Caged

Chapter 31.

Cage walked over to the chest-of-drawers against the wall, reaching into the smaller top drawer and pulling out a syringe before walking over to stand beside the bed. He pushed the stopper once letting it squirt a small amount of liquid before leaning over to hold it beside my arm. my eyes snapped up to his and widened slightly in question as my heart fluttered anxiously in my chest.

"This is to keep your wolf quiet. Can't have you thinking you can shift and run with her now can we?" He said quietly before pushing the needle into my arm and injecting the liquid into my body.

I hadn't sensed her since I'd woken, but she was definitely silent now. There was nothing. Emptiness. I let out a shaky breath as he grabbed the key out of his pocket to unlock my chains, pausing as the key sat inside of the second lock.

"I see one suspicious move out of you and I'll be sure to remind you how I punish bad wolves here. Understood?" He said firmly.

I nodded and then jumped when he lunged for me, gripped my hair and pulling my face back to look up at him. "I said, do you understand?" He said harshly.

"Yes!" I breathed. "Yes, I understand."

I'd become rusty, forgetting the things he needed to hear and see. But they were all flooding back to me now. I couldn't afford to make a mistake here with Huntleigh and Avery in his grasp.

He held my upper arm and lead my out of the door and down the stairs, before pulling me back to a room on the back side cabin. When I'd been here last, it was his office. He stopped, unlocking the deadbolt and secondary bolt before stepping to the side to push it open.

As the door slowly opened, my eyes widened and the breath whooshed out of my lungs. In front of me on the floor sat the angelic girl from my vision. Exactly. She looked exactly as I'd imagined. A pair of large ocean blue eyes floated up to look at me and she stood with a small smile, which widened as Cage stepped out from behind me.

"Daddy!" She squealed with a giggle as he walked in and scooped her up. "Higher!" She cheered as he lifted her into the air before pulling her back into his chest.

My heart stalled at the sight of her, listening to her sweet giggle as it floated like a melody through the air. A stab in my heart followed as she grinned at Cage as if he was her knight in shining armor. The prince from her stories here to save her. He was anything but.

"Ok darling. We're going to behave today aren't we? You're going to be good for daddy ?" His voice cooed and he grinned back at her, but I knew what lurked behind those false smiles.

She nodded furiously and nuzzled into his neck. "Yes daddy. I promise. I'll be good."

He gently sat her down and crouched down on the floor, leaning in to speak to her as he turned his eyes on me. "See this lady here? She's here to visit with you for just a bit. Ok?"

She grinned up at him and nodded with a small "Okay". She watched as he walked out, giving me a pointed look before shutting the door shut behind him and bolting it shut.

She blinked her large blue eyes over to me as I stood in front of the door, nervously ringing my hands as I watched her. She timidly stepped forward, gaining confidence as she came closer until she was standing right in front of me, her blonde waves bouncing around her shoulders as she walked.

"What's your name?" She asked suddenly, looking up at me with curiosity.

I gave her a small smile and squatted down so that I was kneeling eye level with her. "My name is Thalia, but you can call me Lili."

"Lili." She mouthed and beamed at me. "I'm Huntleigh!" She said cheerfully.

My heart stalled and my mouth dropped slightly. I couldn't believe it. He'd named her the name I'd chosen after all.

"Want to see my toys?" She chirped, grabbing my hand without waiting for my response and pulling me over to an older kitchen set that held an array of dry noodles and water. "This one's my favorite. I love to cook dinner and have tea. Will you play with me?" She blinked up at me and the image shook me with deja vu at her words. I nodded slowly and sat down as she dispersed the tiny cookware and teacups before sitting in front of me. "Why are you here?"

"Um...I'm an old friend of your father's. I'll only be here for a little while though and then I'll be going home." I didn't know that the statement was true, but I hoped with every bone in my body that Rhett would make it to me.

She pursed her lips into a frown and huffed. "We never have company. Especially girls. The only one that comes is Abery and she never gets to play with me."

My heart lurched in my chest and I leaned forward. "How often do you get to see her?" I asked slowly.

She handed me a plate with small macaroni noodles on it and sighed. "It's been forever. I miss her."

"Where does she go?" I asked, trying to feel out where he may be keeping her.

"I don't know. She said she sleeps under the floor, but that's silly." She giggles at the thought and reaches out to pour me a cup of water.

I take it and give her a shaky smile. "That does sound silly. Is this your room?" I asked lookin around.

There was a tiny bed against the wall with a matching night stand and lamp sitting on top, but other than that the room seemed somewhat bare. Her toys were clustered in the corner where we sat, and I could see that her clothes were very plain and minimal.

She nodded and smiled, pointing to a picture on the night stand. "Yep! That's me and daddy. Want to see?"

I nodded and she jumped to her feet, running over to get it and bringing it back to shove into my hands. She stood beside me before finally deciding to wedge in between my arms to sit down against my side, leaning against me as she pointed to the picture. Cage stood y'all and square, not smiling as he held a young Huntleigh in his arms. She sits, snuggled into him with her arms hugged tight around his neck.

My heart swelled at the contact, amazed at her. She was already so comfortable with me and she did not seem to shy away from touch like I'd expected. Maybe he had treated her differently.

"See. That's me and that's daddy. I was only one and a half here. But...there's no mommy in the picture." Her words were suddenly sad and my heart tugged at the emotion from this little angel beside me. Had she missed having me around without even knowing it?

"I see that." I said quietly. "I'm sorry Huntleigh." I said after a moment.

"It's ok. Daddy says she left us and we're better off without her. But I don't believe him."

"You don't?" I asked shakily, putting the picture down on the floor in front of us.

"Uh uh. Because every family needs a daddy and mommy. I know I want a mommy, even if daddy said I shouldn't." She blinked up at me and tilted her head curiously. "He said she looked just like me. But that I was going to become more beautiful than she ever was. Do you think that's true?"

I let out a quiet chuckle. Of course he'd told her these things. "I think you're going to be the most beautiful girl one day. You already are."

She shook her head and stood, placing her hands on my shoulder as I wrapped my arm loosely around her little waist. "No. Do you think my mommy looks like me?"

I nodded and looked back at her, smiling softly as I matched her gaze with my own. "I do. I think you look just like she hoped you would."

Her two little hands floated up to land in either side of my face as she inspected me, sighing finally as she spoke. "I thought Abery could have been my mommy, but now I don't think so."

My breath hitched and I straightened, trying to hold the neutral expression on my face as she watched me. "Oh? Why is that?"

She shrugged and walked away after a moment to collect her toys on the floor. "Because I think you're my mommy."