ley

left only the rhythmic, blood-red blinkin

ed to reach inward toward that quiet, dormant pla

annel reserved for urgent pack communications, a psychic frequency t

my consciousness outward, trying to bridge the

ng ha

the impenetrable void of being a wolfless that blocked

let out a dry, self

mind-link to work for me was like expe

nto were digging mercilessly into my heels, the stiff synth

y straps, and yanked the shoes off m

all, dark crimson stains on the pr

shoes by their straps, a tiny glint of light i

the acoustic paneling, a microscopic, high-definitio

d lens inside the glass housing quie

straight onto my bloody feet

actively sitting behind a console somewhere, manual

he build

ing to see if I had br

ed this tower, amusing himself with the spectacl

left me stranded out here, treating

lass, to weep, to get down on my k

s of my chest, completely burning away the fear a

ulders back as I looked directly into t

hem the satisfactio

usting the tangled neckline of my gown, brushing the loose strands o

hand, curled my lip into a cold, defiant smi

rather sleep on a plastic chair in the emergency breakroom at S

wool runner as I marched straight toward the

nsely heavy, as if the very air was ho

brushed-steel call button, the metallic surfa

the digital indicator showing the cab slowly ris

o sixty-eight, a sharp, heavy mechani

oors disengaged in rapid succession, a deep cla

outward by two inches, leaving a narrow, inviti

y slamming up as I watched the reinforced

dreaded, a wave of sickeningly sweet, synthetic floral perfume

l musk, the kind of scent meant to mask the me

ls pushed the door fully open, revealing a slende

-thigh, her bleached-blonde curls tumbling messily over her bare sho

, sweeping over my dirty, torn wedding dress a

" she drawled, her voice high-pitched and laced with arrogant mocke

, dismissive scoff. "Showing up in a rag like that?

ed heels in my left hand as I looked at

manded, keeping my

flip her curls with the rim of her wine glass. "I'

g the entryway with an exagg

rred, her eyes glittering with malicious triumph. "And he explicitly

enomous sneer. "Especially defe

e her away, and I caught the slight tremor i

forward until I was only a foot away from her, "tell me

a flash of panicked embarrassment cross

are to interrogate me?" she shr

ing my voice. "You don't even know the master passcode to this d

her face turning purple as she slammed her