Ch. 256..260: Breed Me, Daddy Alpha chapter 256-260

Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 256

I felt the building swallow me whole as we entered.

One second, I was outside surrounded by guards and girls and fresh air, and the next I was inside – surrounded by a frightening cold.

And not just in temperature, but in atmosphere too…

The corridor was clean. Sterile. Blindingly white; reminding me of a hospital. The walls looked recently painted, and the floor shone like it had been scrubbed tirelessly right up until the moment we’d arrived.

“Woah…” I whispered out under my breath, only to be hushed violently by the nearest guard, causing my mouth to snap shut.

I felt like walking across the polished floor and leaving a mark could very quickly become a crime in this place…

The air smelled like antiseptic and something metallic that I couldn’t quite place.

My skin was clammy, my heart galloping, and all I could think about was Cara…

Where was she? What way did she go? What would her prisoner be like in person? Would he be nice enough to her? Would she be ok on her own in there?

Or was she like me, still waiting for the terrifying part to begin…

I barely had time to process anything else around me before one of the female guards motioned toward a side door with a gloved hand.

“You! Step in here now.”

I blinked. “Me?” Pointing at my own chest.

“Yes. Strip search, it’s mandatory,” she said, tone bored. “Standard procedure and don’t panic, because I’ve seen it all before. Let’s just hurry it up.”

My stomach hit the floor. My feet didn’t want to cooperate, but somehow I stepped forward as instructed,

The room was also small and clinical matching this place’s overall exterior. A harsh light buzzed overhead, and two female guards were already inside waiting for me, One stood with a clipboard, the other snapped on a fresh pair of gloves with a sharp snap that made my chest heave.

“Remove everything,” the first said plainly. “Even underwear. Jewelry too, if you have any on.”

I hesitated. My fingers felt numb.

“Come on, we don’t have all day, the next group will be in soon!” She hurried me, as I nodded frantically.

There was no point in arguing on this. I was just a name on a list to them. A foolish girl who signed her name down to have a sleepover in a damn prison block with a dangerous criminal!

They probably already think that I’m nuts!

Right now, I was no more than a piece of meat being delivered to a cage right now.

I undressed slowly, folding my clothes with trembling hands even though I knew that no one cared. My body felt exposed even before I was naked, and by the time I stood there completely bare, I just wanted to disappear.

I had scars and bruises everywhere, most faded, but still visible enough to make me insecure about them.

Thankfully though, the pair just seemed to look past them, and the search itself was somewhat professional.

Not violent, but still violating in a way I hadn’t expected as I stood there shivering before them.

They didn’t touch me, just told me what to do, and yet I felt the weight of every glance, every moment, every second of silence as one of them scribbled down notes that I couldn’t see.

“Passed. You can get dressed now.” The other commanded with a flick of her wrist before I pulled on the fabric much faster than what I had taken them off like.

Then, like a machine switching gears, they opened the door and ushered me back out into the hall, where the rest of the Block F girls were waiting for me all looking just as pale… just as shell–shocked.

“Let’s go!” one of the male guards snapped, waving his hand. “Time to meet your princes.”

A few girls gave nervous giggles that died up in their throats.

We moved as a unit down the wide hallway, escorted by at least four guards on either side. Their boots echoed like thunder, and the tension was so thick I could feel it in my gums.

But as we rounded a corner, everything changed.

We were scanned through a door, being emerged into what looked like a common area – a large, open space with soft lighting and… furniture?

Actual furniture.

It wasn’t what I had expected at all.

Gone were the bars and concrete cells I’d envisioned. Instead, there were white doors lining the outer edge of the space, each marked with a small black number.

They were evenly spaced, and in the middle of the room sat a handful of neutral–toned chairs, tables, a few bookshelves, and a chess board already set up with its pieces untouched. It was all eerily calm – like someone had built a pretend home for us right inside of a nightmare.

For a heartbeat, I could almost imagine it was a college dormitory.

