Malevolent Penitentiary: The Alpha’s Prisoner Mate

Chapter 5

***Avery***

Three days had passed since I was placed in confinement, and now I found myself seated at the card table surrounded by familiar faces. The smells of sweat and cigarettes mingled in the stale air, but the tension around the table felt electric. I was adept at reading the energy in the room, a skill honed over a decade in Malevolent Penitentiary. Today, however, I wasn’t just playing for dinner scraps or a few meager comforts. I was playing for information—information that could change everything.

I slid my gaze around the table, assessing my opponents. Each one was a hardened prisoner, with a history marked by betrayal or misfortune. I had learned their tells over the years; the slight twitch of a finger, averted eyes, or the way their breath hitched could tell me more than their cards ever would. Today, I needed to be sharper than ever. My fortune—or rather my fate—rested on the turn of a card.

My fingers twitched with anticipation as I held a straight flush in my hand. The vibrant hues of the cards stood out against the gray backdrop of the table, a rare source of color in this dismal life. My mind wandered briefly to my mate, who was he?

The way he had spoken to me—calm yet commanding—was imprinted in my memory. He had reached out to my sister, a member of the Alpha lineage, and somehow convinced her to speak with me on his behalf. I couldn't shake the feeling that someone powerful had cleared the way for that meeting, and I needed to know who it was.

I took a deep breath, focusing all my attention back on the game. “All in,” I declared, pushing my collection of pebbles—my makeshift chips—into the center of the table. The other players exchanged glances, eyebrows raised. Perhaps they were shocked by my audacity, or maybe they sensed my determination. Either way, I would not back down.

In Malevolent Penitentiary, we didn’t play with money. Instead, we gambled with our daily rations, items we had managed to scavenge, or sometimes favors that could come in handy later. Those who occupied this prison had all wronged someone wealthy and powerful; many had found themselves swept up in the cruel undercurrents of society, left to rot behind bars, without visitation rights or hope of release. My solitude was a reminder; I was not guaranteed a future here. I had to uncover the connections that could lead me to freedom.

The player to my right, a tall man named Vin, shifted uneasily in his seat, running a hand through his messy black hair. He had a tell—a slight swallow when he was nervous, and I noted that his throat bobbed as he glanced at the cards in his hands. The others around the table, a motley crew of various ages, regarded each other warily, ensuring none would get the upper hand.

“What's the matter, Vin? You look a bit tense,” I teased, leaning back in my chair with a casual air. It was a thin veneer, an act of confidence I hoped would mask my own anxiety.

“Just thinking that going all in might be a risky play, Avery,” he replied, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Or maybe it’s a smart play if you know what I know,” I shot back, maintaining eye contact. It was all about instilling doubt; the more uncertain they felt, the easier it became for me to maintain control.

With my heart racing, I glanced at the other players. They had their strategies too, each one desperate to protect what little they had. Janel, a sharp-eyed woman with a reputation for manipulation, was fidgeting with a loose thread on her sleeve. It was another tell—one I had banked on during previous games, where her desperation had led to bad decisions. I recalled my third year in when she had tried to manipulate me, it didn’t work and she didn’t try it again after I beat the daylight out of her. I didn’t kill everyone I had a fight, just those that screamed they will kill me so I never let that chance happen.

The stakes were high, and I mentally calculated my next move. “Tell me, Janel,” I began, my voice low and coaxing. “What do you know about the Alphas now? Anyone here connected to their families? Any whispers of betrayal?” She had three years of information I was behind on, and that could be useful.

The table brought an abrupt hush, and all eyes turned toward Janel, who blanched under the scrutiny. She hesitated, her gaze flickering between her cards and mine, assessing how much she could afford to reveal. Time and experience taught me that information was currency, and the cost of her risk might just be the cards she held.

“Maybe I know a thing or two,” she replied, her bravado returning. “But what’s in it for me, huh? I don’t just hand out gossip for free.”

“Surely you’d like to win tonight, wouldn’t you?” I shot back, edging her closer to the precipice. “Information could be your best bet.”

Glancing around, I saw the others nodding slightly, calculating their own interest in the conversation. I sensed my earlier ploy was working; I just needed to nudge it along.

“I heard whispers that a certain soldier had been taking bribes,” Janel finally said, a conspiratorial glimmer dancing in her eyes. “He’s close to the Alphas and has plenty of dirt to throw around.”

“Who?” I probed, leaning in. The tension in the room thinned, and I felt the vibrant undercurrent of excitement mingling with fear.

“Harris,” she said, barely above a whisper. “He was tight with the last Alpha, the guy be they say just died, he was always in his ear. He was put in here two years ago. They say he turned his back on his own kind to save his skin.”

My interest soared. Harris was a name I'd run into during my confinement, a shadow that ebbed and flowed within the prison walls. It made sense; betrayal was part and parcel of life here, as sticky as the grime that caked the floors.

“Interesting,” I mused, my thoughts racing as I considered how this new information weaved into my plans. “And you’d back that with a solid play on these cards?”

“Depends,” she replied tersely, her eyes narrowing. “What do you offer in return?”

“Let’s just say, if this information leads to what I need, I might be able to acquire some protection for you,” I replied, my voice dipping to those around the table, making it sound like a secret while my heart hammered.

It was a gamble, but if I could gather enough intel on Harris and the web of betrayal surrounding him, I might just be able to make a move. I needed to gain leverage over someone who was ostensibly untouchable, to learn who had orchestrated my life’s downfall, and possibly free myself from the bindings of this prison.

“The stakes are high, Avery," Vin chimed in, pulling attention back to the game, trying to regain control.

“Are you scared, Vin? Or do you just want to play it safe?” I challenged, my lips forming a taunting smile.

I felt the adrenaline coursing through me, amplified by the stakes we were playing. The sweat on my palms made the cards feel slick and heavy. I needed to commit, but caution tugged at my gut. Could I risk everything when my luck had finally turned? Would the others see through my performance, or would they underestimate me yet again?

“Let’s see those cards then,” Janel said, breaking the spell of uncertainty in the air.

Eyes darted around, a twinge of excitement rising as the players revealed their hands. I held my breath, knowing my fate rested in their judgments.

The first player showed a pair of kings; Vin revealed three sevens. It dwindled down to Janel, who flipped a royal flush. A collective gasp echoed around the table, and she grinned triumphantly, the victory lighting a thrill in her eyes.

“Might need to work on your poker face, Avery,” she teased, reveling in her win while the rest of us collected our losses with resigned sighs.

“Not yet, Janel,” I smiled, although my heart sank a little. “We’ll get another chance.”

As we reassembled the scattered cards, I couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that my real prize lay waiting just beyond the grimy walls of this place. In the depths of darkness, I resolved even more fiercely to retrieve the truth, to carve out paths of freedom and vengeance.

The game was far from over. I just had to strategise, strengthen alliances, and prepare for the next round—because the moment would come when I played my way to a different outcome, one that would finally bring me closer to exposing the sins of the past.