Full Moon Lockdown

by Jackie Nacht

  Malach walked away, and Sloan stared at the guard's back, pissed for the sake of Colin. He didn’t even know the guy, but he knew that he'd fallen into a horrible situation and that his brother was gravely injured.

  Colin slumped to the ground, still gripping the bars, knuckles white. The young man’s head slumped forward, brown hair touching the bar. For some insane reason, Sloan felt like talking to Colin, soothing him. Helping him when he was left with no one to comfort him. Except, he didn’t know what had happened and, as such, was completely at a loss on how to give Colin the comforting words he needed. So instead, he knelt down just like Colin and watched him all night. He might not be able to hold him or say the right words, but he could be there to let the man know he wasn’t alone.

  The next morning, Sloan’s body ached, and it only had a little to do with the fact he'd sat on the floor watching Colin all night. A couple times he'd drifted off only to be awakened by the soft sounds of muffled crying. He would murmur nonsense words only to hear Colin silence once more.

  Standing up, Sloan stretched, feeling the aches of the oncoming shift that would overtake him that night. This was a classic symptom of all new shifters. They would feel like crap before the shift, almost like they were coming down with the flu, edgy, surly. Fights were sure to break out.

  Knowing better, Sloan got his room ready for tonight, putting all valuables into the vault under the steel floors. Three years of this shit and it wasn’t getting any better. He jerked the picture frames off the floor since they had no furniture but a mattress in the cell. There was no point of it since they got destroyed at the full moon.

  Finally, the doors opened, notifying everyone that it was time to head to the cafeteria for breakfast. Although it was strict here, there was no lining up like human prisons, but there was check-in at the door so that guards and Elders knew no one was skipping meals.

  Sloan stood outside his cell, waiting for Colin to make his way out of his cell. Body tense, Sloan continued to wait as other Alphas and Omegas walked by. He was about to go in and find Colin when the man emerged, eyes wary as he stepped into the stone hallway.

  Stepping forward, Sloan was about to introduce himself when the small Omega Dalton walked up to Colin. Fuck! Sloan wanted to meet Colin after being worried all night long about him, and now, Colin was being swarmed by two more Omegas. Turning, Sloan walked away. It was either that or he was going to tear them apart. Damn his edgy wolf and its lack of control, he wanted Colin all to himself. Telling himself to just get through tonight and the recovery tomorrow, Sloan left for the cafeteria to eat. Only once did he turn back just to make sure Colin was okay.

  * * * *

  What a fucking hole, Colin thought as he stepped out of the door that was nothing more than steel bars. Steel bars! This was an honest-to-gods prison. Moon Compound, his ass. Help you get through the first few years to control your shift? Liars!

  Worried for Peyton, he stepped into the dreary stone hallway and glanced around, looking for a guard. His body was bruised, and they never did come back to check on his wounds. They were dry and crusty, and he couldn’t care less.

  He spent all night awake, mourning his pack, scared that he would never see Peyton again. Colin was a mess.

  And lost. Gods, he felt so lost as other young men walked by. Some were massive, six plus feet, muscles straining in agitation. He had a feeling he knew why. The full moon was tonight. Across from him stood the imposing sexy man that had been locked up in the cell opposite from him. Hazel eyes seemed to pierce through him and sent a chill deep inside his body as though he could feel recognition in those eyes. He thought maybe he had seen him before but knew that couldn’t be possible. He lived within his pack all his life.

  A guy no bigger than his five-foot-eight frame walked up to him, just as the familiar stranger was about to make his way over.

  He had a shock of white-blond hair and sharp sapphire eyes. “You need some help?”

  “Please. I need to find where medical is here.”

  “You look it. I’ll take you there.”

  Colin was about to protest when a shorter guy, no more than five feet seven inches with dark brown puppy-dog eyes and very lean physique, walked up, “Dalton, who’s the newcomer. Wow, you look terrible.”

  “Brendan, that’s not nice.” Dalton chided. “I need to take him to medical.”

