Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Declan smiled.

"Aye, he's alive. Rowan didn't lie to you about that."

Rowan, leaning against the wall to my right, tipped an imaginary hat to me.

"But before you ask - no, he's not here. Seemed more prudent to send him on ahead."

"Ahead to where?" I asked.

My eyes burned, but I refused to cry.

Steady, lass.

     Startled, I looked past Declan to Kieran. He hadn't moved from his position, but his eyes were locked on mine. None of the others gave any indication that they'd heard anything, yet I could've sworn -

     You're just remembering what he'd said before, I told myself.

"We - the pack - have a compound, a few hours northeast of this safehouse," Declan explained. "Quite secluded. Far too oft the beaten path for any humans to ever come across. That's where you'll be headed, come tomorrow.

"With the four of us to lend you proper escort, of course."

"Humans," I whispered.

     I'd known there had to be something, of course, from the moment I saw their eyes glow and teeth change, but...

"So you... all of you... are -"

"Shifters," Torin supplied, smirking. "So is that big bastaird back there. So is your precious Mac -"

"Fuckin half-blood, that one," Liam snorted.

"And, since I don't think you've quite put it together yet, ceann beag," Declan continued, c*****g his head at me with a smile,

"so are you."

     I stared at him, stunned. My blood pounded in my ears, and for a moment I couldn't even breathe.

There's no way.

No, no f*****g way-

"I'm a what?" I whispered.

"A faoladh," Torin explained. "A wolf shifter. You haven't come to age just yet for your first change, aye, but you will. Very soon. Twenty-first birthday, in, what, barely half a week now?"

"How did you kn - no, that can't be right," I said, forcing a laugh.

I rubbed at the goosebumps that had suddenly covered my arms.

"There's no such thing, it's not -"

"Possible?" Declan offered.

I sucked in a sharp breath as his ice-colored eyes abruptly blazed silver again.

"You sure about that, gorgeous?"

"Let her be," Kieran growled.

"Or what?" Torin chortled.

Rowan hopped onto my bed and leaned against the wall next to me, close enough for me to feel the heat radiating from his skin.

I closed my eyes, willing myself to stay still.

"You can't do shite, not with that wolfsbane in you. Lucky that Laignech wants you alive. Fuckin fealltoir."

"I'm no traitor," Kieran snapped back. "And no one's b***h, which is more than I can say for you, you arrogant fuck."

"Aye, shut it, the both of you," Declan cut in. "Let's keep focus where it belongs. Our lovely little maighdean here."

The others snickered. Kieran was silent, but his fists gripped the bars of his cell in a kind of helpless rage.

"What's that mean?" I asked unsteadily.

"'Virgin'," Declan explained, with a little smirk on his lips.

     My eyes popped wide as I barked out an incredulous laugh.

What the f**k?

"You - if THAT'S what you're after, then I'm definitely not your girl, asshole," I retorted.

"I haven't been one since I was seventeen. So why don't you go find yourself one and let me go."

Declan laughed - a genuine laugh.

Which was actually frightening, given the circumstances.

"Not in the human sense, Abigail. As a faoladh," he said softly, stretching out a hand to cup my face.

"You're the first pure Ossorian female we've come across. I know you don't understand what that means yet, but to us, amongst our kind, you are infinitely precious. One of a kind, you might say.

"So, no, love - I'll not be letting you go. Laignech would never allow that."

I flinched back at a loud bang and snarl.

Kieran.

     He was on his feet now, and he was pissed. The "bang" had been him slamming into the bars.

"You know what'll happen if he takes her!"

Kieran's furious eyes glowed like polished silver.

"You'll no only condemn her - you'll send the rest of us straight to fuckin' hell."

"You're dead, anyway," Rowan returned, smirking.

"He only needs you alive for the binding ceremony. Laignech will be alpha king, o'course, but who do you think's gonna run the western packlands in his name? Us."

"Bloody fools, the lot of you," Kieran growled, hitting the bars again.

