Time slipped by slowly when I had nothing to do but pace around my beautifully decorated prison. I only ever saw the same four faces coming in and out, dressing me and designing me up like a doll. I was starting to really feel like a doll, like a mannequin, here for dress-up parties and wedding plans, void of anything real underneath. Hollow.

“I will never stop trying to get away from him or escape. Does he really plan on keeping me tied up or locked away for the rest of my life?” I snarled at Ben when he walked into the room. The two women who were constantly dressing me were playing around with the lace on my arms. The entire dress was skin tight and I wasn’t sure I could walk down any aisle without falling over. I could barely move my feet. Ben chuckled softly.

“I don't think it'll be that hard to really break your spirit after the wedding. You’ll be complacent soon enough. Though I still don’t understand why you aren’t happy. You’ll be Luna, married to the most desirable man on the east coast. Every woman in our pack, hell some of the men, would kill to be in your position.” Ben aimlessly wandered around my room, sporadically touching little pieces of things and examining them as if worried I had found some sort of escape or way to communicate. I wished that was the case.

The ladies pulled tighter against the threads wrapping around my breasts. They started pushing further out like a wench on a pirate ship, I sighed.

“I’d be more than happy to offer up my place to any of them. Just have Nik pick one.”

“It’s too late, sweetheart, he picked and he picked you. Why fight it?” Ben chuckled again. I rolled my eyes. How could I explain to someone who threw their life away to serve another why this didn’t appeal to me? I couldn’t.

“Is there something in particular you want, Ben?” I barked.

“I’m just checking on you. Making sure you don’t need anything,” he answered. He finally stopped touching things and put his hands in his pocket, coming to stand behind me. He watched me in the mirror with a curious expression that made me uneasy.

“That’s a f*cking joke right? The only thing I need is to be free of this place and free of Nik.”

“I understand that’s how you feel but after Saturday, you’ll be feeling much differently, I promise.” Ben’s ‘promise’ felt more like a threat and I felt a pang of vomit reach my throat. I couldn’t respond, I couldn’t find my words. Ben gave me another sickly smile before leaving the room silently.

The sobs caught in my throat and I struggled to breathe. The ladies still dressing me paid no attention. They continued to fumble with the lace and wrap my arms in pearls while the tears dripped like heavy rain down my face and onto the desk. My make-up started to smear and this look seemed much more appropriate for the event I was being forced to participate in.

I stood there for at least another hour while they played and prodded like I was their own personal doll. When they finally finished, they stripped me down to my bra and underwear and left me standing alone, completely exposed - mentally and physically. I had no more tears to run but my eyes were still puffy and my nose was still red. No one had bothered to fix my make-up and I looked like a tattered toy tossed aside. How fitting.

I didn’t bother to get dressed. I just dragged myself back to the bed and wrapped my arms and legs around myself. I laid there motionless, numb, trying not to think about my situation any longer. I wasn’t sure what I could do. There was always someone watching, keeping me ‘protected’.

I was so wrapped up in my moment of self pity I didn’t even notice when the door opened and someone new slipped into my room. I didn’t notice as she studied the pieces of my room and moved around the side of me. I looked up at her when she finally moved around to face me. She looked almost completely opposite of me. Her hair was long and golden, glistening in the fading sunlight. Her eyes were a faded blue and her skin was like porcelain with flakes of silver shining off of it.

“This is it then? This is the great Kate Cole?” she asked, not trying to be cruel, only curious and surprised. I raised an eyebrow at her but otherwise made no attempt to adjust my position. “What is it about you? I mean you are stunning but not anymore than any other woman he’s had, who’d kill to be in your place. It’s gotta be sex. Some position or dirty thing you’re willing to do that no other woman can do. That’s the only thing I can think of. What is it?” She kept her eyes on me and waited with anxious anticipation.

I scoffed at her and rolled my eyes. Instead of answering her I rolled over on my other side. She chuckled quietly and moved around to face me again. I sighed audibly.

“Who are you? What do you want from me?”

She gave me a curious smile and started meandering around my room.

“My name is Parker. I’m one of Nik’s girls, you could say,” she explained. “I was just curious what made you so special. What it was about you that finally made Nik settle down and take a Luna.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her pitifully. I sat up now and wrapped my arms around my knees.

“F*ck I wish I knew. I wish I could stop doing whatever it was and keep him away from me.”

Parker turned her eyes back on me sharply. There was so much confusion and curiosity in her expression. We both stared at each other baffled.

“You’re trying to tell me that you don’t want to be with Nik? That you don’t want to be Luna?” She took a pause now and sat down beside me.

“That is exactly what I’m telling you. He’s supposed to be my uncle, not my husband. Nik is a monster. I spent the last three years hiding from him and I would escape him now if I could.” I didn’t realize how much hope was slipping out in my voice until I saw the small smile in the corner of Parker’s mouth.

“This is some sort of joke, isn’t it?” Parker asked, still completely dumbfounded.

“Seriously? No, I’m not joking. I hate him. He killed my mother. He’s a monster. I want nothing more than to escape him,” I paused for a moment while a wild thought ran through my brain. I didn’t give myself time to think it through or think of all the reasons it’d be a mistake. Instead I acted on impulse. “If you give me a chance I’ll prove it to you.”

Parker raised her eyebrow in curiosity.

“How would you do that?”

“Logan. Call Logan. Tell him what happened. He’ll come for me. As soon as he does I’ll get out of here and you’ll never hear from me again. You can even have your shot with Nik, if you want,” I offered. As if I had any kind of power or influence to change Nik’s mind.

“Logan? Is that your boyfriend? Your mate?” she asked, absentmindedly. I couldn’t help but blush and I buried my face deeper into my knees.

“No. He’s my boss, my, my friend.” I answered. I couldn’t deny there were many times when I thought of Logan that way or wished for more… but I wasn’t the kind of girl to make such bold moves. Especially ones that could endanger my job. Parker kept her eyes on me and seemed to understand.

“What’s his number?” She pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed the digits as I spoke them outloud. She put her phone up to her ear. “Yes I’m calling for Logan,” she paused and put a hand over the receiver before whispering to me, “what’s his last name?”

“Finn.”

“I’m calling for Logan Finn,” she started again. Parker waited while someone on the other end gave out information. Her expression did not spark confidence. “Okay, okay, yes, thank you. Yes, if you could please let me know that I called. It’s an emergency. He can reach me back at this number. As soon as his plane lands. Thank you, I appreciate it.”

“What happened?” I asked, instantly without giving Parker time to even hang up the phone.

“Apparently he’s on a plane. He’s headed to another Alpha’s wedding,” Parker stated with heavy suggestion. We both stared at each other with intensity growing.