Isla's eyes zoned out, tired of scanning the room. There were no more plans to be made, no more plots she could think of. The intrusive touch of Jackson kept her from sleeping, and all her thoughts of escape were coming up with no actionable plans.
Souvenirs of Jackson's rage littered her body. The side of her face felt stiff and swollen. The throbbing had stopped, but the dull pain remained. The body shifting behind her and tugging enflamed the soreness of her butt cheek. The shoulder with the bite mark was against the mattress, sacrificed to provide relief to her face where the damage was on the opposite side.
His fingers were coming to life on her stomach, and his breathing changed as he woke up. Dread filled her as she steeled herself for another day with him. His face buried into her hair as he brought a hand up, using his digits to clear her face of any copper curls that had fallen forward. She felt his chest expand against her back as he inhaled deeply.
"Good morning, precious." His fingers glided down her rib cage, fell down her waist, and then up and over her thick hips. He flattened his hand and palmed her damaged cheek. She lurched and let out a painful gasp.
"I like hearing my name with your voice in the morning. Go ahead and say it." He continued to rub her bruised area.
"Good morning, Alpha Jackson." Isla gave him what he wanted. How she dreamed about shooting him through the eye like she did another wolf.
His hand moved back up to the side of her hip, relieving her of the additional pain he was inflicting. His grip tightened, and she felt his morning wood drag along her. She stiffened but, recalling Alpha Cole's advice, did not move away.
Jackson chuckled in her ear. "Don't worry, I'm not going to fuck you... yet. I won't force you. I'm going to wait for you." He splayed his hand across her pelvic bone and pulled her into him harder. "I have no interest in slamming my cock into you until you are begging for me to." His hips started to roll in small strokes. "The first full moon after we're mated, that's when you won't be able to stay away from me." A groan left his chest. "That's when nothing short of me being completely buried in you will bring you relief."
His voice was still warming up from his sleep. The devastating promise was delivered with a languid and calm voice. "I want to see your eyes on me, desperate. Feeling the need throughout your body to mate, but to mate with no one but me. The sight of other men will drive you to me even more. Your body will cramp and seize up as you come to the realization that there is one thing that will bring you relief. There is one thing that you are interested in." His voice turned from groggy to dark. "But I won't let you have me at first. I'm going to make you beg for me. You will apologize for ever being with anyone else before I sink my cock into you." His rolls were slowing in their pace but increasing in their stroke. "When I take you the first time, when you feel me the first time, I'll enter into you ever so slowly. You'll want to slam down on me, you'll be squirming and pleading for me to go faster, to fill you, but I won't." His slight pause caused Isla's anxiety to build. "I'm going to take my time filling you with me."
He pulled in a large breath of air when his grasp on her strengthened. "After I fully seat myself, I'm going to watch you writhe with me fully choked in you. You'll want me there, stretching you, tearing you, but you don't know how to handle me." His voice turned playful, wickedly playful, "But don't worry. I know you can't handle me. You won't have to." He transitioned back to dark. "You'll take me, though. You'll take everything I fucking give you."
Isla stifled a gasp as fear and sickness spread through her. His darkness was all encompassing, penetrating her to the core. Not only was it tragic, but it was possible. If Jackson is not stopped, all of what he says will happen.
"I love hearing you cry, and I'm going to love hearing you cry with me inside of you." A wicked smirk grew across his face as he buried it into her neck. "Every thrust you receive from me will bring you another wave of relief. Every time I tap out inside of you, you'll feel the pain from me and the pleasure from the bond finally being fulfilled. But you won't be fully satisfied until I release in you, giving you my seed, giving you the chance to carry my pups."
He twisted her onto her back and slithered over her, looking down on her. "This will happen, Isla. The sooner you accept it, the better off you will be."
His dark eyes rolled down her bruised face. "You're going to heal like a human until after we are mated. You should really be more careful, precious."
He rolled off her and got out of bed, "Keep on resting. I'll be right back." She watched him saunter into the hallway that led to the bathroom and the closet and emerge a couple minutes later dressed to answer a knock at the door. He placed a tray on the table before returning to the hallway at the far side of the room.
Isla considered the knock at the door. They wouldn't have to knock if they had access to the mindlink. Either Jackson was using another species or wolves from another pack. She was getting frustrated with the useless knowledge and tips she was collecting. Nothing was leading to her escape.
Between the lack of options and the game playing, she was weary and broken down. It had only been a couple of days, but without decent sleep, she was beginning to crack. Her rage was like a ticking time bomb and if it went off too soon, she would surely face the consequences. So when Jackson told her that he would leave her for the day, relief washed over her. She'd get to spend the day in the cell in the basement. Anything to be away from him and reset her tolerance.
After he was done getting ready, he carried her to the bathroom to get her settled as well. He grabbed a toothbrush and put some toothpaste on it, holding it up to her mouth. She still couldn't believe that he insisted on brushing her damn teeth for her. After she was freshened up, he took her to the table.
