Lyra woke to the smell of roses and jasmine, and for one terrible moment, she thought she was back in the cage.Her eyes flew open, her body jerking upright, hands instinctively going to her throat where the collar should be—No collar.Just smooth skin. And a mark. Two crescent-shaped scars that tingled when she touched them, sending warmth cascading through her chest.*Kael.*His name surfaced through the fog of confusion, bringing with it a flood of memories. The inn. The auction. The claiming. The *bond*.She could feel him even now—not physically present, but there in her chest, a constant warm presence that pulsed with life. He was alive. Somewhere in this place, he was alive and breathing and—*Angry.*Through the bond, she could feel his fury. Cold and controlled, but burning underneath like ice over fire. He was facing something. Someone. Fighting a battle with words instead of claws, and *losing*.Lyra tried to reach for him through the bond, tried to send comfort or support
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