Aria barely slept.
Her wolf paced inside her, restless and furious. The mate bond burned hotter with every passing minute, pulling her toward Lucian even as the walls of the Blackfang compound kept her trapped.
By dawn, she was exhausted physically, mentally, emotionally. But there was no time to recover.
Two guards marched into her room without knocking.
“Get up,” one barked.
She stiffened. “Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll find out soon,” the second guard replied, gripping her arm.
Their touch made her skin crawl. Every instinct screamed for her to fight, but she forced herself to stay calm. She needed her strength. She needed her mind.
They dragged her down a dim corridor lit by flickering torches. The air smelled of old magic, blood, and secrets kept for far too long.
At the
