Run, Run, Run, As Fast As You Can

Ready

I guess I lost track of the days while I was in my white prison.

If I was being completely honest, I also lost track of my dignity. I woke up completely naked with Grace looking down at me with her big, innocent looking, teal eyes. 

I mentally scoffed at the idea that Grace was ever innocent. She kidnapped children for a living and when I got away fare and square, she sent her dogs to track me down, and drag me back kicking and screaming, quite literally when I was younger. I nailed it on the head when I was younger, things here would look like bunnies and bite like snakes. 

"Come on, girly, We've got to get you ready," Grace commanded as if this were an everyday experience. 

"Falcon's not watching the cameras is he?" I asked in horror, remembering that the cameras in solitary confinement were always on. 

"Of course not. He was replaced by someone who was mated. He has to get ready for the ball as well."

"Great," I said sarcastically, "He was replaced by someone who is mated. That makes me feel so much better about being watched by some random guy while I'm stark naked."

"Stop your whining and get in the shower."

"Stop my whining? Am I not justified in whining when you stripped me down in the night with some guy was watching?"

"Well, the longer you sit there, the longer he gets to watch you while you're naked. Get in the shower child."

"No. I want to talk about the fact that you have no regard for personal boundaries. You need to make it so a girl is watching from the other side of the screen. If I threaten you she can call a guy to save you."

"Stop being so stubborn. When your match sees this..." she trailed off and started to shake her head. 

My 'match' was going to see this? Good, maybe I can get her fired. She can't just take my clothes while a guy is watching. 

"How do you think my 'match' will feel when he sees how you've treated me? I'm in a loony bin room with male guards at all times. I'm protesting the conditions, and you're just brushing off my complaints as if I were a normal human. For all you know, my 'match' could be your king's son."

"Eros," Grace interrupted, swinging her platinum blond hair over her shoulder, "and his wolf would never..."

"I don't care what his name is, or what he wolf would, or would not, do. My point is, you don't even know my status in your society, but you're treating me as if I was matched with a low ranker already. Which you already know is false since you don't kidnap children that smell like they are going to be matched with low ranker. I want a female guard, and to be treated as if you haven't been looking forward to this day since I arrived."

"Whoever you're matched with is going to think you're a bitch when he sees this."

'According to you he's going to love me anyway', I thought with venom seeping into each of the words. Of course, I couldn't say that out loud, or I'd get another three hour lecture about how he will love me and that is the point of the bond and blah, blah, blah. 

I snorted in annoyance, "I'm not the dog here, you are. Now, get me a new guard."

"You just have to be difficult don't you?" she asked before looking at the camera, "Devon, will you get your wife to watch the cameras please?"

A  walkie-talkie at her hip came to life with a little static, "I already am Grace. I wasn't going to let Devon watch her get ready. I'll call him if you have any problems with her though."

"See? She understands where I'm coming from," I said to Grace before looking up at the ceiling, "Oh, and there's an intercom system in here if you'd rather use that."