Liselotte stirred in the silken sheets, her body still aching from the night before. The dawn light crept through the tall windows of the imperial bedchamber, gilding her bare skin in soft gold. She was still naked, vulnerable in the aftermath of her marital night with the Emperor. Yet her vulnerability isn't softened by love or comfort, only sharpened by the knowledge that her husband, Dietrich, cared little for her presence.
The heavy doors opened without warning. A young aide stepped into the chamber, an unmated alpha, still raw with youthful strength and untempered hunger. Liselotte froze. His eyes lingered, brazen and unashamed, sweeping over her as though she were a prize laid bare.
