Yet not all was lost.

Thad cared for me. I knew it without a doubt. Yet when it mattered, I’d been too suspicious of him, too unforgiving. Too similar to how Benedict had treated me all those months ago. I’d accidentally broken what fragile trust had existed between Thad and I, and now I was at his mercy.

“I’d heard you’d had the collar delivered. It looks more beautiful than I could have imagined, especially when it’s entwined around that delicate, little neck.” Severn’s eyes burned a trail down my body, and I burned my own glare straight into his head. His eye twitched, then he ignored me. “Show her the breeding room. She’ll be there soon enough.”

Real fear spiked through my chest, and I cursed my foolishness. Why hadn’t I escaped all those times Thad had told me too? How had I gotten so lost in my games with him that I lost sight of the larger picture? Kieran would be upset, Ronan would be devastated, and Benedict . . . he’d be proven right. I wasn’t to be trusted, I couldn’t handle myself, I—

No!

I told my spiraling thoughts to shove it. I’d made mistakes, but I could fix this. I wasn’t dead yet. I lurched forward as Thad tugged unexpectedly on my chain, yanking me out of my own thoughts. Of the three guards near us, two laughed. The other didn’t, his calculating gaze watching Severn’s back.

Severn himself led us to the western half of the castle and then down a descending spiral staircase. How many dungeons could one place have? I supposed as many as you wanted when you lived inside a literal mountain. The pace we took was quick, and it was difficult for me to keep up. I slipped on a damp patch of stone, and my gauntlets caught on my long chain. I went down hard, taking Thad and nearly Severn with me. My head hit the stone stairs first, my arms held tight by the chain in Thad’s hands so I couldn’t brace myself. My back and bottom hit next, so hard it stole my breath. I was yanked further down the steps as Thad fell, keeping a tight grip on my chains. Black dots swarmed in front of my eyes as my body throbbed, but at least nothing seemed broken. Thad’s grip was on my arms a moment later, lifting me back on my feet, careful of the tangled chain. A small flicker of apology wavered in his eyes.

“Clever bitch, trying to take you out like that. Be more wary of her tricks in the future,” Severn advised.

My mouth parted instantly, wanting to argue it had been an accident. My voice died as the collar squeezed tight, only a pathetic gust of air shooting past my lips. The worry died from Thad’s eyes as a hateful, white-hot fire surged across his pupils. I kept my eyes on the ground since I was only making things worse.