487 Book(s) Related to worm corpse bride

After being reborn, the first thing my sister and I did was swap our grooms.
In our past life, my gentle sister Elara married Felix Hawthorne, the mafia godfather of Marconi City. Surrounded by a domineering sister-in-law and a scheming, manipulative other woman, she was slowly driven into a corner and died of a broken heart.
Meanwhile, I married the polite, illegitimate son of the Graves family. He was a perfect gentleman, but he just didn't love me. Our marriage lasted three years, and we were separated for two and a half of them.
Then one day, Elara and I woke up at the exact same moment—we had been reborn, back to the very morning we were supposed to sign our marriage agreements...

Lucia Romano vanished thirteen years ago. Kidnapped as a child, she disappeared before the marriage contract binding her to Alessandro De Luca could ever become real.

Alessandro De Luca swore he would never obey a marriage contract but fate had already chosen for him.

Now the ruthless heir of a powerful mafia empire, Alessandro has lived by one rule....he will marry only for love, or not at all. The missing girl from his past is nothing more than unfinished business he still intends to close. Then one night he rescues a broken woman from a trafficking ring. She calls herself Lia.

Haunted by trauma and stripped of her past, Lia remembers almost nothing about the life she once had. Alessandro, only meant to protect her… until protecting her becomes something far more dangerous.

Because the powerful mafia boss who refused an arranged marriage is now falling for a woman he believes is a stranger. But fate has its own cruel design. The girl Alessandro has spent thirteen years searching for…is the very woman he’s beginning to love.

“You seem to have forgotten that you’re not marrying a commoner, Alina. You’re marrying the prince of all vampires, so look alive and get me some coffee.”
Alina Deluca lives a normal life up in the Californian north. At least that’s what she makes the world believe. Locked within her hypnotizing emerald eyes are horrors she could never speak of, even if it killed her.
Erick Stayton, the vampire prince, is her nightmare. To her, he was no more than a cold, savage predator that lusted for her blood and took away everything she had during that one traumatizing night four years ago. Problem is, she is bound to be his bride.
Mustering every strength to set things right in her awry life, she gets embroiled in an ages-old feud and a struggle for power of mind-boggling proportions. Strangely enough, she finds herself connecting with Erick in ways she never knew she could. Suddenly, everything is not what it seems.
Is Erick the heartless monster Alina makes him out to be? Will a vampire law made eons ago be the undoing of the whole vampire race? Will heated passion bloom in these bloodiest of times?

"I married you only to destroy you."

That was the only reason FBI agent Sophia Carter accepted a new identity as Evelyn Russo and married Lorenzo Moretti, the most dangerous mafia boss in Italy.

Her mission was to infiltrate, gather evidence, drag Lorenzo to prison, and save the children and women that Lorenzo Moretti had kidnapped for trafficking.

But life as a Don's wife was never as simple as she had imagined. Behind the luxurious mansion, the armed men, and the secrets of the Moretti family, Sophia found herself trapped in a game she did not understand.
The closer she got to Lorenzo, the harder it became to distinguish lies from reality.
But one thing never changed. If her identity as an FBI agent was exposed, then at that very moment, she would die at her own husband's hands.

In my past life, my twin Phaedra and I were both married off to the Dragon Clan on the same day.
I was given to the eldest son Magnus, while she went to the second son Drakon.
A year later, Phaedra gave birth to a small white dragon with scales like fresh snow. Meanwhile, I delivered nine children—all of them deformed monsters, bearing not a trace of dragon lineage.
Dragon King Typhon, a tyrant obsessed with bloodline purity and beauty, immediately stripped his eldest son of the inheritance rights and decided to pass the throne to his second son, Drakon.
Consumed by rage and humiliation, my husband Magnus descended into madness.
He ordered my nine children dragged into the Shadow Abyss and thrown into boiling blood pools as sacrificial offerings. Then he bound me tightly to the frozen altar pillar.
As the crimson winds howled from the blood pool, he mercilessly cut open my chest and carved out my nine-tailed heart while I was still breathing. I drew my last breath drowning in endless despair and blood.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back in the Dragon Clan's towering hall—at the mate selection ceremony that had sealed our fates.
In my daze, Magnus walked straight past me. His eyes brimmed with disgust as he unhesitatingly reached for Phaedra's hand instead. The same woman who had birthed that perfect white dragon in my past life.
But the fool had no idea my children's deformities had nothing to do with me—they came from his own cursed, rotting bloodline.

