Caged Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary, #1)

by Caroline Peckham

Besides, I’d been waiting for an opportunity like this for a hell of a long time. There was a debt I needed to pay. A wrong I had to right. And it was long past time that I made good on my promises.

ROARY

And no matter what anyone said about the state of things since everything that had happened with the rival gang’s leader, Ryder Draconis, Oscuras were absolutely not welcome here.

Oh?

“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.”

Heheh

And I wasn’t exactly known for being level headed anyway.

Well thats true

When he flew me back to his mamma’s house out in the vineyards that night in his Storm Dragon form, 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.

Dante pushed his dark hair back like we were about to walk into a photo op instead of a heist and I rolled my eyes at him. “So vain, cugino,” I teased. “You’re worse than a girl.” “When my wife finds out where I went tonight, I’ll need to win her forgiveness,” he said with a shrug. “It won’t hurt to look my best while I’m grovelling at her feet.” I snorted a laugh. “Will the great leader of the Oscura Clan be in the dog house tonight then?” “Only because I didn’t invite her along,” he teased and knowing what I did about his wife, I had to agree with that assessment.

Dante Oscura was the Dragon born of Wolves, the King of the Oscura Clan and one of the strongest assholes I knew. If they wanted to get through his magic they’d have to try a lot harder than that.

We get it

Lee groaned again as he stole the last dregs of my magic and a horribly empty feeling echoed through my chest. He didn’t remove his fangs from my shoulder, but his hands slid between us and ice froze my veins solid as he unbuckled his belt. “What the fuck are you doing?”

WHAT

A dark laugh escaped him and panic gripped me for a moment before he snatched my wrists into his hands and yanked the belt tight around them.

Oh.

I could count how many friends I had on a closed fist.

Hot

Apparently the murderous look in my eyes and the two hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle that towered over them didn’t give them enough of a hint.

Hello

I wanted as much power as I could get in my veins. That was why I’d wanted this job. As a prison officer at the only maximum security penitentiary in the whole of Solaria, I had access to some of the most powerful Fae in the world within the cells. And as a Vampire, I was more than happy to bend the rules and sink my teeth into them whenever I got the chance to fill my magic reserves. Plus they tasted fucking divine.

Oh... Ok

To put it frankly, they were scum.

Uh oh

Fuckwit. “Copy,” I grunted as I pressed the button, clipping the radio back onto my belt and heading out of the rec room. “I copy that you’re a fucking waste of oxygen,” I muttered to myself.

Mooody

eight, the mirrored walls reflecting me in every direction. Short dark hair, midnight eyes, teeth as straight as my uniform. I wouldn’t have stood out if I wasn’t over six and a half feet and built like a fucking Minotaur in its shifted form. I was the perfect weapon for this

Why darius sizec

If an inmate made an enemy of me, I became the devil in this underworld. I had a blaze of hellfire living in my veins which could make a Fae’s time in here insufferable. And it looked like Twelve had chosen her fate already.

Ok chill

“Ti farò diventare la mia cagna, ragazzo del coro,” I purred, twisting my fingers through a lock of my ebony hair and widening my eyes seductively. I’m going to make you my bitch, choir boy.

Get him

The rest of the guards closed in, the Minotaurs holding their shock batons ready. I’d done a little preparation for those fuckers before coming here in the form of letting Dante hit me with his lightning strikes until I built up a certain level of tolerance to the pain of it.

Jesus

I sighed, flexing my fingers so that they brushed along his arm as he continued to hold my wrists. “Thank you,” I breathed, batting my eyelashes. Hastings looked at me a little suspiciously and I wondered if I’d gone a bit too far, but he cleared his throat before joining my cuffs with a chain of magic and drawing me out of the room. He didn’t say a word to reprimand me and I tried not to smirk.

Poor dude lol

So Officer Lyle could be taunted without repercussions and Officer Hastings had a sense of humour. Good to know.

“I bet you didn’t read about the Belorian in the brochure,” Lyle joked and the Minotaurs laughed darkly behind me. “Go on, say hi.” His hand landed between my shoulder blades and he gave me a shove towards the doors. If I’d been able to shift I’d have done it in a heartbeat. As it was, I bared my teeth anyway. “I thought you might lose a bit of that attitude when you were faced with our resident beauty,” Lyle mocked and I growled at the insinuation that I was full of shit. I was Rosalie Oscura and darkness knew to fear me.

