** Aria’s POV **
When I wake again, I can’t move. My arms are bound to a wooden chair, so tightly that they have gone numb. Pain shoots through my skull with every breath. My wolf claws at the inside of my skin, snarling to be free, but the wolfsbane laced in the ropes burns like fire every time I try to shift. The bitter metallic scent of it mixes with the stink of sweat and rust in the cramped room, making my stomach churn.
Blake’s sneer slices through the gloom. “Don’t waste your strength. Call Thorne. Tell him to bring Maggie here.”
I squint, forcing his face into focus. My voice comes out in a weak whisper. “Why… me?”
“Why?” He laughs bitterly. “Everyone knows you’re Thorne’s most treasured person. If we want him to surrender, you’re the obvious choice.”
I shake my head weakly. “
