Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

Eleanna

A s I approach Alexandru's fortress, the imposing structure looms like a sentinel guarding the threshold between worlds. Its ancient stones, weathered by centuries, stand tribute to a legacy of power and dominion. Towering battlements pierce the sky while the heavy portcullis looms silently, both welcoming and a warning.

The snow falls as we approach the closed gate on horseback. Nadia huddles beside me, teeth chattering like skeletal fingers on a tomb.

Either we will be turned away or welcomed.

One of the two guards behind the frost-laden gate approaches us. "Announce yourself."

"Eleanna Cordon of the Sagori." My voice betrays none of the turmoil gnawing my insides.

A bitter laugh almost escapes me. Here I stand, once the feared queen, now begging for shelter at the gates of a man I both despise and still lust after.

There's a heavy pause before the massive gates creak open. The iron's groan tears strips from my pride, but desperation is a crueler master than vanity.

We cross the threshold, and the familiar scent of the fortress—stone, metal, and the subtle trace of ancient blood—assaults my senses. The courtyard is a glaring expanse of white, the snow untouched but for the path leading to the main entrance. Lanterns, hung at intervals along the walls, flicker like fireflies in the twilight.

My heart clenches, an echo of something raw and unbidden, as I prepare to face him again. I get off the horse and turn.

Alexandru stands as if carved from the stones of his stronghold.

My heart hammers against my ribs, a wild, relentless rhythm. His silver eyes are ice as they fix on me and his black hair frames his face like the dark wings of a raven.

The military lines of his clothing speak of power and command, the crest upon his chest a reminder of his authority. And next to him, silent and loyal, is Ivan.

"Eleanna." Alexandru's low voice is terse. "What do you want?"

I plant my feet more firmly on the frozen ground. "Help."

The word tastes like ash on my tongue. I never thought I'd seek anything from General Alexandru Amanar ever again, yet here I am, driven by a need greater than my hatred.

His eyes are intense as he takes his time cataloguing me. My skin prickles, every nerve lit with the tension that always simmers between us.

The magnetic pull of him is dangerous. I try and ignore it, stay steady in my cause.

"You don't think it's too late for help?" he asks.

I lift my chin. "No."

"Your kingdom's fall changes the landscape of our world, Eleanna," Alexandru says. "Catarina's greed is insatiable. If she conquered you, she will set her sights on me next."

Tension tightens the corners of his eyes, as if his fortress, normally a guiding light of invulnerability, now feels like the line drawn between peace and war.

But I know him better than that. Alexandru's fortress is an epicenter, a sanctuary to those who need it as our world teeters.

Catarina may come and attempt siege, but he'll hold that at bay. There's more here than Catarina and war. There's us. Which is exactly like war, too. A different and far more deadly war.

The air around us thickens with the weight of our past and the uncertainty of our future.

A tremor passes through me as emotions surge and clash within. But I keep that down deep. My gaze on him never falters and I cling to the fierce determination that has carried me through my darkest nights.

At that moment, Ivan steps forward and nods toward Nadia. "I'll show you to your chambers so you may ready them for your queen." His tone lacks the hostility that radiates from Alexandru.

"Thank you." Nadia follows him inside.

Once they're gone, silence wraps around Alexandru and me like a cloak, heavy with the ghosts of our past. The harsh winter winds whip and pummel, alive with the tension of words we dare not speak and wounds yet to heal.

"Your pride must have taken a formidable hit to seek me out, Eleanna." He finally breaks the silence, his voice a combination of amusement and accusation.

A sardonic smile plays on my lips, my armor against the onslaught of vulnerability threatening to break down my walls. "This isn't about pride. It's about survival. For both of us, for our people."

"Survival," he repeats, studying me, and I know he sees past the fa?ade to the raw determination, the harsh necessity that drives me.

"Yes." My voice sharpens with the conviction that has carried me through darkness and despair. "And power. I will reclaim what is rightfully mine, with or without your aid, Alexandru."

