Kane escorts me back to my room without touching me. He walks slowly, at my pace, not rushing or pulling me like everyone else here has tried to do.

As we reach my room, he hangs back as I move past him and enter. He looks over his shoulder for a long moment before turning his attention back to me. "Please don't try again," he requests before closing the door.

I lay down on the bed, on top of the covers, thinking that there was no way I'll ever sleep here. But the next thing I know, light is streaming in from my window announcing the dawn.

Myra hasn't given me a specific time to be ready, so I figure now is as good as any. I take a really quick shower, partly because there doesn't seem to be any hot water and partly because there is no bar for me to steady myself with and after smacking my face against the tile wall, I decide enough is enough.

The bathroom has all the basics, though everything is unscented and hypoallergenic. There’s also a brush and hair tie. I try to remember how Myra had worn hers but can’t picture it. I end up with a high ponytail to keep it up and out of my face. My hair is short enough that it sticks up a bit at the top.

I dry off and go to look at the clothing that Myra left for me. There’s a pair of black pants made of sturdy but stretchy material and a dark blue long-sleeved polo shirt. There aren't any socks, shoes, or the undergarments that Myra had mentioned the night before so I just put on my own from last night.

I roll up one pant leg and put on the silicon sleeve before rolling the two cotton ones over my stump. It’s not a great idea to reuse them like this but I don’t have others and hadn’t thought to wash them in the sink last night.

Right as I’m fitting my prosthesis on, someone knocks briskly on my door and opens it. Myra is waiting on the other side wearing the same uniform as me but hers has a golden circle on the breast pocket, presumably saying she’s got some sort of rank.

"Good you're ready," she says with a nod as she turns on her heel and walks away, down the corridor.

I secure my leg and roll down the pant leg muttering about the impatience of able-bodied people. As fast as I can, I get up and peek out into the hall. She’s already halfway down the hall, heading away from the kitchen, and probably figuring I’m following her.

I try to catch up but she’s walking pretty quickly and even after a decent rest last night, it only takes a minute for me to lean against the wall. The walk through the woods the night before and everything after has stained my leg and it hurts to put much weight on it.

"Myra, I'm sorry. I can't," I stop myself from saying anything else and bite my lip. I don’t want to tell them how hard this is for me or what my limitations are.

Myra halts and looks back at me. Seeing me on the wall, she purses her lips. "Right. I forgot. Beta Niles said you'd be needing," she pauses searching for the right word, "assistance".

She walks back over to me and puts one arm around my waist and the other under my elbow. Normally, I'd be annoyed by people touching and helping me without my consent, but that seems like the wrong battle to fight just now.

As we start to walk, I mull over what she's just said and then ask, "Beta Niles?"

In my limited knowledge of wolves, I know there’s an alpha and beta and the whole thing is a pack.

"Isn't it Beta Kane?" I ask.

She nods, "Yes. There are three Betas in the pack. Beta Niles, Beta Kane, and Beta Anil."

I’m not sure what to do with that information but she surprises me by continuing her explanation. “Usually there’s just one. But Alpha wanted his top warriors to have the same rank so there would be no one overruling the other. It's created a bit of democracy that you don't normally see in packs," she explains as she leads me up a flight of stairs.

As we reach the landing, she stops us and sighs, "I was planning to have you follow me but that doesn't seem like the best post.''

I can feel her eyes on me and feel pinpricks of shame color my cheeks. I’m about to say that I can do it when I have a ‘lightbulb’ moment. "Is there a garden I can work in?"

"Well, yes, but I don't think..."

I cut her off before she can say no. "I've got a green thumb, really. And I just need a cane or stick or anything really to help." If I can get work outside, I'll be able to get a better idea of where I am and how to get away, warning from Kane be damned.

She shrugs and leads me outside. A few hundred meters from the house is a massive greenhouse with an expansive garden surrounding it.

We head into the greenhouse and she lets go of me. Both Myra and I look around, leaving me to assume she isn't in here often. She seems to realize I’ve noticed her gawking and clears her throat, "Every morning you will report to Harry for your assignments. Normally that would be me but if we decide to keep you out here it'll be easier to just go straight to him. However, you may also receive work throughout the day from pack members, which you are expected to complete before anything else. Clear?"

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I don’t know what else to say so I nod and turn back to look around. It’s the largest greenhouse I’ve ever been in, with rows and rows of plants both on the ground and hanging down from above.

I hear her close the door behind me and relax a bit. It worked!

In the distance, I see a man hunched over a crop of zucchinis. He looks too small to be one of them, so I’m guessing he’s a human, like me and Myra. I don't know if I should go over to him or just wait.

After a few minutes, he solves my indecisiveness by standing up and waving me over. He’s middle-aged with tanned weathered skin, soft blue eyes, and a broad-brimmed floppy straw hat.

"I'm Harry. nice to meet you," he greets with a smile that makes me want to smile in return.