Whoo

“She’s hungry,” Lyle said with a bark of laughter. “The Belorian is an entirely Fae made bio-weapon. The only one of its kind. Think T-Rex on steroids with a more bloodthirsty nature and a dollop of magic mixed in.”

Vard shit?

“My name’s Sandra,” she growled. “I don’t give a shit if your name is Darcy Vega. I say jump, you say how high. So pick up my shit, Twenty Seven.”

But you like Darcy

Towards the end of the right hand gangway, a huge figure stepped out of the cell marked with a big, red twelve and my lips twitched as I eyed him up. The guy was massive, built like a tank with muscles on his muscles. I pegged him for a Dragon Shifter even before he stepped into the light and I spotted the sigil marked on his chest. “You’re in my cell,” I called, pointing up at him. “I’m number twelve.”

“What’s the matter, pup?” he taunted. “Changed your mind about taking me on?” “I’m just wondering how the hell they found a jumpsuit to fit you. I bet they had to sew four together just to cover that ass.”

righted herself. “I’m holding you responsible for my shit, Twenty Seven,” I warned. “So you’d better not let it get dirty.” Her eyes widened and she clutched the blankets tighter as I turned and ran back towards the Goliath as he pushed himself back to his feet.

cupped my hands around my mouth and howled to the moon which was hidden far beyond the roof of the building, the sound echoing all around me in the silence that followed my victory. A beat later, every other Wolf in the room joined in and they sang a chorus of my victory to the stars which couldn’t see us. We

New pack!

“What are you staring at, Twenty Seven?” I snapped as the Siren’s wide eyes caught my attention. “Go and make up my bunk and get rid of his crap while you’re at it.” She turned and scurried away through the crowd without so much as the hint of a complaint and I moved after her at a leisurely pace.

Damn girl

Eyes followed me as I went and the Werewolves in the crowd reached out to brush their hands over my arms in a silent offering. But I didn’t have any inclination to bring them with me. If someone wanted to join my pack then they could earn their place in it. I wouldn’t take just any Fae.

rested my elbows on the railing of the highest floor, gazing down to the bottom of the cell block where Rosalie Oscura had just put a ten ton Dragon on his ass. That’s the feisty little pup I know and love.

Hi baby!!!

Rosalie was bent over her bed, smoothing out the creases of her freshly changed sheets. My gaze shifted over the roundness of her ass before I remembered she was ten years younger than me and my friend’s baby cousin.

AND??? Fuck

“Well if it isn’t little Rosalie Oscura,” I purred and she stood upright suddenly, turning to me in surprise. She swiped at her bloody lip and straightened her spine as if to show me she wasn’t hurt. But my insides twisted at knowing she was. I couldn’t offer her any sympathy though. She was too proud to bear anyone pointing out her weaknesses.

“You don’t look surprised to see me,” she said, her eyes narrowing as she placed a hand on her hip. She was trying to gain the upper hand, so I stepped into her cell, dominating the space and grinning down at her to make sure any thoughts she had of that were fast abandoned. “My brother told me you were coming,” I said. “But he didn’t say why…I didn’t peg you for a bank robber, Rosa. But even if you are, why did Leon have so little faith in you pulling off the job, hm?”

My little pup never wore perfume, she always smelled like mischief and strawberries. But there was a new scent to her now, something enticing and pure Alpha.

My??

“Well let me make some intelligent guesses then.” I dropped down onto the end of her bed, lifting her legs to make room for me then dropping them over my lap. A growl left her throat, but she said nothing as I rested my hands on her calves. “You don’t need the money to bother with a bank job, and you certainly wouldn’t fuck one up if you did. So…you’re in here for a reason.”

Grr woof

“Come on, put me out of my misery, little pup.” Her eyes flew open and she scowled at me, making heat burst through my chest. I’d gotten a reaction, so I’d definitely scored. “I’m not a pup anymore, Roary,” she said in a dangerous voice. “You’ll always be a pup to me,” I taunted and her cheeks puffed out angrily. It felt too good winding her up. She flipped upright, catching the collar of my jumpsuit in her fist. “I just beat down a Dragon and I’ve got enough energy to upend a Lion Shifter too.” My grin widened. “Please try. It would make my day.” Her upper lip peeled back and I could sense she was really about to try it so I reached out and pulled her in for a hug, aiming to totally disarm her.

When did the little pup get full, lickable lips like that?