"Even if it means allying with someone you once could not stand to face?"

I lift my chin, meeting his stare with one equally fierce. "Particularly then. Familiarity with the embrace of foes is not foreign to me. I am no stranger to keeping enemies close. And in this, we have a bigger enemy."

He steps closer, sparking a fire in my veins. The world shrinks to this silent standoff. Despite my turmoil, I stand firm, resolve strong.

"Very well," he says. "Let us see where this path leads, Eleanna. For now, our sights must set upon Catarina and the throne you seek to reclaim."

I nod. "Yes."

"The greater enemy."

Gratitude, need, regret of things long gone, prompt my next words. "Thank you for offering sanctuary."

A shiver cascades down my spine. We're close. And Alexandru still is an electric storm to my senses. It doesn't matter if I like him or despise him, he affects. That scent of him, leather and sandalwood, winds around me, stroking something within, something I can't name. The strength of him is more than clear and almost a canter in my veins as he stands in close quarters.

He doesn't move. His stillness has always been thrilling, because it hides a storm, mercurial forces, safe havens and deceptions. And it's almost impossible to know which is happening.

"We must work together." The words are soft, the threat in them laid open like fact. "If not…"

"Then we are allies by necessity," I say. The words taste bitter, a poison I'm forced to swallow.

" Temporary allies," he says. He gestures his hand to the courtyard, and he starts to walk. I follow. "If not then I will hand you to her myself."

Once I'd have attacked, swift and lethal. Words, fangs sword; I'd never let his treasonous words stand. "Catarina is not just a threat to me, but to all vampires, Alexandru."

We fall silent as we walk. Our steps are muffled as we wander the barren courtyard, our breaths misting in the cold air. Alexandru breaks the silence first, his voice carrying a weight that halts me in my tracks.

"Eleanna, we must let go of the old ways. We cannot drench our lands in blood as your father did. The people cry out for change, for a new dawn where fear does not rule them."

"Catarina stormed the castle. She?—"

"If I am to help, to gather allies, build an army, concoct plans to get your heritage back, things must change. You look forward in some ways, but not enough. You need to change, Eleanna."

I turn to face him, my boots crunching on the snow. "And what would you have me do, Alexandru? Abandon my heritage? My power? You speak of change as if it's a simple turn of the page. I can't discard my heritage like scraps to dogs. Such weakness begs for another Catarina to rise."

"Or they'll embrace you and listen."

"Our traditions define us, Alexandru. The change you talk of is nothing but weakness. I will not do it."

He steps closer, the moonlight glinting in his eyes. "Yes, change, Eleanna! A future where we rule not through terror but through strength of leadership. These outdated traditions keep us in the dark ages. We must adapt, evolve."

"Evolve?" I spit. "To what end? To become weak, to forget the blood that runs through our veins?"

His gaze hardens. "To ensure our survival, Eleanna."

"A future you see fit to dictate?" My voice rises. "Our customs are our identity, our very essence. My father's legacy shall be upheld."

Alexandru steps closer, the gap between us simmering with the heat of our argument. "And what of our essence when all around us is in ruin?"

"Once we restore things there will be no ruin, only revenge."

He moves in close and my senses spark.

"Then," he says, "you are no better than Catarina."

I grab his arm. He glances at my hand then at me. I wait a beat before releasing him. "We are vampires?—"

"Once you talked of real change."

"I was a stupid child."

"No, Eleanna," he says, moving a lock of hair from my face, his fingertips brush my cheek and his accidental touch burns, "you let ambitions blind you, the crown seduce. You want what's best, I concede to that, but you refuse to see what that is. You are strong, and you must learn to be a new kind of ruler."

"I am the ruler they want?—"

His mouth turns into a bitter smile. "There are enough who don't want the old, draconian ways. Be the ruler who can see and bend when needed. Lead into the future, don't drag everyone back into the past."

"I can't."

"Then go." He shrugs.