Almost.

Until I noticed how quiet it was.

No voices. No footsteps. No sound at all.

Where were the inmates?

Why weren’t they here?

Or were they all just exceptionally silent?

Maybe they’ve been warned?

Before I could even think about asking, two guards suddenly stepped up beside me.

“Margot Belle,” one of them said, motioning with his chin. “You’re with us.”

The sound of my name snapped me out of my fog. “W–what?”

“Room 5. End of the hall,” the second added.

I turned to glance at the other girls also being shuffled toward other doors guards flanking me.

I didn’t have a choice but to go.

We walked together in silence, my pulse thumping like war drums in my ears. My legs moved on instinct, but my head felt like it was spinning out of orbit calling for me to pass out at any given second.

And then just as we were halfway down the row of doors – one of the guards muttered to the other under his breath.

“Poor thing’s the unlucky one,” he said, just loud enough for me to hear.

I stiffened.

The second one scoffed. “Yeah. He’s gonna eat her alive.”

Eat me alive?!

I swallowed hard, eyes darting between them, hoping they didn’t mean it literally but part of me wasn’t so sure.

–

“He’s been quiet for a while now,” one added, glancing at me sidelong. “Too quiet. Probably building up steam for his new roommate.”

My feet faltered.

The guards didn’t stop, just kept walking, leading me further toward the final door at the end of the hall

F–5.

–

I was the last one to go in.

The unlucky one….

They eventually stopped, as did I.

I looked at the door. Just a white panel with a black number and a tiny scanner beside the handle. It was so simple. So plain. But it felt like standing in front of a monster’s mouth.

One of the guards pulled a keycard from his vest and held it up to the reader.

It beeped louder than I had anticipated, causing for me to nearly fall out of my skin.

A click echoed, mechanical and sharp.

And then silence again.

They looked at me.

Pity in their eyes.

But I didn’t want pity,

I wanted to run.

But the door was already beginning to swing open.

And on the other side of it, my future waited.

“Alright, in you go then little one… good luck!” One guard chimed in a faux tone, as I felt the others hand push at my back, coaching for me to go forward.

This was it.

This was the lair of Coban Santorelli.

Whoever

–

or whatever he was.

I was about to find out…

Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 257

The door slammed shut behind me with a mechanical clunk that echoed back in to my bones.

I flinched, pulling my arms in tight.

The sound was final – like a seal locking into place. Like I’d just been locked inside of a vault.

My breath hitched up in my throat as I spun around, half–expecting someone to lunge out from the shadows at me – but nothing moved.

No Coban?

My heart thudded in my ears as I scanned the room, wide–eyed and shaking.

It seemed empty.

Right up until the silence settled, and the sound of a shower running could be heard coming from the only other door in the room…

Fuck, he’s got to be in there!

A strangled breath left my lips, equal parts relief and dread.

What would his reaction be? Finding me stood in here? Seeing me for the first time, seeing what he’s stuck with for the entirety of this experiment?

My hands stayed at my sides, balled up into trembling fists as I slowly stepped further in, eyes flicking over every surface.

I couldn’t stop the way I analyzed the space like it was evidence in a crime scene, since that was exactly how it felt.

The room was… surprisingly clean though. Almost suspiciously so.

The walls were plain white, Crisp. Unmarked.

The floor beneath my feet was soft grey carpeting – brand new by the look of it. Not a single stain or tear. It muffled my footsteps as I walked, the sound oddly domestic for a prison cell. I’d expected cement and chains. Blood somewhere, maybe? But perhaps Cara was right, and this place was just a separate building built for the purpose of this project… it made sense as to why it was all so untouched…

This room looked like the inside of a budget hotel room and happened to house a maximum–security inmate.

If that hotel had zero decor, triple the security,

I turned around slowly in a full circle, trying to take everything in.

