Novel's POV I was still coiled up in a ball when I opened my eyes again. I wanted to think of this as a nightmare, but as I tried to push myself up, a white-hot spike of pain shot through my ribs. I collapsed back onto the cold floor, sobbing.“Alexei, where are you?” I whispered, the words catching in my throat as hot tears tracked through the dirt on my cheeks.The heavy thud of a deadbolt sliding back echoed in the small room. The door creaked open.“Now, how are you, princess?”It was him. Alpha Draven. I tried to crawl away, my fingers scratching uselessly at the stone floor, but he lunged forward. He grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked my head back. I cried out as the scalp-searing pain forced me to look at him.“You know, I didn't want to do this, but you insulted me,” he said, his voice a low, terrifying silk. He began tracing the line of my jaw with his fingers, a gesture that made my skin crawl. “And you are beautiful. I am sorry for hitting you, but you see... when y
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