The silence in the cell wasn’t empty. It watched me. Every breath I took echoed too loudly against the stone walls, like the room itself was listening… waiting… studying. I sat still. Not because I was weak. Because I was learning. The chains around my wrists were cold—silver, etched with faint markings that pulsed every few seconds like a heartbeat that wasn’t mine. Each pulse sent a sharp sting through my skin. Not enough to break me. But enough to remind me— I wasn’t free. Yet. I lowered my gaze slightly, studying the metal carefully. Not ordinary. Not just silver. Something else was woven into it. Something old. Something deliberate. My wolf shifted beneath my skin, restless. Angry. Awake. Break it. Her voice wasn’t loud. But it was clear. I inhaled slowly. The

