Page 18 of Crown of Hate

No. Not a dream.

A nightmare. I’m paralyzed. Lightheaded. Caught between the urge to run and the desperate need to press myself even closer.

Cupping my cheeks with hands that could so easily snap my neck, my new husband leans in and whispers. “You’re mine from this moment onward,malyshka. Mine to love. Mine to protect. Mine tobreak.” He tightens his arm around my waist. “I do not share what is mine. And I will gladly kill to keep it that way. Make sure you remember that.”

I’m not a property,I want to scream. And that he can take his possessive bullshit and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. But when he brings his face closer, and his lips crash onto mine, every coherent thought flies out of my head. I melt into him.

And God help me, I kiss him back.

6

MIKHAIL

I kiss her without mercy, my arm firmly wrapped around her waist as I feast on her soft, sweet lips. I’m vaguely aware of the onlookers, but their presence fades into insignificance. I don’t give a flying fuck who’s watching. All that matters is Alya, here in my arms. She’s mine now.Mine to take and devour.

And I’ll make sure she knows it.

At first, she resists, her body tense, her teeth clenched. But I don’t back down. I suck on her upper lip, thrusting my tongue into her mouth, demanding entry… and dominance.

Her intoxicating scent fills my nostrils, tempting me even more.

She smells so fucking good, and she tastes even better.

Heat ripples through me as my primal instincts take over. Every nerve in me screams to take her right here and now.God, I want to get inside her so fucking bad.

But I resist, I hold back. Then, finally,gloriously, she yields. Her lips part, granting me access to that warm, wet haven. I plunge in, conquering every inch of her.

Alya’s fingers tangle in my shirt as she moans softly into my mouth. The sound is music to my ears.

I let out a low grunt in response, my muscles trembling and my cock growing harder by the second, begging for release. It knows what I know: she wants me. And almost as much as I want her.

But does she know it?

Fuck. I’ll make sure she can’t ignore it.

“Fucking delicious,” I growl, biting down on her lower lip.

Her back arches, her chin dipping up and away, but I lift my hand to straighten her again. I’m not done. Not by a long shot.

I’m on fire, my body pulsing with a hunger that’s almost overwhelming. My chest heaves as I imagine pinning her to my bed. Pounding her into the sheets. Making her scream my name, over and over…

Fuck. No. I can’t lose control. Not yet. I have to pull away…Now.

It takes all my willpower to break our kiss. I could easily order everyone to leave and give in to this maddening hunger, but I don’t. It’s her first night as my wife, and despite her hate for me, I want to make it special for her… if even only to keep her from breaking too soon.

Given Alya’s love for animals, she’s most likely the kind of girl who’s long dreamed of a sweet wedding night, complete with rose petals scattered around a princess’ bed and strawberry-scented candles lighting the room.

Well, I intend to give her just that. Before she came down, I ordered Louisa to light up scented candles and decorate our room with rose petals. Something I’d never do on a normal day. But my little wife already has me wrapped around her fingers. I wonder if she knows that yet?

More importantly, I wonder what she’ll do when she finds out I didn’t kidnap her just to get back at Akim.

No.

I did this because, from the moment I set my eyes on her, I felt an irresistible pull, like a moth to a flame. It wasn’t just her appearance; it was something deeper, something I couldn’t quite explain. I wanted to make her mine.

Every fiber of my being yearns for her—all of her.

For her touch.

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