Ch. 261..265: Breed Me, Daddy Alpha chapter 261-265

Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 261

The bathroom door creaked open behind me, and I didn’t even need to look up to feel the shift in the air.

Coban’s presence very quickly sucked the oxygen from the room like a black hole.

He loomed behind me as I crouched beside the open boxes, my fingers still resting on the fuzzy edge of the blanket they’d given me soft, warm–looking, harmless.

––

Unlike everything else in this place.

I sensed him staring down at me. His shadow stretched long over mine, and the weight of his gaze made the hairs on my arms stand on end.

He exhaled a dry scoff above me. “Treating you bitches like fucking royalty,” he muttered, voice like gravel scraping over glass as he eyed my things. “As though you’re some hero coming in here – when in reality, you’re just a dumb bitch, putting your life in danger.”

I didn’t respond. Allowing his harsh words to settle in.

I just lowered my eyes down to the slippers again – sitting like a cruel joke inside beige, soft, untouched of a box made for my own survival.

But before I could think up what to say back, Coban wasn’t finished yet…

–

“We’re just using you all to get out, you know that, right?” he snapped down at me suddenly, the venom in his voice slicing through the thin thread of peace that I had tried to gather earlier in the bathroom.

My heart quickened, but I kept my face even as I stood up, slowly, dropping the blanket back in to its box as I turned to glance up at him.

‘I guess that I’m also using you to get some money out of this though, right?” I said carefully, my tone quiet but steady. “Could be a win–win for the both of us?” I gave a small shrug, but nothing.

For a moment, there was silence and I didn’t quite know if my words had helped the matter or not…

But then his jaw tightened.

Coban’s eyes darkened, narrowing into something far more dangerous than amusement,

“Don’t get smart with me,” he growled, stepping in closer, his height casting a full shadow across my body now. “You might be here for your little paycheck, princess, but if you think for a second that makes us equals in this… then you’re already dumber than you look. This place is my house, what I say goes, and you’re only going to get out of this alive if I want you to! If I want you gone or swapped for someone else in this project, then I’ll make it happen! So I suggest you learn how to behave!” He concludes firmly.

I swallowed, hard.

His breath was warm against my face now. Close enough that I could smell the faint hint of mint toothpaste from the brush he’d used earlier, and the clean citrus soap left from the shower dispenser on his skin.

He tilted his head, his tone dropping in to a horrifying whisper. “So to make this clearer, incase you don’t understand… If you annoy me enough whilst you’re in here, I’ll be real quick to teach you a fucking lesson before getting rid of you. You understand me?”

“Y–Yes, Coban” I said, fast. Too fast. I hated how my voice had come out in a rushed whisper, breathy and small. “I understand what you’re saying and I’m sorry if I’ve upset you already, I’m just nervous, I’m trying to do b–better.” I admit to him weakly.

“Good.” He stepped back just an inch – but it felt like a mile of air rushed back into my lungs when he did. “There will be rules of course,” he added, eyes scanning mine like a threat was hiding behind them. “Rules you’re gonna follow if you want to keep me happy in here.”

I nodded, not even hesitating this time. “Okay. Yeah. Uhh… that will help. I’ll follow the rules.”

I didn’t even ask what they were. I didn’t need to. Not yet. I’d agree to anything in that moment just to get his mood to stop spiraling toward something worse.

He didn’t elaborate. Just turned away, scratching absently at his neck whilst yawning as though threatening me had drained what little energy he had left.

He dropped back onto the bed with a grunt.

His body sprawled across it like he owned the entire room – and he sorta did. This was his cell before it became mine.

“I’ll go shower before bed,” I said after a beat, keeping my voice calm, low, and nonthreatening. “If that’s okay?”

“Bed?” He scoffed, suddenly pushing himself up on to his elbows to glare at me.

“W–What do you…” I began, before he cut me off again.

“You need to earn your spot on the bed, Bella, prison rules. You’ll be on the floor tonight.” He shook his head, chuckling before lying back down again.

“Oh… right, sure… that’s okay.” I sigh, disappointed but knowing that I couldn’t test for another argument.

“Don’t take forever,” he muttered. “In case I need to piss again.” He added, turning his head.

I nodded quickly, crouching back beside the box and pulling out a bundle from the labeled sleepwear bag a simple set of thin grey shorts and a loose cotton white T–shirt. Modest, at least.

