by A. K. Koonce
“You’re smaller than I thought you’d be.” She lifts my feet off the ground as if she’s weighing me as she strangles me. My boots kick and scrape over the rocks, but I can’t quite reach.
I can’t breathe.
My fingers hold onto hers as if I can stop the pressure she’s pressing into my windpipe. My wolf growls and then whines a low, tragic sound.
She still can’t get out. She can’t help me.
My nails sink into the flesh of her wrists even harder at that thought, and I claw at her.
“Strong though,” she adds with curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
Her attention flits to the right and she seems to remember something then. “Serpan, take Latham to his cage. And escort our favorite flesh-eating dragon to his isolation.”
My kicking turns violent then. More for vengeance than survival. My boot meets her shin, but she doesn’t even flinch. She doesn’t notice me at all until she drifts her gaze back to mine.
“Yes, you’ll do just fine here,” she says sweetly as black spots consume my vision. “You’re so very much like your mother.” She shakes her head slowly, my lungs burning with a striking pain. “I hate your mother, but she’s learned her place.” She beams at me as my hands lower before falling limply to my sides. A low growl emits from behind me, so low I question if I truly heard it as my eyes close little by little. “Soon, you will too.”
The darkness in the room creeps in like a heavy blanket ready to suffocate me in my sleep.
She releases me, and a slick cracking sound rattles my skull. Her faint words circle in my mind over and over as the world slips away entirely.
“What a pathetic Hell goddess you turned out to be.”
Goddess. Goddess. Goddess.
The End
The series continues with even more scorching hot tension! Get book two, Fire Kissed today!
When you live in Hell, you're bound to get burned...
I just never expected this kind of torment. They've taken what's mine: My mother, Latham, Aric, even my magical shifter belongs to them now. And the one man who I thought I could trust in all of this is my worst abuser.
Torben rejected me the moment we stepped foot into this ashen hellhole. He does their bidding by throwing me into hellish trials that are bound to break me. Poisonous magic, deadly games, and realms of chaos are all hand delivered by him. Sometimes he protects me from the brut of it… and sometimes I think he wants me dead as much as they do.
But I won't give them the satisfaction.
Because I didn't come to Hell to die.
I came to survive.
Get your copy of Fire Kissed!
Also by A.K. Koonce
Reverse Harem Books
The To Tame a Shifter Series
Taming
Claiming
Maiming
Sustaining
Reigning
The Monsters and Miseries Series
Hellish Fae
Sinless Demons
Spiteful Creatures
The Villainous Wonderland Series
Into the Madness
Within the Wonder
Under the Lies
Origins of the Six
Academy of Six
Control of Five
Destruction of Two
Wrath of One
The Hopeless Series
Hopeless Magic
Hopeless Kingdom
Hopeless Realm
Hopeless Sacrifice
The Secrets of Shifters
The Darkest Wolves
The Sweetest Lies
The Royal Harem Series
The Hundred Year Curse
The Curse of the Sea
The Legend of the Cursed Princess
The Severed Souls Series
Darkness Rising
Darkness Consuming
Darkness Colliding
The Huntress Series
An Assassin’s Death
An Assassin’s Deception
An Assassin’s Destiny
Dr. Hyde's Prison for the Rare
Escaping Hallow Hill Academy
Surviving Hallow Hill Academy
Paranormal Romance Books
The Cursed Kingdoms Series
The Cruel Fae King
The Cursed Fae King
The Crowned Fae Queen
The Twisted Crown Series
The Shadow Fae
The Iron Fae
The Lost Fae
The Midnight Monsters Series
Fate of the Hybrid, Prequel
To Save a Vampire, Book one
To Love a Vampire, Book two
To Kill a Vampire, Book three
Stand Alone Contemporary Romance
Hate Me Like You Do
Also by Harper Wylde
The Phoenix Rising Series
Born of Embers
Hidden in Smoke
Spark of Intent
Forged in Flames
Blaze of Wrath
Changed by Fire
Beauty From Ashes
Glimmer of Cinders
Shadow Walkers Series
Shadow Touched
Blood Bound
Tethered Magick
Rising Darkness
The Huntress Series
An Assassin’s Death
An Assassin’s Deception
An Assassin’s Destiny
About A.K. Koonce
A.K. Koonce is a USA Today bestselling author. She’s a mom by day and a fantasy and paranormal romance writer by night. She keeps her fantastical stories in her mind on an endless loop while she tries her best to focus on her actual life and not that of the spectacular, but demanding, fictional characters who always fill her thoughts.
If you want more A.K. Koonce updates, deleted scenes, and giveaways, join her Newsletter or Facebook Reader Group!
AK Koonce Newsletter
AK Koonce Reading Between Realms Facebook Group
About Harper Wylde
Harper Wylde is an international bestselling author who lives in the countryside of Pennsylvania. As a wife and a mother of two young children, she spends her days chasing after little people and making crazy notes about story ideas all over her home. As a serial entrepreneur, Harper also dabbles in photography and graphic design...but has found that her favorite occupation is the one she’s doing now—writing fantasy and paranormal romance. She loves coffee, cooking, chocolate covered pretzels, and characters with hidden strength and endearing flaws! To connect with Harper, follow her on Facebook where you can join her author group called The Wylde Side and stay up to date on sneak previews, teasers, and new releases!