Fury sweeps through me and I clench my hands. I need him. I know that. "How…" I swallow. "How do you expect me to do that and not be destroyed as a weakling?"

"Weakness isn't a word you understand," he says. He takes another step closer and brushes his mouth against my ear. "I will help you, Eleanna, in your quest for the throne, but on two conditions."

A bitter laugh escapes me. "And what conditions would those be?"

"First, you must share my bed. And second, you agree to let me rule by your side as equal once we defeat Catarina."

His words pierce the armor around my heart as the heat of his body seeps into mine, but I stand steadfast, unwilling to concede to all he asks. "I will never share your bed again."

"Then," he whispers, "we have no deal."

I step back and look up at him and his hard gaze. My heart trembles as I shiver; he's too close. And that proximity ignites a fire within me, one that wars with my pride.

"You dare to presume I would share my power, my throne, let alone have sex with you on your demand?"

"It's not presumption," he says, his presence overwhelming. "It's the price of my alliance, Eleanna. Our combined strength could be unstoppable, but it requires unity, in every sense."

I'm tempted, I can't deny the shiver of anticipation that races down my spine. But I step back, putting space between us. I focus on the anger as I ignore the unwelcome spark of desire.

"Your conditions are audacious, Alexandru. You can't expect me to agree with your terms."

"Consider it, Eleanna." His voice softens with a hint of the intimacy we once shared. "Together, we can reshape our world. But it requires compromise, from both of us."

His words hang heavy in the cold air, his offer as perilous and enticing as a winter's thaw. I look away, hiding the passion and yearnings his proposal has elicited. Yet, I must consider the cost of power over the price of my heart.

"Alexandru, your conditions are...intimate."

"Intimacy can be a weapon, Eleanna," he murmurs, "like pleasure and pain. One I intend to wield if we're to defeat Catarina."

"Your bed is no battlefield," I snap. Yet beneath my skin, an inferno rages.

"Isn't it? You and I, we've always been at war, even when our bodies speak otherwise." He lowers his voice, a dangerous timbre that resonates within my chest.

"Perhaps," I say.

"But remember, Eleanna," he says in warning against my ear, sending tremors over my skin. "In this alliance, you will also accept my rule at your side once we've vanquished our enemy."

The concept grates against every fiber of my being, yet the thought of reclaiming my throne, of enacting vengeance, is too tantalizing to dismiss.

"Rule by your side? You are not royalty, and a queen such as I does not share her crown lightly," I say through gritted teeth.

"Nor does a general relinquish command. We will be equals, in all things."

His conditions sit in the silence, even as my mind races. What he wants is huge, outrageous. Not just a role as consort, but king. My equal.

When we were betrothed, he would never have been my king. But now…it's like he's seized the opportunity, his ambitions finally exposed to me.

Yet the threat against me and this land in the form of Catarina is very real, very dire. Like his proposal.

And I see it for what it is. This isn't just a negotiation; it's a seismic shift in the landscape of my future, challenging the foundation of my solitude and supremacy. It unnerves yet compels me, igniting a conflict deep within that I can't easily quell.

It drives home what's at stake because I am considering the unimaginable.

But what choice do I have? Who else would aid me? Has an army as vast and powerful as Alexandru?

Who else could garner more strength in the middle of a coup? Only Alexandru has the intelligence, ruthless streak and gifts in warcraft to win this from under Catarina.

"Very well," I say, the decision coating my tongue like honey and venom. I extend my hand, the gesture one of acceptance and insolence. "To victory and vengeance."

He clasps my hand, the contact searing. "To sex and ruling the realm together," Alexandru says, sealing our fate.

When I withdraw my hand, I allow myself a sly, triumphant smile. The game is set, and I'm a masterful player as I plot and plan. Yes, I will agree to Alexandru's terms. For power, for the throne, for revenge—I will pay any price. Just like I'll search for a way out of this deal. I will have the last word in this.

And as I stand before him, the flames of ambition licking at my heart, I can't deny the pull of attraction that binds us, fueled by hate and hunger alike.

