MACE

The words hit harder than I expected.

My slave.

Michael’s voice still lingered in the air long after he’d spoken it. Every muscle in my body went taut, my jaw clenching so hard I could feel the pulse in it. The wolf inside me pushed, snarling, demanding to be let out — to end this before it began.

I forced a breath through my nose, steady and controlled, and stepped back inside. By the time I made it to the stairs, Jackie was already leading them toward the foyer.

The house felt heavier somehow, like the walls themselves knew something ugly was about to unfold.

When I reached the...