A Savage Debt (The Beholden Duet 1)

“Bring him in,” the king called.

Silence gripped the hall again as the doors creaked open. Heavy footsteps echoed across the space as a man entered and walked between the crowds seated on both sides.

A dark trembling gloom bloomed in Ana’s stomach at the sight of him.

Huge and thick, he was a towering mass of muscle. A patchwork of mismatched grey, brown, and black clothing covered his bulky frame; heavy leather boots adorned his feet, and a ruby red cloak swayed from his shoulders while its hood covered his head and obscured his face. There could be no doubt he was an Alpha. He was larger than the guards who accompanied him, and he walked with a confidence not even the Alphas of the royal houses possessed. The arrogance saturating the way he held himself made Ana’s stomach plummet—this was not going to be an easy exchange.

He took no notice of the audience on either side of him, his attention remaining on the thrones. When he reached the engraving of the royal crest etched into the floor, a few feet from the platform, he abruptly halted, then removed his hood.

Silence swallowed every last shuffle in the hall. Ana tried to drag her eyes away, to prevent herself from seeing the face of this monster who had been a malignant force against her kingdom for so long, but she couldn’t. He held himself with the poise of a wild animal, waiting to strike its prey when the opportunity arose—deceptively relaxed, watchful, and predatory. He was unlike any other man she’d seen, and no one took their eyes off a creature so dangerous. Black, shaggy hair surrounded his head, and a short beard covered the lower half of his face. He had a strong nose and a gaze so piercing, it made Ana shudder.

“Maddoc.” The king’s authoritative voice cut through the tension. “You asked for an audience with me and you have it. Just know you will be charged here today, so I hope what you have come to say is worth it.”

The Alpha remained still, almost statuesque. The solemn weight of his dark eyes captured the menace emanating from his whole being, and his gaze didn’t waver from the king.

It was as if the entire court held a collective breath, and in that moment Ana sensed the aggression that stifled the room. It was so potent, it would only take one spark, one wrong word, to ignite the proceedings into chaos.

Primal Possessive Romance Satisfaction Guarantee

This book will contain the following:

• deeply obsessive, possessive, jealous behavior by the hero for the heroine
• dark, uncomfortable, explicit, and potentially triggering scenes
• a hero who is cruel, brutal, or despicable in some way
• a hero who is also faithful and protective of the heroine
• material that is for 18+ readers only

For specific trigger warnings, please click here.

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