*Isla*Alpha King Maddox is on top of me, and even though I’m terrified, the more he touches me, the more I want to be touched.His warm mouth latches on to mine, his tongue probing deeper and deeper. The taste of wine and something else, something bitter, glides over my tongue as his twirls around mine. I am afraid to touch him, so my fingers intertwine with the bedsheets as I try to stabilize myself. He’s kissing me so deeply, I’m growing dizzy and breathless.Finally, he releases my mouth, and his lips slide over my neck. I find myself arching my back, leaning into him, the ache between my legs growing with every touch of his fingers against the thing fabric of my nightdress as he continues to thumb my erect nipple.I can feel his erection against my belly, and the urge to spread my legs for him is undeniable, but I can’t at the moment because of the way he is lying on top of me. He is a mass of muscle, heavy and solid, and I couldn’t free myself if I tried.Not that I want to try.

*Isla*The days pass slowly, and for a few, I don’t see King Maddox at all. I am beginning to think he has forgotten about my existence. I wonder how long it might take for him to realize he has a guest in his castle—or am I a prisoner—sitting in a room, withering away?Of course, Poppy brings me food and keeps me company quite often. Sometimes I am alone. I have books and the window. I like to look outside at the gardens. Sometimes, a gardener will be out there working, making the plants beautiful.Some might think it is boring, and to some extent it is, but it’s nice not to have to work all the time.I miss my family so terribly, though. I wish I could call them or otherwise receive word of how they are doing. I have no way of knowing what Alpha Earnest told them. For all I know, my parents might think I am dead.Thinking of my mother missing me, of her assuming the worst, makes my heart heavy.I sleep a lot, too. I find myself nodding off in the chair by the window with a book or I

*Isla*“Would you like to dance?” the king had asked me.I’d looked from his intoxicating eyes to his outstretched hand, and my first thoughts had been of my two left feed.Even back home, when I was dancing at school dances with boys of little consequence, I was the most ungraceful person in the building.He is a king and has likely danced with all sorts of beautiful, graceful women over the years.I would make a fool of myself!So I said, “No.”I see his face falter slightly and inhale deeply, wishing I had the words to explain.“I, uh… don’t know how,” I stammer.“Oh,” he says, grinning at me. “I see. Well, that’s no problem, Isla.”I love the way my name sounds when it rings from his lips. Like I am an unexplored territory in paradise….“It isn’t a problem?” I ask him, feeling my cheeks redden.He shakes his head and reaches for my hand, gently guiding me from my chair. “I can lead you.”“Oh, but I….”He cuts me off. “Don’t worry. It’s just the two of us.”I don’t tell him that is

*Isla*That was certainly not what I was expecting!After a lovely dinner and dancing with the handsome king, he had invited me back to his room so that we could get to know one another better.I had fully expected this to be the night when I began to fulfill my duties.Now, I am back in my own bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the mirror above the dresser across from me, trying to process what I’ve just seen.What the hell happened to Zabrina?All I know is that she said something about the maid. But I don’t know what she’s talking about.From the looks of all of that blood, I’m imagining that someone had to have been hurt pretty badly.Poppy opens the door between our rooms and walks out slowly, peeking around the door like she’s afraid the king is in here and she’s interrupting something.“Hi,” I say to her in a solemn voice. I’m not sure why I’m so upset. It’s not as if I wanted to breed with the king anyway. I need to remember that. The longer I can put that off

*Isla*King Maddox is lying in my bed… with his arms around me. He is holding me like I am something of high value to him, something precious, and for the first time in my life, I start to think maybe I am more than just the daughter of well-meaning parents who had misfortunes and could never quite make ends meet.Maybe I have some worth to me after all.I drift off and have pleasant dreams the rest of the night, mostly about him, this amazing man who has me tucked away against his chest, cradling me in my sleep. In the morning light, I awake, thinking at first he is likely gone, but he’s not. His firm chest is still beneath my head, and when I lean up to look at him, his eyes are wide and looking into mine.“Good morning, Isla,” he says. “Did you sleep well the rest of the night?”“Yes, I did, thank you,” I tell him, still trying to figure out whether I am awake or caught up in a dream again.Why is the king still in my bed?“That’s good to hear.” He runs his hand along my cheek, ca