chapter 24: Dangerous and suspicious

Cara

The cabin felt suffocating, its walls closing in on me. Brian's Alpha presence was a force that dominated the room, as though he could crush the very air with his silence. He stepped in, his eyes locking onto mine before they flicked down to the iron chains binding my wrists to the bed. His gaze lingered there, and for a brief moment, something flickered in his expression. Regret? Or was it just a cold calculation?

"Brian," I whispered, my voice trembling, a lump forming in my throat. "Why are you doing this to me? Why am I chained like this? I thought you were protecting me from the kidnappers. "

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he moved slowly toward the bed, his fingers brushing against the bruises left by the chains. His face was hard, unreadable, but I didn’t miss the way his hand trembled, just for a moment, before he looked away.

"This is for your own good, Cara, and the good of everyone," he finally said, his voice low, almost... tired.

"For my own good?" My voice