Alexandru locks his eyes with mine, heated and unyielding. Neither of us moves. His face is pure benevolence and finally I start to turn to make my way inside to my rooms.

He moves fast, silent. I'm pinned against the door, just inside, his hand strong, warm, alive around my throat.

My heart soars up as excitement surges. He squeezes and my upper thighs slicken with juices. His tongue traces a path along my artery up and he bites hard on my lobe.

A soft sound slides free as my knees give way.

"Do not take me for a fool, Eleanna."

"I—"

His hand tightens and he cuts off my words, my air and my body throbs.

"And do not take my bedding of you as a weakness." He bites me again and I moan. Then he lifts his head, pressing against me, all that muscle holding me in place.

He could just stand there and dominate by his mere presence, he's that magnetic. And a sick part of me yearns for his authority, his dominion, his disdain.

My vision pops with bursts of black as he squeezes harder still, and this time I scrabble at his hands as he slides a thigh between mine.

"Are your lungs hurting? Or is your need for cock overtaking the need to breathe?" He lifts his head to look at me but doesn't release his hold. "I know you, and I know you think you can control me with your cunt. I know you think you can find a way to back out of our deal. You can't. I'm no longer under your spell."

His words hurt. He loosens his hold a little and I suck in a breath. But when I try to speak, he squeezes hard once again.

"We can make it a blood deal. Yours and mine. The bargain starts now in my bed to seal the agreement." Alexandru's silver eyes take me in. "You wish to speak?"

He loosens his hold once more.

"Why do you wish to bed me if you disdain me?" The words come of their own accord but now they're out, in the air, alive between us.

He wastes no time stroking my throat with his thumb, still holding me as he brings his mouth once more to my ear.

"Disdain, Eleanna?" he asks. "You mistake my challenging of your methods for a lack of desire. Quite the contrary."

This time he shifts, bringing his hips to mine and his erection is something that cannot be denied and the flames in me flare higher.

"So your cock is filled with blood. So what?"

His gaze is unwavering and intense. "I see a fire in you, a relentless strength that matches my own. It's not about liking, Eleanna. No, it's about you paying homage to me. You're a formidable woman, a queen in every sense. Make no mistake, this is about conquest, me over you. It will hold you to me and we both know it. Even now you want me. I bet if I put my hand between your thighs, you'd be wet and wanting. But it's a good conquest, a meeting of equals in passion as much as we are in power."

"And you think," I say, trying to ignore the wet heat that throbs deep inside me, that coats my upper thighs, the way the urge to be dragged to his bed beats hard, "that such a...conquest won't complicate our alliance? Or perhaps you believe that bedding me will somehow tame the fire you claim to admire?"

"Oh, my fallen Queen, I believe it will strengthen our bond, make our alliance unbreakable. As for taming you, that's a delicious obstacle I look forward to conquering."

My heart skips a beat, anticipation tugging deep.

Alexandru growls, lifting me by the throat, the suddenness of it making me gasp. Delight ripples down my spine as my pulse races and desire floods my thoughts.

This is the moment I've been waiting for—and dreading—since I arrived at his doorstep.

He tightens his grip, and my breath hitches as his scent, a heady mix of leather and sandalwood, invades my senses, filling my nostrils and fogging my mind.

Alexandru smiles slowly, the pure hunter he is, and I spasm, the traitorous heat between my legs refusing to be ignored, as he brings his head down.

His sharp teeth catch my bottom lip and he draws back, stretching it as his tongue samples along the inside.

He sinks those teeth in deep, drawing a drop of blood and I almost orgasm, even as he lets me go and I half crumple down.

"This way," Alexandru commands, turning and leading me through the dimly lit corridors of the stronghold.

I follow unable to stop myself, unable to control the urgent lick of need within.

We pass once vibrant tapestries lining the walls, now muted with age. I breathe in the scent of burning wood from the numerous fireplaces scattered throughout, the only source of warmth here. The polished stone floors reflect the sparse light as I match his step.

