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PRINCESS ELOWEN

I couldn't breathe. I couldn’t think.

But some small, defiant spark raged within me—the one my father had tried so hard to extinguish—flared to life.

“Let me go,” I demanded, but my voice shook. He laughed and ascended the stairs. “I’m not afraid of you.” I struggled, but he had an iron-like grasp on me.

A harsh sound escaped him, something between a laugh and a snarl. “Little human, you should be.”

He pulled me closer until our faces were a breath apart. I could see myself reflected in the molten depths of his frightening gaze. “Even though I can smell your fear, I like that you’re strong enough to tell me you’re not afraid,” he said, his lips curving back in something dangerously close to a smile, showcasing his sharp fangs.

I should have fought harder. I should have screamed.

I was afraid, yes, but even as terror raced through my veins, a deeper, darker thrill twinned right alongside it.

He entered his castle, the heavy iron doors slamming shut behind us with a deafening finality, sealing me inside his domain.

I watched him through lowered lashes, feeling my heart hammering against my ribs and blood thrumming through my veins.

I knew nothing about this beast, but I knew something down to my soul.

He was pure dominance, wrapped in monstrous flesh.

He finally released me, setting me on my feet. I retreated several steps. He just watched me, and I felt my defenses lower just enough so I took in my surroundings.

Massive tapestries lined the walls, heavy with gold thread, depicting battles between winged and monstrous beasts.

A fireplace the size of a carriage was in the room to my right, roaring to life almost violently. The fire cast everything it touched in a molten, flickering glow.

The warmth of this barbaric castle was surprising… almost comforting. But I had a chill deep in my bones, regardless. I wrapped my arms around my waist to chase it away.

The more I took in the castle, the more I was surprised by the unexpected touches of wild beauty. Although the outside of this world was barren of life and filled with fire, dirt, and stone, vines crept through the cracks in the castle walls, blooming with strange, iridescent flowers.

The furniture was massive, built for this scaled and shelled creature, yet there were touches of luxury. Black and red velvet covered the stained glass windows, the stories etched in that glass of beasts and war and blood. So much blood.

This place felt like it was carved from a twisted nightmare. It was brutal but beautiful with ablack heartbeat in the middle of a fiery inferno. And in the middle of this beautifully crafted nightmare, I could feel the beast watching me.

I focused on him again and watched as he circled me slowly, his three-toed, clawed feet landing heavy on the cracked stone floor, his tail dragging behind him like a living weapon. I stayed perfectly still, survival telling me not to move, not to even breathe. My torn and filthy silk dress was my lifeline, my anchor, as I clutched it between my fingers.

And still, I didn’t dare move. Didn’t dare speak. I was afraid. Without a doubt. But on the heels of that… a dark part of me was intrigued by this place. Intrigued by him.

“ You came onto my land, my world, little human,” he said, his voice a low growl as he continued to circle me, caging me in with that beastly, immense body. “I am the king of these lands, the maker of the law, the judge and executioner. I am the supreme leader of the Dark Realm of Bone Ash. And I've decided I'm not letting you leave. You are mine.”

My stubborn streak rose when he stopped in front of me, eyeing me down with those glowing, molten eyes. “You mean to keep me prisoner?” I was proud my voice didn’t shake, but when his gaze looked at where I clutched my dress, I knew he was very aware of my anxiety.

He loomed over me, magnificent in the most terrifying way. And when he leaned down until we were nearly nose-to-nose, I could feel the heat of his breath and smell this cinnamon and spice scent against my lips.

“Prisoner?” He grinned, or some semblance of a smile a monster like him could give. It was a terrifying visage of sharp teeth that seemed to go on for miles. “No, little, human female.” His voice was wicked. “I mean to mate with you. I intend to make you the queen of the Dark Realm of Blood Ash.”

I was shocked, like lightning struck me where I stood. My mouth parted, and a soft, stunned sound left me.

I stared at this monster king, so massive and commanding, and when he inhaled deeply, a low hiss leaving him, I knew he meant every word he snarled out. With an animalistic huff, he moved toward his throne, every bit majestic, bigger, and more formidable than anything I’d ever seen.

