The single word, Liora’s name for him, hung in the air like a blade, sharp and vibrating with contempt. Kael felt the challenge in it, the absolute rejection of his title, his authority. His inner wolf, the primal beast that ruled his pack with an iron will, roared in outrage. It demanded he assert his dominance, that he force this defiant female to her knees, that he make her choke on his name until she learned respect.

His hand clenched, his muscles coiling. He took a half-step forward, the floorboards groaning under his weight, his shadow engulfing her. Liora braced herself, her eyes blazing, ready for the blow she knew was coming. Even bound, even weak, she would not cower.

But as he moved, another force, equally powerful and far more insidious, surged through him. The mate bond.

It was an unwelcome pull, a current of molten heat that flowed directly counter to his rage. It screamed at him, a silent, instinctual command: Protect. Do not harm. She is yours. She is precious. The two opposing forces warred within him, a violent, internal storm that left him momentarily paralyzed. To strike her would be to strike a part of himself, a concept so foreign, so infuriating, it stole his breath.

Liora saw the hesitation, the flicker of conflict in his dark eyes. It was a minuscule crack in his armor, but it was there. She didn’t understand its source, but she recognized a moment of weakness when she saw it.

“What’s the matter, Alpha?” she taunted, her voice a low, mocking purr. “Afraid to discipline your new pet? Worried you might break your toy?”

Kael’s jaw clenched so hard a muscle jumped violently. His gaze dropped from her defiant eyes to her wrists, where the thick ropes had rubbed the skin raw. The sight sent another unwelcome jolt through him—a pang of possessive anger, not at her, but at the ropes that were marring his mate’s skin. His wolf wanted her unmarked, whole. His wolf wanted to be the only one to leave a mark on her.

The thought was so jarring, so completely at odds with his conscious intent, that he took a step back, the internal battle raging. He was losing control, not of her, but of himself. This rogue, this slip of a girl, was unraveling years of his carefully cultivated discipline without even trying.

Liora felt the shift in the room’s atmosphere, the raw, untamed energy pouring off him. The pull of the bond was a physical thing now, a nauseating magnetism that tugged at her insides, trying to draw her closer to the very source of her pain. She fought it with every fiber of her being, a silent, desperate war waged within her own body. Revulsion was her only shield. She focused on the image of her father’s lifeless body, on Elara’s pained snarl, on the cold dread in Finn’s eyes. She fed her hatred, fanned its flames, using it to build a wall against the insidious, unwelcome pull.

“Get out,” she whispered, her voice trembling not with fear, but with the sheer effort of her internal struggle. “Get away from me.”

Kael stared at her, at the raw agony and fierce defiance warring in her expression. He saw her fight, her desperate battle against the very bond that was tearing him apart. He had brought her here to study her, to control her, to understand the nature of this curse. But how could he control her when he couldn't even control his own primal instincts?

Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode from the room, slamming the heavy door behind him. The sound was a thunderclap, a declaration of his own frustrated fury.

Liora sagged against the wall, her legs suddenly weak, the adrenaline leaving her in a rush. She was alone again, but the room was still thick with his presence, his scent, and the lingering, sickening echo of the unwelcome pull. It was a far more terrifying prison than the one in the dungeons. Here, the chains weren't on her wrists; they were wrapped around her very soul.