He doesn't turn, just reaches back and clamps on my wrist as though I might vanish. His touch is fire and with it comes the heightened senses, the scent of him that overpowers everything else, his strength flowing like lifeblood into me.

And I trace the place where he bit deep, each touch of my tongue a vibrant spark of need. I hate him.

He turns, dragging me through a thick wooden door, revealing a room bathed in soft light. A large bed draped in sumptuous fabrics lies there and the decadent luxury of it arouses me further. Alexandru steps inside and closes the door behind us.

There's no turning back.

"Eleanna," Alexandru says, "you thrive under my control, a truth you've yet to fully embrace. Prove it. Show me you can take orders, follow my commands when the moment demands it."

I swallow hard, forcing myself to submit to this new reality.

"And if I don't, Alexandru?"

"Then there is no deal."

Without another word, I take one step, the primal force that draws me unleashing. He stands in the middle of the room, and I'm torn with lust and resentment, need and hate.

Alexandru's mouth turns up in a slow, feral smile. "Strip, Eleanna."

I narrow my eyes, ignoring the urge to submit along with the urge to dominate.

"Fucking strip."

Instead, I cross to him. He laughs softly at my hesitation and pulls me in, tangling his hand in my hair and pulling so my face is tipped to him.

He takes my mouth in a crushing kiss, one that invades, made to dominate and even here he shows his gifts of warcraft. He shows how he's studied me, that he knows my weaknesses and anything that causes me to come apart, to crack open, even a little, is weakness.

At first, it's full on. A bloodletting of the soul, a vampire starved just enough to let the feral edges show, to rip flesh and crunch bone. It decimates.

The onslaught is wild and my edges start to soften, the throb of need almost too much.

But an onslaught is something I can stand up to. Something I know. I can give in, just enough to hold myself whole.

Alexandru knows this. He lifts his head. "A real submission of your control and self, Eleanna. I demand that."

"Make me."

For a moment time seems to stop. Just the beat of blood surging in veins, his heat burning down into me as his body is crowded into mine over me. "I want you to give."

Then he does something wicked. He licks my skin, teeth and fangs scraping soft against my artery that he lays out before him with a tug of my hair, my throat exposed. He licks again, his control so stunning I can't breathe. His fangs are on the precipice of puncturing skin, and I revel in that light touch. What I don't expect, what I'm not sure I can forgive is the softness of his lips against my skin.

He kisses me slow and gentle, an underhanded feathery touch that seduces. He parts my lips, tongue stroking over mine, sensations sparking off every surface in me. And I chase the kiss as he pulls back, wanting more.

"Strip," he says again, soft kisses against my mouth, throat, ear. And my fingers shake as I start to disrobe.

The vampire doesn't fight fair. Those words push for release, but I swallow them down, too aware they stink like defeat.

He continues those slow, murderous kisses, ones that pretend at love. Pure seductive kisses he wields like weapons to get what he wants, and he does that blatantly, knowing I can't resist his mouth. I never could.

The sipping kisses distract, and his fingers slide against my bare breasts, then down over my stomach until he touches the juncture between my thighs.

"Wet," he says, the smug heat the kind I want to rip apart with fang and claw.

And yet I stand in the circle of him, my fingers caught in his clothes. He doesn't let me remove them. Instead, his head rises, his silver gaze catches mine and it hooks in the pit of my stomach as he pins my hands to his chest.

Alexandru almost glows with carnal and savage delight as he drinks me in, and then, remaining clothed, pushes me down to the bed in the dimly lit room.

I should be furious. I should strike out. But I'm not. I don't. Even as he insults me with that searing gaze, an urgency for his flesh races through me, burning down my walls and leaving me pure need, the ache too much.

Alexandru stands over me as he trails fingers along my naked thighs making my stomach flutter, my insides tighten.

"You see, Eleanna? You crave this, the power exchange. The momentary loss of control."