There was a bed in the corner only one bed as my jaw fell slack looking at it. Why the heck was there only one bed?! It was the size of a small double, the sheets also crisp white and papery thin, though the mattress and pillows seemed decently plump…

But where in the damn hell was I expected to sleep? I couldn’t imagine the prisoners offering up the bed to any of us either? So that left me with all of three options… sleep on the floor, sleep on the sturdy little. black lounge chair that sat against the wall (looking terribly uncomfortable), or share the bed with a dangerous inmate!

Shaking my head, knowing he could very easily murder me in my sleep either way, I forced myself to take a steadying deep breath.

I would let him decide…

I don’t want to upset him right out the gate asking to have the bed to myself…

He could snap and kill me over such a disagreement, I wasn’t stupid!

I continued on with my room scan, seeing a small desk and a narrow shelf of books, though I didn’t dare to move closer to read the spines just yet.

A chest of drawers stood in one corner, made in a way so there were no sharp edges. I wanted to know what was inside of it, as I slowly made my way across the room…

Lifting a hand before pausing mid–air, chewing my lip in fear that it would make a noise to expose my snooping… I listened carefully, ensuring that the shower was still running, and once I had confirmed that it was, I pulled open one of the three smallest drawers at the top first.

And instantly, I wished that I hadn’t.

Plasters, bandages, antiseptic wipes and worst of all… condoms.

What the fuck!

I quickly pushed the drawer shut, stepping back from it as though that would help gather me out of the shock.

They’ve supplied us with damn condoms?! What was this shit?! I didn’t know I had signed up for the ‘Fuck A Prisoner Project‘.

One bed. A box of condoms. A hotel styled room?!

I was bunking with a dangerous criminal here, not fucking Prince Charming!

This wasn’t blind dating!

I was still a virgin for fuck sake!

Clutching my chest, I closed my eyes over tightly to control myself before the tears threatened to spill.

I could not let him find me this rattled already, he will think that I’m weak, probably use it against me too!

“Get it together Margot!” I whisper harshly to myself, peeling my eyes open and shaking it off.

Or at least trying to.

Let’s think straight about this for a sec. The condoms are just a precaution, for the likes of the mint–green girls who had reeked of desperation to sleep with these men. They have to supply them, before this place could turn in to the ‘Prisoner Pregnancy Project‘ real quick.

I licked my drying lips, my eyes falling upon another item in the room that I hadn’t yet noticed, as I allowed my mind to become distracted by it completely.

Folded beneath the small, thick square window, with nothing but iron bars beyond it, was a crisp black hoodie.

It was folded neatly too, as my head tilted to inspect it from a distance.

I stared at it curiously. Like it might move.

It made the fact that he was in here all the more real.

Just beyond that door.

And with that thought, as if on queue, total silence fell.

The water was sharply cut off.

He was finished in the shower.

“Shit!” I gasped silently, shuffling my feet back towards the door, knowing that it would be the safest option in the event that I would have to yell and scream for the guards to save me…

The room was so still, I could hear my own breath shaking in and out of my lungs.

Then came the first sound.

A dull thud- like something being dropped. Followed by the rustling of a towel. Heavy, hurried movements from inside the bathroom. I flinched at each one, my nerves buzzing like I’d swallowed static.

He was moving around in there.

Another bang – sharper this time. A cupboard slamming, maybe? A drawer?

I didn’t know what the hell he was doing, but it was loud and erratic enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up.

A second later, the sharp hiss of deodorant filled the air, the scent drifting faintly beneath the door as my stomach flipped.

He was getting ready.

For me?

A beat passed… then a cough low, rough, and real.

My body stiffened at the sound. That cough was proof of life. That he existed. That in just seconds, I would be face–to–face with him.

Coban Santorelli.

More shuffling.

Then silence again.

Long, drawn–out, almost cruel silence.

My heart was thundering by the time the bathroom door handle began to twist.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

I watched the door slowly pull open, like the big reveal on a dating show – and this one came with a dark twist!