  “Who needs to go to…oh, you.” Another man came up with jet black hair and pale green eyes, thin but well over six feet. All of them had the body type of an Omega. None were packing tons of muscles although none looked weak either. They were sleekly toned, but all were more on the thin side rather than bulky like all the Alphas walking around. And the very presence of the Omegas didn’t feel aggressive but welcoming.

  Colin glanced around just in time to see the Alpha that had watched him last night walking away. At first, the piercing hazel gaze unsettled him, and then, somehow, he became comforted by the protectiveness in his gaze. Man, he was losing his ever luvin’ mind. But who could blame him?

  “Oren, give him some breathing room. Let’s walk him to the infirmary.” Dalton wrapped an arm around him like he needed help.

  Colin gently pushed the arm off him, not trying to hurt Dalton’s feelings. “It’s not for me, I need to go see if my brother is okay.”

  Brendan scratched his jaw, “Well, you look like you could use a little patch job too. Follow us.”

  The three flanked him and led him down several hallways before they reached the medical wing. They passed several short halls with double doors, marking surgery and an intensive care unit. No way would he have ever found this through the crazy maze of a place.

  They entered through a double door labeled infirmary to find the entire area was dead silent. Colin wasn’t sure what he was expecting but silence wasn’t it. Dalton walked down the hallway and disappeared into a room. He was about to follow when Dalton came back out, followed by a man dressed in scrubs.

  “Come over to the bed here.” The man was all business, no polite greeting as he stood waiting for Colin to sit down.

  “I’m not here for me.”

  The man’s gaze roamed Colin’s injuries disbelievingly. “You’re not?”

  “No. My brother, Peyton, came in last night. I need to see how he’s doing.”

  The nurse’s eyes widened. “Peyton isn’t in this unit. Let me clean you up and call an Elder to come in and talk to you.”

  Colin gripped the guy's arm as he went to walk away. “Is he okay?”

  “He will be.” The nurse glanced away. There was more to the story; Colin was sure of it. The man left for a few minutes then came back with several supplies, gesturing for Colin to sit on the bed. This time, he didn’t argue with the nurse.

  “Why’s it so quiet in here?” Colin couldn’t believe the lack of noise in the unit. He hissed as the nurse disinfected one of his wounds.

  The nurse laughed, but it didn’t sound happy. “Oh, it’ll be busy in here later. I’m the only one on the morning shift. By the afternoon, this place will be packed with injuries. Everyone gets edgy the day of the full moon. Can you three help us out tomorrow?”

  Brendan nodded. “Sure, but it will be my last time. Next full moon is my first shift.” Glancing down, the small man began to bite at his lip nervously.

  Shit, Colin thought as Dalton hugged his friend.

  “I’ll be there for you afterward,” Dalton said solemnly.

  Thinking of the cells, Colin asked, “Then, why don’t they lock everyone down today?”

  Dalton sat down next to him, “We’ll never learn control of our wolves if we can’t be around our pack. They tried to separate everyone around the full moon twenty-four/seven a long time ago, and it didn’t work so well. Too many of them went feral. And it took everyone a lot longer to learn to control their wolf. They weren’t prepared to go back to their families, not used to being around others on the full moon. Mostly, Alphas fight, and it is over stupid crap, but at least everyone st
arts out free in the morning.”

  “Starts out?” Colin glanced over at Dalton.

  “There are some that need to be locked down if they can’t handle themselves. Usually, they get better the longer they are here, but some…” Dalton shuddered.

  Brendan chirped in, “Yeah, some of the Alphas turn into absolute dickheads today. Just stick close to us. For all the fighting the Alphas do, they usually leave us alone.”

  Oren hopped on the bed next to him. “Or fuck us silly.”

  The nurse glared at Oren. “You know that’s not allowed the day of the full moon. Do you have to be reported again, Oren?”

  Oren shook his head and lifted his hands, palms up. “Lighten up, haven’t pulled that one since the last time I got in trouble.”

  Dalton glared at Oren. “Then, don’t be telling Colin that. You don’t need him to get in a situation like that. There’s a reason for that rule. New wolves’ bodies are out of control when the full moon is near. Just because you want to play Russian roulette, doesn’t mean the rest of us do.”

