Rejected Mate and Following Fate - Awakening Book Chapter 37: Why Can't I Turn?

“I thought he might have food.” I add, eyes darting around the room past him as I continue to come
back to the land of reality and start looking for something useful to help me get out of these straps.
Trying up muster up the will power to turn again, but nothing happens. Something is seriously screwing
with my abilities and this individual doesn’t seem like an imminent threat. Unless talking you to death is
possible. My nerves are quickly dissipating in his presence.

“Oh, so you’re hungry. Oh lord, how thoughtless of us. Well we can do something about that can’t we.
No need for us to be rude and inhospitable. It makes perfect sense you would be drawn to a manmade
building in search of supplies in the center of this green utopia if you were out here lost. I just would like
to know your name for a start, and possibly where you originated from, and maybe, if you have any
more friends lurking out there. A pack, a mate. Someone who might not be very discreet about the
whereabouts of our sensitive location. I know it’s a bothersome formality, but they won’t let me feed or
untie you without it.”

I ignore him completely, too occupied with the why of the fact I can’t seem to muster any kind of ability,
and even my strength is no more than a regular human. It’s beginning to frustrate me, as I can now
move my toes and feet, and rotate and wriggle them to test the strength of the straps. My strength and
speed I have even in human form, is absent.

“What have you done to me? Why can’t I turn?” I snap it at him aggressively, temper rising as it really
sinks in, but it isn’t helpful in terms of ability at all. I hit him with a pointed look under lowered browns
and his happy little face drops to an almost impressed ‘oooh’ look.

“Ahhhh, well caught. You’re an observant one, aren’t you? This facility is a life-sized isolation tank, so
your kind can’t use any unwanted force, or abilities, on my staff when we require your presence, or
when we have guests such as yourself. It’s quite remarkable how they make a building completely
capable of dissolving any kind of supernatural ability, isn’t it? I don’t have the engineering science, but I



can assure you it’s quite ingenious.” He talks way too much. He also gets way too excited over the
smallest things, and I eyeroll and shake my head at him, trying to draw him back to the intel that I need.

“Once again…Where am I?” I’m losing my cool quickly, annoyed at being held down and I start
wriggling manically, more to attempt to escape this crazy one, not giving a crap he’s standing right
there. The noise of the door beeping and clicking behind him though, snaps my attention back to it, and
the dark uniformed figure that comes stalking in as he pushes a trolley with what seems to be a food
tray to one side.

“Pipe down, Princess. You know where you are because you hauled ass up to our door and tried to
take a peek. The question he asked …. Are there more of you out there?” It’s a commanding deep,
almost growl like tone, from a serious looking man with a foreboding glare. My inner intimidation
returns, as he makes my brave pipe down, and I return to still, cool mannered, and stare directly at him.

He’s a scary one and most definitely wolf. Not that my sense of smell is working either. Tall, broad,
physically hunky, and good looking in that boring, typical, dominant wolf way, and unnervingly very
Santo. Which in itself is weird. He’s Latino, dark, tanned, handsome, and I swear he almost has
Colton’s darkest chocolate eyes, although his have hints of green that lighten them overall and it
somehow kills the whole smoldering thing. He has an arrogant look to him, and a slight downturn to his
mouth where Colton’s turns up, that gives him an aggressive superiority air. Colton, even when being
an arrogant ass, always has a smiley quality to his face. Pretty boy… cute… dimples…. God, I miss
him.

“Guess you’ll find out soon enough.” I remark bitchily, not willing to give them any information until I
know what’s going to happen to me. So far it does seem that tests, and experiments, and pulling my
insides out is unlikely. I’m probably more in danger of ben ‘fan girled’ by the dude in the white coat who
has a serious leg hump for my whiteness.



If they know I’m alone and have no one tracking me, or with me, they might think nothing of disposing
of me. He did say this was a top-secret facility and I’m guessing making promises not to tell doesn’t
really hold a lot of weight with these types. I shouldn’t tell them anything, and pray they believe I’m a no
one and let me go on my merry way.

“Not the sensible response, Sweetheart. Name… Pack name. Don’t get smart. The quicker we know
who you are, the faster you might get out of here.” He eyes me viciously, no friendly at all in that face. I
snort at that, half laughing, sardonically, and roll my eyes, noting how much emphasis he put on the
word might.

“Sure, I will. I mean, it’s totally normal to be an asshole, drug people, and tie them up, right?”

Now is probably not a good time to realize I developed bad attitude and sass while living in the
wilderness, but something about him really riles me up. I’m guessing it’s the Latino look, and that hint of
accent, reminding me of so many smug dickheads I grew up around, and his tone is getting on my last
nerve. Sick of being pushed around by these alpha type wolves and their damn superiority complexes.