Oooo

“Why not let your childhood crush live out your fantasies for you? I’ll take real good care of you, pup.” She lunged up, shoving me in the chest with a snarl. “I’m not a pup. And I never had a crush on you.” I chuckled softly, catching hold of her wrists. “It’s okay. Half of Dante’s cousins had a crush on me. It’s my Charisma. Although, you’re definitely still blushing right now and I can’t use my Order gifts while they’re pumping suppressant through the vents. So what do you think that means?”

She huffed, yanking her wrists free of my hold. “Why would I have a crush on an old Lion fart?” I held my heart, stumbling backwards until my back hit the wall, pretending I’d been shot. “Shit, Rosa. You hit me right where it hurts. I’m thirty four not a hundred and four like your old Grandpa Fernando.”

Oof

“Come back to bed, Felix,” Mamma called, a hint of fear to her voice. The cupboard door was wrenched open and I found myself looking up into the eyes of a monster. “Well, well, well, what have we got here?” he growled.

Gag

“Well maybe you should get yourself one today. Or I could get one for you…for the right price.” “And what would you want me to do for a sheet, Roary?”

I have ideas

Firstly and most importantly, I needed to find Sin Wilder. He was the one I’d come to break out of here after all. According to my contact, Jerome, he’d been stuck in isolation for way too long, though he couldn’t tell me what he’d done to earn himself that severity of punishment. Isolation was hard on any Fae but for an Order like his, it would practically be torture…

“Sembri un agnello, ragazzo del coro. Dovresti temere il lupo,” I said, dropping my voice an octave as I looked up at him, shifting my weight so I was angled towards him. You look like a lamb, choir boy. You should fear the wolf. “I told you I don’t speak Faetalian,” he replied, clearing his throat as he reached out to take my arm. “She said she’s going to eat you alive,” Cain snarled as he snatched my other arm. “And if you don’t get that starry look out of your eyes then I might start thinking she’s right.”

We made it to the ground floor and the guards led me over the bridge which crossed the evermist trap and my gaze trailed down to look at the coiling smoke with interest. I’d heard all about the way that shit made you feel if you came into contact with it, but I had to wonder if it really was as bad as they claimed. My Aunt Bianca’s voice rang in my head as I almost considered jumping in there to test it out. Curiosity killed the cat, Rosa! But I was no kitty cat and curiosity had only ever made me stronger.

“Not to be a bother…” I said slowly. “If you don’t want to bother us then don’t talk,” Cain growled. “Yeah. Totally. Shutting my mouth… But I was just wondering what I have to do to get a bit of medical attention?” I

Lol hes so grumpy

“Keep your eyes down.” His grip bit into my arm painfully but I didn’t let it show as I looked straight into his grey eyes while we were nose to nose. “Or what?” I breathed, a clear challenge in my tone. His grip on me started to burn as his Elemental power slid to the surface of his skin. He was too quick to anger.

Yeah he is

“Your power levels are high, you ranked in the top ten of your class at Aurora Academy and you received a special distinction for Elemental Combat,” Pike said, sounding like she was reading from a file while she was actually just speaking from memory. “So much potential…but you’re an Oscura so I suppose blood will out. Your upbringing in one of the most infamous gangs in Solaria would be what led you into crime, though you don’t strike me as the type to be easily led. In fact, despite the fact that you’re clearly an Alpha, there’s no reports of you ever having challenged your cousin Dante for his place as head of your family, care to tell me why?” I shrugged a shoulder. “A morte e ritorno,” I

“Assault, affray, driving under the influence of the moon, minor in the possession of stardust, Alpha Wolf status abuse, hijacking a Pegasus and trespassing on private property, Coercing of law enforcement, bedazzlement and finally, bank robbery and murder…It seems like a bit of a deviation from your usual vices. And the reports claim that the great Storm Dragon abandoned you to the FIB. Seems like a strange thing for him to do if your bond is as strong as you claim.”

DWI with the moon is amazing

“Cain?” Pike called, raising her voice just enough to be heard from outside the room, though with Cain’s Vampire senses I was going to guess he’d been listening in on that little chat anyway. “Ma’am?” he asked politely as he pushed the door open behind me. “I think Twelve would benefit from a firm hand, so I’m assigning you as her corrections officer. Hastings can be her second, he could learn a thing or two from how you deal with an inmate like this.”

Oof

“Did you understand what just happened there, Twelve?” he asked me in a low tone as the other guards fell into step behind us. “All of your dreams came true?” I taunted. “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 decide where you work and who you spend time with. I get to be in charge of your privileges and your punishments. You belong to me now, and I don’t take good care of my pets.”

Hes crazy