Page 2

Chapter 2

Daff

Our shuttle drove in silence.

We were still wavering between shocked and horrified.

Throw in the spur-of-the-moment trip to spend some alone time with one of them losing their mind and slowly killing himself?

I was freaking terrified.

And nurturing a spark of anticipation.

Because Lara was right.

The hybrids deserved to be protected.

They deserved a normal life, or as close to normal as possible.

And this hybrid, he deserved more time.

Nothing I’d done had ever mattered before, not like this.

I could keel over tomorrow and the only difference I’d have made in the world would be the dent in Dad’s medical bills.

I straightened my shoulders, determination strengthening my resolve.

If I couldn’t help this hybrid, I’d focus on the others.

Either way, for the next two years, I was all in.

We passed another electric fence topped with razor wire and stopped outside a long, windowless building.

Jean held the outer door open, counting heads as we entered a small waiting room with two chairs and an armed guard.

A large, blacked out window filled the wall to his left, a single steel door to his right.

Lara moved to the window, drawing our attention.

“This is Prowl’s containment area. When I release this door, a lion hybrid named King will pass us. Once he’s exited the building, I’ll send you in one at a time, closing the door behind you to mute our scents.

“One minute is all we’ll need to gauge Prowl’s response to you.

Our goal is to find someone whose pheromones can penetrate his current state, enough to calm him.

”

Lara paused, her eyes flicking to Jean.

“I won’t sugarcoat this. Prowl’s in a bad state, mentally and physically, and the sounds he makes are distressing.”

She hit a switch on the panel beside her, and the dark window cleared, revealing two identical rooms divided in half by a clear wall streaked with blood.

The male closest to us was huge.

Well over six feet tall with wide, heavily muscled shoulders and a long, blonde braid hanging down his back.

He turned towards us, as if he’d heard the flick of the switch.

Gasps filled the room.

His face was broader than it should’ve been, his deep set, liquid gold eyes clearly feline, the black slashes of his pupils stretching the full length between his eyelashes.

His nose was flat and wide, his jaw sharp and a touch too long, his thin lips an odd shade of brown.

“That’s King.” Lara pressed another button.

“King, we’re here. Could you please step outside while we check Prowl’s response to the women? I need you to stay close in case we fail. I don’t want him left alone in a heightened state.”

His chin fell, looking like he held the weight of the world on his shoulders before nodding.

“Ladies, please step back.”

We pressed ourselves against the wall, watching as Lara nodded and the guard pressed his thumb to a scanner beside the door.

An alert sounded, then the door thunked and slid open, revealing King and a few seconds of unholy noise that raised goosebumps on my skin.

Up close, King was even bigger than I’d thought.

Loud inhales followed him, but he didn’t look at us.

He kept his face forward and eyes down, passing us as if we didn’t exist.

Did he not want us here?

Or did he not have the best social skills?

“Prowl’s behind an eight-inch, bullet-proof wall, and while his door has bars, there’s no physical way he can get through them. Do your best to stay calm. He can’t reach or harm you, as long as you keep your distance from his door.”

Deep breaths and shuffling feet answered her.

“If we can’t calm Prowl long enough for him to eat and heal, he will die. After a lifetime of torture, experiments and abuse, you have a chance at easing him. Of saving his life. You could be his miracle. All you need to do is stand there.”

As scared as I was, they’d made it clear I was safe.

And if all I needed to do was stand there, to know if it was me he needed?

I could absolutely do that.

As for being stuck in there with him for the next two years?

I’d deal with it when and if it happened.

I dropped my arms from around my waist and stood a little taller.

Beside me, Mandy and a few others lifted their chins.

“Ready?” Lara asked.

An alert sounded, and the door opened, releasing the noise trapped within.

My gut clenched, fighting between compassion and terror.

It was almost a roar, but guttural, and still hauntingly human.

How could a single voice express such rage and pain at the same time?

Tessa was first, and a quick head count told me I was fourth in line.

She exited with tears running down her cheeks and Lara shaking her head at Jean.

