Pain pierced through my skull as consciousness returned. I squinted against the morning light streaming through the window, every ray feeling like a dagger to my brain. Where was I?
Slowly, the familiar surroundings of my bedroom came into focus. Not the Alphas' chambers where I'd collapsed last night, but my own small room in the servants' quarters. The events of my wedding night crashed back into my memory—the locked door, Lilith's triumphant smile, my mates' cold eyes as they pleasured her in front of me.
A soft snore drew my attention to the chair beside my bed. My mother was slumped there, dark circles under her eyes, her graying hair escaping its bun. She must have been watching over me all night.
"Mom?" My voice came out as a croak, my throat raw.
She startled awake, her tired face instantly lighting up. "Seraphina! Thank the Goddess you're awake." She rushed to pour me water from the pitcher on my nightstand.
