Feral For Her Freedom

I walked through the hallway like I owned the place. People cowered at the sight of my bloody face and arms, at the malicious spark in my eyes and the canine teeth and deadly claws on my fingers. They’d all seen what had happened, every monitor in Rownoak had showed it.

“Go ahead, female. Feel very proud of yourself,” Jude snarled in my ear, “you just signed your death if this falls through.” Jude was angrier at my swagger than my actions.

I would go to The Consortpool now, to see if anyone would dare try and claim me.

I was very pissed off at myself, although I didn’t show it on the outside. On the inside I was smashing my head against the wall for my rash actions caused only by a moment of anger and fear. If I had just kept my cool, let him mark me and take me with him, escape would have been so easy. Instead, I’d showed him how mistaken he was in thinking I was nothing compared to him. I’d exposed myself and foiled my own plans.

Now I was desperately forming a new plan to each scenario there could be. Unfortunately, none of my plans were very concrete. I didn’t know what kind of males would be attending The Consortpool, or what their stupid brains would tell them about me. If I was worth the trouble for the fame.

Jericho and Jude were discussing in hushed tones their next plan of action. Maybe they forgot I was still in a pure state and could hear everything they were saying quite clearly, or they didn’t really care if I heard them or not.

“What do you want to do with her?” Jericho ask the obvious question. I couldn’t be brought to The Consortpool where all of the rejected females were given a second chance to find a male willing to take them as a consort, until The Finding was completed.

“What I want to do with her is have her euthanized so I’m off of babysitting duty. I could easily just say she’s too dangerous for anyone to even try bonding with her. Anyone looking at a screen saw proof of that, and that should be the end of it. We have her consort’s approval there’s no reason to go to The Consortpool.”

I couldn’t help but grin at his pouting. He was throwing a tantrum and it was too amusing to me that I couldn’t even be the least bit fearful of his words. Here was the Zeta agent who’d been chasing me around for years, whining to his subordinate that he had to watch me for a few more hours.

“I didn’t ask what you want to do, Jude. I asked what we are going to do.” Jericho crashed his comrade’s pity party.

“Our orders are to bring her to The Consortpool. If she leaves without a claim, we end this. If some idiot thinks that what she just did to her consort won’t happen to him and wants a go, we do the paperwork, and she goes free.”

I could see how that would irk him.

All of my past crimes, the years of work and effort it took him to track me down and finally catch me would all be nothing in the end if a male claimed me. It was so easy for me to get out of this which is why I was so peeved I’d already messed it up once.

“The Consortpool won’t take place until the end of The Finding, what should we do with her in the meantime?” Jericho pushed his higher up to make a decision.

“You should feed her,” I gave him my own opinion as Jude pondered an answer for Jericho’s question.

“Why bother feeding something before it is about to be slaughtered?” Jude snapped at me.

I gave him an ugly look and stuck out my tongue rather childishly. “It’s the least you could do, considering you will probably blow my brains out by the end of the night.”

“Here’s an idea, why don’t you shut up and march your ass back to the containment cells?”

And because I didn’t have much of a choice, I ended up doing just that. I was escorted into the cell— well, shoved would be a more accurate description considering I crashed up against the opposing wall from the force of the push—and locked within the cold confined space to entertain myself until I was retrieved.

I spent the rest of my evening in those dreary cells throwing little rocks at the bars listening as they made different tings while thinking bitterly about how my two babysitters were probably off enjoying themselves having a few drinks and telling stories about their jobs.

I growled, desperately wishing for a little alcohol and a good story myself. Eavesdropping was one of my strong suits. Males and females had no qualms in spilling secrets and stories, thinking I was too far away and disinterested to listen in. I was a female after all and no one would ever expect one to be in a pure state, gaining the ability to listen in at great distances.

After sitting for what seemed like hours, I felt myself begin to dose off. Today had been stressful and eventful and I wasn’t surprised my body wanted to sleep and as I had nothing else better to do, I let my eyes close and my senses dull themselves.

I reverted to full human form because the pure state consumed to much energy to maintain and defeated the whole purpose of rest and let the thick blackness of sleep envelope me in its clutches.

It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes of blissful napping that I was disturbed by a loud racket. The heavy padlocked door at the end of the hallway banged open, and I could only imagine the force that must have been used to make it swing back so hard and fast.

Loud, determined, footsteps made their way towards me followed by hurried, light, steps behind.

“Sir, please, you cannot be back here, this area is strictly prohibited. Only with a Zeta officer are you allowed clearance back here. Sir please don’t go near the cell!”

Throughout the Zeta agent’s pleading I had clambered to my feet through the fog of sleep that still invaded my mind. I stood in the center of my cell, looking to my right as the huge shadow cast across the concrete ground grew closer and closer.

