Meredith.
The voice slithered into my mind again. "Do it. Flip the table. Let them know they can't humiliate you without consequences."
My fingers tightened around the edge of the table, my breath shallow. I could feel the strange push within me, urging me forward. It wasn't rage—at least, not just rage. It was something more. Something deeper. Something powerful.
The laughter in the room continued. The whispered insults reached my ears. The humiliation curled like a vine around my heart.
"They deserve it," the voice pressed. "Show them who you are."
But before I could act, a firm hand covered mine, stopping me.
Heat pulsed through my skin at the sudden contact. My breath hitched as I turned my head slightly.
Draven.
His grip was unyielding, his fingers pressing down just enough to make his message clear. His golden eyes locked onto mine, sharp and piercing.
It was a silent command. A warning for me to behave.
I wasn't sure if he had noticed the changes.
