BOUGHT BY THE BEAST
Ezra and six northern warriors stood watch along the ridge.
I walked into the pavilion alone.
My plum velvet gown trailed across the stone floor, the silver First Moon Seal gleaming over my heart, my mother's diary tucked safely inside the inner pocket of my fur cloak.
High King Valerius stood near the central stone hearth, a glass of dark wine in his hand, dressed in his midnight velvet coat. He turned as the heavy glass door clicked shut, a smooth, devastatingly handsome smile spreading across his sharp face.
"You came, Rielle," Valerius said, his voice rich, cultured, and filled with quiet, aristocratic charm. "I knew you wouldn't leave your mother's words unopened."