CAGED (Mackenzie Grey #2) by Karina Espinosa

stronger than any other species out there. It seeks dominance, so the girl never stood a chance at being anything but Wolf. When I rescued her from this guy who was exploiting Sucubi in LA, I was left with the girl—her mother had died while they were held hostage,” I paused. Swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat.
    “Kenzie?”
    I brushed her off. “I didn’t know what to do. So I took her to the Desert Wolves—they had been helping me out since I arrived in Los Angeles. They had no choice but to report her to The Summit and they caught my scent on the little girl.”
    “You got caught?” Amy asked.
    “No. Lucian called to warn me—to give me a head start before they arrived. I was about to run when a…a friend of mine told me I’d eventually have to stop running, that I’d have to stand up for myself.”
    Amy nodded. “So you decided it would be today?”
    “Yeah,” I sighed. “I’m tired, Amy. You know Jonah told me earlier that I had been free, they had lost my trail a few months ago. But was it real freedom? I’m condemned to play a game of hide-and-seek for the rest of my life.”
    “Oh Kenz,” Amy hopped onto the counter with me and wrapped me in one of her hugs. “I’m sorry.”
    I snorted. “Don’t be, it’s not your fault.”
    “If you’re not hiding anymore, then what are you going to do?”
    She pulled away from me and I smirked. “I’m going to change the system—not just for me but for every Luna like me.”
    “Alright then, Che Guevara, when does the revolution start?”
    I rolled my eyes. “Before I do anything, I have to find out what Charles plans to do with me. I’m not out of the woods just yet.” My future was uncertain and I couldn’t plan anything until I knew what would happen to me. I wasn’t Charles favorite person in the world—that was mostly my fault. Let’s just say my mini freak out about who he thought my parents were, didn’t bode well with the Alpha.
    “Well enough with the heavy,” Amy went into the fridge and pulled out some ice cream. “Time to spill,” she grinned.
    “No deets to spill, homie.” I chugged the rest of my coffee.
    “As if I’d believe that load of horse shit,” she waved a spoon at me. “You’ve been gone for a year, don’t tell me there aren’t any residual wolfey feelings somewhere inside.”
    “For who? Bash or Jonah? I’m so over them,” I scoffed and grabbed the Chunky Monkey. It was a total lie, but she didn’t need to know that. Seeing them today was like a punch to the gut. Every feeling and memory came rushing back like a tidal wave. But I had a goal in mind, and I couldn’t get distracted with boy issues again.
    Amy smirked. “If you’re so over them, then who in LA is making my girl ARH-WOOOO,” she fake howled to the ceiling.
    I threw my head back in laughter. “You did not just do that.”
    “Oh yes I did,” she snatched the ice cream container from me. “Now spill.”
    “I don’t know, Amy, things are confusing. Why couldn’t they have gotten fat and ugly? Life is so unfair!” I covered my face in my hands.
    She patted me on the back. “There, there, babe. I’m sure they’ll get a receding hair line any day now.”
    “Yeah right,” I rolled my eyes. “I can see them now, old as hell and looking like a bunch of silver foxes,” I grumbled into a mouthful of Chunky Monkey.
    “And you’ll probably look like Sofia Vergara so stop your whining,” she stole my spoon as the apartment door unlocked and swung open.
    I jumped off the counter, baring my canines in a crouch, a growl ripped out of me that made Amy flinch away. Jackson and Jonah walked in, their hands raised in the air in defense.
    “Easy there, Kenz, calm down, just breathe,” Jonah outstretched his hand to me as if I were a wild animal that had escaped its cage. He had always been the one to help me when I lost control—except I didn’t need his assistance anymore.
    I retracted the wolf and stared at him.