The grand receiving hall of Lord Valerius's estate was a cathedral of power, draped in the wealth of a family about to be elevated to new heights. Every polished marble tile, every beam of crystal light reflecting off the Lycan crests, felt like a deliberate insult to the simple, ruined life I had left behind.

I stood beside my "father," Lord Valerius, in the center of the room. The crimson gown was heavy, the golden embroidery suddenly feeling less like armor and more like the very chains ...