Chapter 106

AUBREY'S POV I awoke to darkness and pain. Every inch of my body screamed in agony, the aftereffects of the Blood Oath still coursing through my system like poison. Opening my eyes took tremendous effort, and when I finally managed, the dim surroundings barely came into focus. I lay on a cold concrete floor, the chill seeping through my thin hospital gown. Knox's jacket was gone—they must have taken it while I was unconscious. As I tried to shift, metal clanked against concrete. Heavy shackles encircled my wrists and ankles, with chains attached to a rusty ring embedded in the wall. They weren't silver—a small mercy. Silver burned werewolf skin on contact, leaving blistering wounds that took days to heal. Jax had spared me that particular torture, but I didn't mistake it for kindness. He simply believed I was too weak to escape after being rejected by my mate. And maybe he was right. The mate bond stretched thin in my chest, a constant ache reminding me of what I'd lost. My wolf lay do