**K


    pov**


    After the Luna left, I didn''t know how to feel. The guards didn''t approach my cell and they didn''t seem too eager to provide any sort of entertainment to their prisoners.


    It was only me, myself and I. Oh, and my thoughts, those were even worse. My main issues weren''t connected to the whole imprisonment problem, those were thoughts about my past, rights, wrongs and the Luna''s words during our parting. How a woman could forgive someone after they hurt her so much, took everything from her and even more, was beyond me.


    No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn''t figure it out. Even as I tried to look at all angles of the issue, I still couldn''te up with a decent exnation of this issue.


    Maybe I could try to sleep a little and after I woke up, my mind coulde up with a solution as to how to get out of here? That could be possible...


    As Iid on the cold ground, I almost started regretting rejecting the offer to get out of here. That man, Zion I believed was his name, offered to move me to his house.


    Honestly, if I wouldn''t know how people sometimes were, I might have agreed and taken his offer. But sadly, my experience showed that everyone who offered me something always wanted one thing or another back as a payment.


    Thest thing I wanted was to be his maid, or even worse, a ve of a sort. Possibly even sexual if he turned out to be a creep or something. No, that wasn''t the risk I was willing to take.


    As I closed my eyes, I could hear amotion in the distance but didn''t pay much attention to it until I heard steps nearing my cell and stopping right in front of it. Then, someone unlocked the cell door and opened it.


    I didn''t bother to open my eyes as I knew it had to be the Luna,ing back to give me more lectures about her experience and wisdom.


    However, when someone sat down next to me and ced their warm palm on my cheek, shivers ran down my spine and tingles appeared everywhere where our skin touched. It was him.


    "Wake up, beautiful, I came here to talk. And I mean seriously talk. No arguments, no shouting or fighting, no anger and insults. Nothing like that at all." He whispered.


    I was pretty sure he knew I wasn''t really asleep, that was why he whispered and didn''t try to shake me awake. My assumption was proved to be right when he spoke up again. "I know you''re not sleeping, K."


    Goddess, why did my name sound so darn good when he said it? I hated my name, despised the memories that surrounded it, but somehow, he managed to make it sound and feel so much better.


    This had to be a trick created by the mate bond, nothing else. I had seen a few cases of mates bingpletely crazy for each other even if they hated one another''s guts before they found out about the bond. It was a very powerful connection, one I wasn''t sure if I wanted to have and experience.


    Being connected with someone like this meant the person gave their full trust to someone they basically didn''t even know. Someone, who was a stranger with unclear intentions.


    And as many times I had seen the mate bond change people, I had also seen the damage it might cause. Not everyone felt as strongly as others did and oftentimes, they didn''t think of the consequences when they decided to cheat on their mates. I had heard that was the worst pain known to anyone.


    "K, please," he spoke again, startling me.


    Since I didn''t open my eyes and didn''t answer, he sighed and pulled his hand away. I instantly missed the warm,forting touch, but I could also feel the tension and frustration radiate off him.


    "Fine, if you refuse to talk, I will. Just listen to me then. I''m really trying here. Opening up to someone, showing them your weaknesses and voicing the fears is pretty damn scary. Seriously, it''s very scary." He let out a deep, heavy sigh as if he was trying to ground himself for something bigger toe.


    At this point, I really wanted to sit up and watch him. I knew it was very selfish of me, but I liked to look at him. This man was a work of art, very handsome, in fact, the most handsome man I had ever seen, but he also was a dog so that threw me off.


    My parents were killed by wolf shifters, so I didn''t want to trust them. It was a known fact that they enjoyed creating a sense of false safety and then taking advantage of the fact.


    For all I knew he could be the same. iming flowers and gold now only to turn around and deliver nothing but fire and despair. Werewolves were unpredictable and temperamental creatures, after all.


    "I like you," he suddenly announced, loud enough for everyone to hear. Themotion in the cells and among the guards stopped.


