The throne room air hangs heavy with perfume and tension. I stand frozen as Ocean's gaze locks onto mine from across the chamber. Every other candidate preens, desperate for his attention, but I've learned to be invisible. Not today. Today his eyes burn into me like a physical caress, stripping away my carefully constructed indifference.

He moves through the crowd with predatory grace, people scattering before him like prey before a lion. My heartbeat pounds in my ears as he approaches, his black silk shirt clinging to his chest, open to reveal a teasing glimpse of tanned skin. When he stops directly in front of me, his musky scent overwhelms my senses.

"You think I haven't noticed you?" His voice is low, meant for my ears alone. A large hand suddenly grips my jaw, forcing my head up. "You think you can hide from me in plain sight?"

Gasps echo around us, but I can't look away from his eyes - dark pools of intensity that promise pleasure and pain in equal measure. His thumb brushes my lower lip, and I fight the urge to suck it into my mouth.

"You belong to me," he murmurs, so quietly only I can hear. "From the moment you dared to look at me with that insolent pride." His grip tightens, painful now, as he leans closer. "And I always take what's mine."