Chapter Nineteen

Lucia's eyes fluttered open, a hazy fog clouding her vision. The air was thick with the scent of sandalwood and citrus, a cloying mixture that made her head spin. As awareness slowly returned, a shiver of dread crept down her spine.

There, looming over her, was Ryder. His grey eyes glinted with a predatory gleam, one large hand wrapped firmly around her throat. The pressure was firm, not quite choking, but a stark reminder of his power and control.

"Good morning, my Luna," he purred, his voice a low, rumbling caress that reverberated through her. "Did you sleep well?"

Lucia's heart pounded in her ears, a desperate ferocity flaring within her. She refused to show the fear coursing through her veins, jaw clenching as she glared up at him. Her wolf stirred, hackles raised, ready to fight, but the lingering effects of the drug he'd given her left her sluggish and weak.

"What do you want, Ryder?" she rasped, the words scraping painfully against her constricted airway.

His grip tightened m