Stuck between four walls for months--your days blur together. You depict what is reality and what is not. If the people in front of you are just mirages or actual people.

Touching his hand scares me more than I wanted to admit. This feeling it overwhelms my senses and tugs at something deep inside my chest. I feel in my guts and it makes me sick. My skin crawls with electricity and I feel like I'm being skinned alive.

At the same time, I wanted to rush into this fire. I want to pull him close and have him wrap his arms around me.

My hand tightened in his hand unconsciously. His head turned slightly to look at me from out of the corner of his eyes.

"Your brother is safe," he assured me before returning his attention to his surrounding as he pulled me along the narrow hallways.

I allowed my eyes to travel over him. Hunter has hair as golden as gold silk threads and sun-kissed skin that was a startle contrast to my pale skin. Liam and I may have been on the run for months and fought it out in the wilderness, but my skin refused to darken under the burning sun.

Hunter was about a head taller than me. The thick corded muscles that rolled down his neck to his taut shoulders told me he worked hard in training. He was strong and fit. The Alpha power that simply ripples from him thickens the surrounding air.

Suddenly, he stopped. His head turned in my direction and his blue eyes fixed on me.

Did he say something?

"How long have you two been out there?" he questioned.

When we lived at camp, Alpha would beat answers out of us. Soon, we learned we must answer questions asked by the Alpha. There should be no lying. After escaping camp, I took pleasure in not answering anything I do not want to answer.

I don't trust Hunter. So, he won't be getting anything out of me. Anything that would take me back to camp.

He sighed and shoved his hand through his hair again in frustration before scrubbing at the back of his neck. Was he getting irritated?

"You can trust me," he enunciated every word slowly, but didn't wait to see my reaction.

He whipped around and continued walking. I followed behind him, quickening my steps to match his. I would not ask him to slow down.

I don't know where he was taking me, but after a while we appeared in a room much different from my room. The stench of sterilized rooms disappeared.

We were on the second floor and standing in front of a white door that had several locks on it. The locks didn't look scuffed, so someone has newly installed these locks specifically for them.

"Your brother is inside."

I stared at the multiple locks. Anger vibrating through me. Out of one cage and into another. My fingernails dug into his hand.

Hunter must have realized the tension that rippled through me. His eyes snapped to our hands before moving to where I was looking.

"These are only for safety measure. I do not use it to keep you inside all the time. Right now, you don't trust me and I don't trust that you won't try to escape again."

When I refused to move from my position, he used his other hand to turn me to face him. Bending his head down, he looked me straight in the eyes.

"I'm a man of my word, little wolf. You are not a prisoner here."

I stopped biting the inside of my lip. His eyes were clear and open like the ocean. Underneath his careful, clear gaze I felt uneasy.

"If not a prisoner, then why won't you free us?" I questioned.

His jaw worked, and it looked like my response irritated him.

"I can't let you go."

"Then we are prisoners."

He growled loudly before turning to open the locks on the door. As soon as the door swung open, my gaze swept the room. It was a simple bedroom. Not much decorations. A small wooden desk and chair sat near an open window. The queen-size bed sat in a corner of the room opposite of the door. On top of the bed laid Liam.

He was sound asleep under the cover.

"We had to give him some sedative to calm him down." As soon as he saw my accusing look, he rushed to assure me next. "It is safe. He would wake up in a few hours. The nurses have been watching over him hourly. They are exhausted."

I walked towards the bed and notice the gentle rise and fall of Liam's chest. Dark circles displayed under his eyes, but he looked peaceful. It had been a long time since he had some good sleep.

He was skinny from lack of nutrition. I tried to give him a decent meal every day, but the running wasn't easy.

There was a knock at the door. I turned around in time to see a female pack member standing at the door. In her hands, she had a tray of food.

"Alpha, I brought some food for the little one and for-" she hesitated. Her gaze swept over to me before flying back to Hunter.

"You can put it on the desk, Catalina. Thank you." Hunter gestured to the desk in the corner.

Catalina smiled warmly before nodding her head and walking over to the desk. She looked kind and motherly. It suddenly reminded me of my mother. However, the sudden reminder of my mother brought painful memories. We left her behind in that rotten place.

Catalina walked closer, and my back stiffened. Hunter stayed a few feet away, watching my reaction.

"My name is Catalina. I'm the head cook for this pack. If you wish to eat anything special, please don't hesitate to let me know."

I furled and unfurled my fingers in my palms, but I nodded my head in thanks.

