Trevor seals the infernal bargain with Willa in the obsidian throne room, the contract demanding her body for the ritual breeding that will end his isolation. His commanding voice demands total yielding from the woman whose defiance masks a fear of betrayal. The contract leaves her nothing to bargain with but herself.

The parchment carries a sigil that binds her lush form to the prince. His hidden need for connection burns hotter than any rule. Her defiance only sharpens the pull between them, leaving the question of how long she can maintain the distance the contract requires when every touch makes the bargain feel like the one thing neither can afford to lose.