The next morning at Midnight Castle was thick with tension, each person at the breakfast table weighed down by their own thoughts and emotions. Maya sat at the far end, staring blankly into her untouched plate of food, still shaken by the events of the previous night. The revelations from Tay had left her deeply unsettled, and she couldn't shake the lingering horror of the fact that he had claimed her as his mate, without her consent, without her knowledge.
The fact that Tay had invaded her most intimate moment, taking control of the stranger she'd chosen to reclaim control, twisted something deep inside her. She had wanted to take control of her firsts, to own her experiences, but the moment of ecstasy had been shattered by the terrifying realization that Tay had been behind it all. Ever