I can't deny the truth in his words. He moves about me, the silent command to remain still as loud as thunder in his gaze and I quiver before him. He traces patterns on my skin, each touch designed for pleasure. The slight scrape of nails or twist of fingers on my flesh send sparks of bright pain through me. And all of it sends me tumbling into a maelstrom.

"Do you understand now, Eleanna? That you require my guidance, my direction?"

My breath hitches, caught between desire, pain and defiance. "Yes…" I whisper.

I don't mean that. I can't.

He grins, the curve of his lips dark and dangerous. "Good. Now turn on your stomach and remember, your releases are mine."

Hate surges, the urge to please him, too. And I know he has the upper hand. It doesn't matter I resent this; I want it more and I do as asked.

He moves about, his shadow dancing in the candlelight. Then it disappears. I go to move my head.

"Don't."

He's back, and something soft—leather—trails like a tease over my back, and I whimper.

"Spread your legs wide and raise your hips."

With my heart pounding in my ears, I follow his instructions.

He's quiet so long, that I start to speak. "Alex?—"

"Do not speak until I tell you."

I'm dripping, the cooling wetness beads down a path along my thigh, and I must look craven. Nothing more than a common whore. Is that what he wants of me? Does?—

The leather slices hard into my ass with a thwack and I cry out, hips rising. He does it again. And again.

Each bite of the leather is stinging, hot, a sunburst of pain that makes my insides start to shake. A wild pleasure, heightened by that sharp pain throbbing makes me gasp as he whips me a fourth time, a fifth.

I smell the copper of blood. Mine, and I almost come. There's a thud as I think the whip hits the floor, then softer sounds of his clothes.

Alexandru joins me on the bed, he leans over me, his hot breath on my ass and then the exquisite brush of his tongue as he licks the wound. I whimper again, squirming, needing the release he promised. I'm on the edge, and the thin precipice beneath my feet burns hot.

"Turn your head, Eleanna."

The moment I do, he flips me and his mouth descends on mine, a hungry kiss fueled by the turmoil of our past. Our tongues entwine, dueling for dominance, yet I'm downing, surrendering to the passion that consumes us. I reach for Alexandru's cock, but he grabs my hand, pinning it to my side and leaving it there.

He kisses me again, hard and fierce. Pagan in its elemental harshness, divine in what it does to me. Then he twists one nipple, then the other, and he slides his fingers down my body to delve into my wetness, eliciting a gasp from me. He thrusts three roughly inside my pussy, the pain of his invasion enhancing my pleasure.

I moan softly, unable to suppress the sounds of my growing release.

"You feel it, don't you, Eleanna? The exquisite suspension between pleasure and pain."

"Yes," I breathe, my voice hoarse and raw. "I do."

Alexandru continues his assault on my senses, mercilessly teasing me with his fingers, pushing me to the brink of ecstasy, using his thumb to taunt my clit.

But he knows me so well. He can turn me on and fling me into orgasm in moments and he can be cruel and do it just enough to make me ache and never let me reach that pinnacle.

Over and over, he does it. I'm a mess, begging in mindless sounds, and every time he denies me the ache morphs into a certain kind of insanity.

It's agonizing, but I accept the torment he inflicts in order to achieve the ultimate satisfaction.

Because he'll do it. He'll do it. And this time as he curls his fingers and the rough pain turns into deep pleasure, he starts to set a beat. The one that I know will take me into heaven.

Just as I'm about to reach my breaking point, however, Alexandru withdraws his fingers, leaving me yearning for more. He's cruel. A monster. And I will crush him.

He leans in, whispering in my ear, "Beg me for it, Eleanna. Beg me to take you to the edge and send you plummeting into oblivion."

Defiance and desire war inside me. I want to resist his demands, to prove that I'm stronger, yet I can't deny the perverse allure of his command.

"I can do this all night, take you to the brink over and over and when I've had enough, whip you once more. Your blood is so fucking delicious…" He flicks my clit.

