Five Years LaterLucien’s POV

The room reeked of blood and fear.

The man kneeling before me trembled so violently that the sound of his chains scraped against the stone floor. His breathing came in sharp, desperate gasps as if each one might be his last.

“Please, Alpha,” he rasped. “I swear—I didn’t mean to disobey—”

I didn’t bother to let him finish.

As I descended the last step of the dais, I could feel every gaze on me: guards, elders, and my Beta.

“I gave you one ...