"Perhaps this is for the best," Deva, her wolf, whispered in her mind, her voice gentle but hesitant, as if treading carefully on thin ice. "We are well-guarded from the Hunters and creepy Kenneth. This is a win-win, in my opinion."
"Is that your true opinion or just Amdis speaking through you?" Kasia snapped back. "You're his mate, after all. Of course, you would want to stay here."
"How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't realize it until you did? I can't even remember anything before I was tied to you," Deva replied earnestly. "And so what if I am. It doesn't make my statements any less true."
"Then how am I supposed to trust you? You're biased," Kasia shot back, her voice cracking under the weight of her frustration. "You're not thinking clearly about the situation. He kidnapped us and he is not letting us go until he gets what he wants."
"Fine, you don't have to trust me," Deva sighed, her voice tinged with hurt. "But cooping ourselves up in this room isn't going to solve anything either. Let's take a walk. Get some fresh air."
"Not a chance," Kasia replied obstinately, crossing her arms over her chest. "You might be Amdis' puppet now, but I refuse to play along."
"Kasia, don't be immature," Deva chided. "A walk isn't going to kill us. We can stay within the boundaries and still get some exercise."
"Exercise? I am not going anywhere near Amdis until Ethan comes to get us," Kasia said, her voice firm and unyielding.
"What makes you so sure that he'll come for us?" Deva asked, a tinge of doubt in her tone. "He was with Amanda, after all. You saw him with your own eyes."
"Something must have been going on for him to do that," Kasia insisted, trying to squash the seed of doubt that Deva had planted in her mind. "Ethan wouldn't betray me like that."
"Maybe you just want to believe that," Deva countered softly.
Before Kasia could respond, there was a knock on her door. She hesitated for a moment before grudgingly calling out, "Come in." The door opened to reveal a servant carrying a charcuterie board piled high with various meats, cheeses, and fruits, as well as a bottle of wine.
"I didn't ask for this," Kasia said tersely, eyeing the food with suspicion.
"Lord Amdis instructed me to bring you sustenance, as you have not eaten today," the servant explained, setting the tray down on a nearby table. He bowed respectfully before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
"See?" Deva said smugly. "He's not all bad. He's just looking out for you."
"Or he's trying to gain my trust so that I'll let my guard down," Kasia retorted, her eyes narrowing. "I'm not falling for it."
"Whatever you say, Kasia," Deva murmured, her voice fading into the recesses of her mind as she allowed Kasia some space to think. But despite her defiance, Kasia couldn't deny that the food looked and smelled delicious. Sighing in resignation, she sat down at the table and began to eat, her frustration slowly giving way to the gnawing hunger within her.
The scent of cured meats and pungent cheeses wafted through the room, seducing Kasia's senses. Her stomach growled in response, betraying her determination to remain stubbornly distrustful of Amdis. With a heavy sigh, she allowed herself to indulge in the meal before her, chewing each bite with slow deliberation.
"This is delicious," she muttered under her breath between bites. "But this won't change my mind about him. I need fuel to figure a way out of here if Ethan takes too long."
Kasia poured herself a glass of wine, its rich, earthy aroma adding another layer to the sensory feast. She sipped at it tentatively, then took larger gulps as the velvety liquid warmed her from the inside. She carried the glass with her as she moved to sit on the edge of her bed, remote in hand.
"I think I may order another tray," Kasia said with a content sigh.
"See, this is what I mean about being pampered and we-"
"Don't get ahead of yourself. None of this means I want to stay here. I am just acknowledging that we needed some downtime," Kasia explained, cutting Deva off.
"Fine," Deva muttered, retreating back into the recesses of Kasia's mind.
The television flickered to life, and Kasia found herself sinking into the comforting familiarity of a crime show. It had been so long since she'd allowed herself a moment of downtime like this – a chance to just sit and watch something without worrying about werewolves or betrayals. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for enjoying it, but her body craved the respite.
Before she knew it, she had cleared the tray and finished the wine. Her mind was delightfully hazy, numbed by the alcohol and the soothing banality of the television. For a fleeting moment, she almost forgot about her current predicament.
Her bladder demanded attention, and Kasia reluctantly stood up. But as soon as she did, the room tilted sideways, sending her lurching against the wall for support. It would take a lot more than one bottle of wine to make her drunk. Panic flared in her chest as the world spun around her.
"Deva, something's wrong," she gasped, her voice a thin thread of sound. "Was there…I think something was in the wine."
"Kasia," Deva's voice was strained with worry, "I don't know, but-"
Her vision blurred and then went black as she crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
When Kasia came to, everything felt off. Her body moved, but it wasn't under her control. A sensation akin to vertigo gripped her as she watched herself flail and scream in a way that didn't quite feel like her own doing. Amdis stood before her, his face etched with concern as he tried to calm her down.
"Deva, what is wrong?" he implored, reaching out to steady her.
"Are you crazy? Do you know you almost ended us? You almost ended me!" she heard her own voice snarl, yet she hadn't given the command. She watched her body stand up and her hand slap Amdis' face.
"It was a mistake. I thought this would help you," he tried to explain.
"You speak to us first before you do anything reckless like that again!" she heard her own voice scold Amdis.
The realization hit Kasia like a freight train: Deva had taken full control of her body. She was now Deva's wolf.