"What happened?”

Kassian's voice was rough as he stepped further into the bathing room.

I became acutely aware of my nakedness. My hands flew up to cover myself—one across my chest, the other lower. It was useless. There was too much to hide and not enough hands to do it.

Heat flooded my cheeks as I managed to find my voice. "You need to leave. Now."

He took another step closer, his eyes dark and intent. "Who did this?"

"That's none of your concern." I stepped back, my heart racing. "And it's not gentlemanly to barge in on a woman while she's bathing."

"I knocked. You didn't answer." He answered gruffly, his eyes darkening as he kept them trained on my face. "And I'm many things, Alessia, but a gentleman isn't one of them."

I took another step back, my scowl deepening. "I don't care what you are. Get out."

"Not until you tell me what happened."

"I spilled a candle. There. Happy?" I snapped."Now leave before—"

My back hit something hard the edge of the bathtub, and my foot slipped on the wet tile.

I fell backward into the tub with a splash, water closing over my head. Panic exploded through me instantly, violent and all-consuming as the water kept closing in. I couldn't breathe or see anything.

But I could feel the hands holding me under, the water filling my lungs, drowning me.

The guard's laugh echoed. "Let's see how long she lasts this time."

My head was forcefully plunged into the water. The water burned my nose, and my throat as I screamed. I thrashed with every strength in my limbs but the hands held me under.

Strong arms wrapped around me, hauling me out of the water. I gasped for air, coughing and shaking, my mind still trapped in the memory of the dungeon. Of being waterboarded over and over until I passed out.

"Breathe," Kassian's voice cut through the panic. "Alessia, breathe. You're safe."

I was pressed against his chest, his arms tight around me. We were both soaking wet now in the bathtub, water dripping from his clothes. His shirt clung to his muscled torso, and I could feel every hard plane of his body pressed against mine.

"Let me go," I spoke, but my voice shook.

"Not until you stop shaking." His hand moved to the back of my head, cradling it against his shoulder. He pulled my head back so he could see my face. "What happened? Why did you panic like that?"

I didn't want to tell him. I didn't want to admit how broken I was, but the words spilled out anyway. "They used to torture me with water. They'd hold my head under until I passed out, then revive me and do it again. I-I got scared for a moment. "

His entire body went rigid.

"Please let me go. I’m fine now." I tried to pull away, but he held firm.

"You're not." His voice dropped to a growl, as anger flared in his eyes. “I'm going to find every single one of those who hurt you, and make them wish they'd never been born."

The possessiveness in his tone sent a shiver through me that had nothing to do with fear. I was pressed flush against him, our wet skin touching, and suddenly I was hyperaware of everything. The heat of his body, the way his hand splayed across my bare back. I felt something hard press against my stomach and my breath suddenly hitched when the realization dawned on me.

His eyes darkened, pupils dilating as he saw my reaction.

"Alessia." The way he said my name made my insides flutter. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

I was unable to speak, and I was also unable to pull away from him.

His hand slid lower, settling on the curve of my waist. "You're in my arms, wet and bare, and it's taking everything in me not to—"

"Not to what?" The question escaped before I could stop it.

His gaze dropped to my lips. "Not to claim you right here, right now. I want to mark you so thoroughly that everyone in this pack knows exactly who you belong to."

His words did something unholy to me. Heat pooled in my belly, as the mate bond thrummed between us. I could feel his desire like a physical thing, could feel my own body responding despite every restraint.

"I don't belong to anyone," I said, but my voice came out breathless, saying otherwise.

"You belong to me." His thumb traced circles on my hip, sending sparks through my nerves. "The bond says so, your wolf says so. And soon, you'll be saying the same thing."

His hand moved higher, skimming the side of my breast, and I gasped. The sound seemed to break something in him because his eyes suddenly glowed gold. His other hand tangled in my wet hair, tilting my head back.

"I don't care that you're carrying another man's child," he said, his voice rough as his lips teased my neck. "I don't care that you were used and broken and thrown away. When I claim you, when I mark you—everything you are becomes mine. Even the baby. I will raise it as mine."

