Chapter 20 · The Gilded Cell

"Get your hands off me, Cain!"

I didn't just scream it. I threw my whole weight back, fighting to wrench my wrist free. Useless. Cain didn't even flinch. He just tightened his grip, fingers digging into my skin. Bruises. I could already feel them forming.

He hauled me forward, slamming me flat against the cold, gold-leafed wall.

"You think this is a hotel, Ivy?" He leaned in. His breath was hot against my ear, sending a shiver straight down my spine. "Think you can just walk out because you're bored?"

"I'm not bored. I'm suffocating!" I gasped, my chest heaving. "This isn't a room. It's a cage. A fucking gilded cage."

Cain let out a low, dark chuckle. He didn't back off. Instead, he pressed closer. His thigh slid between mine, pinning me hard against the wall. I could feel the heat radiating off him—that oppressive, Alpha energy that made my skin prickle. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.

"A cage keeps things safe," he whispered, his voice dropping to a dangerous register. "And right now, you're the most dangerous thing in this palace. Or maybe the most hunted.