ave

t it carried an authority that made the mai

silver-haired Lycan who stood in the center of the chamber,

ce betrayed nothing-no irritation, no

scanning me as if every detail on my bo

t, his voice flat, as though he w

, my voice breaking despite my attempt at defiance. "I

he regarded me like a machine processing faulty data.

te. "You don't understand," I tried again, shaking my head. "I don't belong to a

g, immediate, and infallible. For Lycans, it has

rogantly smirking like Kai. He was... strange. Detached. Al

... I feel it with the ot

l, they feel. Our fates were bound together the mome

llowed hard, horror slamming through my che

ere reciting from a textbook. "We are tied to

of being chained to four of t

ht. "I will mark you first. It would not be safe for all f

ution to a mathematical problem. "A span of days between each mark wou

ow bursts. "W-Wait-mark

me?" he asked, i

wed hard

he most intelligent among my brothers. Stay close

my ears. Intelligent? He thi

lips. "But Kai alread

yet still void of emotion. "When I mark you, you will

en with terror. I shook my head,

I lowered my eyes, feigning shyness, masking my fear as

unblinking. Then, without warning, he tur

a shaky breath. He was tak

had seen. Bookshelves lined the walls, scrolls and manuscripts stacked in neat piles. A la

ured to a c

yes flicking to the neat

guards lingering outsi

Damien set it before me with precision. "This is the finest drink

then at him. "You'v

mate must be understo

Analyzed? Like

lence stretched, broken only by the scratch of his quill

smile. "You know... I've always won

interest flickerin

ked slowly, "when they discover they're

their profession at once. Others attempt to resist, but eventually, they

gned surprise. "Break i

process is both physical and emotional. Many w

my spine. "How...

ough his voice stayed even.

ws I don't want this... but

n your face. You came expecting to be used as a breeder. But

peared in the doorway. "My lord,

precision. "Wait here." He left with

Heart hammering, I slipped to my feet and moved qui

and text, but my eyes locked on th

to the mate and willingly cut into the chest with a

in. Madness. Death. But the Queen, Serena's warning, echoed in my min

f a dagger lying nearby. I slid it carefully

I forced my breathing to s

g outside. My voice was steady, though my h

ered them all, then that