I and my twin elf sister married at the same day.
She was to marry the the Light Falcon Lord of the Holy Light Kingdom, and I the vicious Lord of the Black Scale Wyrms.
All elves envied her fortunate match.
But on our wedding night, the Falcon Lord left to fight a battle, and sacrificed himself for the realms.
The Serpent Lord later ascended to godhood, his glory outshining the Holy Light Kingdom.
Left widowed in the light court, my sister betrayed her vows with a knight.
The King stripped her elven power and banished her to the cell.
When I visited her, she tricked me into drinking corrosive spring water, erasing my soul entirely.
But I woke to find we had both reborn on the day our betrothals were declared.
This time, my sister fought hard to marry the Lord of Black Scale Wyrms.
I smiled quietly.
How could she cast aside a blessed life revered by all realms for a hollow dark divinity?

Daniel was in the lion's den once again, but this time, the lion was hungry and craving fresh blood, it didn't look like anyone would shut its mouth. Worst still, the lion king hates gay, and he wants them eliminated from his kingdom, because of his ongoing curse… Daniel.
.......
King Lazarus stood on his balcony, looking at the crying young man. He couldn't understand why he felt pity for Daniel, but seeing his crystal clear eyes on the full moon made him understand that Daniel wasn't an ordinary boy, and the look of vengeance in his eyes got him super curious. As he watched him enter the carriage, his eyes gleamed in curiosity.

In a quiet, hidden part of a thick, ancient forest, in the powerful kingdom of eldoria, Seraphina lived peacefully with her grandmother. She kept her silver hair covered with a hood, knowing it marked her as someone special. Seraphina had magical powers, a gift from the gods, that allowed her to heal wounds and bring life where there was none. But every time she used her powers, she felt a dark curse inside her growing stronger.

Her parents had hidden her in the forest when she was young to protect her from people who might use her powers for their own gain. Sadly, they died when she was still a child, and Seraphina didn’t know how or why it happened.

Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Eldoria, Prince Lucian, the king’s only son, became very sick. None of the healers in the kingdom could save him. Out of desperation, the king turned to an evil shaman who used dark magic. The shaman told the king that a girl in the forest had the power to save the prince.

The king immediately sent soldiers to find her. They stormed into the forest, captured Seraphina, and brought her to the palace. She was locked away and treated like a prisoner, even though they needed her to save Lucian’s life. Seraphina knew they only saw her powers, not her as a person.

A comedy of errors, that offers second chances for first love in this BDSM Mafia, Reverse Harem Romance.

In that moment of embarrassment, fear and dread, I do the unthinkable……..
I jump into the black clad stranger's arms, and kiss him with all the drama of a soap opera.

Yes, I meant it to be for show to avoid my stalker, but .....Let’s just say it’s not all fake when I practically swoon like the well-to-do British lady I’m impersonating. “Renfield tricked me,” I pant, pointing my shaking finger at the obnoxious blonde man, literally crying, this is all so hysterical to him.

“Dracula's spell is too powerful. I can't fight it, go! Go find Van Helsing!"

How did this happen?

Nicky! That’s right, this is all my orphan brother, Roman Nikolai Cross’ fault!

Ever since that tweedle twap jerk named me after the bad luck stray cat outside our orphanage, there is no end to the comedy of errors that is my life. I was hoping to avoid the so tragic it’s funny or so funny it’s tragic stigma with my second chance on life, but no such luck with his latest shenanigans.

If you don’t stop looking at me like that,I'll do the same… and I won’t stop at just looking.”
He was danger, desire—and hers, whether she wanted him or not.

Esmarie never meant to find the dying beast by her treasured lake—let alone touch him. But when golden eyes lock onto hers, everything fractures.

He’s a monster. But he would burn the world—including himself—to keep her safe.

Ciro is an omnipotent werewolf king, cursed with a power that devours him every full moon. And as Esmarie is dragged into his world—one of ancient magic, forbidden prophecy, and unbearable heat—she begins to wonder if she’s the one who’s truly cursed.

How does a girl who’s never even been given a place in life become the only one with the power to save him?