I grabbed a fresh pair of underwear and the soft–bristled hairbrush, grateful to feel even somewhat human for a minute. Then I made my way back to the bathroom without another word.

–

As I shut the door behind me and locked it once again, I felt my spine straighten just a little. My heart was still hammering, but this room – this small, sterile box of tile and steam had already become a sanctuary.

A temporary one, but mine all the same.

I turned on the water, letting it run hot enough to fog the mirror. The sound of it hitting the tile was the loudest thing I’d heard since arriving – second to Coban’s voice of course.

—

Stripping off the pink uniform I’d been given the one I’d sweated through since the moment we were dumped off the transport trucks – felt like peeling off a second skin.

My hair didn’t need washed, so I tied it up and stepped beneath the spray and let the heat hit my shoulders, my face, my chest.

For a long time, I just stood there, arms wrapped around myself, letting it wash away the salt of fear, the ache of tension, the grit of silence.

But the thing about water? It couldn’t clean the kind of filth this place embedded in you.

Still, I used the citrus soap and scrubbed until my skin flushed pink, rinsed the bubbles and then stepped out.

I undone my hair, brushing through the knots until it laid straight, and I dried off with one of the white towels they’d so thoughtfully packed for me.

My sleepwear felt foreign. Soft, but foreign. Like it didn’t belong to me.

I brushed my teeth quickly, barely taking a second to glance at myself in the mirror before moving to hurry out fearful again that I was taking too long.

When I stepped out I still sat, hair still damp – I didn’t say anything as I crossed to the corner where my boxes.

After five minutes, I heard his breathing even out, as I bucked up the courage to pay him a glance – he was sound asleep again.

Ok, great… I sighed softly,

I carefully and quietly continued folding my things before gently peeling open the bottom drawer – thankful Coban had left it free for me.

Tomorrow is a new day, and tonight, I’ll have to make do on the carpeted floor…

Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 262

The world came back to me in pieces.

A hand. A shake. A jolt so violent my entire body rattled on the floor. My eyes scrunched shut as I let out a groan, every muscle stiff, my back screaming with newly found aches.

I didn’t feel ready to wake up yet…

“Ugh…” I mumbled, stretching out slowly, limbs heavy and unwilling. “Just five more minutes-”

Wrong.

Something was wrong.

“No! Get the fuck up,” Coban snarled, his voice splitting the fog of my dreams like a whip. “I’m not taking you to breakfast wearing that. Cells open in fifteen – don’t make me fucking drag you to the shower.”

My eyes shot open at that voice.

I blinked up, disoriented for half a breath – then when I glanced over my shoulder, my vision locked on him.

Coban.

Crouched down right next to me. His bare chest glistened, a towel slung low around his hips, dark hair dripping wet from the shower.

It took everything in me not to recoil.

The nearness. The aggression in his tone. The heat still radiating off his skin. He looked like he’d stepped out of a fire and was ready to throw me into one.

“I’m sorry – I didn’t hear you-” I scramble up on to my elbows, before turning fully to lock eyes with him.

But then he stilled.

His expression twisted. Not anger. Not amusement. Something sharper. Eyes locked on my face like they’d spotted something rotten.

“What the fuck is that on your face?” he asked, features screwing up.

My stomach dropped. My mind raced.

What…?

Then it hit me.

The damn bruise!

I’d forgotten all about it!

After last night’s shower, I’d gotten really tired, wanted to put my things away and only got half way through before grabbing my blanket and curling up on the floor.

I’d completely skipped the concealer. The bruise was on full show now, bare and blooming like an ugly secret across my skin.

“Oh. That?” I forced a nervous laugh, scrambling to play it off as though it were nothing. “I, um… I fell. Hit a table edge. Stupid really.” My words came out fast, tangled and idiotic.

I reached to stand, desperate to put some distance between us-

His hand shot out like a cracking whip, closing around my wrist firmly.

He yanked me back down, closer to him now, as I inhaled a sharp, fearful breath. It wasn’t hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to remind me that he could hurt me if he wanted to.

His grip was commanding, fast, terrifying.

“Don’t lie to me,” he growled, voice low and lethal. “That’s breaking rule number one.”

