Melrose POV:
Caine guided me through the dim, winding hallways of the maids' quarters, and I felt an exhilarating rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins, electrifying every nerve. My heart pounded like a bass drum, threatening to leap from my chest, but that rush helped dull the sharp pain shooting through my leg. I was utterly baffled by what I had just done to earn Caine's unwavering compliance. My thoughts flitted chaotically like fireflies on a summer night, remembering the fierce warriors who had shown a similar surrender the day I boldly demanded to leave the palace grounds.
"He's under a temporary form of telepathy, similar to what vampires can do. We can penetrate minds, bending them to our will, compelling them to heed our commands," she explained, her tone laced with an
