"I do." Two words that signed over my soul to a monster, all to save a kingdom I knew little about. This isn't a fairy tale. No knights in shining armor, only kings fighting for power. And my heart is the key. A game designed to shatter even the harshest of resolves. My husband wants to debase me. To break me. To destroy my spirit. To possess every inch of my soul through acts so heinous, I can hardly breathe. And he's using six men to do it. Including him. Adrik, Prince of Noxia. Desire. Such a wicked twist of fate. Happily-Ever-After may not exist here, but amorous energy rises after a night of unbridled passion. A night I should hate, but don't.. A night I long to repeat. "I love you." A statement I will never say. Not even to him—my dark prince who plays in the shadows, engaging me in a forbidden dance of hope and adoration. He promises me a new crown, in exchange for my heart. Vengeance I will not be owned. I will rise above them all. And the only crown I will wear is the one drenched in their blood. Author's Note: This is a dark paranormal romance. Please read the author's note at the beginning (available in the "look inside" feature) if you have any concerns about dark content. \\\* "No permanent damage," Necros finally said. "She might be barren, but I want her alive." Of course you do, I thought. He wanted her power, same as I did. "So only leave wounds that will heal under immortality?" Again the question was for the benefit of our audience. It would be such a shame to harm someone so gorgeous. Necros nodded. "Blood is fine. You can even break bone. But only if she can recover without a scar. If I can't breed her, I might as well use her body for other means." Another benefit of having her trained, I supposed. Not that I agreed with any of this. But I had to play along to get what I needed—her heart. "Understood," I murmured, tracing the tip of my dagger down her corseted top. Her breathing remained steady as she floated in some faraway place, her imagination overtaking her reality. Alas, I couldn't allow her to stay there. I needed her focus and compliance to achieve my goal. "I want to teach you something, Valora," I said, my weapon nearing her belly button. "An important lesson on participation."

A Halfling. My designation. A plague. An essential death sentence in the underworld. Until I met him. A Noxia Prince. He's arrogant, a playboy, and the male who saved my life. Except he never gave me a choice, his blood tying me to him for an eternity of servitude. And I'm not sure I want to pay that price. An unspeakable past. Monsters haunt my nightmares. Most of them dead. But a few are still alive, and so I'll hunt them. Torture them. Slay them all. Even if it brings about an early demise. A courtship signed in blood. One bite sealed my fate. Except someone is playing a dangerous game, and she'll stop at nothing to see me destroyed. Life is a journey to Death. Sometimes the only way to truly live is to die. But I'm not going down without a fight.