Caged Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary, #1)

by Caroline Peckham

“You know what they say about getting too comfortable when you’re married. If you don’t watch out, you might find your wife’s attention wandering…” “My wife’s attention is always wandering,” he joked as we crawled on. “But she’ll never grow tired of me.”

he’d told me straight he knew what my problem was. You’re wild, Rosa. And you’d better make sure no one ever tames you.

“A morte e ritorno,” I said fiercely, quoting our family motto. To death and back.

I was more than happy to drain them dry and make their lives as miserable as Faely possible. Nothing in my contract said I wasn’t allowed to enjoy it either.

part of me couldn’t regret it. Because that night on the Acrux grounds, I’d been torn between a choice to run or go back for Rosa. I’d chosen her.

“And what price have you paid, Roary?”

“I’ve paid in more ways than you can imagine,” he breathed eventually.

“Do you really think I’m alluring, Officer Cain?” I asked, looking up at him from beneath my lashes.

Cain didn’t look away though and I turned to look at him as I slowly pulled my new clothes on. There was a darkness in his gaze which said he hated me, but the heat that blazed within his eyes said he wanted me too.

I wasn’t afraid. If there was one place I thrived then it was in the midst of a fight.

“Your life just became mine. I own you now. From your perky tits to the soles of your feet, every inch of your flesh and drop of your blood has my name stamped over it.

I cranked the volume until I nearly busted an eardrum then stuffed the iPod in my pocket and danced. And fucking danced and danced.

This wasn’t just some top dog built for posturing, he was a true Alpha, someone who could pose me an actual challenge, someone I could get into trouble over.

There was something about this stranger which called to me like the song of the stars themselves. I wasn’t sure if it was fate or pheromones, but my body was aching to find out.

“Were you hoping for a thank you?” I teased. “Or just a pat on the head for being a good boy?”

“I’m Rosalie Oscura of the Oscura Clan. I was raised by Bianca Oscura, mother of the Storm Dragon who I’ve ridden with in the clouds countless times.”

My anger started to soften and I turned to her with a need in me so desperate it almost broke me. She was a stranger and yet she felt so familiar. Like I knew her from some other life.

I wanted it to be me on her in Wolf form. I was going to tear her throat out and show her who the true Alpha of this prison was.

Besides, Roary kept on insisting that I was still some little pup and I was gonna bet that was a lot harder for him to do if I was standing before him in my birthday suit.

I’d really thought that after all of this time I wouldn’t still feel this way about him, but it was like he’d taken a piece of me hostage and no matter how long I’d been free of him, that piece would always be his.

I’d bedded two of the Celestial Heirs for the moon’s sake! And they were the most powerful Fae in the whole kingdom.

I’d grown up. I’d loved and lost and lived. What the fuck had he been doing in that time?

I bared my teeth at Roary in answer to his question. Did I want to spend the next few hours running around with a stuck up Lion Shifter who went out of his way to torture and humiliate me? Fuck no.

He was just lucky that I had more important things to do tonight than put a Lion Shifter on his ass, because no one summoned me like a house pet.

I wasn’t sure how I could tell, but something deep in the pit of my gut told me that was Ethan leading his pack out into the trees

and for the longest moment, all I wanted to do was run to meet him.

Not long now, Jerome, I’ll finish this job in record time and be back for my paycheque before you even miss me.

If it weren’t for her neighbour, Sixty Nine, the arrogant fuck of a Lion Shifter Roary Night,

Hahaha of course

I had to keep my head, but holy fuck, I couldn’t believe how tempting she was.

Fuck, I’d never wanted to bite a girl so hard in my life. And I would get my teeth in her eventually. I just had to bide my time. Then she’d have a real reason to fear me.

So now I knew two things about Officer Cain which I could use to gain the upper hand. He ached for my blood, and he was addicted to the hunt.

“I can make a girl come just by saying her name in the right way,” Sin purred. “If I ever get out of here then I’ll give you that and a whole lot more besides…”

“Tell me you fuck as rough as you fight,” I purred and her gaze darkened. Oh please stars, let it be true.

I wanted people talking about the greatest killer alive. Sin Wilder was a villain who reminded bad Fae to lock their windows and doors before they went to bed.

But in all honesty, if I got out there, the pudding was going to be second on the list of things I wanted to devour.

She shrugged innocently but something told me this dandelion wasn’t innocent at all. It was the kind of dandelion which fucked thistles and partied hard with poison ivy.

I would happily be mated to this pudding for all of time.

I was broken and reborn in pain and suffering as a pup at the hands of my mamma and then my papà in turn. Nothing could break my resolve.

“Good girl,” Cain said in a low voice which failed to hide how much he was getting off on what he’d just done. “Maybe you and me will find a way to get along after all.”

He may have been a psychotic asshole, but I had to admit that there was something about the darkness in him which called to me, challenged me, begged me to rise up and meet it with some shadows of my own.

She was incredible to behold, a beast as large as me. I’d never seen another Wolf so powerful and it set my instincts alight with need. But no. Fuck no. I would not accept an Oscura as my equal. She was going to bow.

She gazed up at me through those kerosene eyes which could have lit the world on fire. I tried not to blink, but energy was spilling down my spine as the moon called to me, begging me to take her.

I moaned as the sweet taste of her drowned all of my senses, but the second I gave in to that kiss, she drew back and punched me right in the face.

I twisted my head to the moon and cursed her too, because that bitch was horny tonight and I could feel her trying to force me to claim Rosalie Oscura once more. But that wasn’t what I came here for. I came here to defeat her.

For a moment this wasn’t just some game or some fight, we both gave in to each other, to this screaming desire that filled the space between us.

Screwing under a full moon with your equal was almost guaranteed to make you bond.

She was what I’d been missing in my cell night after night. And now I had her, I didn’t want to let go.

All of my pack instincts, every Wolf need and desire I had suddenly angled toward her. She was the answer to everything. My equal in every way. My mate.

“Ethan,” Rosalie breathed, reaching out to trace something behind my ear. “You’re marked.”

The mournful sound poured from my lips and my skin began to shiver as the shift came over me. I’d always been more comfortable in my Wolf form anyway so I didn’t resist the change as it swept through my body but once I had, I couldn’t help but howl again.