The Duke's wife
Selene, a girl haunted by a cruel stepmother and the memory of her mother, found herself caught in a royal web of obligation. A decree from the king demanded a marriage of convenience—a forced union with Prince Damon, rumored to be the devil himself. Her stepmother, driven by her own wicked ambitions, shoved Selene into this treacherous arrangement, forcing her to stand in for the step-mother’s daughter, Merceline.
Damon, the brooding second prince of Beville, was under pressure from his family to marry. He'd always kept a distance, but when he met Selene, with her startlingly vibrant green eyes, something shifted within him. There was a spark, a connection he couldn't ignore. This wasn't just a political alliance; it felt... different.
"Selene, look at me. It's not what you think," Damon urged, his voice low and husky.
"Stop," Selene whispered, backing away, her heart hammering against her ribs. "I don't want to hear anything."
Damon's touch, though gentle at first, lingered on her skin. He wanted to reach into the turmoil he saw in her eyes, to unravel the secrets she held within.
"I love you, Selene, my sweet wife," he murmured, his voice laced with a desperate plea. "I can't hide it anymore."
Selene, caught in a whirlwind of feelings, found herself drawn to Damon's intensity. He was everything she'd never dared to hope for. But deep down, a fear of the unknown lurked within her.
"Answer me, wife," he pressed.
"I... I don't know what to say," she stammered, her breath catching in her throat.
"I didn't hear that," he said, a hint of steel in his tone. "Repeat yourself."
His touch tightened. He pinched her chin, and a flicker of pain laced her confusion, but he quickly followed that with a tender kiss on her chin, smoothing away any sign of distress.
"Give me time to sort out my feelings before I confess to you," Selene whispered, her voice barely audible. Her heart pounded.
"Good," Damon murmured, and then, with no warning, his lips met hers.
Their encounter was just the beginning of a dangerous game. Their forced marriage hid a passion that burned hotter than any decree, and one question hung heavy in the air: could their hearts find a way through the politics and deceit, or would the rumors of the devil prince become a chilling reality?