to let my fear get to me, keeping my voice steady.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve been kidnapped, you know.

The last time was when I was a child. I’ve always told myself that I would never let anybody make me a victim again.

I intend to keep that promise to myself.

” I close my eyes. “As long as you don’t kill me first.”

When I return to the lab, the security camera hasn’t been fixed. The assistant who works alongside me tells me it will be another day or so. He is supposed to be in the lab with me at all times, but he likes to slip out when he knows Cassian won’t be around.

He finally does leave, and I’m able to breathe easier and get to work.

After over six months here, I know which spots are covered by which camera.

Using that to my advantage, I am able to run my tests on the silver wolf’s blood.

I’m careful to label the file with another name so that no one figures it out.

Once everything is in the computer system, I destroy the blood sample and rinse the syringe before breaking it and throwing it in the trash.

The next two weeks are critical. Fortunately, the lab assistant I’ve been given doesn’t know much about what he’s doing.

His job is basically to keep an eye on me.

But since I’m always working when he’s around, he doesn’t feel the need to stay, giving me the time and space to work on my little escape project.

Creating the right formula isn’t all there is to it.

The new drug has to be given to the wolf in periodic doses.

This is where I add another level of sneakiness to my plan.

I swap the labels of the antidote that I’m supposed to be creating and start giving doses of my own concoction to my wolf companion.

He is brought to the lab four times a week, strapped to a horrifying table like a fetal pig in a high school biology class.

It is usually the assistant who administers the injections, but since the wolf doesn’t react as badly to me, he lets me do it.

With all this time alone in the lab, I’ve begun to dilute the drugs.

The effect is not missed on me: the dazed look in the silver wolf’s eyes is beginning to disappear.

According to my assessment, I need to give my cellmate six doses of the formula that I’ve created, one dose per week, and wait to see the results.

I’m hopeful it will work. Everything I’ve calculated says it should, but this would be considered a trial drug in the human world, and the side effects are unknown.

With bated breath, at the end of the six weeks, I inject the last dose.

Cassian stands beside me. “Are you sure this will work?”