I held my breath, watching the large figure emerge from the bathroom, seeing nothing but a towel slung low around his hips…

His eyes found mine instantly.

They were cold.

Piercing.

My lips parted at the sight of him, but nothing came out.

We just stared at each other – prisoner and project girl two strangers locked in a room with too many expectations, too many secrets, and far too little air.

I didn’t move.

Neither did he.

This wasn’t the beginning of a partnership.

It was the beginning of my survival.

Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 258

Jet black hair, freshly cut and shaved on the sides, still damp from the shower and glistening beneath the artificial ceiling light. I wondered how he got his haircuts from inside? Was one of the inmates also a barber?

Maybe…

He showcased a sharp, chiseled jawline that ticked with tension, clenched so tightly that I could see the muscle twitch beneath his tanned skin.

He was tall. So tall. At least a full foot over me. Broad too, with shoulders that looked like they could block an entire doorway and from what I could tell, as he stood just outside the bathroom door, they absolutely did.

And his body…

Oh God.

Rippling abs stacked like bricks, each one slick and cut with terrifying perfection. His chest was hard and defined, rising and falling in slow, measured breaths that didn’t seem to match the intensity simmering in his eyes.

The guard from the boat wasn’t kidding when he said Coban spent most of his time in the damn gym… I could tell!

Dark tattoos danced up both of his arms, winding across muscle and vein in black, brutal patterns that I couldn’t decipher.

One sleeve spilled out and snaked up the side of his neck, disappearing just beneath his jaw.

He looked like a man carved from war.

Rough. Powerful. Violent.

But and I hated myself for even thinking it

–

Dangerously attractive – he was definitely an attractive guy.

I had never seen a man like him in my life.

My gaze darted back up to his face, and that’s when I met his eyes again. Those eyes.

They were so dark.

So dark I couldn’t tell where the color ended and the fury began.

Dangerous didn’t even begin to cover it. They pierced straight through me, stripping me bare in seconds. I held my breath as his stare slowly, slowly dropped – trailing down my body inch by inch, like he was assessing damage or preparing for execution.

My pink uniform suddenly felt like a neon target.

My cheeks flamed, my arms folding instinctively across my chest as I squirmed under the weight of his gaze.

What was he thinking?

Was I a disappointment?

Ugly?

Too young?

Not the mint–green vixens he was expecting to get?

My heart pounded harder with every second that ticked by in that suffocating silence. Until-

His whole face shifted.

Brows crashed down. Jaw locked even harder. Eyes turned molten.

He looked… pissed.

Shit. What had I done?!

I barely had time to flinch before he started moving towards me. Fast.

“W–Wait!” I squeaked, throwing up my arms and stumbling back, shielding myself on instinct.

It was a reaction honed from years of living with my father- whenever he stomped toward me like that, it only ever meant one thing. Pain.

But instead of striking me… he shoved right past me.

What is he doing?!

He marched to the door with a single, thunderous stride and slid open a small hatch near the center – one I hadn’t even noticed was there.

My pulse drummed up wildly in my ears, banging up in to my head.

He leaned down, stuck his mouth to the slot, and roared, “GUARDS! DON’T IGNORE ME, YOU BUNCH OF

FUCKING PIGS! GET OVER HERE, NOW!”

I gaped at him, my breath short and ragged from hearing his voice for the first time.

What the hell was happening?!

–

My heart was still racing from the sheer fury in his voice the way it cracked through the stillness like a whip. The guards arrived within seconds, muffled voices clamoring from the other side of the door.

One voice laughed bitterly. “What’s the problem, Santo? You already hurt that poor girl?” He tests, and I couldn’t shake the fact that he sounded nervous.

Santo.

Maybe that was his nickname in here?

But Coban didn’t take the bait. He just snapped back at him louder.

“Why the fuck is she wearing a BRIGHT PINK prison set?! Are you trying to fuck with me? You want me to look pathetic parading around a Barbie doll?! Is this a joke? Are they all in pink or is it just mine?!”