  Oren put his arm around Colin, face deadpan. “Fine. Colin, stay away from the big, bad Alphas.”

  The nurse shook his head. “The Elder will come down and tell you all the rules. Sex is dangerous today, because new wolves’ strength is already increasing as the day goes on. They have no clue how strong they are and can do some serious damage unintentionally. Oren, that Alpha you were caught with was horrified at the damage he’d done. You were lucky you only walked away with bruises. Others have had broken bones or worse.”

  “He could’ve said no,” Oren grumbled.

  “And so could you,” Brendan shot back.

  “All right, I stopped already. Enough about my sex life.”

  Dalton, Brendan and Oren stayed with him as Colin was cleaned up, butterfly stitched in several places and, finally, had a mini rundown about his brother. Intensive care but he was going to be all right.

  The head Elder Lewis came in to see him. The shifter was an imposing figure. Dark, calculating and the body of an Alpha, he made Colin’s body tremble when he should have been holding still with the needle threading a cut that was a little too deep to be held by the butterfly stitches.

  “When can I see him?” Colin asked.

  Lewis shook his head. “You need to be patient. I’ll have a guard come and get you when he can see visitors.” Lewis turned to Dalton. “I would appreciate you showing Colin around. He’ll be staying here on a permanent basis.”

  “Wait, what are you talking about?” Colin stood up off the hospital bed. Damn thread hanging off his arm.

  “Your pack was attacked last night along with three others before we were able to take down the hellhounds. There is nowhere safe for you and your brother to go. We had a meeting last night, and it was decided. Now, sit down and let him finish stitching you up.”

  Colin grew angry but sat. “You decided my future and Peyton’s, and we don’t get a say in it?”

  Lewis sighed and stood up. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Lewis walked out of the medical center, dismissing Colin to his fate.

  Fifteen minutes later, the Omegas led Colin down new halls, taking him to the cafeteria to get breakfast. With everything that happened, Colin had all but forgotten about food and wasn’t sure he could stomach it now. Especially if it tasted like garbage.

  They walked as a foursome into a cafeteria that had Colin taking a step back. Tables and chairs were a heavy oak. There wasn’t any decoration, but there were high windows, creating a ton of sunlight in the room, making it the first place that didn’t seem so damn dreary.

  Dalton stepped up next to him. “Go on over into that area, they have a buffet-style selection.”

  “Really?” Colin was expecting gruel or something. A maggot in his oatmeal.

  Colin entered the tiny cove that held the buffet and was shocked by all the selections. One table was stacked high with various meats. Another table had a couple of people standing behind it, making omelets for an Omega and an Alpha. Another table had several toasters set up just so you could make an English muffin or any kind of toast you could possibly think of.

  Brendan grabbed a plate, laughing. “I know, right? The first time I came in here, I expected to get runny eggs and mystery meat. You’ll find out that the Elders and our packs really do care for us. They spoil us where they can, and where they can’t, they support us.”

  Grabbing a plate, Colin followed Brendan to the omelet station where the nice girl prepared him a ham and cheese omelet. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to eat it, but the fact it smelled so good made his stomach rumble.

  Glancing down at his food, Colin thought of his pack. His breath hitched as the image of them appeared in his mind. He mourned last night, but he was sure that the coming months were going to be tough for him. He lost so much, and there was no time. Everything was changing around him, and try as hard as he could, he couldn’t seem to get his feet underneath himself before they were swept out from under him again.

  Following Brendan once more, they took a seat by Oren and Dalton. Trying not to be conspicuous, Colin searched for the guy whose cell was across from his. Finally, by the wall, he spotted him sitting next to another Alpha.

  Figuring his new friends would know them, he asked, “Who are those Alphas by the wall?”

  Dalton’s dark brows rose, a complete contrast with the white-blond hair. “The guy with black hair and his brown-haired buddy with their chairs tipped in the corner over there?”

  They were kind of in the corner, and both of them had their back resting on the wall with the front legs lifted off the ground so… “Yeah.”

