MAEVE POV
With one hard jerk, Alaric slammed me against the wall. I almost slid to the floor, but Alaric’s grip on my shoulder forced me to stay standing. He pressed me there, his nose nearly touching my temple.
I could feel Alaric’s breath, hot as it brushed against me. “Don’t think begging me’s gonna change my mind. You think I didn’t see what you did with your fingers earlier, Alpha? Now tell me—who the hell taught you to fight like that?”
I shook my head. “I can’t take this anymore… please just take me to Dorian.”
“You’re an Alpha! You wanna become Dorian’s prodigy now? Turn into one of those Duskborne snakes?”
Alaric’s voice echoed in my head as he put pressure on me to stay conscious. But my body had already reached its limit.
“Whatever’s inside your body right now is making yo