I flinched again, stunned.

He was mad about… the uniform I chose? Crap! I messed up!

My head reeled.

“I want it swapped!” he snarled.

My mouth opened, then shut again. My legs felt like lead, planted to the floor, my lungs barely functioning.

One of the guards responded. “The girls were given a choice of colours Coban… the point was to make them more comfortable in here.”

And just like that, his wrath turned on me.

His head snapped in my direction, eyes narrowing with sudden venom.

“You chose fucking pink?” he growled, stalking a step closer.

“To come into a prison? My prison?!” He grit out, as I began to sweat under his stare.

I pressed my back to the wall, as though it might swallow me up and protect me.

“Stupid fucking girl.” He hissed, leaning close to me for a moment before returning to the door.

The insult hit harder than it should’ve. Maybe because he said it like a fact. Like a diagnosis.

I didn’t speak couldn’t as the guard’s voice came through the slot again.

–

“Would you be happy switching colour, the choice is yours?” he asked, his tone light, almost amused as he addressed me now.

Coban’s glare didn’t budge, almost testing me to see if I would go against him.

He looked feral.

Unhinged.

Like he was one wrong word away from completely exploding.

I nodded so fast that my neck nearly snapped. “Y–Yeah, sure!”

The guard sighed. “What colour?”

“Black or grey,” Coban answered sharply for me, eyes still on me. “Nothing else, fuck the stupid colours!”

I heard the guard groan, “Just let the girl decide! We don’t have black.” He stated, as Coban reached up to pinch his nose, seeming stressed over the matter.

“Grey is fine. Do grey.” I whispered, my voice barely meeting the air.

“I’ll have it swapped. Her things will be delivered soon along with the new uniform. In the meantime, give the poor thing a break Coban!” The guard warned, and I was somewhat thankful that he seemed to be on my side.

“Fuck off.” Coban replied, slamming the hatch shut as my eyes widened at his response.

He clearly didn’t care for any of them. If he could disrespect the guards and avoid punishment, what chance would I have with him in here?

The silence quickly returned to the room.

But it was heavier now. Tighter.

He just stood there, staring at me like I was a mistake that had already worn thin.

And all I could do was stand there, heart up in my throat, cursing the choice that had somehow nearly gotten me killed.

All over a stupid shade of pink!

He quickly got bored, moving himself towards the chest of drawers, as my memory jumped back to the condoms I had found there earlier during my snoop.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as he opened the large middle drawer instead, retrieving clean black boxer shorts.

In a second, he unhooked and dropped his towel, revealing his naked ass to me as I gasped loudly and spun on my heels to look away.

He was fucking naked!

I was locked in here with a dangerous man, stood bare ass naked!

The sound that escaped him next had me confused… it was a loud laugh.

“Virgin.” He scoffed out, enough for me to hear him as my cheeks flared.

I trembled.

How was I going to survive him?!

Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 259

“You can quit acting like a fucking baby now. I’m covered,” he muttered, continuing to scoff in amusement.

His voice was sharp, like it had been fuelled by years of razor–edged sarcasm and venom.

My eyes were still glued to the wall where I’d spun myself moments earlier, but at his words, I dared a glance over my shoulder.

Crap.

He was covered – technically, yes but just barely.

The only thing protecting what little dignity remained for either of us were those tight, black boxer briefs that did a poor job at concealing anything since I could very much still see a large outline of his privacy…

I swallowed hard, forcing my gaze to stay north of his navel, but my eyes betrayed me for a flash – darting lower before I caught myself.

Shit.

Heat rushed to my cheeks as I turned fully around, still facing him but keeping my chin lifted high enough to stay in safe territory. I didn’t need to add pervert to the long list of things he already probably thought I was.

He stood there like he owned the damn room – which I guessed, technically, he did. Leaning back against the chest of drawers, arms folded over his chest, every vein and muscle in his arms on full, unapologetic display.

