Wild Claim

32

LIAM

Breathe.

Chained to the wall with heavy steel metal plates, I was starting to realize the nightmare that I was in--the white walls that surround me, the one-way mirror that stares back at me from across the room, the small monitoring cameras that sat at every corner. It whizzed every few minutes. Someone was watching. I can feel eyes on me even though there wasn't a single person in the room.

I'm back.

I'm here again.

I fisted my hands tightly and breathed through my teeth heavily. Anxiety crawls up my spine and eats away at my stomach. I could feel my heart rate speeding at an overwhelming rate. The demons in my head were cackling, laughing, prodding me to shift. My skin tingled but I couldn't shift. Someone put something in me. I could feel it heating my blood and numbing the part of my brain that restrains him.

"This will only hurt for a second..."

"You are a prize."

"He is the key..."

My canines lengthened. A growl that was lodged in my throat pierced the air. I fought harder on the restraints even though I knew it was no use. They were made for me. To keep me locked and controlled. My body shook from fear and anger.

Sage.

I lifted my head to look into the one-way mirror. What I find staring back at me, reminded me of the monster that I am. The tattoos on my upper body hid the bruises and pain inside of me but it does nothing in healing me. At this moment, it felt like I was staring at a stranger. The person staring back at me wasn't me. I tried to be normal, but I was anything but normal.

My eyes were pure gold. My black hair a disheveled mess. I had no shirt on. Only a pair of black sleeping pants. The temperature in the room was low and cold.

Sage.

"What do you want?" I asked. My throat was drier than I realized. It rasped when I spoke.

Again, the camera whizzed.

"Who are you?" I asked, looking into the one-way mirror.

No answer.

It was what I had expected. Underneath all the confusing emotions, there was a deep set of fear. I was afraid. I was afraid for Sage. I had no idea where she was. I was also afraid for me. Being here sends me back to where I spent the most part of my life. This room was completely empty. Except for a silver tray on the wheel near the one-way window. There was nothing on there.

They wanted me to feel fear and confusion. They wanted me to worry about Sage. It was the only reason why I woke up finding myself alone.

Thirty minutes later, the door opened, and a female werewolf walked inside. She was in a skin-tight black dress. Her black hair tied up into a high ponytail with no loose hair strand. Her black high heels clicked on the white marble floor. Her blue eyes held dark intelligence behind them. She strutted with confidence and her chin held high, looking down her nose at me even though I was a few inches taller than her.

"No questions?" she taunted with a quirk of her lips. "I'm a little disappointed. I was sure you would bombard me with a bunch of questions."

I remained silent but continued to study her. There was something familiar about her. I don't know what it was. I have traveled for so long and seen so many people. I don't know if she was one of the many faces that I ran across or something else.

She sighed and uncrossed her arms from underneath her chest. Taking a few more steps, she moved closer to me. The door opened once again, and two guards walked inside. They kept their distance but kept their eyes on us.