Zeke, a street-smart thief with a knack for slipping into places he doesn’t belong and vanishing before anyone notices. But his luck runs out when he steals a gemstone unlike any other—one that belonged to a monster. Darius is no ordinary dragon. Cursed and trapped in a half-shifted form, he’s been waiting centuries for the stone that could set him free. And now, it’s in the soul of a cocky, sharp-tongued thief who has no idea what he’s just done. The moment Darius sees Zeke, another, far more dangerous truth becomes clear—Zeke isn’t just the one who stole his salvation. He’s his mate. Furious at fate for chaining him to a mortal, Darius takes Zeke captive, torn between wanting to break him and needing to claim him. But Zeke has no intention of playing the obedient prisoner. He’s spent his whole life running, and no dragon is going to keep him caged. Yet as they clash, the heat between them turns into something neither of them can control. And when the wizard who cursed Darius returns, demanding blood, Zeke faces a choice—escape and save himself, or stay and risk everything for the dragon who might just be his greatest heist yet.
View MoreI never thought I’d hear him cry.
Not like this. Not the kind of broken, gut-wrenching sobs that forced their way out of him, his shoulders trembling as he wiped at his face with shaking hands. I had seen him angry before, had seen him spit venom and wield magic with the force of a god—but never this. Never tears. “You lied to me,” he whispered, his voice raw. “You never loved me, did you?” I didn’t answer. What was there to say? That I had once meant it? That there had been a time when I touched him and wanted nothing more than to keep him close? That I had whispered his name in the dark, hands buried in his hair, lips pressed to his skin, and believed—even for a moment—that I could love him more than I loved power? It didn’t matter now. Because I had taken what I needed. And he knew it. The torches in the throne room flickered, their light casting flickering shadows over the polished stone and wall. He stood before me, hands trembling at his sides, magic coiling around him like a living thing. His robes—ones I had once pulled from his body in the dead of night—were torn, stained with whatever spell he had poured his soul into. His chest rose and fell with each shuddering breath, his lips parted as though he had more to say but couldn’t bring himself to say it. He was shaking his head now, laughing bitterly between uneven breaths. “I was such a fool,” he choked out. “I would have given you anything, Darius. Anything. I would have burned the world for you.” His eyes met mine. “And you knew that.” A part of me wanted to look away. I didn’t. I met his gaze, unflinching, unwilling to show weakness because truly, there was nothing to show. And then he moved. Not forward. Not back. Just… moved. His fingers twitched, his breath caught, his magic pulsed like a second heartbeat. The air shimmered, magic pressing against my skin like fire and ice at once. My instincts screamed at me to move, to shift, to do something—but I had drained him, taken everything he had to offer until he was nothing but a frayed thread on the verge of snapping. He shouldn’t have had anything left to give. But rage—betrayal—love turned to ruin… they had power, too. And he poured all of it into me. The pain hit like a thousand blades burying themselves into my flesh at once. My knees buckled. A roar tore from my throat as the magic twisted inside me, sinking into my bones, my veins, my very soul. My wings burned as they tried to unfurl, but something in me broke, something I had never felt before. It wasn’t just pain. It was wrong. Fire. It should have been fire. But when I opened my mouth to unleash it, to incinerate the traitor standing before me, nothing came. No heat, no embers, no raging inferno to swallow him whole—just air. Just… nothing. Fear shot through me, deep and quick. My claws scraped against the marble, my wings spasmed, trying to unfurl—but they couldn’t. Something was wrong. I roared, but the sound was jagged, fractured. My vision blurred as I dropped to one knee, my tail dragging limply behind me. The pain wasn’t just in my bones—it was inside me, sinking into my soul like rusted iron driven deep beneath my skin. The guards rushed in, swords drawn, their boots pounding against the floor. I heard my name shouted, but the words barely registered. My vision blurred, shifting in and out of focus, and through the haze, I saw him. He stood motionless, watching me with tear-streaked cheeks and hollow eyes. “You dare—” My voice was a snarl, hoarse with anger, my body trembling as I forced myself upright. My claws flexed, my teeth bared. “You think you can take my power and live?” My rage was scorching, but my body betrayed me. I lunged—or tried to. My legs buckled, my wings barely twitched, my fire was gone. The wizard flinched but didn’t move. Even as I reached for him. Even as I snarled, “I will tear you apart with my bare hands.” But before I could, my body locked up, seized by a force I didn’t understand. My breath stuttered, my