"I should be back this evening." He lifted a hard-boiled egg to her mouth, watching her drop her jaw as he pressed it in, giving her the OK to bite it. "This will happen from time to time."
After breakfast, he lifted her. "I hope I got your size right."
Short shorts stung her damaged cheek when pulled into place. There was something off about them which curiously made Isla wonder about the brand. Perhaps Jackson didn't have the same proclivity for high end clothing that his sister had. A tank top was pulled over her head with the same awkward fit. But when a belt was added, with straps that went around her thighs, she realized something was very off. They were for decoration.
He pulled her hair back into a braid down her back, and when she saw herself in the mirror, she realized he had dressed her as Lara Croft.
She was up and in his arms, being carried down to the basement a couple minutes later. He brought them into the cell and placed her on the now made-up bed.
"I'm not going to have your hands and ankles restrained in your cell. Please don't make me regret this decision." He held her wrists between his thumb and forefinger, "The silver is for your own good. I'll explain later." He kissed her on the forehead and backed away from her. "Are there any books you want to read? The TV will be on over here, but I can see about getting you a book too."
"I can't think of anything, Alpha Jackson."
"OK, well, I'll think on it." He walked out as if it was the most normal thing in the world to leave a kidnapped she-wolf, draped in silver and dressed as the Tomb Raider in a cell. "I'll see you later tonight, precious."
With the closing of the cell and the disappearing footsteps, she was alone.
She laid under the covers of the bed and succumbed to the exhaustion that had been plaguing her. The sound of the TV in the background helped keep track of time, and a couple of hours later, the lights went out. Isla heard footsteps in the darkness that her human senses could not see through and leave something at her cell. The person walked off, and when the lights came on again, there was a lunch sack. She grabbed it, looking down the empty hall as much as she could. She wasn't hungry, but she was looking forward to feeding herself.
It was a basic lunch. A sandwich, chips, and a bottle of water. She finished it and then laid back in bed, looking at the cuffs surrounding her wrists. There's no point in breaking them off until she had a plan. The irritation in her skin would only get so bad and it was tolerable.
If she were close enough, she could mindlink the pack. But what would she tell them? If she described the room, the elevator, and the cell, would they know where she was? She could heal, but could she escape? She couldn't take on Jackson with her recovering strength, plus she was getting weaker being restrained and prohibited from moving.
With that thought, Isla slipped out of bed and did some bodyweight exercises. She'd take advantage of this opportunity while she could.
A couple more hours had passed before Isla heard the doors down the hall open. She sat up and put her feet on the ground, waiting to see who was coming. A tall slim figure with eyes reminiscent of the alpha she loves came into view.
"Precious, ready to go upstairs?"
"Yes, Alpha Jackson," Isla responded, refreshed and ready to play another round of survival.
He entered the cell and picked her up, leaving her ankles and wrists unbound. That was a pleasant strategic development.
Jackson walked her into his room and placed her on her feet. "I hope it wasn't too lonely for you today." He peeled off her tank top and removed her belt before dropping to his knees to pull down her shorts. He froze with his face near her navel and inhaled deeply, breathing her in. "Your scent is changing, Isla. Your body is shedding his influence."
The pain she felt could only be compared to her heart cracking open and draining into her chest cavity. Keeping her breathing and wincing under control, she knew exactly what to do. When Jackson looked up, she lifted the corner of her mouth into a smile.
Calm passed over Jackson's features. His handling of her while he stood up and took her over to sit in his lap was filled with care. "I got you a coffee while I was out." He reached for the end table next to him and handed her a paper cup.
"Thank you, Alpha Jackson." She offered.
She grabbed it between her hands and sipped it. The familiar taste surprised her.
"How did you know my favorite drink?"
"Skinny vanilla latte." His face lightened with a smile. "I'm glad to see you talking. I'll have to bring you coffee more often." He reached up and pushed a lock of hair that had been released from her braid behind her ear. "I've been watching you for a while."
"Were you leaving me those notes?"
Darkness crept across his features. She panicked, trying to figure out what she did to cause his change in attitude. "Who else did you think it was?" He asked accusingly.
"I didn't know you at the time, Alpha Jackson. I didn't meet you until later." This was easy to deescalate.
His face relaxed, and a smile curled his lip. "I forget sometimes. You just seemed so close. You may not have met me, but you felt me. I watched you feel me." He pulled her tighter into his arms.
"The notes started before Dark Moon took over." With the crisis averted, Isla continued the conversation trying to stay on his good side.
Jackson smiled, "I was doing reconnaissance on Winter Moon before the attack. That's what I'm good at. Getting in and getting out, undetected. The only problem I had was when you disappeared. I didn't know where you went, and no one was talking about it." His hand reached up to encourage her to take another sip of the coffee. "But you came back to me."
Isla nodded, "I didn't know you were watching me." Her sweet voice carried the tones of being impressed with him. It caused revulsion in her stomach that she was sure would show in her face. She covered her features with her cup.
"I know I teased you, threatening to kill you. I don't know why I said that. I think I was desperate. But it all is working out in the end."