The words should have melted me, but they angered me instead. The phrase ‘becomes mine’ played over and over again in my head, and my anger grew. He spoke about me like I was property. Like I was something he wanted to own and control.

Just like Kael.

My hand struck his face before I could think twice about it, the slap echoing through the walls.

Kassian's head snapped to the side. For a heartbeat, he didn't move. Then slowly, he turned back to face me. His eyes blazed gold, and there was something dangerous in them now. It wasn’t anger, but it was something darker.

I lifted my chin, refusing to show fear even as my heart hammered. "Don't talk about me like I’m an object. You’ll never own me."

I shoved against his chest, and this time he let me go. I climbed out of the tub, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around myself.

"You're just like all of them. You think the mate bond gives you rights to me? It doesn't."

Kassian stared at me for a long moment, water dripping from his clothes, his jaw tight. Then slowly, he stepped out of the tub and walked towards me. He stopped in front of me, while my chest heaved as my mind raced.

What was he going to do? Hit me? It wouldn’t be the first time someone did that.

Instead, he grabbed my wrist and placed it on his cheek where I’d struck. I gasped.

"You can slap me once," he said finally, his voice edged with warning. "You've earned that after everything you've been through. But don't make it a habit, Alessia. I’ll never hurt you. I'm not Kael, I’m not your uncle. I’m not like the people who hurt you. So I won't be treated like I'm them."

He released my wrist and walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

I stood there, shaking. My hand stung from the slap, and my body still burned from his touch. My mind was a mess of confusion and anger and something dangerously close to desire.

Later that afternoon, I found myself in the library. I needed to escape my own thoughts, needed something to distract me from the memory of Kassian's hands on my skin.

I found a romance novel on the shelves and settled into a chair by the window. Reading had been forbidden in the dungeon. They'd taken everything from me, including books. So now, I had the chance to read them whenever I could.

The story was beautiful. It was about a noblewoman falling for a warrior. A happy ending was guaranteed.

The words began to blur as exhaustion crept in. I'd barely slept last night, and the confrontation with Kassian had drained what little energy I had left.

My head drooped forward, coming to rest on the open book as sleep pulled me under.

And with it came the nightmare.

Blood. So much blood. Splattered across the walls, and pooling on the floor where two bodies lay still.

My parents.

My mother's eyes were open, staring at nothing. My father's hand was outstretched, reaching for something, or someone.

A shadow moved in my peripheral vision. Someone else had been there that night. But every time I tried to see their face, the image fractured.

"You did this," a voice whispered. "You killed them.”

“No! It wasn’t me!” I screamed.

I gasped awake, my heart racing as sweat beaded on my forehead.

"The nightmares are getting worse, aren't they?"

I jerked upright, nearly knocking the book to the floor.

An old woman stood beside my chair. Her skin was pale and weathered, and her hair was white as snow. Her translucent blue eyes seemed to see straight through me.

"Who are you?" I demanded, my hand instinctively going to my stomach.

"I am the Oracle." She tilted her head, those eyes fixed on me in a way that made my skin crawl. "And you, child, have been having visions. Your memories are trying to surface through the magic that's been suppressing them."

My blood ran cold as my face furrowed in confusion. "What magic?"

"Someone doesn't want you to remember that night. Someone powerful enough to bind your memories." She smiled, and it wasn't comforting. "But the bond you share with the Alpha King is breaking those bindings. Slowly, but surely.”

"I don't understand—"

"You will. In time." She straightened, her movements surprisingly graceful for a woman her age. "But first, we have more pressing matters. Come with me, child."

"Where are we going?" I asked, already standing on my feet.

"To see Kassian, of course." Her smile sharpened. "It's time I tell you both what you need to do to break the curse. And believe me when I say it’s going to test your limits."

She turned and walked toward the door, while her words still echoed in my head.

Memories bound by magic. Someone doesn't want me to remember. The curse.

Everything was spiraling out of control, and I had no idea how to stop it. But I had no choice.

I followed her.