Because Brianna is alive, which means I need to be on my best behavior in case there’s a sliver of a chance they’ll let me see her again.
My wolf prowls within me, snarling at every turn. He wants to find Brianna as much as I do, but neither of us know how to make that happen.
“How many others are down here?” I ask the guard.
He stands near the door and wears the uniform all SF squad members don. He’s young, probably early twenties, but his military-precise movements and flat affect let me know he’s no spring chicken. I won’t be able to manipulate him.
When he doesn’t respond, I add, “I know there are others down here. I can hear them.”
His attention stays focused on the wall, unwavering.
I sigh in frustration and pace the few steps my confinement allows. My cage is placed within this dank cell. A cage within a cage—how fitting—but I’ve figured out I’m in their prison block. Despite the thick steel door, sound still penetrates it. During the night, I heard maniacal laughter, howling, and desperate calls from other inmates. And given that they all sound bat-shit crazy, I figure this is the mental-hospital side of their prison. The SF obviously thinks I’m a deranged rogue, so they probably think I fit in perfectly here, and a few months ago, I would have.
But now? No.
I grip the bars of my cage, which makes my chains rattle. “I’m not a rogue anymore,” I tell the guard.
He rolls his eyes but remains quiet.
I shake the bars, trying to get his attention, but then realize that makes me look aggressive so I stop. “I’m not, I swear. My mate changed me. She healed me. I was a rogue, I was deranged, I was a wolf who couldn’t be trusted, but that was before I met her. Brianna pulled me back from the brink. She saved me.”
I wait, hoping for some kind of reaction from him, but…
Other than his initial eye roll—nothing.
“Dammit!” I yell. “Are you listening to anything I’m saying? I’m not crazy anymore! I won’t ever kill or hurt anyone again, human or supernatural. You’ve got to believe me. I’ve changed!”
He finally turns to face me. His eyes are cold and devoid of sympathy. They’re the eyes of a guard who doesn’t believe a word his prisoners’ say. “Save it, Rogue. You’re not fooling anyone.”
I let go of the bars and rake a hand through my hair. “But I’m not trying to fool you. I’m being honest.”
He smirks. “No one’s going to fall for that.”
“Even if it’s the truth?”
“How can it be the truth when no rogue in the history of werewolves has ever stopped killing or come back from insanity?”
My arms go slack, falling to my sides. A deep sense of hopelessness settles within me. He’s right. Nobody’s come back from crazy-town when they’ve gone rogue, which means the SF won’t believe me or anything I say, and if the SF won’t—then the courts won’t either.
My execution is coming.
Chapter 34 – Brianna
“We won’t be wiping your memory,” Kelly says as I stand there in disbelief. “It’s against regulations to manipulate another supernatural’s mind.”
My arms fall to my sides. “Wait. What did you say?”
She takes a step closer to me, looking apologetic. “Because you’re a female werewolf, we won’t be wiping your memory.” She cocks her head. “Did you not know of your origins?”
I shake my head, and it feels as if the room is closing in. A female werewolf? I sway against the wall. I’m certain she’s wrong. I’m not a werewolf. I’m human.
It must look as though I’m about to faint because she reaches out to steady me. “I’m sorry if this is news to you, but if you didn’t know and Wes said nothing about you being a supernatural, then you’re most likely not in our database, and that’s a problem since we track all supernatural citizens. You’ll need to come with me so we can sort this out.”
After taking a deep breath, I follow her. The sorcerers all stay by the table, talking amongst themselves, no doubt about me since they keep casting suspicious glances my way.
At least that’s the only thing they’re casting now.
I follow Kelly from the room as numb shock creeps through me. She says I’m a werewolf, but I’m certain I’m not. I know she’s made a mistake, but if it means they’re not going to wipe my memory, then I’m sure as hell