Frankie:
The darkness of unconsciousness ebbed slowly, and awareness crept back in like a tide. At first, it was just the dull ache in my body—a sharp reminder of the battle I had barely survived.
My ribs throbbed with every shallow breath, and my skin felt raw like it had been stripped away and left exposed to the elements.
The room was dim, the faint scent of lavender and burning wood filling the air. Hawthorne Manor. I was safe, for now.
But then I heard voices, low and sharp, cutting through the haze of my recovery.
"I don't care what the bond says," Clyde growled, his voice carrying the weight of restrained fury.
"If they did this to her, they'll pay for it. All three of them." Darcel's voice followed, calmer but no less dangerous.
"We can't act rashly. If they're as powerfu