"Mum? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Amelia begged, trying to leave Fernando's side but he didn't let her.

"How could you commit such a sin, Amelia?"


My mother was a lot of things but I never knew she would dare leave her Billionaire husband on the Alter stranded.

My soon to be stepfather was a lot of things, but he wasn't one to accept humiliation. And for that reason, he made me Amelia, the daughter of my runaway mother to take her place on the alter.

Rachel Green thought she had left her tumultuous past behind. After a bitter divorce from her billionaire husband, Alexander Sterling, she moved to a small town, where she rebuilt her life with her young son, Odegaard—a child Alexander doesn’t know exists. For years, Rachel has lived peacefully, focusing on her son and her career, until fate pulls her back into Alexander’s orbit.

Alexander’s empire is crumbling. His once-thriving marriage to his new wife, Victoria, is on the verge of collapse. Desperate to salvage his failing business, he discovers a shocking secret: Rachel’s new start was funded by a rival CEO, Daniel Kane, Alexander’s sworn enemy.

When Alexander confronts Rachel, his initial anger turns into confusion as buried feelings resurface. He’s determined to win her back, but Rachel is no longer the woman he once knew. Stronger and wiser, she has no intention of being hurt again.

As the sparks between them reignite, Rachel’s secret threatens to unravel everything. Odegaard is Alexander’s son, and Victoria is not willing to let Alexander go without a fight. Meanwhile, Daniel sees Rachel as more than just an ally—he’s fallen for her and is ready to do whatever it takes to keep her by his side.

I screamed as I burned to death while Julian ran past me to save Emma.

His first love. The girl he'd never let go of.

Eight years I spent being the understanding fiancée. The one who smiled through her endless crises. The one who died alone because he chose her panic over my screams.

When I opened my eyes again, I was standing at the altar of St. Patrick's Cathedral. Julian was leaning in, voice low—we needed to pause the ceremony. Emma was having a panic attack at the airport.

Last time, I'd said yes.

Not this time.

I looked at the man I'd died for and smiled.

Then I threw my bouquet at his face.

I turned and walked straight to the man who made Wall Street sweat. Julian's worst enemy.

Victor Kane.

"Go save her," I said. "I need a new groom."

A ruthless vampire king, a hidden hybrid, and a centuries-old secret ignite a forbidden love amidst a brewing war.

Chained and rejected by my pack, I thought I was just an ordinary werewolf. But the Vampire King's rescue reveals my true nature and a shocking past. Now, as shifters and vampires clash, I must choose between my heritage and my destiny.

Will I surrender to the King's dark desires, or forge my own path? In this world of ancient power struggles, one thing is certain: my blood will decide the fate of all.

Eighteen-year-old Princess Eleanor Anderson has always believed her future was already written·A loving family. A handsome fiancé. A peaceful life within the safety of Namalia—the last human kingdom surrounded by monsters.

But everything changes when the dreaded Bridal Selection returns.

For centuries, the humans of Namalia have survived under a fragile alliance with the Vampire Realm. Every twenty years, a human bride must be offered to the Vampire King in exchange for the kingdom's protection.

This time, the chosen bride comes from Eleanor's family.

And the sacrifice is her twin sister, Maria.

Determined to save Maria from a fate worse than death, Eleanor vows to fight the decision, even if it means standing against her kingdom, its traditions, and the terrifying Vampire King himself.

But before she could save her sister, Maria escaped from the kingdom, leaving Eleanor as her only Substitute.

Now Eleanor is being forced to become the kings fated bride.

Duke Damon Nigrescent and his younger sister Daria Nigrescent of the Nigrescent famil, the only aristocratic family that had more powers than all the Monarchs. Not much was known about them and I didn’t want to dig any further either but , there was something pulling me towards this castle. The moment I stepped foot inside I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be able to get out of there anymore. The Nigrescent family was known for having blue eye and white hair , a physical appearance like that of a creature out of a fantasy book . Duke Damon was incredibly handsome . All my classmates’ eyes were fixated on him, while mine were on Lion, my secret crush without actually realising that the Duke’s attention was on me. He was an annoying stalker that scared the crap out of me when we first met . When it was time to leave , I couldn’t go. Lion was about to confess to me. The moment I had been waiting so much for had finally arrived but before I could make it there , I accidentally ended in the middle of a ritual and unbenounce to everyone, I became Duke Damon’s bride. From that day everything changed completely as all the secrets that had been buried came to life. My ordinary happy life was part of the past , now , I was faced with all kind of dangers , duties , love , heartbreak and….vampires. At first I loathed the idea of being his bride but with each passing day I find myself longing for him, attracted to his muscled strong body and handsome face that made my heart flutter making me confused about my real feelings. We were united because of his curse, but can I let go of this passion in exchange for the freedom I so desperately desire ?