He looked like a predator sizing up his prey, and it made every nerve in my body stand to attention.

“Are you just gonna stand there?” he asked, one brow raised as his eyes trailed over me lazily. “I won’t kill you if you take a seat, you know.”

That wasn’t as reassuring as he probably meant it to be.

I nodded gently. “Thanks…” I murmured, barely above a whisper at the offer anyhow.

My legs moved on autopilot as I approached the lone black chair tucked against the opposite wall.

Sinking down on to it, it wasn’t comfortable, but I wasn’t about to complain. I stiffly shuffled around on the edge of the seat, knees together, hands clasped tightly in my lap like a scared little girl at Sunday mass.

He didn’t look away from me either, his gaze unforgiving and calculating.

“What’s your name?” He asks me next, catching me off guard.

His tone had shifted – it wasn’t as sharp as before, but still carried that weight. Like everything he said

and done was a test.

“Margot,” I replied, voice small but steady.

He snorted.

Yes, snorted.

Actually laughed at me.

“That’s the dumbest name I’ve ever heard.” He claimed, shaking his head in what seemed to be disbelief.

My face twisted in quiet offense. I didn’t have much pride left, but even that stung.

“Southern, though?” he added next, nodding like he was confirming a theory. “I can tell from your voice… and the name just fucking confirmed it!” He laughed again at the end.

I nodded again, a little unsure of what to say.

“Last name?” He pushed further, his dark eyes finding mine once again.

“Belle.” I admitted, waiting for another laugh from him, but I was surprised that none came.

His head tilted at my statement, a flicker of something passing behind his dark eyes. “Margot Belle?” He tested, tutting afterwards as though he wasn’t fully satisfied.

He paused for a second, before he nodded slowly…

‘Bella.” He tried next,

My brows furrowed at that. “What?”

“That’s what I’m calling you now, Bella.” He shrugged, finalising the decision.

“But that’s not-”

“It’s Italian.” He smirked, and I hated the way it made my stomach flutter.

Damn him.

“B–But what does it mean?” I asked, curiosity escaping before I could rein it back in.

His smirk grew, more wolfish now. Dangerous. “Learn Italian and you’ll find out, Bella.”

A warning? A challenge? I didn’t know, and it unsettled me more than what I wanted to admit.

This was a game to him.

What was he calling me? It could be anything? I couldn’t string one Italian word together to save my life and so I had no hope of figuring it out either.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. “So… you’re Italian?” I attempted to change the topic from my new pet name.

He sighed like I was wasting his time. “Dad is. Mom’s from Cali.”

I nodded again, because apparently that was all I was capable of doing around him – panicking.

Then his eyes narrowed again, and I felt my stomach knot all over.

What now?!

“So you gonna tell me why you’re here?” he asked. “You must be fucking stupid. Or maybe you’ve got some wild kink for criminals? You wouldn’t be the first, longing for a dangerous fuck.”

My mouth opened in horror at his blunt words. “N–No! II mean, we just needed the money,” I stammered, praying the truth would be enough to calm whatever fire was flickering behind his eyes.

“We? You got a boyfriend outside waiting for you or something? Putting you up to this?” He demanded to know, as I held my hands up in defence.

“N–No, of course not! Me and my friend… we didn’t have anything left back home. We just wanted out.” I admitted quickly, hoping it was enough for him.

He fell quiet.

Watching.

Judging.

I held my breath.

Then, finally, he spoke.

“Well, I need freedom,” he said, voice like steel. “And you’re my only fucking way to get it.”

My heart froze.

He stood up to his full, towering height. The playful smirk now gone.

―

Now, he looked like something out of a nightmare all hard lines and grim certainty.

“So you’re going to help me,” he continued. “And if you don’t…”

His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.

“Then you can probably figure out for yourself what I’ll do to you. I’ve got connections outside these walls. I won’t just end you, Bella. I’ll end your entire fucking family.”

