Chapter 27 · The Forbidden Pulse

"Tell me he's dead! Tell me you're lying!"

I screamed it, my voice cracking as I clawed at his shirt, trying to rip the truth out of him.

Cain didn't flinch. Didn't even blink. He kept me pinned against the cold stone wall, his forearm pressing into my collarbone. Not enough to break me, but enough to let me know I wasn't going anywhere.

His eyes were dark. Chaotic. That hunger was back—the one that meant he was losing the fight with himself.

"I don't lie, Ivy," he whispered. His breath was hot against my ear, sending a shiver I couldn't control down my spine. "I just withhold the truth until it's convenient. Your father is very much alive. And he's the reason you're in this hellhole."

I stopped fighting. My muscles went slack. The only sound left was the frantic, ugly thud of my heart.

"Impossible. I saw the wreckage. The reports—"

"Reports are written by the people who pay for them," Cain cut in.

He shifted. His chest brushed mine, the heavy fabric of his coat grating against my thin dress. A jolt of electricity shot straight to my gut.