Chapter 15: Chains and Choices
Kaia’s POV
The iron door groaned open, tearing through the silence. His scent hit me before the boots appeared on the stone.
Kaelen.
And behind him, colder, darker — Alpha Garret.
My pulse stuttered.
“Still defiant, even in chains,” Garret drawled, voice slick as oil. “You truly are your mother’s daughter.”
I lifted my head, slow and deliberate. “Is that supposed to be an insult?”
Kaelen’s jaw twitched, but he stayed silent.
Garret stepped closer, boots scraping on stone. “You could have made this easier on yourself.”
“By pretending to be your son’s mate?” My voice rasped, but steady.
His polished smile faltered. “I offered you a place. A future.”
“You mean a leash.”
“Better than being nothing,” he sneered. “You were meant to survive, Kaia. But
