Maya's POV

The heavy footsteps echoing down the stone stairs jolted me from the restless sleep I'd finally managed to fall into. My body ached from another night of fighting the silver poison coursing through my veins, and the mate bond continued to pulse with waves of rejection that left me gasping for breath.

Beta Thomas appeared at my cell door, flanked by two guards I didn't recognize. His face was carefully neutral, but I could see something like pity flickering in his weathered ...