Number two came out hiccuping.

Number three was pale, fists clenched by her sides.

“Next,” Lara said, making eye contact with me.

Mandy, who’d had her head on my shoulder, jolted as I stepped forward.

The door slid closed behind me, a wall of metal trapping us together.

His roar turned wild, his body slamming the clear wall, leaving behind a fresh smear of blood.

He was just as big as King, but his hair was wild, and the thick beard covering his face couldn’t quite hide his hollowed cheeks or the dark skin beneath his eyes.

Bruises covered his torso like a Gothic rainbow, the countless layers of purple and black fading in and out over his body, the worst of it on his shoulders and ribs.

Another wailed roar, followed by another body slam.

Prowl was huge and wild and hurting.

My heart ached for him, more than it feared him.

It was crazy to think I could help him.

There was nothing different between me and the other women out there.

Yet I couldn’t deny that something about him called to me, a silent tether, tugging me in his direction.

He threw himself at the wall again, his voice echoing a mix of pain and despair.

“Don’t! Please don’t.”

He froze, his golden eyes finding mine.

“My name’s Daff,” I whispered, taking a tiny step forward.

“People think it’s short for Daphne, but it’s not. My mum had a breakdown when she realised she was pregnant again. So she named me Daffodil. She said taking care of a flower was less scary than another child.”

I knew I was rambling, telling him things I never shared with anyone, but I didn’t know what else to say, and he seemed to be listening.

He lifted his chin, his wide nose scenting the air.

His eyes widened, and he lunged forward, but instead of slamming against the wall, it was against the bars of his door, forcing himself flush against them, trying to get as close to me as possible.

Panic sparked, but I ignored it.

“Please.”

I shivered as the roughness of his voice ran over every inch of my skin.

“Please, what?”

“Keep talking. Please.” He inhaled again, his eyes fluttering closed as he pulled my scent into his lungs.

“Right. I can do that.” I huffed out a nervous laugh.

“I either word vomit or go silent when I’m nervous, and since you need me to talk… prepare yourself.”

A low, smooth rumble filled the room, the sound not quite loud enough to hide his deep, steady breaths.

I guess that meant I was helping?

“Before I took this contract, I was working two jobs and still living at home. Home being a two-bedroom trailer we call Chad. One of my brothers named it when he was little. I don’t know why, but the name stuck and it’s been Chad ever since.”

The alert sounded.

“He’s quiet,” Jean said, appearing in the doorway next to Lara.

Lara’s eyes were glued to Prowl, Jean’s were on me.

Prowl’s lips peeled back, the low rumble replaced by a deeper, warning sound that raised the hairs on the back of my neck.

“It’s okay, Prowl. I’m not taking her away.”

His feline eyes flew to mine.

Did he want me to keep talking?

Or was he asking me if it was true?

“I’m staying, I think? If that’s what you need?”

“Prowl?” Lara asked, stepping towards us.

Jean stayed in the doorway.

Prowl inhaled again, his eyelashes fluttering like they wanted to close, but he was forcing them to stay open—not wanting to take his eyes off me.

“She stays.”

Lara nodded.

“Okay. Jean, have Anita help you with the rest of group B’s intake, and tell King the good news, and that he’s free to go.”

She looked at me.

“What’s your name, honey?”

“Daff.”

“I’ll need Daphne’s luggage brought here?—”

Prowl’s growl stopped her.

“It’s Daff.”

Lara’s eyebrows jumped.

“My apologies, Daff.” Her eyes swung to Jean.

“Have Daff’s luggage sent here and let the kitchen know to redirect her meals.”

“Done. Anything else?”

Lara shook her head.

“That’s it for now.”

Jean gave me a nod, stepped back and closed the door, locking the three of us in.

She pulled out one of the two chairs at the small dining table.

“Have a seat.”

I glanced at Prowl before I took the offered seat.

He still had his forehead pressed against the bars of his door, his eyes tracking my every move.

Lara’s fingertips thrummed the table like rain drops.

She pressed her lips together, then nodded.