“Deacon, here, is our head of security and you must excuse his abrupt manner, he’s just very
concerned that the delicate nature of our work might be compromised if some random, yet very pretty,
rebel wolves should happen to disrupt our facility. We have sensitive materials that require the utmost
protection. I beg you to understand our predicament and disregard my friend’s hostility in such an
unfortunate matter.” He’s flapping, looking flustered and trying to give an air of friendly.

“Doc… too much intel for a bratty girl who’s giving nothing in return. How about go polish a stethoscope
over in the corner and leave this to me.” He snaps and the poor little doctor reddens in the cheeks at
the verbal tell off. His eyes dropping to the floor in submission and it’s no surprise to see which one
rules this roost.



Deacon is not that much older than me physically, and yet he acts like he could totally be of Juan’s
arrogant, nasty bloodline, with a massive chip on his shoulder. He probably got stationed here against
his own will and takes it out on everyone around him. He looks like the type to love pistol whipping
people and probably gets off on the power trip.

“Maybe, if I wasn’t chained to a bed, I would be more inclined to talk.” I point out, sarcastically, raising
one brow to drive the point home and showing none of the fear that’s still simmering in my belly. I
guess being out there alone for weeks on end gave me a sense of fierce and confidence I never knew I
could ever get back, and this time it’s Deacon who eyerolls.

“She does have a point though, it’s not very polite of us, especially when she cannot do any physical
damage within these walls.” The doc seems to be the soft touch and the dark glare Deacon spins and
throws at him, makes him pipe down immediately. He almost turns crimson from the neck up and
shuffles back, slightly away from the big brute at his side.

“She gets loose when we get some answers!” He digs his heels in, turning back to me with an
unamused frown that signals him throwing his dominance around and I sigh heavily, knowing I’ve no
choice but to give them something if I want the use of my limbs at least. It’s not great being interrogated
by two men standing over me, while I’m set out like a sacrifice to the gods. Mentally it makes me feel at
a very huge disadvantage and being free would make this less intimidating.

“Fine!!! Carmen!!… My pack comes from the east, and I’m taking a little trekking holiday break from
them after a fight with my mom, and stupidly stumbled across your little building. I was curious that’s
all.” I lie convincingly and stare straight at Mr. Security. long and hard to drive the point home. My
stomach is starting to tremble, my nerves getting the better of me, and I can’t tell if the waves of cold
are the aftereffects of the drug, or my anxiety peeking. I’ve no idea why I chose her name. I guess on
some level, if I do get free, then I want her name to be the one they cast to the shoot on sight if seen
again list. I mean, I do blame her for a huge portion of how I got here.



“Carmen? Hmmm. Nope.” He replies and crosses his arms across a muscular chest, trying to appear in
the know, but it only serves to irritate me further.

“Umm, why nope? Carmen is my god damn name, I’m sorry it doesn’t meet your expectations. Freak.” I
huff, wriggle aggressively, and exhale heavily when I make no headway in loosening anything.

“You’re not a very good liar…. You have about fifty tells, and the only part of that which was true was
that you stumbled across us. The rest was bullshit. Look, we just need to know who else is with you,
and who you linked and told about this place before we took you down?”

“What does it matter, for fuck sake? No one, okay. I’m alone, and this bullshit is getting old. Untie me if
you’re all so fucking nice and friendly, as it might make a god damn difference to this conversation! If
you want me to talk then get me off this god damn, uncomfy, infernal fucking bed, you have me strung
out on like I’m awaiting dissection!!” I lose my cool, my temper snaps with sheer frustration at him, riling
in a way only Colton ever could make me, and I blame the fact that he resembles him somewhat, and
has that same pig-headed, stubborn ass, manner that used to make me crazy hate the Santos. That
know it all, bull crap, mind game, shit, and ordering me around.

“How alone?” He completely ignores my femme tantrum. Deacon steps closer, pressing his hands to
either side of my head on the bed and it dips as he leans into me, bringing his face close enough he
locks on me, eye to eye, and blocks out most of the light over my head, casting his face in shadow. It
has the effect I guess he was going for, in that I lose all fight, recoiling back inside myself, completely
affected, and a little fearful, and lift my chin in a bid to not show it. Backing down subtly, but not without
a little fight.

“Like all the way alone…. My pack isn’t with me, but I can’t be sure they aren’t far behind.” It’s not really
a lie, as I don’t actually know if any of my pack have ever caught onto any kind of trail and followed me.
I doubt it, as they would have caught up by now, but I’m not going to say I know for sure they haven’t. I



just don’t know, and it seems to be a believable statement as he leans up and pushes himself away
from me after a minor scrutinizing of my face at close quarters.

“No one with you? No mind linking?” He repeats sternly and as stupid as I am for admitting it, I shake
my head. Deacon seems satisfied I’m not lying and turns back to his submissive
oddball.


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