Chapter 55. The Last Chance

The guards didn’t bother with politeness—why would they? Lyssa wasn’t their equal anymore, and hadn’t been for six years. She was no longer the proud mate of the Beta, no longer the healer or diplomat she had once been. Now she was just another prisoner with prettier chains.

Her bare feet scraped against the stone as they pushed her along the corridor. The narrow hallway near the Luna’s quarters smelled of damp and old ash, and each step echoed off the cold walls like a reminder of everything she had lost. One guard shoved her forward when she hesitated, sending her stumbling into her chamber—if it could even be called that. A small square of stone, barely large enough for a pallet and a basin. No window. No candle.

They removed her shackles with a jingle of keys, but neither of them met her eyes. Perhaps they had once respected her, long ago. Or perhaps they simply couldn’t stomach the grief etched into every line of her face.

The door slammed shut behind them wit