    We all knew they were listening, but while I felt rather ufortable about it, Zion didn''t seem to mind.


    "I know you''re listening. Don''t pay any attention to those nosey fucks, I''m not going to say anything no one else couldn''t hear anyway, so they won''t get a dose of rumor they clearly seek. It''s something you will grow used to if you decide to stay around. The whole pack is like one, big, nosey family. Even the prisoners here are taking upon those qualities as you can see," he said and chuckled.


    Oddly, enough, everyone around us startedughing. So loud, theirughter kept echoing against the walls and the more theyughed, the more manic they seemed to be.


    "See? Told you not to pay attention to those fucks." Zion added again.


    Since there was no real use keeping up with the act, I opened my eyes and slowly sat up. As soon as I did, I nced in his direction and the moment he realized I had looked at him, his face broke out in a wild, blinding smile. "Gosh, you''re pretty," he muttered, still smiling like an idiot.


    There was something about him. Zion, as freaking scary as he looked, was nothing but a goofy person - a child in a grown man''s body, as it seemed.


    "You said you wanted to talk. So talk," I snapped. My words wiped the smile off his face and I instantly felt bad for my outburst so I cleared my throat and whispered, "talk, please. I didn''t mean tosh out, sorry." Thankfully, he clearly was someone who appreciated an apology if he received one, so at least that made me feel a little better.


    "Apology epted. And no need to stress about anything, happens to the best of us. I understand it has to be awfully hard for you to restrain your emotions. After all, you''re locked in a ce you don''t know, away from home and with a random dude at your side. In your ce, I too would act all snappy and sketchy. It''s fine. I promise."


    "Thank you for your understanding. I have a question before we talk, if I may ask one?" I looked away as I spoke, unable to look into his hopeful eyes for any longer.


    "You just asked one," heughed. "But sure thing, go ahead."


    Zion had some weird dad jokes hidden in his pocket, that much as was sure. He was as serious as he was funny and if it hadn''t been for the fact that he was a dog, I would probably like him. Okay, maybe not just like him, I would most definitely develop a massive crush on the man.


    Strong? Check. Handsome? Massive check. Funny? Absolutely. Nice personality? Yes.


    He was like a walking, talking, breathing example of every trait I had wanted in my perfect partner. Everything about him aligned with the things I had once dreamed about seeing in someone who would love me unconditionally. Sadly, there was one thing in him that I didn''t think I could ever ept and that was the very sole of his being - the vicious, wild, murderous wolf hidden within him.


    "If I agree to talk and don''t change my mind, will I be able to get out of here or am I to await the punishment for sneaking into the Luna''s bedroom? I don''t think it''s very important for everyone living here, but for the record, I wasn''t trying to hurt her or cause any harm. I just wanted to knock her out and win myself some time to get away from here."


    "Why did you sneak into the territory?" He suddenly asked.


    "I needed to check if the rumor was true and she really exists. I would like to keep the benefit of not discussing this particr topic anymore, if possible. You can focus on what you wanted to tell me and then, you decide whatever happens to me, I guess," I said.


    Zion hummed but didn''t offer any of his thoughts. Usually, I would be grateful for that, but in this case, the silence didn''t feel that good.


    "As much as I wish I could give you an answer, I can''t, sorry. It''s up to Aife or Bane what will happen to you or if you will be punished for the stunt you pulled. Honestly, I came here to talk about us, but if you don''t want to, I guess I understand. It''s not like I can force you to do anything against your will, right?"


    Well, those words were more than nothing. At least he gave me the information he could and admitted that there were some things he didn''t know. If nothing else, I knew Zion was truthful.


    "Okay. You can talk about anything, I will listen, okay?" I muttered and focused my gaze on the ground.


    For as long as I didn''t look at him, I should be good, right? For as long as I pretended that his smile didn''t make my heart beat just a little faster, my heart was safe.