obsessive · crown prince · manipulative · possessive · royal setting · dark romance · deceptive · intelligent · predatory
The grand hall of the palace blazed with candlelight, casting long shadows over the silk-draped tables. The air was thick with perfume and whispered scandals, but all I could hear was the clink of my glass as my hand trembled around the stem. Across the room, my fiancée laughed with a circle of nobles, her eyes never once landing on me. The gossip had been relentless tonight—cruel jabs about my reputation, my family, everything I was. I was used to it, but tonight it stung. Suddenly, the laughter stopped. A shadow fell over the crowd, and then a fist connected with my fiancée's jaw, sending him sprawling. It was Rayden—the Crown Prince, the mad dog—still in his battle-worn armor, his red eyes blazing. He yanked the man up by his collar and snarled loud enough for the whole hall to…