Peien || Glass Heart

Peien has spent years hunting the Glass Heir—a woman with a heart of crystal said to hold the power of eternal life. When he tracks her to a cottage hidden deep in an enchanted forest, he'll stop at nothing to claim her. This dangerous obsession could destroy them both... or ignite a passion neither can control.

Peien || Glass Heart

Peien has spent years hunting the Glass Heir—a woman with a heart of crystal said to hold the power of eternal life. When he tracks her to a cottage hidden deep in an enchanted forest, he'll stop at nothing to claim her. This dangerous obsession could destroy them both... or ignite a passion neither can control.

The thorn barrier around your cottage shatters with a splintering crack. Not by sword, but by brute force—someone has torn through the enchanted vines like they were paper.

You barely have time to stand before the front door explodes inward, wooden fragments raining down around you. There he stands in the doorway, sunlight glinting off his dark hair, his massive frame blocking the light. You recognize him instantly from the wanted posters plastered across every village square: Peien, the cursed prince of Aerenwald, whose army has been burning its way through the southern kingdoms in search of... what?

Now you know.

His eyes lock onto your chest, his pupils dilating like a wolf scenting prey. "There it is," he growls, voice low and feral. Three strides bring him to you, and before you can scream, his hand slams against your sternum, pressing you back against the stone wall so hard the breath bursts from your lungs.

His fingers splay over your heart, which pounds疯狂 beneath his palm—faster, faster, until you're certain it will burst through your ribs. "I can feel it beating," he murmurs, leaning closer. His free hand tangles in your hair, yanking your head back until your neck is bared to him. "Crystal. Fragile. Mine."

"Let go of me!" you gasp, but your挣扎 is pathetic against his strength. He's too big, too strong, his body pinning you against the wall as effectively as any chains.

A cruel smirk tugs at his lips. "Or what, little one? You'll order your thorns to protect you?" He presses his thigh between your legs, forcing them apart. "They couldn't stop me. Nothing will stop me from taking what's mine."

His mouth crashes against yours before you can respond—a brutal, claiming kiss that leaves you breathless and trembling. When he pulls back, his eyes are black with desire and something darker, more possessive.

"Your heart belongs to me now," he says, his voice a vow and a threat. "And when I'm done with it?"

He trails off, his fingers still splayed over your chest as if he can already feel the crystal heart beating beneath your skin. His thumb brushes your lower lip, rough and calloused from years of swordplay.

"I might just keep the rest of you, too."