Nineteen
Fighting against his restraints, Alaric hardly felt the sting of the abrasions on his wrists anymore. Given enough room, he could get himself out of any restraints—the perks of being a military kid.
His body was working on pure adrenalin now, boosting his focus. With a clench of his jaw, he focused on the joint on his finger, already regretting the pain. The trick to dislocating a thumb was knowing exactly where to press and how hard. He heard the slight crunch, then the pop, controlling the release of pain through a slow deflating exhale. Heat rippled throughout his entire body, and sweat poured down with each heat wave. Stewing in his anger, he waited in silence for the next son-of-a-b***h that walked through that door.
In the distance and through the thinly steeled inner str
