I keep my eyes locked on Dagny, my skin shivering as I attempt to remain calm. Sweat beads across my brow despite the coolness of the dungeon, the veins in my forearms bulging as my canines lengthen, piercing my lower lip and causing blood to flow down my chin. It lands with a delicate plop onto the stone floor, and Dagny whips her head toward me, her eyes like twin fog lights in the night.

“You,” she whispers, her voice holding an otherworldly quality that has my spine tensing, freezing my muscles and sucking the air from my lungs. “You hurt her.”

I try to take a step back, but despite all the power I throw against her hold, it does nothing. What is going on? This wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t part of the plan.

One look at her, and it’s clear her demon half has taken over—pushed her consciousness to the furthest corner of her mind in an attempt to protect her. It’s exactly what I wanted to happen that night long ago, when she was attacked by the antethorpe herd outside of Kaebl’s palace—but not now. Not here, not when she’s just bonded with Fenryr.

A wicked smile tugs at Dagny’s lips, showcasing the row of razor-sharp teeth lining her gums. And for all the animalistic energy building within mine and Fenryr’s veins, Dagny looks calmer than ever. Scarily tranquil.

I blink, and her smile is gone, her attention focused on Fenryr and the awful black blood spattering against the walls as he yanks and claws at his restraints.

“Stop that.”

Her voice fills the room, brimming with enough power to thicken the air. And to my utter surprise, the green-eyed demon obeys. Like a switch was flipped, Fenryr takes a seat on the ground, his muscles taut and attention focused solely on the silver light exploding from Dagny’s outline.

“Good boy.” That same eerie smile spreads Dagny’s mouth, pulling at her eyes and giving her a deadlier appearance than before. And when she turns her gaze on me, I know I’m a goner.

“Does the kitten want to show his claws?” Her smile morphs into a smirk, throwing my earlier taunt back in my face. “Pity. It seems you no longer have use of them.”

She blinks, and precious oxygen sails in through my gaping mouth, allowing me to think somewhat coherently again. But it doesn’t matter because, in the next blink, Dagny takes it all away again, showing me just a fraction of her glorious power.

“Get on your knees.”

Against my will, my body follows her command. My knees slam against the frozen stone as a cruel, high-pitched laugh echoes along the walls. “Good. Now crawl to me.”