chapter 6: Sick game

The class was held in a large open area within the prison walls. There appeared to be twice as many guards today, with some even following the class around.

In a training uniform, the sheriff from the day before stood in front of their class. That usually entailed gym shorts, a shirt, and tennis shoes. "All right, class," he said for the first time today, "I am going to show you how to protect yourself from criminal wolves."

The purpose of this was unclear. They had a better chance of meeting a murderer than of winning the lottery.

The sheriff instructed them not to scream if they came into contact with a criminal wolf. That only drew their attention to you as they tried to silence you. Unless there were other people around, Althea agreed. If they heard a scream, they would either help or stand back and wait for someone else in the crowd to be the hero.

"The second thing is to protect yourself, not your valuables," he said, holding up his own iPhone. She slid her iPhone 6 Plus back into her pocket after looking down at it. She thought she valued her life more than her phone, but that wasn't the case today.

They then ate some delicious food that had been prepared for them. It was appealing, in her opinion, far too appealing. Everything was available, including baked goods and Korean cuisine.

"Hey Althea, how are you doing?" her professor asks, sitting next to her against the prison wall.

"I'm good, Sir," she said, nodding slightly cheerfully.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cupcake, asking her, "Why not have one?" as he tries to hand her the cupcake.

"No thanks," she frowns, getting up and walking away. She had no intention of eating the prison food.

When everyone had finished, they formed a circle around the sheriff and their professor. They told them that they are going to play a fun game, but she had no idea what it was. It reminded her of a messed-up version of hide and seek.

Her heart was racing, but not as fast as it had been the day before. She tried to calm it down with soothing breaths, but nothing worked. It was something she had to deal with until they were able to leave the facility.

"Our session is nearly over; do you have any questions before the game starts?" he asks, a small smile on his face. Her professor was sketching around the prison cluelessly.

There wasn't much to ask, so no one raised their hand. Her questions, after all, weren't meant to be asked aloud. They were wild guesses that could raise her suspicions.

"Fair enough," the sheriff says as he rises. "Would anyone like to play this game--" the sheriff didn't finish his sentence when the prison lights were turned off, leaving them in complete darkness.

The women screamed, and the men gasped. She then curled into a small ball, attempting to adjust her eyes to the darkness, which thankfully worked. When she looked around at her classmates, she noticed that they were all blind, as if they couldn't see anything.

"They weren't stupid; maybe that food had something to do with it, which would imply that this was planned, but what exactly is this?" she pondered. She looked around and saw guards surrounding them. She took a step back, away from her classmates, and backed up against the prison wall.

The Warden called out, "Huddle together! There's been a prison break!" he exclaimed. He was standing behind the guards, looking at her class. "This can't be his game because this is not fun," she muttered.

Her heart was racing as her wolf went crazy, and she sensed her mate nearby. She looked around and noticed a shady shadow on top of the prison, its white eyes staring down at her. She mumbled, "Allan."

He didn't stay long, though, as he hopped off the buildings and ran in the opposite direction.

"How could he have gone unnoticed when there were double the guards today?"

She returned her gaze to her class, which was also frozen in fear. Their professor was nervously biting his nails as the warden looked around and then at her. She gave him the bed while glaring at him. His eyes widened as he spoke to a nearby guard.

"How can you see?" he sneered, approaching her face.

"I didn't eat that food you contaminated," she gulped, a little louder than she should have. Her classmates stopped blubbering and started paying attention. "I'm not sure what's fun about releasing your most dangerous prisoner," she said privately, almost immediately regretting it.

The prison lights were turned back on. The spotlight was on Althea and the Sheriff. "I rest assured no prisoner broke out missy," he says as he straightens his shirt.

"Then show us, Allan, show us he's still locked up," she said confidently, her eyes piercing into his.

"Little lady, this prison is unbreakable. I'm not going to such an extent to prove a point. I think it's about time your class left," he said, frowning. Her professor nodded and hurried them to the bus.

She returned her gaze to the sheriff, who was now staring at her, thinking. If she only knew what sick game he was up to.

The bus ride was long, but she had time to think. She enjoys mysteries because she has always wanted to be a detective, Thinking about Allan. She had an idea like a light turned on. "F*ck! What if they let him go so he could find his mate?

"Having his mate could make him stronger, but it could also weaken him if I got hurt," she thought to herself as she landed and looked down at her arm, knowing he felt it, and it probably felt like nothing, but he knew she did it.

She sighed, hoping she wasn't being delusional after seeing those piercing white eyes, hoping she was wrong, hoping her life wouldn't end soon.