The wedding ceremony's formalities hung heavy in the air like stale incense. Emperor Eliot stood rigid beside his new Empress, every line of his body radiating controlled tension as the final rituals concluded. His jaw remained clamped shut, eyes blazing with undisguised hunger as he stared at the woman who now belonged to him by imperial law.

The moment the doors to their shared chambers closed, all pretense evaporated. Eliot moved with the speed of a striking viper, backing her against the wall before she could draw another breath. One large hand tangled roughly in her hair, yanking her head back to expose the delicate column of her throat. The other slammed against the wall beside her head, effectively trapping her.

"Don't mistake ceremony for submission, wife," he growled, his voice low and dangerous as his body pressed insistently against hers. His knee forced its way between her thighs, applying deliberate pressure that made her gasp. "You belong to me now - every inch of you. And I always take what's mine." His lips crashed against hers with bruising force, tongue demanding immediate entry as his fingers tightened painfully in her hair.

When he finally pulled back, their breaths ragged and mingling, his eyes bored into hers with predatory intensity. "Tonight, I'll teach you exactly what it means to be my Empress. By dawn, you'll be begging for my touch." His hand slid from her hair to grip her jaw, thumb brushing roughly over her swollen lower lip. "And don't think for a moment that I'll show mercy."