My chest tightened. My lungs forgot how to work. It was the first time he’d touched me since I’d arrived, and even though it wasn’t a hit, it felt like one. His speed, his precision – it was a warning of how dangerous he was. A demonstration.

My lips parted, dry and useless. “I–I’m not lying, I-”

He didn’t buy it. His stare pierced through me like knives.

“You want another night on this floor?” he snapped,

“No.” The word slipped out like a breath, barely audible.

“Then don’t test me, Bella!” He snapped, the pet name feeling like a punishment itself each time he used it.

I was spiraling. Every cell in my body screaming be smart, Margot, be safe.

“I – I was attacked… walking home one night”

It sounded more like a question though, even to me.

“Attacked, yes. That explains the bruises down your legs… I noticed them too, I’m not a fucking idiot…” he starts, as I nod slowly and swallow the lump in my throat.

I had almost forgotten how exposed I had been, asleep without my blanket for cover and in shorts! Of course he had seen them! I was only glad that the more ugly scars were hidden on my back… thankfully still concealed.

Was he believing it? A random attack in the street? Had I actually managed to save myself from the ‘my Dad’s an abusive asshole chat?‘

Coban’s jaw ticked, eyeing me over.

I was terrified that he could smell the lie. Taste it.

“Shower. Get dressed. Think about your choices before you lie to me again.” He rose to his full height, his grip on my wrist pulling me up with him. “You can tell me the truth about who attacked you when you get out! But be warned, three strikes and you’re out, princess.”

Then, just like that, he turned and walked away – like nothing had even happened. Like he hadn’t just yanked my body and soul off the ground with a single hand and reminded me that I was his to deal with however he saw fit.

My legs were jelly, but I didn’t hesitate.

I rushed to the drawer, rummaging blindly for my clothes and underwear before returning to the box for the makeup compact I’d stupidly ignored the night before.

My fingers found the concealer and I clutched it like a lifeline, along with the folded uniform, a clean pair of underwear, and the soft hairbrush.

No more mistakes.

I darted for the bathroom and shut the door behind me with a shaky breath, locking it like my life depended on it.

Maybe it did?

“Ten minutes!” I heard Coban yell from the other side of the door, as I trembled and stripped off in record time, rushing in to the shower.

The water scalded me.

I let it. Turned the handle all the way to the left until the heat bit into my skin like punishment.

I scrubbed fast, mechanical, barely processing the motions. Soap. Rinse. Soap. Rinse again. I didn’t let myself linger. There was no luxury in this. No time to think or feel or cry.

I had ten minutes.

I shut the water off and reached for the towel, wrapping it tight around my chest as I stepped out into the cold, sterile bathroom light.

Glancing in the mirror, the bruise was worse than I remembered.

A sick bloom of purple and green spreading like oil across my face.

‘Three strikes and you’re out‘.

I chewed my lip, knowing I had no choice but to be truthful…

I tugged on my clean underwear first, followed by the new pale grey sweatpants I was forced to opt for over the pink, before peeling on a white soft sports bra topped with a fitted white vest. My skin was still boiling from the shower, and so I decided to carry my matching grey sweatshirt.

My fingers trembled as I opened the makeup compact and began dabbing concealer over the bruise.

It was thin but I layered it anyway, praying it would hold.

It helped. A little. Enough to look like maybe it wasn’t what it was. Enough to fool someone who didn’t really want to look closely.

I took my hair down again, and brushed through it with quick, jerking motions until it sat somewhat presentable.

As I stepped out of the bathroom, the cell doors began to buzz and clang open, the sound echoing like gunshots through the walls.

Coban was waiting near the door dressed in a full black sweatsuit; the most clothes I had seen him in since we met. Hair still damp but styled neatly.

–

He looked me over slowly taking in the grey and white outfit and my new face, the work I’d done to cover the bruise.

“Better,” he muttered. “Put on your sweatshirt and slides and let’s go.”

I nodded, moving to retrieve the white slides, slipping my feet in to them – thankful they fit – before tugging on the jumper against my hot skin, not wanting to argue.

Here goes nothing…

Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 263

I followed behind Coban like a lost puppy, keeping my steps tight and quiet as the cell doors banged open and the corridor flooded with sudden life.

The other pairs trickled out around us – blockmates from last night now moving in something that vaguely resembled order. I couldn’t help but glance sideways at them.

