*Braze*

It is the hand covering my mouth that brings me out of a deep sleep, the tiny prick of pain at the underside of my jaw that keeps me still as I slowly open my eyes. The man staring down at me lifts the dagger from where it pokes me, presses a finger of the hand holding the weapon to his pursed lips as his head bends slightly in the direction where my mate sleeps peacefully, completely unaware of the drama playing out beside her.

The intruder’s message is clear: cooperate or she will suffer.

I give a barely perceptible nod of understanding, fairly certain my tormentor can feel...