"My parents sold me when I was just a child," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "They traded me in exchange for their debts to be cleared. From that moment, I lost any control over my life and decisions. I became a slave, a pet. Stephan, the vampire king's nephew, bought me. He's cruel, controlling, and sadistic. For the last fifteen years, I've been nothing more than his property."
Tim's eyes widened with shock and anger. "A slave? A pet? That's illegal, Dana. You're your own person."
Dana smiled sadly, shaking her head. "In the werewolf world, maybe. But the vampire society operates differently. They have their own laws, their own ways of doing things. And Stephan... he's untouchable. He's influential and powerful."
Tim's fists clenched at his sides, his anger simmering just