Some of the girls looked relieved, blinking against the light like survivors. Others… others looked hollowed out. Like something had crawled inside during the night and carved the person out of them, leaving just the skin behind…

The men were louder – cocky and energised. Some slapped palms in casual greeting or barked laughter at private jokes, the kind that made my stomach twist. But Coban didn’t stop for anyone. Didn’t greet them. Didn’t nod – well, not until a few of the other guys gave him subtle, respectful glances. The kind of nods you gave to someone with a reputation.

Someone dangerous.

I didn’t need a full dossier to know that Coban wasn’t like the rest of them. He moved through the space like he owned it and what shocked me most was the way the other large men would move aside for him…

We stepped into the main artery of the building – a wider hallway swarming with even more motion. More men. More girls. The pastel sea of pinks, blues, yellows, greens. All of them with their own unspoken stories hanging from their shoulders like weights after their first nights in the rooms.

And me?

Now dressed in a dull grey suit like some orphaned afterthought.

Heat flooded my cheeks. A flush of humiliation, stupid and sharp. He didn’t like the pink. So I’d changed it. What did that say about me? That I bent myself to suit a man I didn’t know? A man who frightened me?

I bit the inside of my cheek, pushing the thoughts away.

Instead, I started to look around for Cara.

She had to be out here somewhere. Our blocks couldn’t be far from one another. Maybe if I could just find her face in the moving crowd then-

Stupid!

Stupid!

How could I be so damn stupid?!

I blinked back as I turned to the front, and Coban was gone.

I spun in place, head jerking from left to right. Bodies moved around me like a tide, swallowing my short frame amongst them.

I’d lost him already!

He hadn’t turned back once to check if I was still there since we had left the cell. Why would he? I was furniture to him. A burden following him around.

“Shit,” I whispered, heart beginning to race.

What if he gets pissed that he has to come and find me later? Disrupting his routine? Crap!

Maybe I could still catch up. If I just moved fast enough. Maybe if I got to the breakfast hall quickly, he wouldn’t even notice I had gotten lost. Maybe-

I started pushing through, weaving between groups and muttering “Sorry” and “Excuse me” to every looming males shoulder or girl clinging nervously to her assigned partner.

No one cared thankfully. Everyone was locked in their own orbit.

For now.

The corridor opened up suddenly, and my steps faltered.

–

A huge room stretched out before me like a high school cafeteria on steroids. Buffet–style counters lined one side, silver trays steaming with food, while dozens of long tables sat in rows.

The sound was overwhelming

–

metal clanks, laughter, shouting, trays sliding across surfaces, some girls giggling and reuniting with friends and the occasional barked command from guards,

I stood frozen near the door.

No Cara.

No Coban.

Just me.

I was alone.

I scanned every table, every counter, every face, hoping for something familiar. But everyone blended. Too many heads. Too much noise. Too many threats disguised.

Shit. What do I do? What am I going to do?!

I clutched the hem of my sweatshirt and stayed near the entrance, hoping to get spotted. That was the best plan I had. Be visible. Be still. Don’t panic.

Until someone finds me to help…

It didn’t take long until a figure approached. Broad shoulders. A smug grin. The girl trailing behind him looked even smaller than I felt, head down, steps unsure.

He looked me over like I was a dessert he hadn’t ordered but would gladly devour anyway…

“Abandoned already, sweet thing?” he asked, voice oozing like spoiled honey. “I’m willing to take on another chick if you want a new daddy. Especially a blonde.”

He rubbed his hands together like he was already unwrapping me.

My stomach turned. I opened my mouth.

“I’m just w–waiting here for…” I attempted;

to lie, to say I wasn’t alone, to scream – I didn’t even know.

But then a voice cut through the chaos from behind me.

Low. Cold. Dangerous.

“For me. Is there a fucking problem here, Jay?!” I turned to glance up, somewhat petrified and also relieved to see Coban, one of the few familiar faces that I knew in the room.

I felt his hand ball the back of my sweatshirt as he yanked me in to him with a hard tug.

“Nah, come on now Cobe! No problems here, you know me! I was checking that the little lady wasn’t lost.” The guy lies through his teeth, as I tremble to think what he had in mind for me had Coban not turned up.