The aura in the air prickled my skin, causing my hair to stand on end, an involuntary shiver made its way up and down my spine. My heartbeat picked up its pace as my fight or flight instincts came on full force.

While fight usually won out, for some horrific reason, the urge to flee was the only instinct that kicked in.

As the male that caused this reaction from me finally came into view, my breathing stopped short.

He was huge, at least six and a half feet tall with broad shoulders and thick muscles over every inch of his body. He was still in dress slacks and dress shoes, but he was only wearing a grey T-shirt on top, exposing his corded arm muscles that seemed to flex with each and every movement. His hair was an unusual shade of blood red with darker streaks, it was slicked back smartly and gelled to keep in place.

He absolutely terrified my instinctual side, so I pushed it away, letting my rational side prevail. I didn’t think much about it, he was a One, a very powerful one at that, my primal side probably felt threatened into submission.

He wrapped his hands around the bars and leaned in closer.

“Sir, please, step away from the cell she’s a feral and she could attack you!” The Zeta agent was frantically trying to get the male to back away.

However, he used the wrong choice of words that seemed to set off the big male.

He whirled around and seized the young male by his throat, lifting him from the ground. “You think I’m so weak that I’d ever let a female get close enough to touch me let alone hurt me? She is no feral and she’s not as dangerous as she’d like everyone to think.” He leaned in closer to the Zeta agent’s face, “she is nothing but a worthless, pathetic, female just like every other one out there. She just needs someone to show her that.” The boy was gasping for air, pushing at the One’s hands. “Don’t ever presume to warn me of my safety ever again. Understand kid?”

The Zeta agent nodded frantically, tapping at the male’s hand to release him. The large male waited a few more seconds to get his point across before he released the boy who dropped to the ground in a heap, wheezing.

The intimidating male tucked his hands in his pockets and turned back to me. “Contact your officers and get them down here. We have arrangements to work out.” My eyes dropped to the boy who pulled himself to his feet and was urgently relaying the information to Jude through the walkie-talkie.

“You made a grave mistake hurting your consort like that, female. For even daring to harm a male. Don’t worry though, I’ll show you the error of your ways.”

His calm words made me want to curl in on myself and shrink away for a split second before I felt anger course through me. Who did he think he was to lecture me? To think he would train me into submission?

With a snarl I push through into my pure state, my nails growing into claws and my teeth sharpening to deadly points.

The male looked at my transformed self with revulsion and fury. “This shall be the first thing we will fix.” He muttered more to himself than for me to hear.

“Damnit Hyde, you had one job!” Jude’s voice rang through the cells echoing off the concrete walls. The Zeta agent walked right up to the One, bowing his head quickly and slightly. “Sir, my apologies, but you cannot be back here. Especially with the female and without a Zeta agent of status,” he pointedly looked at Hyde who ducked his head in embarrassment and shame, “to accompany you. Regulations and all that.”

The One waved his hand dismissively. “Let’s not waste any more time. I have a flight to catch in a few hours, and it seems as though I may need a little extra time to pack everything I intend on taking back with me.” He eyed me as he said the last part. “As I understand, this female will be subjected to The Consortpool come time.” He flicked his wrist to get a look at the time on his very shiny and expensive looking watch. “As that won’t be for another several hours yet, I’ll save you the time.” Jude looked at him with wary eyes. “I want the female. Give her to me now and I will save you the trouble of keeping her under control throughout The Consortpool.”

Jude was already shaking his head. “You already have a consort, Myrin. You cannot claim a second.”

Myrin snorted. “You misunderstand me. I have no intention of taking her as a second consort or as a replacement. I just want the female as a pet more or less. She’ll entertain me in the weeks to come.”

“We have orders to bring her to The Consortpool. She’s to be bonded off or euthanized.”

The One gestured at me. “This thing is not fit for a consort. She is out of control and needs to be contained and under a stern hand. Give her to me and I assure you she will be causing no problems in your future.” Jude wasn’t yet convinced but worry knotted itself in my stomach as I saw that with each word, he was becoming more swayed to the One’s request. “What male does it matter? None will be her consort, but some will not be able to bring her to heel like others will.” Myrin stared down at Jude. “If I cannot fix her, I’ll kill her myself.”

That was all the convincing Jude needed. With a brisk nod and firm handshake my fate was sealed. “I’ll have the paperwork brought up within the hour. A signature from you is all we need.” Looking back at me and my eyes glowing with the promise of destruction and possibly death he added, “once you sign, she’s off our hands. Zeta will hold no responsibility for her. She’s solely your problem.”

The One’s expression didn’t change. “I’d rather it that way.”

“Good.” Beckoning Hyde with a finger, Jude left the cells with a final statement directed at me. “You’ll conform,” his grin sent a bolt of terror through me, “I’ll make you see the errors of your ways.”

I would soon learn that those words were to become my worst nightmare.