He sat atop this monstrous seat of power, one built entirely of bones and skulls, stained blood splattered on the ivory color. His clawed hands rested easily on the armrests, his claws clacking against the bone, and his tail methodically swishing along the smooth floor.

“You’ll be my queen,” he said again, as if he wanted to make sure I knew he meant those words. “And you will wear my mark,” he said, voice thick with dark promise.

Before I could comprehend what he meant by mark , he crooked a claw at me. “Come to me.”

I shook my head, but I knew it was fruitless.

He chuckled and leaned back. “You can fight, but all that does is turn me on. I love a good hunt, little human.”

My heart nearly stopped.

My feet moved before I could stop them, before I knew I was even obeying. And when I stood right before him, having climbed the stone steps to the altar of his throne, the air left my lungs in a whoosh .

Gently—reverently—he took my wrist in his huge hand, his claws careful not to pierce my skin. I was transfixed at the sight of him, couldn’t stop from staring into his eyes, feeling them pull me into his dark, fiery embrace.

I wasn’t aware he’d brought my wrist to his teeth until I felt him pierce my tender flesh. I gasped and tried to pull my arm away, but he held me tightly and sank his fangs into me even more.

The pain was intense, insurmountable. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I stared at where he was latched. That pain was like liquid fire in my blood, spreading through my veins until it consumed all of me.

When he let go of me, I snatched my arm away, wrist to my chest, and looked down at where he’d bit me. Astounded, I saw flames licking over the wound before dimming—but not vanishing--as if fate wanted me to know he’d marked me.

I knew he’d put a piece of himself in me. Something that would stay with me forever.

“There,” he said roughly, his voice almost tender. “Now all will know who you belong to.” He grinned again. “You wear the mark of the king of Bone Ash’s Dark Realm.”

The wound was sealed, healing magically, but I still felt that fire burning through me. It wasn’t painful, and dare I even say… pleasurable. He’d given me his possessive symbol of ownership, and something inside of me shattered and reformed all at once.

I belonged to him.

He rose, reaching for me when I would have retreated, his massive hand cradling the back of my head. He tilted it up, so I was forced to meet his lava-like gaze.

“You’ll rule beside me, little one,” he growled, ordered. The king’s voice was thick with possessiveness. “And as my queen, you’ll wear a crown of ribs. You’ll have the monsters of my realm at your feet to do your bidding.”

He leaned closer, and I held my breath, his body big, his texture, a strange sensation against my fragile, sensitive skin.

“Submit to me, rule beside me, and I promise you’ll be my everything.”

A shudder wracked through me, not from fear but from how right it felt hearing him say the words… feeling him next to me.

“What say you, little human? How much will you give of yourself to me?”

I pressed trembling fingers to my lips knowing that survival demanded I fight him, but something else twisted in me. Sensitive tendrils of forbidden desire consumed me. I was terrified of what I felt. I’d been a prisoner of my father and his gilded cage my entire life.

I didn't want to be shackled again.

“I don’t just offer you a crown,” he growled out, maybe reading my mind or seeing my hesitation, “but also your freedom. This will be your domain. Your realm. All I ask is that you give yourself to me.”

I was breathing heavily, taking in his words, letting them sink in. I didn't know this demon, but for some strange reason, I knew he spoke the truth. Here, I could be free. Here, I could be my own ruler.

No, a ruler of everything and everyone in this kingdom. And that's when I felt it.

Acceptance. Hunger. And devotion to this monstrous king.

“Okay. I’ll be your queen,” I whispered.

As if my words broke through an invisible wall, the ground trembled beneath us as if the very realm had been waiting for this bond, this union, to be forged.

A low, pleased purr rumbled from his chest while his tail thumped a drum beat on the floor and before I could brace myself, he claimed my mouth with a kiss that was brutally consuming, possessive, and tasted like the fire that surrounded this fortress.

I’d just made a deal with the devil.