I start to walk over and notice that his smile falls a bit as he watches me move. By the time I reach him, his expression has turned serious.

"I have the perfect job for you. May I?" he offers me his arm and I stare at it for a moment. I’m taken aback by the politeness of the gesture considering I am a prisoner surrounded by monsters. After an awkward moment, I nod and take it.

He leads me over to a table and a chair against the far wall. The table is piled high with small cloth bags.

"One of the boys thought he'd help me upload but ended up mixing everything all together. The seeds are pretty varied so it's easy to tell them apart. I've made a little chart for whoever I could rope into helping me. But you seem to be the one for the job. Just compare a seed from a bag with the chart and then write the name of the outside." He waits for me to get settled before handing me a marker.

I open a bag to start and notice he’s still standing there. He seems to be waiting for something and I realize I haven't said anything to him yet.

"I'm Ama, it's nice to meet you, too." I’m not sure that it is actually, but he's been nothing but polite so far and I doubt being rude is going to help me any.

He smiles again and with a wink, goes back to the zucchinis.

He’s right that it’s easy to tell the seeds apart, but the ones on the table are only a fraction of the shipment. After I've finished those, the table gets loaded up again by the tallest, gangliest teenager I’ve ever seen. He doesn't say a word, just dumps another few hundred on the table and leaves.

I spend the whole morning and a good chunk of the afternoon like that when Harry comes over.

"I'd completely lost track of time. I'll go get us something to eat. I've also got something I think you'll like."

That piques my interest and as he walks away, I wonder what it could be. When he comes back he pushes some of the bags aside and puts down an apple, a cheese sandwich on dark bread, and a bottle of water. I look up at him to say ‘thank you when I see what else he’s carrying, a pair of walking sticks.

They’re the type people use for cross country trekking and they look a bit too tall for me but beggars can’t be choosers, as they say.

"Thank you," I croak, surprised someone’s actually trying to help me at all.

He scratches the back of his head and says sheepishly, "I'm sure they'll get you something better eventually but in the meantime, I thought these would help." His words are kind but they strike me like a slap to the face.

Eventually? Would I be here eventually? Would I be here forever? And more so, why would anyone here do a fucking thing to make it easier or better for me?

He frowns, dropping his arms to his sides, “I’m sorry if I’ve overstepped.”

I quickly school my expression into as much of a smile as I can manage. “No, it’s very kind of you. I still can’t walk that far without support.”

“How long has it been?”

I’m still coming to terms with it myself and don’t usually like to talk about it, but I’m so off-balance with everything that’s happened that I say, “A while. It’s a lot better than it was. I've just gotten my permanent prosthetic...” My throat tightens as I am brought back to the reality of my situation.

“Can I ask?”

“A car accident last year. I didn’t lose it then, though. ”

He nods slowly. I can tell he’s waiting to see if I say more when it occurs to me that he might know about my sister. This may be a way to bring her up and gauge his reaction.

“My sister, Nia, managed to get wedged perfectly in between the dashboard and her seat, so, minus scrapes and bruises, she made it out alright. She was getting better, too. Not so afraid anymore.”

Suddenly, I don’t have it in me to be sneaky and try to trick something out of him. My eyes start to sting and I can’t get myself to say the words out loud. I think she is dead now.

I know he’s looking at me, probably wondering what’s going on but I don’t want to talk anymore. Instead, I thank him again and try to eat my lunch. I manage to force it down, not knowing when I'll get the chance to eat again, and go back to cataloging seeds. I tell myself that I just need to bide my time, learn about my surroundings, and plan a careful escape.

It isn’t until the sun begins to set that Harry comes over again to let me know it’s time to stop for the day.

What am I supposed to do now? Just go back to my room and wait for tomorrow?

The decision is out of my hands though, when one of them walks into the greenhouse, exchanges a few words with Harry, all while stealing glances in my directions.

I roll my eyes and wait for the monster to leave again before getting up. Harry meets me halfway and offers me a set of keys. "These open all the doors here. I think you'll be good company so I'm keeping you."

I know he means it as a joke but it hits too close to home for me to smile back. "Anyway, some of the boys need my help so I've got to head out now. You can stay as long as you like but just don't forget to lock up when you go." He nods, more to himself than at me, and heads out, leaving me alone in the greenhouse.

I decide to stay a while longer, slowly going through a few more bags before it gets too dark to see well, even with the overhead lights. With a sigh, I set aside my supplies and look around.

I have to admit that it is a really impressive space. I get up, using my newly acquired hiking sticks, and make my way around the greenhouse. There’s a truly vast array of fruits, vegetables, and even flowers. It looks like they grow most of what they eat.

I think about the diet of wolves and stop short, wondering where they get their meat from. The thought makes me sick and I steady myself against the wall. I feel panic growing inside my belly and breathe in deeply.

I just need to bide my time. Sooner or later there’ll be a chance to escape. There has to be…