Dollhouse

Chapter 20

Taito growled, annoyed, as he looked around at his pack mates. They were all in different cells, and he was one of the few still awake. He paced his cell, trying and failing to reach out to Ana. Something was blocking his mental advances, adding to his ever – growing frustration. Things had finally started looking up – he should've known the universe would spite him.

"What happened to the Luna?" Everyone was quiet, trying to piece together the mystery. Suddenly, a teasing voice spoke up.

"I don't know, but did you see what she was wearing?" Loud, appreciative whistles were quickly silenced by the alpha's jealous roar. One of his warriors, Stephen, rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"We meant no harm alpha. Just trying to lighten the mood." Taito huffed, appeased, and went back to pacing.

"Use someone else's mate to do so then." Snickers rose from the cells. Eventually they tapered off, and silence washed over them once more. Taito collapsed on the rickety bed with a sigh, his heart clenching in pain. I'll save you. Just wait for me.

Ana awoke the next morning refreshed but empty. She couldn't forget that man's eyes. The emotions that'd swam there hit her hard. She was filled with longing, just at the thought of his haunting gaze. My lover is right here, so why are my thoughts so consumed with the other? Maybe a past love I haven't seen in a long time? She abandoned her train of thought once a massive headache began the longer she'd tried sorting it out. After getting ready for the day, she resolved to find and question the man herself. Ana knew they were here somewhere – Ivan had explained last night he'd sent them to the underground cells. I just need to find those and get this mess straightened out. Easier said than done though. Determined, Ana walked to the wardrobe and lazily browsed through outfits. These were skimpier than she initially thought. She finally decided on the costume labeled huntress. It was a skin tight black body suit that connected at the waist by a belt, so it could break into two separate pieces when needed. There was a diamond cut out in the front and back, with the larger diamond at the back. Rips in the pants started above her knees and continued down to her ankles. It was sleeveless, and she paired it with black ankle boots. It also came with a cloak, but she saw no reason to wear that. She walked around the room, getting used to the feel of the material. Once she was satisfied, she left the room, noting the guard was no longer there. She walked slowly, trying to remember how to get to the foyer. Maybe it's one big circle, so if I keep going right I'll eventually end up somewhere I recognize. The hallways seemed never ending, and by the time she stumbled upon the kitchen, Ana felt like she'd been wandering for hours. She almost cried when she saw the wide array of food that was sitting on the kitchen counter. The bread and pies especially smelled freshly baked, so the chef probably stepped out for a minute. She walked up to the cupboard, searching until she found the plates. She grabbed one and danced over to the pile of French toast, plucking two from the pile. She was hit with a fleeting sense of déjà vu, but it faded as soon as Ana sank her teeth into her prize. She almost moaned at the taste, devouring the treat until nothing remained. She went back for fruits and orange juice until she was full. She cleaned everything when she was done and set off again, her spirits high once more.

Ana again felt like she'd been walking for ages. She had long given up on her search for the cells and instead trying to find her way back to her room. She rested her hand on the wall beside her, but stumbled when her hand sank into it along with the panel. She stared, dazed, as a hidden stairway slowly revealed itself. She stood at the top, squinting into the darkness to try to see where it lead. She had taken a step towards it when she stopped herself, caught in an internal debate. Some shady stairway literally pops up out of nowhere and you want to go down there? This has typical scary movie victim scene written all over it. But I am curious...and it may be the entrance to the underground cells. But curiosity killed the cat. And what if the entrance closes... That thought made her step back. She was just about to turn around before hands shot out and dragged her back, shoving her into the staircase. Ana turned and pounded on the now closed wall, near hysterical.

"What's the big idea? Open this back up! Let me out of here!" On the other side, the perpetrator glanced behind him, rolling his eyes at Ivan.

"Won't this speed up her recovery?" Ivan shook his head at the man's lack of imagination.

"There's no fun in this if I don't dangle her in front of him, only to snatch her back at the last minute. Who knows – I may even keep her for myself after this." Whistling, Ivan walked away. The man stayed a bit longer, glancing back at the hidden stairwell. Poor girl. She sure has bad luck to get mixed up with Ivan.

Hello my lovely readers! As always thank you for reading.