is

stretched to a breaking point, a deep,

d wooden cane. His silver hair was impeccably styled, and his eyes, a pale

Eleanora and Thea's faces vanished, rep

said, rising slig

her," The

ll, his posture st

He took in my ashen face, the sweat on my brow, the way I tremb

ide. He motioned to a nearby servant. "Bring a more

his voice firm but gentle. It was the fi

ed and overwhelmed by the u

, but he said nothing agains

with a plush, high-backed armchair. With Alistair

dding decisively on the marble floor. "I'm not so ol

I saw Eleanora and Thea exchange panicked

grandson. "Blaise. Your mate is clearly i

e. "It was an oversight," he ground out,

a bowl of warm, clear vegetable broth. Alistair took it himself and p

with unshed tears. I gave him a small, gr

. No one dared to utter another cruel word in my direction. I managed to finish half the

ir was the first to leave, but not before pointedly instructin

as out of sight, the f

round my wrist like a manacle of steel. The f

he snarled, his

trides forcing me to practically run to keep up. He pulled me down a long, d

e away from

iving stone railing. The impact sent a fresh, sickening wa

out the moonlight, casting me in his shadow. The

in, his fingers digging into my skin, forcing my head up

whispered, my

ed back toward the house. "That steak. I cut it for you myself

Of all the things he could be

ldn't

ping. "You did it to defy me! To show everyone, to show

l laugh almost bubbled up from my chest. I was shaking, fr

e. In his mind, I was nothing but

railing to the cold stone floor, the pain in

ll balcony like a caged wolf. He tugged at the

e sound was unnaturally loud in