This is on me. All of it. I let my guard down after falling for the princes and, ultimately, lost sight of what this world truly is. Cold. Cruel. Perilous. For humans, anyway.

Being taken in the middle of the night was just the rude awakening I needed to bring reality crashing back down. Although, the old me would've seen the ambush coming from a mile away. Would've seen him coming from a mile away. Trapped and unable to reach the princes or my team, hopelessness hunts me down like a pack of hellhounds. Making matters worse, I'm at the mercy of the one who's appeared in my nightmares since first laying eyes on him.

Face-to-face for the second time, I'm reminded of our mutual hatred. Only, now that the blood bond has taken effect, is it still mutual? I get the sense that something's changed. Something that has me questioning why the rage and fury I remember him wielding so powerfully are almost nonexistent now.

What am I missing? Who is Aaric really? And why have I been brought here? I want answers he's unwilling to give, but according to him, some things are better witnessed than explained.

Contains mature themes.