Captured (Wolf in Exile Part 1): Werewolf Shifter/Vampire Paranormal Romance by Ambrielle Kirk, Amber Ella Monroe

gave her another once over and then turned.
    “Wait!”
    “Yes?” He waited patiently by the door.
    “You said there were traps. How do you plan to help me?”
    “There are traps, but I never said I didn’t know how to circumvent them.”
    “Tell me what you know about Silex,” she demanded, going off a hunch. When she’d mentioned the name earlier, he’d shown keen interest in her position there.
    “The connection I have to Silex goes by the name of Gavril.”
    “You mean Gavril Silex?” she asked in surprise.
    “Gavril Silex is the reason I was sentenced to exile. He sent me here.”
    “What? He’s the CEO of a well-known company. What does he have to do with this place?”
    “Looks like he’s kept his shifter gene a secret...or is that something you ignored because he signs your paychecks?”
    “Mr. Silex is a shifter?” she asked, stunned and baffled.
    “Not entirely. He was born without the ability to shift. He’s my twin brother.”
    Gavril Silex had a twin brother who was a wolf shifter? How odd that none of the top-level executives ever mentioned that fact at any of the corporate meetings. But then again, people who worked for Gavril feared him. Now, she was beginning to believe the reason had more to do with how much power and influence he had outside of the company, and less to do with their fear of being fired.
    Kalena narrowed her eyes and studied Thane. He bore resemblance to someone, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly who.
    “I just don’t understand what Gavril and Silex have to do with this place,” she said.
    “There are a lot of things you will never understand.”
    “But why are you still here? What have you been accused of?”
    “My reasons for imprisonment have nothing to do with why I’m helping you get out of here.”
    “You’re only helping me because you want something in return.”
    “That’s not why I decided to help you at first and you know it.”
    “ How do I know that you’re telling me the truth?”
    “Obviously, you don’t know that I’m telling you the truth, but if you were suspicious enough about Silex to go prying through their labs, then you’re not all that trusting of Gavril then, are you?”
    She settled back and was silent for a moment as she thought about the reports she’d discovered about the D996 drug and Gavril’s written recommendation to continue testing despite the deadly side effects. “I’ve never officially met the man, so I can’t say if I trust him or not.”
    Thane looked at her warily. “I’ll need you to trust me, but I haven’t much time to convince you.”
    “I trust you enough that I’m still here.” Kalena folded her arms across her chest. “Speaking of trust, I’d like to know what you’ve been convicted of.”
    “And once I tell you, then what?” he asked, bluntly. “I’m getting you out of here one way or the other. That won’t change.”
    She shook her head. “Are you even going to try to help yourself?”
    “I have to stay behind, Kalena. There is no escape for me.”
    Most prisoners looked for a way out, even at the slightest opportunity. Why didn’t Thane want to leave? More importantly, why was he here in the first place?
    Kalena was curious about Thane and his second nature as a wolf, but she couldn’t swallow the thought of spending six days, let alone six months out here.
    “Why do you have to stay? What crime are you accused of committing?”
    His shoulders dropped by a couple inches and his gaze lowered from her and swept the floor. Reluctance showed in his demeanor, and she wondered if he trusted her.
    When he looked up again, his eyes were flat and emotionless. “Murder.”
    Her shoulders clenched and her eyes grew wild with intense alarm. “You were convicted of murdering who?” Her voice broke nervously.
    “My parents.”
    Primitive fear knotted inside of Kalena and her lips parted in shock.
    Before she could voice her next question, he slid a boulder aside to reveal the opening to