pulse hammering in my skull as whatever curse he had placed on me dug deeper, branding itself inside me. I felt my dragon form breaking, twisting into something lesser, something in-between. One of my men shouted in horror. Another rushed forward to steady me, but I shoved him off. I would not fall in front of them. I would not show weakness. The wizard wiped at his face with shaking hands. He was still crying. “The heart that glows,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “That’s the only thing that can break this.” The words meant nothing to me. Not yet. Not through the haze of my anger, the echoing failure of my body, the humiliation of losing what had made me unstoppable. “Find it,” he said. “If you even can.” And then he was gone. Vanishing like mist in the wind, his magic swallowing him whole before I could reach him, before I could make him pay. Silence fell over the throne room. The guards stood frozen, waiting for an order. I clenched my fists, anger burning through me like a second heartbeat. I tried to shift again, to feel the full force of my dragon form beneath my skin. Nothing. A growl rumbled in my throat. The marble beneath me cracked as I dug my claws into it. I would find him. I would hunt him down. And when I did, I wouldn’t just kill him. I would make him beg for death.Content Warning:This chapter contains scenes of non-consensual sexual content (rape). Please proceed with caution.ZEKEThe creak of the door yanked me out of whatever half-sleep I’d stumbled into, head resting against the edge of the bed like some damn pet waiting for its master. My neck screamed as I turned too fast, but I didn’t care.Not yet.It wasn’t him.Just the witch.I let out a short, joyless laugh and hauled myself to my feet, even though the room tilted for a second.“Oh. Great. It’s you,” I said, voice raw and hoarse. “For a second, I thought the King had decided to come back and finish the job. Shame. I was almost starting to look forward to it.”She stepped into the room, quiet as a ghost, but the two guards behind her were anything but. I clocked them immediately, big, armed with swords and posted like statues at the door the moment it shut behind them.“You’re hurt,” she said, eyes skimming over me. Not soft. Not cruel. Just observing.I stopped myself from touching
DARIUSMy eyes snapped open.The ceiling above me blurred, then came into focus. I lay still for a moment, listening. Breathing. I could hear the scrape of steel far outside the tower walls. The shifting of feet. Whispers. Then—nothing.I pushed myself up, slow but steadily, and Veyra moved quickly to my side.“You shouldn’t—”I held a hand up, cutting her off.My body ached, filled with something that didn’t quite feel like pain, but I forced myself upright and walked toward the window. The sky was iron gray. Storm on the horizon.I flexed my fingers and noticed the bandages around my hands. Tattered. Dried with blood. But when I ripped the cloth away, expecting raw flesh, there was only skin—scarred, yes—but sealed.I tilted my head, inspecting the marks. The poison was still there, deep in my bones, but the wound was healing faster than I thought. It was as though my body was fighting it off, the curse burning its way out of me.“How long?” My voice was rough.“A few hours, Your Ma
ZEKEAgain.They threw me back in the damn dungeon again.I sat there, back pressed against the damp stone, staring at nothing, breathing like the air itself was against me. My palms slid into my hair, and I tugged—hard—like I could rip the frustration from my skull.I should’ve kept still. Kept quiet. Should’ve played the role of the grateful prisoner and rotted away in that cursed walls like they wanted.But no.I had to be a hero. I had to leap in front of a damn blade that wasn’t even meant for me.Now?Now I was back in this pit like some beast being taught a lesson.The ache in my spine from hitting the floor hadn’t dulled. The shackles—loose as they were—still clung to my wrist. I might walk free on occasion, but I’d never truly be free.Not here.Not in this place.I kicked at the moldy straw underfoot, pacing the cell like an animal penned too long. I’d started working through a fresh list of curses—some old, some inventive—when I heard the sound.Boots.Keys.And silence.Th
ZEKEHunger gnawed at my insides, but that was the least of my concerns. The first thing I needed to do was get out of here. I took a slow breath, squared my shoulders, and stepped toward the door. I pulled it open, half-expecting an invisible force to hurl me back or a wall of magic to block my path. But nothing happened. A grin stretched across my lips as I turned, glancing between the open door and the chain glowing faintly around my wrist. The witch’s magic must have been weaker than I thought. My pulse pounded as I stepped into the hall. Servants moved past in a hurry, balancing trays and pitchers, their heads bowed, their gazes fixed ahead. Not one of them spared me a glance. Strange. I reached the grand doors at the end of the corridor, and that was when I saw them—the guards. Their armor gleamed under the torchlight, swords strapped to their waists, hands resting over the hilts. Their faces remained blank, their attention fixed forward. Something was happening. Som
