Chapter 1

To end the war, I voluntarily offered myself in marriage to Draven Kael, the formidable leader of the Beast Tribe.

My husband, a whirlwind of raw, untamed power, pinned me to the grasslands. For what felt like an eternity, he overwhelmed me, until I simply faded into unconsciousness.

I truly believed Draven loved me.

But later, it was *he* who led a hundred thousand beast warriors in the assault on my home.

He grabbed my head, forcing me to watch as my family was torn apart and my kingdom fell.

Draven smiled, but his eyes held no emotion:

"Seraphina Thorne, did you truly believe your captivating beauty could sway nations, that you could actually capture my heart?"

"How many of my people did you slaughter? You send *one* of you, *you*, and dare to think it would erase our blood debt!"

Eventually, Draven unified the lands, and took a favored wife.

I was held captive, without status or recognition.

Every time I attempted suicide, he would exhume a corpse from the burial grounds and destroy it before my eyes.

"You are not allowed to die without my command!"

I stopped struggling.

After all, only three days remained until the poison I'd consumed years ago, to save him, would finally claim my life.