“Fuck off.” Coban snaps, as my jaw drops at his blunt demand.

What if they start a fight?! Day one and Coban’s out for blood! The guy wasn’t exactly small and harmless looking either!

“Now, now… no trouble wanted here… enjoy yourself!” The guy known as Jay stuns me as he backs up, holding his hands out in surrender, before disappearing in to the room.

Was that it?! Coban told him to fuck off and he just obliged?!

Before I could think more, Coban rounded me, shielding my view from the rest of the room as he had me backed against the wall.

“What the fuck are you trying to do?!” He seethed, as I trembled.

“I got lost, I’m sorry!” I admit, avoiding eye contact with him as though it would help matters.

“Lost?” he repeated, voice low and scathing. “How the hell do you get lost when all you have to do is follow

behind me?”

I blinked hard, my throat tightening. “I–I didn’t mean to. I just… I was looking for Cara and I—”

His hand slapped the wall just beside my head, making me jump. He wasn’t touching me, not exactly. But the tension coiled in the space between us like a tripwire.

“You think you can just wander off? Let assholes like Jay sniff around you?” His jaw ticked, like it was taking everything in him not to explode. “You want to see what happens to girls who don’t stick close to their assigned guy?”

“No!” I gasped, suddenly afraid he might spell it out for me. “I didn’t want that! I didn’t know – I’m sorry! I panicked when I couldn’t see you.”

“You panicked?” he scoffed, running a hand back roughly through his dark hair.

He looked away for a second, like he couldn’t even stand the sight of me, before dragging his gaze back down, pinning me to the spot with it.

“Don’t do that again unless I’m the one telling you to fuck off somewhere alone!” He snaps, his words final.

“I understand,” I whispered. “I’ll stay close from now on.”

Coban stared at me for another second, his face unreadable. Then he let out a sharp exhale and finally stepped back, putting a few inches of blessed space between us.

“Good,” he muttered. “Now move.”

Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 264

As we entered deeper into the dining hall, the noise settled into a steady thrum around us. More inmates and girls had taken their places at the tables, the atmosphere thick with tension, whispers, and stolen glances.

I felt so many eyes on me.

On us.

More on him.

Coban didn’t seem to care. He walked with that same sure–footed arrogance, like the air parted for him.

We reached a quieter table near the back, and he sat without a word, shoving a tray across the table surface in my direction. I hadn’t even realised he’d already picked up two.

I stood there for a second, unsure if I was allowed to sit.

“Sit down, Bella.” He deadpanned, as though I was being irritating, but I couldn’t be sure whether he had wanted me to sit with him or to take it and move away a little.

–

The way he said the pet name – like it tasted wrong in his mouth gave me chills. But I obeyed, sitting gingerly across from him.

The food in front of me looked decent. Scrambled eggs, toast, some kind of sausage. But my stomach twisted tightly to even think about eating with so many predators now circling the room.

I stole a glance at him.

Coban didn’t look angry anymore – not exactly. Just tired. Distant.

–

“Thank you,”

,” I mumbled, unsure what part I was thanking him for the tray, or saving me from my encounter with Jay,

He didn’t answer. Just stabbed at his food with the dull fork, chewing like it was a task, not a meal.

I kept my eyes down and started to eat too, slow and quiet.

After some time had passed, and I had managed to eat half of what was on the plate, I was finishing my bottle of water before he spoke again…

“You said you got lost looking for someone? Who is it?” He questions, eyes settling on me as I swallowed the last gulp.

“Ah, yeah, well it was my friend Cara who came here with me, I was looking to see if she was doing ok, but I haven’t been able to find her yet.” I explain, as he just stares through me when I talk.

I had barely noticed that nobody seemed to join our table to sit down, leaving us taking up an entire space alone whilst most others were crowded.

Was Coban that bad?

“This is only half of the group. We have five minutes left before we have to leave to let the next lot in. One day we will be early for breakfast, the next late.” Coban talks, but his eyes drift around the room as he does, calculating.

“The only way they’ll let me out of here in the end is if they can see that I’ve kept you in one piece and that you are with me most of the time so that’s what you’ll do. I was warned to keep you safe, in return for my freedom so don’t go getting lost again!” He went on to warn me, as I nodded and began to fidget with my bottle, crunching it a little to distract myself from his intensity.