The air left my lungs.

It was like he’d punched me without lifting a finger. My eyes welled with tears instantly, and I bit down hard on my tongue, trying not to let them spill.

“Crying already?” he scoffed. “Is it really that easy to break you?”

I wiped at my eyes quickly, furious with myself for letting him see it.

“I… I don’t have a family anyway,” I whispered.

I regretted the words the second they left my mouth.

His eyebrows pulled together sharply.

“You trying to get smart with me already, bitch?!” he snapped, his voice rising like thunder.

“No! No, I’m sorry!” I panicked, hands flying up instinctively like a shield. “I meant it. I–I don’t have a family. Dad’s an asshole and Moms gone.”

He stared at me, breathing heavy through his nose.

For a moment, something flickered across his face quickly as it came.

—

He turned away from me, muttering something under his breath that I didn’t catch. I didn’t know if it was mercy or just boredom, but he didn’t press the issue.

I sat in silence, my whole body trembling as I watched him stalk toward the bed, sitting down on the edge of it with a grunt. He looked down at the floor like he was thinking, his fingers tapping against his knee in a rhythmic, agitated beat,

Was this what my life was going to be now?

Living in fear of every word, every breath?

He looked back up suddenly, locking eyes with me again.

I flinched.

And he smirked.

“You’ll toughen up,” he said simply, like it was a fact. “With me, you will.”

Then he lay back on the bed, folding his arms behind his head.

Coban Santorelli had already taken charge of our cell.

And I was most definitely losing.

Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 260

It had been roughly over an hour now.

I knew because I’d counted every drag of breath, every tick of silence that stretched between us.

Coban had passed out flat on the bed without a word, arms tucked up behind his head, breathing slow and steady like he didn’t have a care in the world. Like I wasn’t three feet away trying not to breathe too loud in case it pissed him off in his sleep…

The black chair beneath me was hard and cold, and the longer I sat still, the more every muscle in my back screamed for mercy. But I didn’t dare move too much. Not even to fully shift in to a more comfortable position. The tension in the room felt too fragile. Like one wrong twitch and he’d snap awake, throw something, say something, do something.

But God fucking help me, I really had to pee.

But going above the full ache in my bladder, was the fear of waking the monster.

I kept my hands folded in my lap, legs squeezed tight together, eyes focused on counting the different tattoos that I could see on one of Coban’s arms using anything to help distract myself.

I thought that maybe if I sat here long enough, the urge would fade. But it didn’t. Not yet.

As more time passed, with the feeling now growing completely unbearable, I jumped nearly ten feet in the air when a sudden, thunderous knock slammed against the metal door.

Our door.

Coban stirred with a deep, guttural groan, his arm flinging over his face as he blinked up at the ceiling, dazed.

“What the fuck is it now?” he barked, rolling upright with the kind of groggy aggression that made my palms sweat.

He staggered toward the door, still barefoot, still in nothing but those black boxer briefs that left very little to the imagination.

His muscles flexed with every movement, and I hated myself for noticing…

The guard’s voice filtered through from the other side of the steel. “We’ve got the girl’s stuff.”

There was a loud buzz – followed by a heavy click as the lock disengaged and the door creaked open.

This is my chance…

I shot up from the chair, too fast, almost dizzy with the sudden movement. “I’m just going to use the bathroom quickly,” I blurted, voice high and thin, like a balloon about to pop.

It got his attention. His eyes dragged toward me, dark and unreadable.

“I’m not putting your shit away for you,” he muttered, brushing past me as if I were a ghost.

I didn’t want him to?

The guards entered the room, each holding a box so large it looked like they were carrying pieces of a coffin. They set them down with a grunt, cardboard thudding against carpet.

I slipped into the bathroom like a shadow, but not before I heard one of the guards mutter under their breath, “Surprised to see you’ve kept the girl in one piece.”

