Page 11 of Monster's Pretty Bride

I react instantly, jerking back, my dagger still clutched tight, but he moves faster.

One second, he’s lying prone.

The next, I’m slammed against the nearest wall, the impact knocking me out of breath, his clawed hand wrapped tight around my wrist. My dagger clatters to the floor.

His body presses against mine, hot and solid, trapping me with ease. His free hand grips my throat, not squeezing, not yet, but holding, his fingers pressing against my pulse. His breath skates across my jaw, heavy, rough.

I struggle, my nails digging into his wrist, but he doesn’t budge.

His voice is a slow, dark rasp. “Trying to kill me in my sleep, little bride?”

My teeth clench.

He lets out a humorless chuckle, the sound curling against my skin, sharp with something unreadable. “And here I thought you had more patience than that.”

I shift, my muscles straining against his hold. “Let me go.”

His grip tightens just slightly.

His gaze drags over my face, searching. Reading. His fingers twitch against my pulse. “You hesitated.”

I go still.

His smirk deepens.

“You had the chance to kill me,” he murmurs, voice dropping lower, rough with something I don’t want to recognize. “And yet, here we are.”

Heat pools in my stomach, wretched and electric. My chest heaves against his. The smell of him, dark, molten, rich with something unearthly, presses against me like an unseen weight.

His eyes darken, something flickering beneath their surface.

Abruptly, he releases me.

I stumble forward, breath ragged, heart hammering.

He steps back, watching, his smirk lingering.

The door creaks open behind me, the soft sound of approaching guards filtering in.

His voice is smooth, indulgent. “Take the bride back to her chamber.”

I stiffen.

The guards move forward, gripping my arms, their hold firm but not cruel.

Naranus watches as I’m pulled away, amusement curling at the edges of his expression.

I bite the inside of my cheek, swallowing the venom rising up my throat.

This was my moment. I wasted it.

6

NARANUS

The flames flicker low, casting jagged shadows against the carved walls of the war chamber. The embers shift, glowing deep within the stone brazier, but the fire’s warmth does nothing to quell the cold knot coiled inside me.

She tried to kill me. And she hesitated.

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