In spite of the fact that she had plotted to escape a few days ago, she never followed through on her plan, and yet the security of the area has increased by double. Initially, only one guard was keeping an eye on her, but now there are four.

The reason she didn't take the typical bath was thanks to the new guard that is in charge of her. This new guard had arranged for a wooden tub from the city to be installed inside her confinement and had advised the other guards to wait, before taking the wolf to her next soak. Now her nightly ice bath had been carefully monitored to a wolf ideal temperature, and her food dosage had also dramatically increased.

“Now they opt to be conscious with another, seeing as they are going to expect puppies very soon. Well, if you ask me, that's rather strange.”

The beast was right; why would they rethink their intentions and order a tub for her comfort? She only wished she had paid more attention that night when everyone was yelling randomly upstairs.

The wolf sat there, looking at her untouched meal. It smelt so wonderful, the best she'd experienced since being confined in here, and despite the fact that they're in the closes room to the kitchen, the guards wouldn't ordinarily feed them first. They were always the last room, meaning it would be whatever cold scraps the guards decided to portion out for them. Something didn't feel right, it made her not want to eat anything; regardless, she wasn't feeling hungry.

“Hey, if you don't eat and help the babies grow strong and healthy, I'm just going to take many future meals you get. So do me a favor and stop moping about on the floor and eat, even if it is small bites, ok?” The beast looked out the cell door, hanging his head and arm out as he ate his meal, “You’re wrecking the vibe here, Wolfe.” She heard the short whisper he told himself very much clearly.

The wolf took a couple more nibbles before tossing her leftover platter at the beast. “You're right.” She told him. Even if she would be killed the instant her puppy is born, her baby needs to have a fighting chance to get away once they're stronger, but she has to eat to help. At least help them grow properly.

“Hey! You finally talked to me. That’s great and here I thought you were a muted wolf or something, hey what’s your name. I’m Jack, the one that smiles back.”

The wolf noticed more or less every underground station human running by their cage in a hurry, and then returned her gaze to the beast she shared the chamber with. Even though they hadn't said anything, it was clear that his spirit wasn't about to crumble just because he was imprisoned underground. “You're an oddball. You should be concerned about me debating, on whether I should eat your lunch or you; I may be a lone wolf, but I'm still powerful enough to take you on.”

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

“Wolfe, pay very close attention. You might have had the upper hand if you were healthy, but you're bones and no meat, and above all else, you're pregnant and refusing to eat. Don't start any conflict when you're struggling to keep on your feet.” She noted the things he spoke as she gazed down at her arms and legs. It was true, she could see nothing but bones on herself. Is it true that so much time has passed for her to reach this point?

Jack backed away from the entrance, scratching his back with his structured, extended arm. “Look. I'm aware that my scaled variant species are shunned by other beasts with feathers and fur, and especially by humankind.” Jack crouched close to the floor, allowing his knee to dangle an inch above the ground, and took the dish by his dull reddish-pink hands that had been tossed to him earlier. “I just can't stomach being in the same room as someone who refuses to feed their unborn offspring. It reminds me of some horrific things from my past, and it’s making me uneasy. I know I suggested taking little portions, but nibbling on the food as if it were poisoned isn't going to cut it with me.”

Jack placed the meal in her lap before burrowing himself into the hay near the wolf. She just stood there, blankly staring at him while he played inside the sack. In actuality, he was attempting to gather as much hay off the floor as possible in order to make the bed as cozy as possible. “Wolfe, eat as much as you possibly can. Whether you like me or not, we're both imprisoned in here together. I have no intention of hurting you. Besides, it'll be hell here in a few days, and you'll need all of your strength.”

She'd heard and seen several stories of the cold-hearted creatures wrapped in their shedding of scaly skin. They will stay with their eggs for about a month after they hatch before dumping the progeny. Putting them in a position where they must defend themselves in the wild. Those who survive already have the subsequent generation of offspring, but because it's difficult to locate a suitable spouse, the beast with scales generally slithers into the town, city, or roadway during nightfall and snatches the first victim they come across.

He looked like a child hiding from his parents under a blanket. She watched Jack's tail swinging from side to side. It was the only body part of him that was peeking out of the crumpled haystack. In comparison to his dull hands, his tail appeared to be more vibrant, lustrous, and velvety. “You… Before you arrived here, you were a worker, weren't you, Jack?”

He came to a halt, taken aback. His tail quickly retreated, and his face and snout took its place. Nothing else could be seen poking through the hay. He didn't glance around, keeping his look fixated on the floor. She was quite familiar with this scenario. The way he reacted to the wolf was enough. A somber. Mournful grin. That expression is familiar to her eyes; it was the same one the prince she once loved gave her on the day she uncovered who he was a descended to. “Yeah.” He said this quietly before the guards loudly cut out the lights in the dungeon. “Good night, Wolfe.”

She reached out her hand and hovered it above his snout. His eyes were already closed and he was snoring. She wanted to touch him, for some reason, but she grabbed her dinner, cramming her cheeks full before sliding down onto her side. In a deep swallow, she pardons the beast and bids him a night's welcome.