Coban chuckled back in response. Cold. Flat.

“It’s only day one.” He retorted bluntly.

I froze, stomach lurching.

Only day one.

I closed the door and locked it with trembling fingers, the click echoing through the small space like a hymn. For the first time since I’d arrived, I felt a sliver of safety.

Pathetic, considering how thin the door was, but still – it was something. It had a lock.

I rushed to the toilet, barely getting there in time, and finally exhaled a shaky breath. Relief swept through me, followed by the slow return of clarity. It was the first moment I’d had alone since stepping into this hellhole. Just me, four walls, and my pounding heart.

As I cleaned up and flushed, I allowed myself to finally take in the new surroundings.

Plain. Functional. Not luxurious, but not the horror show I’d expected either. It was more than fine.

There was a surprisingly large walk–in shower tucked in the corner, a mounted gel soap dispenser stuck to the wall above the taps. The scent of whatever was inside it was vaguely citrus clean, at least. A toilet that was brand new. A small, narrow sink with two white cabinets underneath and a mirrored one above.

–

I reached for the top cabinet and swung it open, half–expecting to find nothing, but was met instead with a few surprises.

A black toothbrush

Coban’s, I assumed – rested beside a half–used tube of toothpaste. Next to it was a brand new, still–wrapped pink toothbrush. I frowned at it.

Pink.

I could already hear Coban’s voice complaining about its colour despite this time, I hadn’t even picked it.

I moved on, quickly cataloging what else was inside. A bottle of 2–in–1 shampoo and conditioner, a spray can of girls‘ deodorant, a matching male one, a pack of sanitary pads, and four neatly folded towels. White.

Clean.

It was strange. A little too… prepared.

As if they knew exactly what we’d need. Like this whole thing had been done a thousand times before already.

But it hasn’t.

We were the first ones.

I closed the cabinet slowly, turning to check the lower ones. More toilet paper. A sealed pack of wipes. No razors.

Of course.

Because why would they give convicted men – and the women forced to live with them — that could be used as a weapon?

–

Still, I frowned. Was I just expected to grow out like a damn cactus? I bit my lip, adding that to the long mental list of things I’d have to ask someone about. At least before my hair grew completely out of control!

I glanced at the small window above the sink – cracked open, letting in a whisper of fresh air through metal bars that looked welded in for eternity.

I sighed and turned to the mirror. My reflection stared back at me like someone I barely knew.

Hair tangled. Eyes hollow. My skin still pale and tired, but the bruise on my neck was thankfully still hidden well beneath the concealer.

Realising that I’d been in here a little too long now, I turned toward the door, unlocked it, and stepped out before running myself directly into Coban’s solid chest.

“Shit!” I gasped, stumbling to the side, arms flying up to brace myself before I landed on my ass in a heap at his feet.

He didn’t even flinch. Just looked down at me with narrowed eyes. “That was a weak attempt to try knock me over?” He raises a brow down at me.

–

I swallowed hard, trying to speak past the panic now bubbling in my throat. “No, sorry I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you were-”

He raised a hand, cutting me off. “Relax. It’s not like it hurt. I was coming to hurry you up because I need to piss!”

I scrambled up to my feet before I stepped around him quickly, offering another small ‘sorry‘ as I passed – allowing him in to the bathroom.

The boxes sat untouched on the floor, and I crouched beside them, flipping one open.

Plastic packages containing my new grey uniforms. Another large package seemingly filled with a variety of fresh underwear. One package reading ‘sleepwear‘. One containing socks. The last package being a fluffy beige blanket, I’m guessing to make me feel somewhat cosier in here?

Crazy.

The second box had other things. A hairbrush. More makeup compacts similar to the one the man had let me use on the ship. Hair ties. Beige fluffy slippers matching the shade of the blanket. Plain white slides. Lastly, a notepad and pen labelled ‘prisoner notes‘.

They’d really thought of everything, huh?

Or so I hoped…