“Bella?!” He snaps, causing me to pause in my movements, glancing up.

“What?” I whisper, unsure of what it was this time.

“Quit fucking playing with that bottle, it’s driving me nuts!” He states, before he reaches across to snatch it from my hands – causing me to flinch at the swift motion.

Woah…

“You’re so jumpy! Why is that?” He pushes on, as I shrug weakly.

“I’m just nervous here, I guess?” I attempt to say, as he literally rolls his eyes at my reasoning.

“You going to explain that bruise to me yet?” He does a full circle back to our earlier disagreements as I place my hands underneath the table to avoid him seeing them tremble…

I dropped my gaze, my fingers curling into each other in my lap. He really wasn’t going to let it go. But why was it so hard for me to just admit the truth?

“I already told you,” I said quietly, “It was just something stupid really. Not worth talking about.”

His chair scraped a little as he shifted forward causing me to jump once more, proving his point.

“You think I’m a fool, Bella?” he asked, voice low but heavy with warning. “You flinch like someone raised a hand to you, and you’re walking around like a kicked dog. So either you tell me, or I’ll start making assumptions. I don’t do well with guessing games.”

My throat tightened. “I don’t think you’re a fool.”

“Then stop acting like I can’t see through your bullshit.” He concludes, leaning back again.

I swallowed hard, torn between pride and the real, sharp fear of setting him off. I didn’t even know him not really, so why should I show him the darkest parts of my past?

“Should I be worried that you’ll get yourself in to fights in here hmm? Do you like to cause trouble, is that it?” He pushes me for an explanation as I close my eyes over to control myself.

“My Dad did it.” I state, the sentence coming out snappy, instantly causing for me to stiffen at myself when I heard it.

I opened my eyes wide, as he stared at me, as he always did, unmoving. Like he was trying to see through me, to peel back the layers I was trying to hide beneath.

“Your Dad?” He repeats, as I nodded once to confirm that he had heard me right.

“So that’s what brought you here. That’s what you’re running from.” He hummed, folding his arms and seeming satisfied with my answer.

I didn’t answer him, just lowered my gaze, feeling mocked.

The silence stretched between us like a pulled wire, humming with all the things I wasn’t saying.

“The only person you have to fear in this place, is me.” He drawled out, a wicked grin flashing across his face for only a few seconds before it was gone.

Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 265

He had an aura about him that could make anybody within his vicinity crumble…

“I don’t want to upset you…” I attempted to reason, as he began to laugh.

“I told you, follow my rules, you’ll make it.” He shrugged, as I squinted at him.

I didn’t even know what his damn rules were, other than number one: don’t lie and number two: don’t get lost!

“Look, if anyone bar me touches you in here, then you can let me know, and I’ll handle it. I don’t care if it’s a girl, a guard, or the fucking wind.” His voice dipped low, dangerous. “For the meantime, you belong to me, and In return for keeping you safe, you’ll make sure that I can get the fuck out of here, is that a deal?”

I hesitated, taken aback by the sudden offer, somewhat thankful for it but knowing that he wasn’t doing this for me, he was only doing this for himself. “Okay.”

Coban didn’t speak again. He just sat there for a few more seconds before shoving the rest of his eggs up into his mouth like the conversation hadn’t even happened.

A loud buzzer sounded.

Time was up.

Without another word, Coban stood, snatching both trays and stacking them like it was second nature. I hurried to my feet too, nerves prickling beneath my skin again as the guards began shouting for our group to move on.

“Stay behind me,” he muttered, not looking back.

So I did.

Even if I wasn’t sure whether his deal to keep me safe was a blessing… or the start of something far worse.

Chapter 28 – Push & Shove

Margot’s POV

The halls were buzzing again.

As Coban led me away from the dining hall, the sheer size of the facility began to truly sink in. There were corridors that bent and split in every direction, signs I couldn’t read fast enough, and clumps of people peeling off from the stream – each pair seemingly heading off to some new destination.

It was like a strange migration.

Some headed through doors marked with symbols, others disappeared down stairwells, and some simply lingered in corners, whispering. Everyone moved like they knew where they were going. Everyone except me.

I stayed close to Coban’s back, trying not to lose him again. His shoulders were tense, his steps fast, and I had to jog occasionally just to keep up.

