* * *
Neither Luke nor Liam managed to get any sleep.
Not when Luke's distrust in the little female across from him had already awake for the day. And as she moved to get up, the lights flickered back on mere seconds before she placed her feet over her bed.
In her established morning routine, she jumped forward and grasped towards the cages' bars up above. Ignoring the curious eyes settling on her, since once again--Eyes were always watching her throughout the day.
Luke was taken aback, not only by the fact that she managed to hold herself up. But to do so for that long?
He caught his brother's grin and mouthed towards him once again, 'Not so tiny now, is she?' His brother taunted, causing a growl to reemerge from within him.
Sage had just finished when she remembered kindly about her new roommates, and her own growl formed in contrast to Luke's. It was gut-filled and demanding. Piquing up Luke's interest, but more importantly, causing his wolf to study her more closely.
Soon after her sets, the same human as last night had come in. Serving up a filling breakfast. And it was hard to ignore the hungry stares now as she was meant to be eating.
As Sage knew very well what it was like to be hungry.
However, even when she offered up the entire plate, Liam denied it again and again. Begging the moon goddess that his stomach stay silent.
And in a room that smelled so strongly of chemicals and blood, the mere whiff of eggs and bacon was mouth-watering, to say the least.
When Sage had finally finished her meal, the returning nurse had escorted her up and out of the cell. Not bound or tied in any way, shape, or form.
Which caused the eldest wolf to groan in frustration.
"Brother, calm down." Liam chided, but it just earned him another scoff.
"How can I calm down?! She can kill him! She—" The theories of just how many things Sage could manage with the amount of trust the nurse gave her had gone on for another hour.
Then an hour of silence.
Followed by another hour of wondering where Sage went.
The brothers remained dutifully quiet, attempting to reign in their beasts and promote a sense of peace within such a confined space. But there was no such calmness, not when the smell of blood had suddenly lofted its way into the room. Instantly making the hair on the male's backs rise in attention.
Sage came forward through the hall with a limp, following the human as he held open her cell door and watched her carefully make her way to her bed.
And the only help he provided was poor her a cup of water.
She gulped it down as though she hadn't touched any water since her departure, and she hadn't. Today had been tedious, her opponents stronger.
Whatever they were doing to the humans was giving them abnormal strength. An extra boost.
It finally proved to be a difficult task for their test subject to complete, which is exactly what they needed.
Her body had been wrapped and treated, but the bruises and lip held major cuts and scraps. And thus, she leaned into her bed and snuggled deep into her blanket. Throwing the sheets over her face to provide a cover from the light above her.
Luke caught his brother staring off at the girl again, and he knew that look well enough.
He wanted to save her.
And it caused him to lean forward against the bars, and it elected him to let out a fumble of curses as he realized they were silver.
"Fucking—"
"Shh. Let her sleep." Liam interrupted, which only angered Luke even more as his skin was sentenced to burn for another few minutes on end. But he managed to soothe out his wolf. Knowing full well that Sage needed to rest.
And she slept long and hard after goddess only knows what happened.
When she did wake up, it was a relief to both the brothers to see her up and moving. Once again, she lacked the understanding of being naked in front of others. Yet this was the perfect time for two males to catch a glimpse of her wolf.
And the view surprised them both.
An entirely black fur coat was rare, yet there were faint white frosted tips in some places when looked shined correctly in the light. But neither could deny the fact that she was a beautiful wolf.
Especially considering the fact she did pull-ups with the silver metal caging her at all sides.
"Sage...You alright?" Luke shook his head at his brother's softness. But the freshly shifted she-wolf licked her chops at the sound of his voice, her fangs gesturing off towards the one nearing her territory.
"Best if we leave her alone for now, Liam." He instructed, but he didn't want to listen. The youngest had felt the urge to lick up the poor girl's wounds, a sign of caring for the injured amongst their formed pack.
Even now, Luke had accepted the calling. Even when Liam knew that something was wrong with this wolf, he vowed that he would find out.
After a whole week, the brothers understood a few things:
The staff lives here--Or else that sick human would be switched with someone else.
Sage returned the next few days from her training and testing, all with new injuries, and continuously repeated the same habit when she returned.
Starting with a rejuvenating nap to speed up her healing process.
The brother hadn't been taken anywhere like Sage had. Instead, it had been the random intern who came over and took notes before running away at the first sign of a threatening growl.
"They've been too spoiled with this one." Liam had to agree, as they were still having a good laugh at the frightened young human who so easily pissed his pants at a playful snap.
But that was all before the real torture would begin, and their teasing scare would prove to be their downfall.
Sage sat back and watched in agony as the two males were collared and dragged out of their cells. All without any questions or directives to be had. She had constantly been threatened with those, so what did they do to deserve it?
Truthfully, the brothers had killed a number of their scouts, and this was most likely their way of writing off a basis of punishment.
It was strange as she watched them, all with the same curious eyes they would give her when they returned, both bruised and battered.
But not broken.
Both of them held cold expressions, though they never stopped the sibling banter between them.
Sage listened, liking this new form of entertainment. But it was distracting at times, when she was trying to count the tiles or stretch.
However, Luke had the fortunate opportunity to see Sage in action while leaving what is known as the 'gym,' right before they injected him with a sedative, she had been fighting mercilessly.
And a smile formed on his face, one filled with pride and acceptance.
*
An entire month had passed, and the two brothers had only heard Sage speak a handful of words.
Anywhere from 'water' to 'blood?'
All simple one-worded questions or answers, and it was so much softer than Luke had initially thought from the way she held herself.
It wasn't difficult to see that her wolf was bored from being in a cage, in being here. Both he and Liam realized that after the two-week mark.
Another word that would escape in her mumbles would be days of the week. Thus spreading the knowledge that Saturdays and Sundays, there was nothing scheduled.
Meaning no scientists.
Meaning their escape date would have to be set on a weekend.
Liam already knew that his brother's first decision was out of all of them. But after seeing the young she-wolf return the following day broken and battered. The worst of all was that she had to be carried by a guard and settled into bed as her legs looked torn apart to shreds.
That was undoubtedly a struggling imagine for either of them to witness.
But it was the very guard that creeped them out the most to volunteer for such a task.
"Hey, pretty thing." Sage's eyes turned up to see Alex, the vial male. And both wolves straightened their back at the sight of the human who was making her uncomfortable.
And that was a death threat in the making.
"Say...How about I feed you a bone, and you be a nice little—"
"Listen up fucker, I don't know where you get off on screwing with underage girls. But you need to back off. Now." Luke growled, his eyes turning a brutal black color, which only amused Alex and his attempts to get a reaction.
"Bet you're jealous you didn't get your fill like your pal over here, huh...?" The bastard had the willingness to hold his crouch and give it a gentle tug to tease them both before heading out.
"Fucking chode ass human...I'm gonna kill him." Liam rolled his eyes as he watched his brother start pacing in his cell.
After the faithful day he caught Sage fighting in the gym, it earned her a fair amount of respect and protection.
The bond between the three of them just growing stronger by the day.
"Does he always bother you, hun?" Hun. It was just a simple term of endearment, and yet it made Sage glance his way as she knew it was her nickname now. She nodded towards her friend but didn't discuss it further. "When does he come in?" Now it was Luke's turn to throw in a question, as his anger had finally simmered down enough to think rationally.
"Thursday...Friday?" It was a reasonable assumption, but then Sage pointed up to the clock station at the high wall.
And Luke smirked at the revelation.
Time.
Time is going to be their ally.
______
Date: 11-01-2020
Time: 10:20
Words: 1373
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EDITED:
DATE: 07-18-2021
WORDS: 1687