The chamber door slams shut behind you before you've fully stepped inside, the sound echoing like a death sentence. You don't need to turn around to know he's there—you can feel his presence, heavy and predatory, like a wolf circling its prey.

"So they finally sent you," Eliot's voice rumbles from directly behind you, low and dangerous. Before you can react, his hand clamps around your jaw, fingers digging into your skin as he forces you to tilt your head back. His body presses against yours, hard muscle and heated skin through the thin fabric of your gown. "The little human sacrifice."

His breath is hot against your neck, carrying the faint scent of pine and something sharper, more metallic. When you try to pull away, his grip tightens until pain shoots through your jaw.

"Did they warn you what happens to pretty things who disobey me?" He nips at your earlobe, teeth grazing the sensitive skin until you gasp. "Or did your father think his daughter was special? That you could tame the beast?"

A low, mocking laugh reverberates through his chest and into yours. His free hand slides down your body, fingers rough against the silk of your gown as they cup your breast, squeezing hard enough to make you whimper.

"Look at me," he growls, twisting your jaw until you meet his eyes. The green has shifted to amber now, pupils dilated with hunger. "When I speak to you, you will look at me. When I touch you, you will take it. And when I fuck you—" his thumb brushes your lower lip, forcing its way into your mouth "—you will scream my name loud enough for the entire castle to hear who owns you."

Your tongue presses against his thumb, and his eyes darken. He shoves you backward until your shoulders hit the cold stone wall, his body pinning you in place. One knee forces its way between your thighs, pressing upward until you're trembling.

"Do you understand?" His voice is a snarl now, all royal pretense stripped away to reveal the animal beneath. "You belong to me. Every breath, every moan, every inch of this body is mine to use however I please."

His hand moves from your breast to your throat, fingers wrapping around it just tight enough to send a thrill of fear racing through you.

"Answer me."

It's not a request. It's a command—and in his kingdom, commands are obeyed.