idea. Me against a bunch of them would not likely end well, but I didn’t really care much. I hadn’t since Connor, Rawson and Lyss had been taken from me. No, all I had left was a shit load of resentment towards the universe, which I’d happily turn on every shit for brains rapist in here. Did I have a death wish? Probably, but I’d go out fighting.
Fire stirred and I smiled. Yeah, for me death wasn’t quite the deterrent it should be.
When the hall was empty, I uncoiled my body, groaning at the stiffness in my limbs. I winced, blinking back tears at the burning pain around my neck. Like most newbies, I had blisters. The silver collar burned like a bitch, especially if my wolf pushed against it. I’d noticed those who’d been here a while had tough skin around their necks. I really didn’t want a necklace of scaly skin as an accessory when I eventually got out of here, but it had to be better than this agony.
Ignoring the stinging pain, I stretched my arms high and then touched my toes, loosening my body. Contemplating my tank top, I shrugged, dropped my leather jacket on the floor and pulled it off. Standing in my bra, I grabbed the hem of my top and ripped the material until I had several thin strips. It didn’t leave me much to cover my stomach with but it would still cover my breasts so I didn’t worry.
Charlie watched with interest, her eyes bright and a smirk on her lips.
Carefully, I wrapped the material around my collar so it couldn’t touch my skin, then secured the strips with small knots. Satisfied with my makeshift barrier, I straightened. Charlie had hold of my jacket, inspecting it with a look of awe. I shrugged. “Keep it.” It was bloody hot in these cells, and I didn’t think my leather jacket was going to last long anyway before someone targeted me for it. Better for Charlie to deal with that inconvenience.
“Whoa, really?” Her eyes darted from me to the jacket.
I nodded, not meeting her gaze as I turned away.
We headed out to the corridors that led down to the mess hall. Above us, guards watched our progress with disinterest. Tasers and guns were trained on the crowds milling below. I searched the walls, stairwells and rooms for any weakness in their security that I might have missed. There was nothing.
I dismissed the idea of running, for now. Even if I found a weakness I could exploit, it would take weeks, maybe even months to plan anything. First, I needed to find out more about the prison and what went on here.
Grabbing the tray an inmate held out to me, I collected my metal bowl of slop, otherwise known as porridge, and a plastic cup of water. I followed Charlie through the crowds of people who loitered in the food hall. The hairs on my neck kept rising as I felt people watch us, but I kept my head high and my swagger intact. I clutched the blunt cardboard spoon in my hand, even knowing it was useless as a weapon, but hey, I’d find a way if needed.
We found a spare table and I sat sideways, one leg on either side of the bench so I could keep an eye out for any threats, and quickly get up to fight if needed. I grunted as the cardboard spoon became soggy and fell apart before I’d finished eating. Not caring about table manners, I resorted to using my fingers to scoop the sticky, tasteless glop into my mouth. I wouldn’t waste a single morsel of food; fighting took energy.
“How long have you been here?” I asked Charlie whilst keeping an eye on the crowd.
“Lost track. A year, maybe?”
“A year? Why the hell don’t you have a permanent bunk then?”
Her lips thinned, her eyes searching the crowd for a moment. “I did.” Her eyes rested on an older woman with beady eyes who looked as hard as nails. “I was part of a female pack for a while.”
I raised my brows. “What happened?”
“Resta is a pack madame. She decides who we fuck to receive privileges, like a cell and a bed, or protection. If we disagree with her, she throws us to the wolves.”
“Oh.” I didn’t ask any more questions. It was obvious Charlie hadn’t wanted to spread her legs on Resta’s orders.
“Yeah, she wanted me to be with a male that was a real weasel.