Harley

"This won't be enough...need more."

There was a sharp pinch at the skin of her upper arm. 

She groaned and turned her head the other way. Her brain felt heavy, and simply turning her head was exhausting.

Where was she? Had she fallen asleep?

Reaching for clarity was like scooping water. It slid through her fingers and absolutely nothing felt solid. Not her body. Not her mind. Not her thoughts.

Distantly, she wondered if she should be afraid. Though all her murky brain could scrape together was confusion.

"...done four tests already...need time..."

"...don't have time!"

Someone was frustrated. The tone was forceful, though still didn't help clear whatever fog she'd been stuck in.

"If you don't give her time, you'll have no subject," a deep voice hissed. "You're smart enough to know that."

She faded out again.

~

The next time she awoke it was because the aching in her wrists made it feel as if they were on fire. She pulled them up, only to groan at their sudden stop.

They were...tied down?

Grogginess was a second layer on her skin but, somehow, she opened her eyes. Above her, a muted yellow tarp served as a ceiling. It swayed as the howling wind outside raged against it. 

A tent. She'd been tied on some makeshift table in a large pukey yellow colored tent.

Her head felt like a cement block as she lifted it to look down at her body. She was naked, a large red and white blanket pulled over her and tucked under her armpits. They'd let her keep her butterfly necklace, and the smooth silver was a tiny comfort against her collarbone. Skinny plastic ties strapped her wrists to the table and, at some point, she'd had an IV stuck in her arm.

When her mind caught up on the situation, her blood froze in her veins. It all hit her quickly, brutally--like a freight train. The mall, Blackthorne, Bailey...

Bailey.

Her heartbeat raced. How could Bailey--one of her first and greatest friends in the pack--have given her away like that? Without any indication, she'd handed Harley over to the people who'd kidnapped Ben.

Ben. Was he nearby? Strapped down on a table in another tent being prodded? What the hell did they want anyway? She had no use as a test subject, which is what it appeared they wanted her for. She wasn't even a wolf!

Unless...she was here for an experiment...

She yanked and scratched at the ties cutting into her wrists. There had to be a way out of here.

The tent flaps opened. A tall, blonde woman in combat boots and a lab coat strolled in. When she saw Harley awake, she stopped. "Up already?"

Harley didn't respond. Her insides might feel like unsteady jello, and the fear and anguish might consume her, but she refused to outwardly show it. Whoever these people were, whatever they wanted, they wouldn't be getting it from her. 

Not willingly.

These were most likely the people responsible for her family's death. They were the reason she'd never see her father again. The reason she'd never get a chance to connect with her mother. They had trapped her brother in a prison of a beast.

The woman pulled out a syringe from a small set of plastic drawers in the corner. She tapped the needle and stepped up to Harley's IV. Her gaze traveled down Harley's face and throat and she must've noticed the tightness of her jaw because she said, "Relax, Harley. You're about to do great things. Cheer up."

Then she plunged the needle into the line running down her arm.

Within moments, sleep dragged her down again.

~

"Selene, don't!"

Strong skinny fingers yanked Harley by the shoulders, jerking her awake. Harley's eyes flew open, only to find a picture of pure rage before her.

"What did he do?" The lady asked through gritted teeth. "What is the secret?"

"Selene!"

The woman, Selene, curled her lip. "You tell me what he did and maybe I let you walk out of here. Do you hear me?"

A familiar face stepped up behind Selene's shoulder. "She has no idea what you mean," Blackthorne said. How could someone look both bored and stern at the same time?

"Yes she does," Selene insisted.

"Why don't we let her tell us?" He shot her a lazy smile. As if that alone would get her to talk.

"Fine," Selene grit out. "Harley?"

Harley waited. She had nothing to give them, even if she knew what they were talking about. She wouldn't give this murderer and her team of merry men a single thing. Not when they'd taken so much from her.

Selene waited, her impatience steadily climbing. When Harley only blinked at her, Selene dug her nails painfully into her shoulders. "Where is it?"

Blackthorne pushed an arm between the two of them and scooted Selene backward. "Why don't you go cool off, my dear?"

"Don't you dare patronize me, you cocksucking--"

Blackthorne's grin grew. "Harsh." He focused on Harley. "Harley, first off, might I apologize for our...less than ideal introduction?"

She wanted to spit in his face. Or scream obscenities at him.

She did neither.

"Not talkative. Alright," He crossed his arms. "Well, it seems we're at a standstill. You have something we want. And, maybe, we have something we can give you."

Ben. He had to be talking about Ben.

"Your father was a smart man." He continued, "smart enough to figure out how to stop a wolf shifter from Changing. All we need from you is that knowledge, and you can go on your way."

"Go to hell."

Blackthorne tsked. "Been there, done that, got the bumper sticker."

"Blackthorne--" Selene's lip curled. She had no patience for his jokes.

If it stopped Selene from throttling her or drugging her, she'd gladly accept any humor Blackthorne was willing to dish out.

"No really, have you seen my truck? There's a bumper sticker on the back that--" Wisely, he cut himself off. "Anyway, Harley my dear, we'd really appreciate any information you can share about your father's recent discoveries."

"He hasn't had any discoveries. Because you killed him."

"A mistake on our part," he gestured to Selene. "But Selene's realized the error of her ways. Haven't you Selene?"

Selene swallowed, "I have."

It was a lie, clear as glass, written on her face.

"See? So if you could just--"

"Is this how you get what you want?" Harley broke in, a burst of disbelieving laughter flowing off her lips. "You kidnap people and try to convince them that you're better now? That you're actually the good guys?"

"We are doing a lot more for this world than you beasts. We're helping you," Selene said, "and the scientific advancements I've made will sell for millions of dollars."

Millions of dollars. Her family had been killed so that this woman could make money off of some discovery...some research she'd done with her father.

Research...with genetics.

The answer had been right in front of her and she'd never known it.

She should've done the research. Should've looked into what her father had spent his time working with. Maybe then she'd have seen--

Maybe. Should've. It didn't matter. It was all in the past now. Her father died with his research. And now...she might die because of it.

"I have nothing to give you," her voice wavered, giving away her fear and breaking down her false confidence. "I promise."

"Nothing?" Selene laughed, "of course you don't."

Blackthorne analyzed her. "You really don't, do you?"

"I-I don't. I swear. Please, just let me go," her wrists burned with every movement. All she could think about was how she was at their mercy.

In the horror movies, the victim always pleaded with the attacker. "Please don't kill me," or "I won't tell anyone, I swear." She'd made fun of them often, and laughed at the fact that they gave away their integrity so easily. But now? She'd have told them anything they wanted to hear if it meant walking away.

Selene pinched the bridge of her nose. She'd moved past anger now. Instead, exhaustion weighed on her shoulders. She dropped them. "I can't believe you let me hope," she said to Blackthorne.

Blackthorne shrugged. "At least we didn't come out empty-handed."

"We've got the results," Selene paced, drawing her thumb over her bottom lip. "This just means we have to find a way to work backward."

They had the results of what? Either way, she didn't want to stay to find out. "I'm happy for you, really, but I promise if you let me go--"

Selene frowned at her. "Let you go?"

"Selene..." Blackthorne's tone warned.

"We let you go, we lose everything!" Selene went back to the drawer in the corner and pulled out another syringe.

The panic shot down her limbs and had her squirming. "No please, I promise, I won't say--"

Selene lined up the needle for injection. "Harley, you are the results."

She pushed the stopper, sending Harley back into the darkness.