“As I mentioned earlier, Prowl is a lion hybrid. They were the smallest in number, and suffered the highest in losses after their rescue. Now, there are only three of them left. Initially, Prowl did great. He was on par with King, the two of them making incredible progress in every aspect.

“Nine months ago he stopped thriving.

He reported sleeping issues, loss of appetite and became increasingly reactive to scents.

Males in particular, whether human or hybrid.

”

“Is that why he’s here?”

“While he could maintain control in King’s presence, Prowl felt he was holding his brothers progress and recovery back. Solitary was the ideal, since scents would be fewer, and he’d be unable to harm anyone when triggered.

“But the solitude exacerbated his PTSD, which results in him doing everything he can to knock himself out, in order to escape his flashbacks.

”

Jesus.

“So you came up with this?”

It was a basic one-room, open-plan apartment, mirrored on both sides of Prowl’s clear wall.

Its only nod to privacy was the floor-length curtain hanging from a track on the roof, that could be pulled across when using the shower or toilet.

“This space allows someone he tolerates to stay with him while keeping them both safe, especially when there’s no choice but to leave him on his own. With the two other women gone and King unable to stay more than a few hours per visit, it’s happening more than he can tolerate.”

“What about you? He seems fine with you being here.”

“Prowl has an extremely strong instinctual response to pheromones. For him, King is family. His presence, or rather his pheromones, act like an anchor for Prowl, keeping him present and steady.

“He’s responding to your pheromones the same way, and because of it, can maintain a better grasp on his mental clarity and self-control.

That’s why he’s content, and tolerating others.

”

I looked at Prowl, feeling a tug behind my ribs, pulling in his direction.

“What happens now?”

“You’ll stay here, with Prowl. We’ll make sure you have everything you need, and he’ll either start improving, since he’ll be able to eat and sleep again, or this calm will fade and we’ll lose him for good.”

She looked at Prowl.

“And I can’t bear the thought of losing any more of you. Of you finally gaining your freedom, only to die in another prison.”

Lara’s eyes swung back to me.

“Because this is a prison for him. It might be a whole hell of a lot nicer then his last one, but he’s still trapped in there.”

The truth of it had my stomach twisting.

“I won’t let that happen to you, Prowl. Not if I can help it.”

His chin lowered, his thick knuckles turning white as they clenched around the bars of his door.

The buzzer sounded, startling a squeak out of me.

Lara stood as the door slid open, revealing a guard with my two suitcases.

Prowl bared his teeth, his growl filling the room.

“It’s okay, big guy. I’m staying. They’re just dropping off my stuff.”

His lips twitched, but the noise stopped, which I took as a major win.

“Someone will bring you your meals, but there are extra snacks under the bench.” Lara pointed to a red button beneath a clear square case.

“This is for emergencies, both safety and medical. The med team checks in at 7 a.m. most mornings. If you need anything before then, use the phone on the wall. It’s a direct line to medical, who can forward your call to whoever you need.”

She leant towards me, her expression earnest. “I promise you, you’re safe here. Prowl can’t get out, and he can’t hurt you. Not unless you’re intentionally within his reach.”

Prowl’s growl thundered around us, making Lara flinch, and the guard fly back into our room.

“I won’t hurt her.” His voice was low, dark, and so damn sure for someone who’d been slowly losing himself for months.

The crazy thing was, I believed him.

“I know,” I said, making sure he heard the truth in my words.

He closed his eyes and inhaled again.

“I have things to see to, and Prowl will be calmer if it’s just you here. Do you need anything else before I go?”

“I’m good.”

“Use the phone if you need someone.”

“I will.”

“Thank you, Daff,” Lara said, her voice softening.

“And Prowl? I really hope this sticks for you.”

Her voice carried a thread of warmth, like she genuinely cared about him.

It made the heaviness I felt in my chest over the hybrids existence and what they’d been through sit a little lighter.

The door slid shut behind her, the sound of the engaging lock smacking me back into reality.

I licked my dry lips as I met Prowl’s steady, feline gaze.

What the hell did I do now?