I hiss at him.

"Eleanna, what do you want? Do you want release?" And he laughs before kissing me, turning the harsh stroke into something light and gentle that if I wasn't on my back I'd crumble to the ground.

"Please, Alexandru…"

He switches it up again. "Beg me, ask me to take you."

My gaze crashes into his. "I beg you. Take me now."

"I'll oblige, my beautiful captive."

Without a word, Alexandru surges, withdrawing his fingers and shifting over me so he's between my thighs. Then he slams his cock deep inside me.

I cry out at the sensation as he stretches and fills me. It's the perfect intrusion, one that satisfies my most immediate cravings.

Another whimper escapes and I'm so lost in it, in the sensations that roll over me I barely have time to be disgusted with myself. I want this.

He stills, and I dig my nails into his arms, cutting the skin, wanting to inflict and mark him, too.

"Ready?" Alexandru doesn't wait for an answer as he thrusts into me, slowly at first, building up to a fevered pace. With each stroke, I slip deeper into pure pleasure and abandon.

Each time he pushes back into me he fans the flames higher, and it rocks me right to the brink of orgasm.

Then he stops, hips pressed firmly against mine. He leans down, breath hot against my ear.

"Eleanna, you are mine, now and forever. Embrace your destiny."

I succumb to the overwhelming sensations that course through me. With one final thrust, Alexandru sends us both hurtling into the abyss of pure ecstasy. In that moment, I'm not even sure I know my own name as I come apart.

After, we lie there, spent and panting, hearts beating in perfect harmony.

But in that mirage of perfection is Alexandru. His belief of ownership, of me being his underling, is something I can't—I won't—abide.

His mouth is pure magic as he kisses me again, pulling out of me and tucking me into him. And…I'm content enough to immerse in his mirage. I close my eyes.

My contentment has nothing to do with the afterglow of our union. It has everything to do with knowing I've found a powerful ally in my quest to reclaim my kingdom.

The wordless power struggle between us shifts easily. His silver eyes lock onto mine, and the question there predates even our first kiss.

"Eleanna," he says, "we were betrothed once, a union poised to unite realms. But you...you clung to the cruelties of old, the bloodletting, the terror. Can't you see? Those traditions hold us back."

I sit up, drawing the sheet with me. "Must we discuss this again? The old ways are the backbone of our strength, Alexandru. My father's legacy won't be undone by fear or pity."

"Your father was a tyrant." He sits up too, the muscles in his chest taut with tension. "And his legacy will lead only to our ruin. We can't treat humans as cattle. We must evolve, Eleanna, or we will be extinguished."

His words strike at the heart of everything I stand for, but they can't pierce the armor of my conviction.

"No." The word's a dagger between us. "I will not cower. I will not change. My way is the way of blood and night."

Frustration and admiration darken his gaze, and finally, he exhales, a weary surrender. "You're as relentless as the winter storm, my fallen Queen. And just as cold."

I slide from the bed, his eyes following my every move. My skin prickles with satisfaction and an infuriating itch for further conflict—an itch that goes unscratched. I pull on the servant clothing that cling to my form like a second skin.

My mind races with thoughts of power regained, of my throne restored, and a sly smile curls my lips. The sex, as much a battlefield as any clash of armies, leaves me invigorated, determined to conquer him, and I'm hungry for more—more victories, more pleasure, more proof that my will can bend even the mightiest to my cause.

At the door, I look back at him sprawled in naked glory on the bed. "Until our next battle, General Amanar," I say. It's a promise wrapped in velvet steel.

Without another word, I exit the bedchamber.

In the hall, the unmistakable signs of a warrior's residence become evident. Weapons—from swords with blades that gleam like the moon to shields emblazoned with the symbols of his lineage—adorn the walls, not just as decorations but ready for battle.

He's ready, and so am I, the echo of my footsteps against the cold stone floor a drumbeat heralding my resolve.

I'll stop at nothing to reclaim what is mine.