Chapter 11: A Breeder’s Pain & Pleasure

AVA KILLIAN

"I'd make her grovel for the cold hands of death. Ava, is it?" Axel asked, his voice cold and dripping with pure hatred. Axel's eyes never left the mad king, burning with the promise of revenge.

Until the pressure of Ava’s trembling body beneath his hands yanked him back to the present. Her breath hitched, the sound sharp and desperate, pulling him out of the nightmare.

His fingers loosened slightly, the pain in his shackled wrist seeping through like the 10-year-old memory had just resurfaced. The distant echo of the chains was gone, replaced by the low crackle of the hearth.

He blinked hard, the horrible memory of his sister's death dissolving into the pale, frightened eyes of Ava beneath him. For a moment, he stared, his heartbeat still pounding in his ears. The scent of lavender lingered in the air, mocking him.

"The mad king's daughter, Ava! I promised to make you grovel for the cold hands of death!" he said. Ava, who had no idea what was going on in his head