MasukChapter 1The worn floorboards groan beneath my bare feet as I pace the length of our apartment, each step faster than my last my heart is racing. Moonlight spills through the arched window, painting silver stripes across Circe where she lounges on our velvet couch, one leg draped elegantly over the armrest. She watches me with those amber eyes that always seem to see straight through my carefully constructed walls."Something's eating you alive tonight," she murmurs, her voice like warm honey. She shifts, causing the dark silk of her robe to part slightly, revealing the curve of her hip. My throat tightens.I stop pacing and grip the back of our reading chair, my knuckles white. "I've been thinking." The words come out softer than I intended. "About us."Circe sits up properly, the robe falling open just enough to make my mouth dry. "Thinking good things, I hope?" She pats the cushion beside her. "Come here. You're making me dizzy with all that walking."My feet move before my brai
Chapter 4His weight shifts above me, and my body is still buzzing, raw and oversensitive from the last shattering orgasm. I’m tied to Rafe’s massive penthouse headboard with smooth silk ties that feel deceptively soft against my wrists. The city lights spill through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting everything in cool blues and golds, but nothing feels cool right now. I’m burning up.“Arms up,” he orders, that low, gravelly voice sending fresh heat pooling between my legs.I obey even though my shoulders ache. He leans over me, all dark hair and sharper edges, and wraps the silk around my wrists with practiced care. The first knot pulls tight, then the second, securing me to the headboard. I test the restraints instinctively and feel the burn in my muscles. No give. I’m completely at his mercy.“There,” Rafe murmurs, his fingers trailing slowly down my arms, raising goosebumps in their wake. “Now you can’t run even if you wanted to.”I’m spread wide beneath him, completely na
Chapter 3He pulls out slowly, and the sudden emptiness hits me so hard all at once. A wet, filthy sound accompanies the movement, and I feel the hot rush of his cum leaking from my stretched, pulsing pussy. Thick strands slide down my swollen inner thighs, smearing across the ruined leather seat. I’m slumped boneless against the door, chest heaving, the torn red silk of the dress clinging damply to my sweat-slick curves. My hair sticks to my face in wild strands. Every breath feels raw, shaky, like I’ve been hollowed out and remade in the shape of him.Rafe leans back in the passenger seat, suit rumpled, tie loose, looking every bit the satisfied predator. His dark eyes drag over me, lingering on the bite marks blooming across my breasts, the bruises already forming on my hips, the obscene mess between my legs. A slow, possessive smile curves his lips.“Look at you,” he murmurs, voice rough as gravel from exertion. “A fucking masterpiece. All marked up and dripping for me.”Somet
Chapter 2The cold clings to me long after Rafe goes back into the shadows. I stand frozen in the alley, rain hammering down, plastering my hair to my skull. The lights from The Rusty Spoon flickers across the wet pavement in streaks of green and purple. The baggie of pills sits heavy in my palm, but the real heat pulsing through me has nothing to do with them. Its the feeling of his thumb stroking my cheek, the low rasp of his voice against my ear, the way my body had leaned into him like it already knew who it belonged to.By the time I make it home, I’m soaked to the bone. My tiny apartment feels even smaller tonight. I peel off the drenched wool coat and clothes, leaving them in a sodden heap on the bathroom floor, and step under the scalding spray. Water beats against my skin until it turns pink, but it does nothing to wash away the memory of his touch. I fall asleep to the scent of rain mixed with smoke and the smell of Rafe.I wake up in the morning and for some reason I ha
Chapter 1 The neon sign for "The Rusty Spoon" buzzed and flickered above the alley, showing rays of pink and blue across the slick pavement. Rain fell steadily on the dumpsters and fire escapes, turning everything into a hazy mess.I shifted my messenger bag higher on my shoulder, the strap digging in. Inside were half-finished logo mocks, client notes, and the familiar knot of panic that had been tightening in my chest for weeks. Three overdue projects. Seven rounds of revisions. And that bright yellow eviction notice taped to my door this morning. My stomach twisted just thinking about it.I wiped rain from my eyes and checked my phone again. 11:47. He was late. My teeth found my thumbnail, biting down hard enough to sting. The sharp little pain grounded me, but it wasn’t what I really needed. What I craved for.Footsteps cut through the downpour They were slow, confident, unhurried. I pressed my back against the cold brick wall, feeling the rough texture snag my coat. My pulse
Chapter 5 Its morning now and I sit at the long dining table, the polished black stone shockingly cold against my bare thighs. The clothes Wren gave me feel strange and rough after hours of being naked, The silk feel itchy instead of soothing. Across from me, Wren lounges at the head of the table like a king on his throne, lazily picking at a piece of dark, glistening fruit. His posture is relaxed, but the air between is tense. Lesser fae servants line the walls, They're translucent-skinned creatures with bottomless black eyes. They stand unnaturally still, not breathing, not blinking. Just waiting. Wren tosses the fruit pit onto the table. The sharp clatter makes me jump. His void-black eyes lift to mine, stripping me bare with a single look. “The sun is up,” he says, voice that low, rumbling purr that sinks into my bones. “The night is over. Our deal is fulfilled.” My heart slams against my ribs. The brand on my palm throbs in time with my pulse, a constant reminder of ever
Chapter 5 Two months later The heavy curtains were drawn, shutting out the world beyond these walls, leaving only the two of us as newlywed knight and princess, finally alone.I stood before him in the remnants of my wedding gown, the silk now slightly rumpled from the evening’s festivities. The
Chapter 3Morning came by so fast, time. It was usually like that when you were travelling nonstop. I stretched, my body still humming with the lingering pleasure of the night before, Bill’s hands on me, his mouth hot against mine, the way he had taken me with a possessiveness that left me breathle
Chapter 4The servants barely look me in the eye while they prepare me. Maybe they’re afraid they’ll see the truth… how close I am to shattering.They lace my gown until the breath leaves my chest, until I feel more like a doll than a woman. Someone pins my hair into an intricate crown of braids. S
Chapter 2 “Putain,” he cursed under his breath, his eyes darkening as he took in the sight of my glistening, swollen, his. His thumb pressed against my clit, circling slowly, and my hips jerked, a broken cry spilling from my lips. “So fucking wet for me already,” he murmured, his voice a dark care







