Ivy’s POV
Pain.
It was the first thing I felt as I slipped back into consciousness, my body aching from head to toe. The weight around my throat burned, the collar digging into my skin like a brand of ownership. I didn’t want to be owned. I didn’t want to be anyone’s.
My head pounded, my limbs heavy and unresponsive. Darkness still surrounded me, but I could sense the presence of others. Watching. Waiting.
I forced my eyes open.
A dimly lit chamber greeted me—stone walls, damp and cold. A throne sat at the far end of the room, and on it, the king lounged, golden eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
He was waiting for me.
I clenched my jaw. My wolf stirred faintly inside me, weak, barely there. Whatever magic that bound me was suffocating her.
I looked down. I was wearing a flowing blac
