Dire Bound (The Wolves of Ruin, #1)

by Sable Sorensen

“The lady is spoken for,” Stark says sharply, his hand tightening on my waist.

And in case my implication is not crystal fucking clear: You touch her again and I’ll cull you myself.”

When he finally leans down to lick the wounds on my arms, I get a rush of arousal so intense my breath catches in my throat. A sound escapes me, low and unmistakably erotic. Fuck! Stark’s eyes lock onto mine. The hunger in them steals the breath right out of my lungs—sends adrenaline coursing through my veins. Holding my gaze, he lowers his head and licks the fresh tattoos again, slow and deliberate.

“I’m the rightful queen of Nocturna, aren’t I?” I ask. Stark’s eyes spark, he takes a single step back, and he bows down on one knee, hand to his chest. “Welcome home, my queen.”

If I’ve been traipsing around, secretly a queen—fuck, Stark’s nickname for me sits differently now—why