Wild Hunt - Kali Argent Page 0,3

of tests and experiments, every part of her body ached. Though exhausted and hurting, the bright fluorescent lights in the blindingly white room made it almost impossible to sleep.

“Hola, lobito.” The recruit, a young male with short dark hair, smiled as he unlocked the cage door.

It was a rare sight within the compound, and an expression she immediately distrusted. She had nowhere to run, though, nowhere to hide, and she was just too tired to fight him. So, she huddled deeper into the corner, tracking his every move but careful never to make eye contact.

“You must be hungry. This will help.” His English was good but heavily accented, and he spoke slowly, occasionally pausing as if to find the right word. “Here.” Stopping in the center of the cage, he crouched down to place a paper cup and a steel bowl on the ground. “Eat.”

It was very obviously a dog bowl, but the aroma of grilled chicken was almost enough to lure her out of her corner. Almost. It had been weeks since they’d given her anything except cold oatmeal and dry toast. Once, at the beginning of her captivity, she’d refused to eat. She’d quickly learned there were worse things than starving.

“Go on,” the recruit encouraged. “Eat while it’s still warm.”

She didn’t know this male, had never seen him before, but there was something about him. Something that made him different from the others. It could have been a ruse, a trap to give her a false sense of security before he lashed out, but she detected no trace of anger or disgust in his scent.

She still didn’t trust him.

“Okay.” He smiled again and backed out of the cage. “I’ll go. Rest easy, lobito. Buenas noches.”

Mackenna said nothing. She didn’t move, not even when the heavy door of her cell closed. Despite her gnawing hunger, she remained perfectly still, waiting and watching. When the recruit finally vanished from the room, and she heard the electronic buzz of the locks, she threw off her blanket and dived onto the bowls.

She grabbed a fistful of the shredded chicken and shoved it into her mouth, growling as she chewed like the wild animal they thought she was. The roasted potatoes were dry, overcooked, and she choked twice as she tried to swallow them down, but she didn’t stop until there was nothing left in the dish.

The paper cup of water was small, barely more than a drink or two, but she tilted it to her lips, downing the contents in one long swallow. It was the best meal she’d had in longer than she could remember, but it still hadn’t been enough to satiate.

She’d been too hungry to question the quality of the food. Now, however, she couldn’t help but wonder what fresh hell awaited her come morning. Decent food was always followed by some new, inventive torture. Goddess, she was so stupid.

“Ugh!” Disappointed in herself, frustrated with her situation, she grabbed the bowl and flung it at the door of the cage.

It bounced off the steel bars with a loud clang that echoed around the room and made her ears throb. That wasn’t what stole her breath and made her pulse double, though. It had been the barest movement, possibly a trick of the light, but she swore she’d seen the door move from the force of the blow.

Trying to keep her expectations to a minimum, she crawled forward, stretching out her fingers toward the bars. Her hand trembled, her entire body vibrated, but she couldn’t bring herself to actually touch the steel. She couldn’t bring herself to hope.

Seconds ticked by as her resolve faltered. The recruit, as green as he might be, wouldn’t be that careless. He wouldn’t have forgotten to lock the gate. The automatic locks on the cage doors had been replaced after a few of the Hunters had accidentally locked themselves inside with their prisoners.

It had taken days to clean up all the blood.

Now, the door had to be manually locked with a keypad on the outside of the cell. Had the new guard punched in the code? She didn’t remember hearing the beeps, but then again, she’d been distracted by the food that had been so tantalizingly close.

Heart hammering, she wound her fingers around the center bar, paused to take a deep breath, then pushed.

The door swung outward a few inches, the motion smooth and soundless. Mackenna bit down on her bottom lip to muffle her sob of pure joy. The chances of her making it