ZEKEThey threw me into the cell, the stone floor slamming into my ribs. A sharp breath tore from my throat, but I forced myself up, dragging against the cold wall as the guards loomed outside the bars. "Try that again, and you'll be wishing for death," one of them spat, his boot kicking against the bars before he turned away. I wiped at my mouth, fingers coming away red. My lip was split, my ribs ached, and my head was still spinning, but none of it mattered now. I pushed my hair back, my breath uneven. "Curse the gods," I muttered, pressing my head against the stone. I shouldn't have expected the King to go along with my plan. It was reckless, stupid—better than choking on my own blood. Then again, he almost had. Just not with his hands but with a cock that was too big to be real.A laugh bubbled up. Mate. I had been testing him when I said it, but his reaction had told me everything I needed to know. I really was the king’s mate. I let out a harsh breath, my hands slapped
DARIUSA petty little thief. A mere human.A low growl rumbled in my throat as I paced the length of the throne room, my steps controlled. But the fury beneath my skin was anything but.The soft tap of footsteps behind me had my head snapping over my shoulder.“Your Majesty.”Veyra knelt before me, her head bowed in deference. I turned to face her, hands clasped behind my back, my patience hanging by a thread.“Tell me,” I said, my voice low. “What did you see?”She hesitated. Her eyes darted around the room before lowering to the floor.“I went to the dungeon,” she said carefully. “I took his blood, Your Majesty.”I inhaled. The sharp tang of magic clung to her, mixing with the unmistakable scent of fear.“The magic of the stone has imprinted itself deep within him,” she continued. “And…”She hesitated.I stepped closer. “And what, witch?”Veyra swallowed. “He is your mate.”The words struck like a blade to the gut and my lips pulled back into a sneer, a hollow laugh tearing from my
ZEKE Pain. Again. It greeted me like an old friend, but this time, it’s wasn’t just my head that hurt. No, it had been everywhere he’d touched me and the pain of whatever he had done to me when he tasted my blood. I forced myself to my feet but when I did, I realized something—my hands weren’t bound. A grin formed on my lips, That was their first mistake. The dungeon was as dark and damp as before, the stench of rot clinging to the air, but beyond the iron bars, I could hear them. “…rotation changes in a quarter hour,” one muttered. “I still say we should’ve taken his hands,” another grumbled. “Not our call. Besides, he won’t last long.” A sigh. “Would’ve been easier if the king had just killed him.” I barely breathed as I listened, mapping their movements, counting the time between each shift in position. My fingers found the hidden slit in my shirt, the small, sharpened blade tucked away. I waited. The footsteps faded. My heart pounded as I worked the lock, my hands
ZEKEPain. That was the first thing I felt. A deep, throbbing pain at the back of my skull, spreading down my neck untill it burned. The second thing I felt was fear. I gasped awake, my breath puffing out of me as I sat up too fast. My head spun, my vision tilting before snapping into focus. Cold stone beneath me, damp air curling around my skin. A cell. A godsdamned dungeon. No. No, no, no. I shot to my feet, my balance wavering. My hands were bound behind my back with thick, iron cuffs, and and quickly spun around, trying to find it. But my bags—my loot—gone. Every last piece of treasure I’d risked my neck for, stolen right from under me. A thief, undone by another thief no doubt by the guards that had taken me.I cursed under my breath, pacing to the far end of the cell where a tiny, barred window sat high up on the wall. The only sliver of light in this miserable hole. Grimacing, I pressed up against the rough stone and tried to get a look outside. The world tilted at an
ZEKEI knew the city stank before I even stepped out of the shadows. The air was thick with the smell of rot—magic, corruption and everything in between—and it made my stomach churn. The streets weren’t much better. Piles of rubble, broken stalls, and the low hum of people desperate for anything that could make their lives worth living again.Not that I cared. I didn’t need any of them. I had my own problems, and none of them had anything to do with whatever curse had taken over this godforsaken city.I moved quickly, blending into the crowd, keeping my face low, my hands stiff. The coins in my pouch felt heavier, my fingers twitching to touch, to make sure they were still real, but there was more to steal. There was always more to take.“Watch where you’re going!” A rough hand gripped my arm, pulling me to a stop.I glanced up. Tall, broad-shouldered, and wearing the insignia of the city guard. “Do you have a problem, soldier?”He sneered, his fingers tightening. “I could have you th
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