  Brendan whistled. “That is Sloan Atwater and Knox Davis. The longest tenants at the Moon Compound. Sloan’s been here what? Three years?”

  Oren nodded. “Knox has been here just a hair under that. Both came in and had a lot of trouble during their shifts. Major injuries and mean as hell. They’re better, but they have a ways to go.”

  Three years? Shit, that was a long-ass time to be at the compound and still be struggling during the full moon. Colin was hoping to be here less than two, one if he really got his wolf in gear.

  Trying to be discreet, Colin glanced over and realized Sloan was staring right at him. Chills popped on his skin, and a blush crept into his cheeks. He swallowed his omelet with difficulty. Sheesh, he'd never reacted this way to a guy before and wasn’t even sure what his body was reacting to. Do I fear Sloan? Appreciation that it felt like the man guarded over me all night? Attracted to him? He hadn’t a fucking clue.

  “And he’s looking right at you, Colin. Make a friend last night?” Oren leaned into his line of sight, smirking at him.

  “No, it’s just…he was across from me and…” Colin shrugged. He wasn’t sure how to describe it. While he had despaired last night over everything that had happened, the presence of Sloan made him feel like he wasn’t alone in his grief.

  “Like him?” Oren eyebrows waggled.

  Dalton swatted Oren, “Leave him be. He’s been through enough shit in the last twenty-four hours without having to deal with your nonsense.”

  But as far as Colin was concerned, it wasn’t nonsense. He was attracted to Sloan. There was no rhyme or reason. His head should be somewhere else entirely, but all he was doing, while his food kept spilling off his fork and back into his plate, was staring at the sexy Alpha.

  Colin was about to say something when he saw Sloan tense, and then Colin felt a presence behind him. Turning, there was a huge, menacing Alpha, eye fucking him with his dull brown eyes. Shivering, Colin crept up his hand to his neck. Behind was another guy just as big, smirking at him. Gross.

  “Leave, Duke.” Dalton was firm, commanding… and completely useless against the guy.

  Duke pushed Dalton over, not so gently. Duke invaded Colin’s space. “Name?”

  Colin searched his friends' faces, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

  Before he co
uld even squeak out his name, Duke was wrenched backward out of his seat, landing hard on the ground. Colin whipped his head around and saw Sloan facing off with Duke. Duke smiled wickedly before he shot off the ground, charging Sloan and wrapping his arms around his mid-section.

  The two Alphas went down hard, punching the fuck out of each other. Sloan landed a hard one to Duke's jaw, and the two of them rolled before knocking into the next table. The room of people scattered and ran, ducking out of the way as Sloan got the better hand. He picked Duke up and slammed him onto a hard oak table. The damn thing groaned, and so did Duke as Sloan went to town on his face.

  Guards poured in, and Colin recognized Malach in the lead. “Enough!”

  The guards broke the two guys up, their bodies straining to have one more go at each other. Both had bloody knuckles and cuts and marks over their bodies as they were dragged away.

  Sloan turned and yelled back. “No one touches him, Knox. Watch him!”

  Knox came closer to Colin.

  “Was he talking about me?”

  “Yeah, he was talking about you.” Knox shoved the other guy that had come over to Colin with Duke. The other glared but moved on, leaving the cafeteria altogether.

  “Why?”

  “I have no idea why. You can talk to him about that later. Sloan will most likely be in lockdown for the rest of the day.”

  Oh, Colin would most definitely be talking to Sloan. He wanted to know if there was some strange pull coming from his side too.

  Chapter Three

  Feeling a hand push into his back, Sloan stumbled into his cell. Turning, he glared at Malach. They had become friends in this place. There really was no division between the guards and residents. Guards were only there to help them get through this time in their life.

  Sloan knew he'd fucked up big time, so it was no shock when Malach shook his head at him.

  “You can’t be working yourself up today. You’re shit at shifting, and this is going to make your night hell. I’ve told you time and again to stay away from Duke. He and his friend Cass are both assholes. Bad pack they come from.” Malach leaned on the frame of the bar door, crossing his arm.