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Elias

I ’ve never been one to take what I want. I was born with responsibilities. Being heir to the throne meant my desires were never my own. They should always align with what’s best for my kingdom. And what was best for my kingdom was remaining hidden. There are threats out there that not even my forefathers could have predicted. It was a well-known rule that our walls weren’t to keep humans at bay—but beasts like the one I encountered across the sea. Beasts with blood from the “old” bloodlines. Beasts who should never know we exist.

Beasts who shouldn’t exist, like Cyrus.

The history of our kind is a complex one. Our earliest texts state our kind are spawns of the devil himself, made from the frayed edges of his robes. Originally, beasts existed without conscience, evolving to get to where we are now. We were once creatures cloaked in black smoke who roamed the land, consuming every living thing in their wake. But now that we have evolved, we are able to form as humans while still able access that dark side of us. I was raised to be ashamed of that side. I was groomed to understand that beasts who live as Cyrus does, freely flaunting the savage creature beneath the surface, are a threat. They are dangerous. They are the devil’s robes. And my kind, the beasts who have evolved further from that pit of death, are the future.

From the moment my father began grooming me for the throne, he instilled in me the philosophy on which our kingdom was built. We condemned everything that those types of beasts were, embracing ourselves as human. We were never to reveal ourselves to those beyond our walls. We were never to draw the attention of not only humans but also the beasts we condemned. I was content to follow these rules, unknowingly living my life in shame of my true self.

That is until I laid eyes on Annalise.

I saw the beauty that embracing what I truly am brings. I saw lands far greater than my own that I began to covet. And I saw strength as a tool to rule over benevolence. I will no longer deny myself what I want for the sake of those at my mercy. And that begins with the human I brought back. My patience with her has run thin, especially after watching the way she behaved when it came to obeying Cyrus. The problem is that she does not fear me in the way she did him, but she will learn.

I push open the door to Annalise’s chambers, half-expecting to see her in bed as she always is. This time, however, she’s seated near the window that overlooks the ocean in the distance. My cock stirs as I take her in. Her dark hair is in a loose braid falling past her waist, her warm eyes mimicking the sunset in the distance as she turns to look at me. The moment her golden gaze falls on me, anger appears on her features. It makes me realize how much I prefer her expression with tears in her eyes. I long for her distress. I want to control it in every way. She stands, pulling my attention to her silhouette in her form-fitting gown. She’s still unaware of her condition. But she’ll know about it soon enough.

Merely standing in the same room as her forces my inner beast to the surface, clawing at me to claim her and make her mine. It’s what I left and traveled across the ocean for—what I risked my life stirring up trouble in a foreign land for. And it is what I crippled an entire kingdom that could swallow mine for. I want her. All of her. And I can’t control any part of myself until I have it. I don’t want to share any part of her. And I won’t from this moment on.

“Take her.” My eyes remain on her, pleasure washing over me as my guards storm the room, and her expression shifts into helpless panic. She tries to run out of instinct, but they grab her quickly, holding her firm by her arms. The rapid increase of her heartbeat excites me further as I cross the room, my eyes on hers.

“What is this?” she screams. “Release me!”

I almost laugh at her entitlement. I don’t understand where her desire to return to Cyrus comes from. I watched her heavily during my time in his kingdom. She was terrified most of the time. The final straw should have been placing her in exile because of her desire to save a human life. I took her from that and made it look like she left willingly. I’ve given her an out she refuses to take, and I don’t know why.

“Why do you want to return to him? Weren’t you miserable under his thumb?” I ask, studying her reaction.

“Do you think capturing me and dragging me across the ocean to another prison is going to make me want you any more than him?” she snaps.

I laugh. She’s deflecting. She’s hiding something.

“Come in,” I call toward the door. After a few seconds, my servant enters with a cup of steeped tea and places it on the table. I stand, grabbing the cup as I approach Annalise, standing over her. Her eyes fall to the cup, and her struggles continue.

“Open,” I say.

She looks at the cup and back to me.

“Wh—Mph!”

I grip her jaw, forcing her mouth open as the guards pull on her hair, angling her head back. I don’t hesitate as I pour the liquid into her mouth, covering it with my hand and holding her nose.

“Now, swallow,” I growl out.

But she’s defiant. She tries to break free, screaming from behind my hand. And as much as it irritates me, I know it’s only a matter of time before her instincts take over and she decides she needs to breathe.

“Come on, Annalise… all this fuss over some tea?” I chuckle, my eyes boring into hers as tears form and spill down her face. Finally, she swallows.

I release her, and she coughs, choking as she takes in the air, unaware of what is about to happen.

“Leave us,” I say to the guards.

They release her, and she stumbles to her knees. As I watch her compose herself, the way she moves with the grace of a beast catches my attention. It’s a fascinating thing to see how naturally it comes to her. And it makes me want her even more. She slowly stands, her features shifting as she tries to hide her panic. But before she can speak, the herbs take effect.

Her hands fly to her stomach, and she stumbles, gripping the chair for balance. Her eyes are wide, filled with panic as she looks around for some kind of support, her cries of pain filling the air.

“What?” she gasps to herself.

Her eyes widen in shock as a trail of blood appears under the gown, soaking the bottom. She finally looks at me, terror in her gaze as she tries to comprehend what’s happening.

“What did you do?” she screeches.

I relish the pain in her voice. The helpless expression on her face. She collapses, the pain becoming too much for her as the herbs in the tea quickly cleanse her body of its impurity. I slowly stand, watching her in pleasure as I approach.

“Now, you have no reason to return,” I say.

Her eyes shift back to the blood, and she pieces together what’s happening.

“No… No!” Her moans turn to screams as she drags her hands through the puddle, attempting to salvage what’s left. But there is nothing left. I made sure of that. I want her to be empty. I want her to know she is at my mercy. And by the time I finish with her, Cyrus won’t want what’s left. She continues to scream and cry, no longer aware of my presence over her as she mourns the loss. And I continue to watch in fascination as I imagine the future that is now possible with her.

Yes, I’ve never been one to take what I want. But now that I know what it feels like to give in to my desire, I plan on taking whatever is necessary to sate it.