My heart pounded, fury and despair twisting inside me.
“Draven, have you lost your mind?! Myrielle is the reason my grandmother still lies in the Healing Den—what she did was a crime! And you want me to lie for her?!”
He stepped close, his breath brushing my ear, too gentle to be anything but cruel.
“Lunessa… this is truly the last time. Myrielle’s father hasn’t acted yet. If he does… I don’t want you hurt. Just behave. Don’t provoke her.”
A tremor ran through me. Humiliation and pain tangled until breathing became a struggle.
“As long as you agree,” he said, “I’ll ensure your father walks again. If you refuse…”
The rest carved through my chest like a blade.
I lifted my hand to slap him, but he caught my wrist. “Lunessa,” he murmured, almost tender, “don’t make this difficult.”
The man before me was a stranger. The same wolf who once sheltered me was now my captor, weighing my obedience like a verdict.
Disgust. Rage. Revulsion. All of it boiled until only hatred remained—deep and relentless.
I steadied my voice. “Fine. I’ll go. But you’ll secure a den for my father and grandmother to live in.”