"Enough," Declan cut in.

He focused on me again, his eyes on mine.

"I know you're frightened. Confused. Angry. I don't blame you. But know this - resistance will gain you nothing but pain."

Declan lowered his voice as he leaned a little more towards me. At the same time, he slipped one hand around the back of my neck and squeezed. It wasn't painful, but it was as firm as stone.

His quiet tone sent a shudder down my spine.

"Fight us - I'll strip you naked and put you in restraints.

"Escape - I'll hunt you down myself.

"I will find you. And when I do, I'll set up a little FaceTime call, right here. Where you will watch the livestream of your uncle's execution. His death won't be painless, and it won't be quick.

"Do I make myself clear, Abigail?"

Tears burned my eyes. This time, there was no holding them back.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Good girl," he said, patting my knee.

"There's a lot to talk about, but that'll wait for a bit. You'll find clean clothes in there," Declan continued, nodding to the bathroom door.

"Towels, toiletries for the shower. One of us will bring down food soon. Plenty of water in those cases. I'd recommend you drink what you can tolerate - it'll help. That serum we used on you packs a punch."

Torin was already holding out a Dasani to me. I mumbled thanks and accepted it, ignoring his answering grin.

"What about him?" I asked, with a slight nod toward Kieran.

He hadn't moved from the bars. Nor had his eyes left my face.

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"What about him?"

     Declan took the water bottle from me, cracked the top, and handed it back. I debated holding off on drinking it, then decided f**k it. My head was pounding.

I took a long drink, then covered a cough.

"Does he, um - I mean, does he -"

I took another swallow, tried again.

"That is, does he get to, uh, come out? To use the bathroom and shower, too."

Rowan nudged my shoulder, almost playful. I cringed, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, him? Don't you worry 'bout him. He can't get out. And even if you wanted to, you couldn't let him out. Locked up tight, he is.

"Facilities are for you only, sweetheart. He's got a bucket to piss and s**t in. If he's a good boy, maybe we'll even use a clean one to throw his bath water with."

I reflexively closed my eyes even as Rowan, Liam, and Torin all laughed. Then I looked at Kieran.

His dark eyes were on me, his expression unreadable.

And yet...

There.

     A flicker, inside my head. I couldn't have described it if I'd tried. Still, I looked down, careful to avoid Declan's sharp eyes.

I couldn't understand much of what I'd heard and seen (boy, was that a f*****g understatement), but l knew one thing without question.

Whatever..this...was, between Kieran and me, Declan couldn't know.

That would be dangerous.

For Kieran - and for me, too.

"Be good, love," Liam called, startling me.

I turned my head quickly to see him already headed up the steps, behind Rowan and Torin.

"Maybe I'll be back later. You can kiss my boo-boo."

More laughter.

     Only Declan stayed behind. He said something (in Gaelic, I reminded myself) to Kieran, who gave a terse reply. Declan's lips turned in a slight smile.

Then, (and I didn't need any special "sense" to know that this next part was intended to piss Kieran off), he made a slow show of climbing onto my bed.

He kept easing toward me, eyes aglow, until his body was fully touching my left side.

Declan carefully pulled my hair back, exposing my ear and neck. I let out a shuddering breath. He brushed warm, soft lips from the corner of my mouth, across my cheekbone, and finally to my ear.

"You'd do well to stay away from him, love," he murmured. "He wants you. Nor can I blame him - we all do.

"And believe me - were it anyone but Laignech, I'd have already taken you for myself."

Declan pressed a second, firmer kiss to my temple before finally getting up.

I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding as he walked up the stairs.

"Remember what I said, fealitor," he called, not pausing or even looking back.

The door at the top of the stairs opened. Deep voices, laughter, and what sounded like the television floated on the air.

Then the door clicked shut and the lock engaged. There was silence once more.

They'd left the basement lights on. Breathing harder now, I finally looked back across the room.

Back into the dark brown eyes that had probably never left mine.

My fellow prisoner.

Kieran.