"My daughter is around your age. Her name is Rosemary. You should meet her sometime. I'm sure she'll like to make friends with you."

I don't want to make friends. I just wanted to leave this place, but that isn't an option, is it?

I nodded my head once again. She was being kind. Her eyes were soft and kind. The gentle smile she had on her face wasn't forced or sly.

Catalina nodded her head before leaving the bedroom. She closed the door behind her with a click. I stared at the door for a minute before returning my gaze to Hunter.

He stared at me with an indecipherable look.

The smell of freshly baked bread and French onion soup invaded the air. My stomach grumbled. It's been a long time since I had a decent meal. One cooked in a kitchen too. Hunter's eyes snapped to my stomach before a smirk appeared on his face. He looked wickedly handsome and my heart did flips in my chest.

"Eat. You'll need the strength if you are going to keep fighting me," he teased.

I narrowed my eyes on him before walking to the desk. Hunger was something I was used to. I have gone a day or two without a meal before, but the smell of food was tantalizing my senses. My stomach grumbled for a second time.

Hunter pulled out the wooden chair, and I slowly slipped into the seat. There were two bowls of soup and several freshly baked bread.

Back at camp, we were fed very little. Our diet consisted on harden bread and very little protein. So having something as small as this, it was a luxury to me. My eyes flew to the spoon on the tray before I lifted it up.

My first sip and I couldn't help but close my eyes. The liquid lit my tastebuds on fire. Something so simple but so delicious.

Before I knew it, I had to finish the bowl of soup and ate several pieces of bread. I had to force myself to stop eating because I needed to save some for Liam.

When I set my spoon down, Hunter spoke up. It was then I realized I had totally forgotten about him.

"How long has it been since you had a decent meal?" he questioned.

I shrugged my shoulders while wiping the stain of food from my lips.

"Are you still hungry? If you want more, I could ask Catalina to bring more for you. You don't have to save it for your brother."

He caught that. I'm not surprised. He was an Alpha after all. He was quick on deciphering people's actions and reactions. Suddenly, I felt to my stomach. The food I just ate came crawling out fast.

I shot to my feet and rushed to the nearest trash bin. All the while, Hunter was fast on my heels. I knelt onto the ground and threw up the content of my food.

He knelt on the floor next to me. He moved my hair back carefully.

"You ate to fast. Your stomach isn't used to too much food. We will have to put on a light diet until you are used to it."

He was caring, and something chipped away inside of me. Another emotion bloomed in my chest. I knew this feeling because I often had it in camp.

Longing.

I hated this feeling. It always leaves me with shattered hope. Anger quickly replaced this feeling. I shoved him away from me. He fell back instantly. Growling, I flashed my canines at him in displeasure.

As soon as he fell back, I stood up and headed for the door, but before I could even reach it he had me pinned against the door with his body. Hunter bound my hands above my head with his hands.

He bent his head low till we met eye to eye. Hunter was so close I could feel all of him, and it was affecting my brain-almost numbing it. I trembled at the affect. His perfectly filled lips parted slightly and my eyes dropped to it on impulse.

Neither of us moved or said anything. I couldn't think straight. I fought to for superiority, but it was like drowning in a sweet abyss of euphoria. Before I knew what I was doing, I locked my lips with his. He stiffened at my attack, but soon melted against me. Our lips moved in sync.

It should be disgusting as I had just thrown up contents of my food, but it wasn't. He didn't react with disgust. Instead, he kissed me back.

His soft, sweet lips melted against mine. I felt his tongue pressed against the opening of lips. I parted them just as he slipped his tongue in a second later. This kiss was deeper, and I felt it all the way down my body. My toes curled, and I kissed him harder, mirroring his strokes. It was awkward at first since I had kissed no one this way before, but I got the hang of it quickly.

The kiss became more feverish and when I heard a pleasurable rumbled from his chest; I reeled back my senses. Suddenly remember where I was and who was in front of me. I growled before biting into his bottom lip hard. As soon as he pulled back, I released his lips. Blood dripped from his bottom lip. He used one of his hand to touch his bottom lip gently. He looked angry with me, but he made no move to hit me for fighting him.

Instead, he released me. He touched his bottom lip once more before swiping his tongue over the wound I inflicted on his lip. I felt the urge to kiss him again, and so I tore my gaze away to stare at the floor.

He chuckled, and it confused me. I hardened my jaw and glared at him.

"That's quite a bite, little wolf."

I ground my teeth before dropping my gaze once more. Silently scolding myself for kissing him because now that I had a taste, I craved for more.