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For a second, I genuinely think I’ll pass out from the terror, but Caelan is calm and collected. He’s assessing. Weighing his options.

His dark eyes lift and zero in on me with unerring accuracy.

I can’t look away. His expression gives no clue to his feelings, but it doesn’t matter. I can feel his emotions through our Bond.

Shock. Fear.

Not fear for himself. Fear for me.

On the heels of his fear is determination. Those onyx eyes narrow, and his command pierces through our Bond as clear as if he’d shouted out loud.

Run! Run now!

I send back my answer without consideration, even knowing it will probably cost me my life.

I won’t run, not without you.

Despite my shaking limbs, I straighten my spine.

“Idril.”

Father’s voice makes me flinch. My eyes snap in his direction. He turns toward me, a mountain of confidence in each movement.

He smiles, and it looks… wrong.

“There you are, darling.” His smile grows morphs into something cruel and monstrous. My heart kick painfully. When he speaks, his tone is dripping with fake tenderness.

“Thank you for ensuring this Alpha was brought to my attention. I just knew you’d prove useful if I gave you the chance.”

I recoil in shock.

I hear his words, but they don’t compute. I keep replaying them in my head, trying to make sense of what he’s saying. I can’t. My nervous system glitches and I freeze, staring at him open-mouthed and confused.

What— What’s happening?

This is… all wrong. All of this is wrong.

It’s like wearing the wrong size shoes, or—or— someone else’s face.

The warmth in his tone. The appreciation. The certainty of something I still can’t make sense of.

Wrong. Wrong. This is all wrong.

Then, like a rubber band snapping after being pulled too tight, his words crystallize. Understanding washes over me, followed by bone-deep horror.

Useful. My father called me useful.

Like I purposely did something for him. Something that led to this—this nightmare. As if…as if I helped him in some way.

I try to swallow, but my mouth is bone dry. I can’t speak, either. No words will form on my tongue. The similarity to my dream is so visceral I whine, but even that’s little more than a breath thanks to my body shutting down in terror. My Omega continues to whimper and I try again to speak but all that comes out is a choked noise of disbelief that only I can hear.

“What’s wrong, daughter?” Father’s smile widens. It’s malevolent. Sinister.

He… hates me. This man actually hates me.

Has he always hated me so much? How have I not seen it before? How did I hold onto hope for so long that my he might love me?

My hands shake so hard I have to wrap my fingers around the railing to keep from collapsing. Tears blur my vision and slip down my cheeks.