Page 15 of Carnage Island

I try to close my eyes, to just relax in the open ocean air. Alas, the guard moves to the right, keeping my wolf on high alert.

At least I can’t feel the wintry air. My fur keeps me warm as we zip along the water to the islands off the coast of Canada.

Only Wolfe Island can be reached by a bridge to the mainland. All the Reject Islands beyond it are accessible by ferry or helicopter only.

Or, in my case, via speed boat.

Probably because these guards want to drop me at the water’s edge and escape before the Carnage Wolves can sense their presence.

I’ve never actually seen one up close, the Black Mountain Pack having never crossed into our village back home. The pack enforcers guaranteed our safety there.

But no one is guaranteeing mine here.

I’m in a damn cage.

One I suspect these assholes are not going to let me out of.

I shiver at the thought. If my wolf allows me to shift, then I can use my fingers to free us.

Assuming I can even shift with a muzzle attached to my head.

I frown inside, uncertain. These are the types of things I’ve never been taught.

The boat begins to slow, the guard up ahead yelling, “Get her ready!”

Mister Muzzle stands, his lips curling in a way that makes my skin crawl. “My fucking pleasure.”

My wolf sits down in the crate, staring at him. The complete opposite of what I want to be doing right now. She’s acting like a damn obedient dog, her ears perked, tail slightly wagging.

“I knew you would come around,” he says, crouching down. “Why don’t you shift so I can see you better?”

My wolf cocks her head like she can’t understand him.

It’s disorienting to feel so detached from her and out of control. I imagine it’s how she’s felt all these years while I suppressed her—something I’m realizing now isn’t natural.

Because I saw a few pups running around on Wolfe Island.

Femalepups.

“I’m not letting you out until you shift,” he says.

Well, that’s not happening, I want to tell him.

Instead my wolf lays down with a sad little huff.

I have no idea what she’s doing and I’ve given up trying to understand. Instead, I roll with it. She wants to mope, then we’ll mope.

The guard frowns. “I can’t let you out in wolf form, little one.”

Which means he plans to dump my crate on the island. Awesome.

The boat slows to a stop, the guard’s lips twisting.

“Yo! Push her off and let’s go!” the guard from the front calls back to us.

Mister Muzzle sighs and shakes his head. “All right.” He reaches forward, his fingers on the latch. “Try to attack me, and I’m going to toss you in the water to drown in this cage. Be a good wolf, and I’ll let you swim to shore.”

Wow, those are amazing options, I think, rolling my eyes.