raping her skin raw. The soldiers' grips were cruel, steel fingers bruising her arms

cut against her torn skin, carrying the acrid sce

like silent sentinels, carved with ancient runes that shimmered faintly beneath the crimson glow of th

over the g

amusement, others solemn as though they stood witness to a sacr

stone. It was ancient and cold, its surface soaked in

a Da

in. His dark hair flowed past his shoulders like a wild mane. A golden mask concealed

lothed in the

hers. Lena's

. The stone cut into her flesh, sharp

" Dariu

e iron against ston

, though her

adows emerg

red like molten rubies. Her eyes glowed violet, alive with power. Her voice, when

wi

haped like the crescent moon. It was blac

ena's wrist and

resi

tened h

s the grave, and then pain lanced t

et the night. The pain was sharp, but worse still was the fire tha

with her own blood. B

gatum, in fato aeterno devinctum." she said. H

blood. Bound in flesh,

lood was more than blood. It

r chin in hand. He lifted her

he said. His voice w

owd er

od over Lena's head. It soaked her hair, ran in red rivu

o Darius and offe

without l

s his palm. Blood w

and pressed the w

ned her

d, softer now, yet

s parted against her will. They touched his fle

e swal

ipped from

er. It set her blood aflame and tore her

ack c

iled. "Go

own her cheek like

earn q

ot learning. S

ard again, holding a c

l seal,"

and brought i

nd you are mine in b

heart pounded. She trie

coul

touched h

e consu

bone, soul from self. Her back arched. Her

apsed, t

ack h

e. He seized her chin a

me, wife,"

kness cla

-

te

the stillness, ra

oath. The ancient magic that tethered her soul now burned through her, vile and unrelenting. Her cri

ne c

e d

ctuary of his private

sti

claimed her without tenderness, his breath sharp against the chill air.

pierced the air, more

ce low and edged with comm

pliant beneath his hands. Darius drove into her once more, his movements unyielding, fu

y. "Yes, my Alpha. Harder... Mar

her voice tha

as L

angu

defi

melody of h

n a victory carved in silence. His eyes gleamed with cruel satisfactio

ld bre

and

t ash and sorrow

pirit was smothered in

was all tha