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AMAYA

" I love you," I whisper into the freezing crease of my elbow. The surge of affection I push through the bond shoves me back into consciousness until the only thing between Vincent and me is my love for him.

Nothing else. No pain or hunger. He won’t feel my desperation or my hope. My alpha won’t feel anything else for as long as I can manage. I don't know how long I'll be able to hold the bond shut. It's like flexing a muscle. At some point I'm going to get tired, but I have to keep strong.

I've been here before. Maybe not this bad, but I've been imprisoned, just in a larger cage. I've been starved, slept on hard surfaces, and have been kept in darkness. I've dealt with sneers from people who think they're better than me, and watched my designation be reduced to nothing.

It's the differences in this situation that make my heart thud a little faster and my fear stab a lot sharper. There's far less structure here than there was at the academy. I knew what to expect back then, but nothing here is ever the same when I crack my eyes open.

Omegas are missing from their cages one moment, then they're back the next. Sometimes men with batons and guns are patrolling the large space, other times alphas in suits are grinning maliciously at us as they pace between the cages. Which is why, instead of choosing to witness my fellow captives sob and vomit in their cages around me, I close my eyes and let it all go.

I start at my toes until they are gone, followed by my calves and thighs until I can't feel my lower half anymore. Next comes the gnawing hunger in my stomach and my chest where my heart aches painfully. My arms feel heavy until they too feel like they are melting away. My face slackens with the release of my throat, washing away the pounding in my head. Then the gut wrenching sounds around me go, followed by the metallic taste in my mouth. Last to fade away is the scent of ocean water, blood, and fear.

By then, I might as well be the same as the puddle of water that's been teasing me for days. Maybe it's been a week, who knows? It won’t matter because when I open my eyes again, I'll have lost even more time.

I knew who I was at the academy and how to behave. But who am I now? What will become of me?

Nothing can answer my musings, so like the rest of my being, I release my worries and drown myself in the feel of my alpha.

I'll be okay.