We passed several guards

–

some with bored expressions, others with eyes sharp as razors. No one stopped us. No one questioned anything. I guessed that was the benefit of being with someone like Coban. He carried an unspoken threat in every step.

I was so focused on keeping up, and scanning for any glimpse of Cara, that I didn’t see the danger coming.

A hard wall of muscle slammed into me from the side.

The air whooshed out of my lungs as I stumbled sideways only slightly, before hands came next; “Watch where you’re fucking going bitch!”

Shove.

I suddenly shrieked, landing hard on the cold tile. Pain jolted through my hip and palms as my skin scraped against the floor.

“What the- I began, confused as to what had happened to land me here.

A hand. No, a shove unmistakable and deliberate,

I gasped in shock, looking up to find the culprit, and then everything happened al at once- right before my very eyes.

Coban rushed in.

I barely had time to register his movement before he was across the hall. Like a weapon unholstered.

The man who had shoved me didn’t even get a second to react before Coban had him pinned against the wall, his forearm jammed brutally across the guy’s neck as he started to cough and splutter beneath him.

I heard the thud of bone against concrete.

The man’s boots scraped against the ground as he struggled, his mouth open in panic as he clawed at Coban’s arm, trying to breathe.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” Coban snarled, eyes blazing, every line of his body tight with fury. “You think I won’t put you through this wall, motherfucker?!”

“I–I didn’t know she was yours!” the man choked out, face turning red, veins bulging. “I didn’t know, man!”

“Coban!” I cried, voice cracking, unsure if I was trying to calm him or warn him.

“I’m so sorry,” a girl rushed to my side quickly as she nervously started trying to help me up to my feet. “This is the first I’ve seen him lash out, I swear. He’s been ok so far!”

His assigned female.

By now, guards were moving in fast.

Boots thundered down the corridor. One of them barked, “Step back from him, Santorelli!”

But Coban didn’t move, desperate to choke the guy out completely.

Another was already beside me, crouching down, his gaze flicking from my stunned expression to the red mark forming on my wrist where I’d hit the floor.

“You alright? Did he do this to you?” the guard asked, nodding toward Coban.

“No!” I answered fast, shaking my head. “It wasn’t him just… protecting me, I guess?”

–

The guard’s eyes narrowed, but he gave a small nod before turning to the pinned man.

“Get him out of here.” He pointed, as two guards peeled Coban off of him before the others stepped in to remove the man from the corridor swiftly.

Coban stood back panting like an animal just barely restrained, his fists still clenched at his sides.

Then his gaze snapped towards me.

He reached out and grabbed my wrist – not painfully, but firm enough to send a jolt through my already shaken up body. I didn’t resist. I just moved my feet to keep up, stumbling beside him as he stormed off down another corridor.

He didn’t explain. He didn’t look at me.

We took a sharp turn. Then another. Before a pair of glass sliding doors opened automatically in front of us with a whoosh. Behind them lay a surprisingly quiet, open room. The air here was cooler, calmer. A gym of sorts – rows of machines, punching bags, weights stacked in metal racks and so far, there was only one other guy in here with a female stood close to him.

The previous tension from outside was seemingly held at bay as the doors closed over behind us – locking the whole ordeal outside as though it was nothing more than a made up memory.

The only sounds were that of the air vents along with the giggles of the other girl who seemed overly amused by something her inmate had said…

It was weird seeing how different each couple were… and I couldn’t begin to place my own dynamic with Coban. If I had to give it one word, then I’d say he’s been fair with me so far.

Other than the whole sleeping on the floor thing, but I’ll admit that I would’ve mostly panicked if it had gone the opposite way – with him demanding that I sleep in the bed with him.

I swallowed at the thought of sleeping next to Coban in only his boxer shorts, shaking my head to prevent the embarrassment from settling in.

But it was either that, or dealing with horrendous body aches every day from sleeping on the floor…

“Go sit over there and wait for me to be done in here,” he growled, voice thick with frustration. He jerked his head toward a lounge area in the corner – black sofas, a scratched–up coffee table, and barred floor–to- ceiling windows that offered a bleak glimpse of the outside world.

I blinked, still catching my breath, unsure why I was the one being barked at now.

“I didn’t do anything,” I muttered under my breath, as I turned and walked, thankful that he must not have heard the remark.