Page 1 of Monsters Wear Crowns (Crowned Monsters Duet #1)

The cold kiss of metal pressed against my throat. The sharp scent of gunpowder lingered in the air, blending with the coppery tang of blood.

My pulse pounded, a frantic, stuttering rhythm that seemed deafening in the silence. The world had narrowed to this moment, this breath, this choice.

“Tell me,” his voice was low, rough, laced with something dark and dangerous. “Is this what you wanted?”

I met his eyes. A thousand unspoken things burned there–anger, lust, and something terrifyingly close to possession. I should have been afraid. I was. But beneath the fear, something else coiled tight inside me. I didn’t answer. I wouldn’t.

His lips curved, a cruel smile that promised I had already lost. The pressure against my throat eased, but his hand caught my chin in a rough, unforgiving grip as he tilted my face up to his.

“You wanted to play with monsters,” he murmured, his breath brushing my lips. “Now you’ll see how they break their fucking toys.” The shot rang out. And the world tilted.