In my past life, my husband Pietro locked me in a dark basement and tortured me to death. My only crime? I couldn't get pregnant.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the family’s arranged marriage banquet.
Pietro was an illegitimate son, desperate to secure his status through marriage. In my previous life, he chose me—the Godfather's daughter. But this time, he publicly wrapped his arm around my ambitious stepsister, Livia.
Livia had always envied my status. She craved power and desperately wanted to be the Don's wife. Seeing them together, I knew instantly: Pietro had been reborn, too.
Don Ettore laid down the law: Whoever sired a son first would inherit Castel City.
My sister thought she had just been handed a crown.
But she didn't know the truth. The barren one... was Pietro.

After my twin sister and I were accepted into the same elite university, our parents fully sponsored the freshman welcome banquet.

They told the university president, "This way, even at school, they can feel that parents will always be their unconditional support."

On the night of the banquet, my mother pressed a piece of paper into my hand.

"Elara, go to the podium. Read the address, and while you're at it, introduce your sister's upcoming toast. She needs the spotlight tonight."

Forcing down the tremors of an impending panic attack, I nodded submissively. "Thank you, Mother and Father, for arranging all of this. I'll read it right now."

Just as I was about to turn and read the address, a voice called out, stopping me.

"Elara, read the gratitude statement first. Remember, there's no such thing as a free dinner."

My father's voice cut through from the main table, ringing with an undeniable tone of command.

I froze at the podium.

Even though it was a perfectly heated banquet hall...

I felt a bone-chilling frost.

Echo never asked to be powerful. She never asked to be hunted. And she definitely never asked to be tethered to Nicholaus—the cold, controlled, terrifyingly gentle heir to a cursed vampire throne. But the day she unleashes her full elemental magic, the tether between them ignites… and so does everything fate has been waiting for.

An ancient seer reveals the truth witches have killed to hide:

“The last king was cursed for failing to love a witch.
Now the new king must love completely for the curse to break.
The lock shatters when the Last Elementi accepts her fate…
And binds, marks, and mates her king.”

Echo is the key.
Nicholaus is the lock.
And the witches would rather drag the world into darkness than let the prophecy unfold.
Now Echo must choose who she becomes—a weapon, a queen, or the girl who finally stops running.
But some truths cut deeper than any spell. Especially when Nicholaus holds her trembling body against his and whispers:

“If the cost of breaking the curse is your life…then I choose the curse.”
Nothing prepared her for the way he looks at her. And nothing can stop what’s coming.
Fate is awakening and so is she.

"I want you, Fenris," Lyra whispers, "Wolf and man, all of you."
The raw hunger flashes in Fenris's eyes. He growled softly, his strong arms wrapping around her and pulling her flush against his body. They made love beneath the light of the full moon.
"I've never let anyone get this close during a full moon before."
"I'm honored to be the first," Lyra grinnes, "And a little smug that I managed to tame the big bad wolf."
Fenris chuckled, the sound reverberating through his chest. "The night's still young, and I'm far from tamed."


In a world where dark magic and ancient beasts collide, a powerful witch named Lyra stumbles upon a centuries-old prophecy foretelling the end of the world. To prevent this catastrophe, she must form an alliance with Fenris, a brooding werewolf outcast. As they race against time to decipher cryptic clues and gather mystical artifacts, their initial distrust slowly transforms into a forbidden romance. With opposing factions of supernatural creatures hunting them and their own conflicting natures threatening to tear them apart, Lyra and Fenris must overcome their differences to save not just the world, but each other.

TRIGGER WARNING!!! This is rated 18+. Alpha Parthe is as dark as described. If you are not into dark romance, please, in the name of everything holy...

Excerpt

"My breath just made you quiver," He leaned closer so that I could almost taste his breath, "...Then imagine what my tongue would do."

"I warned you not to play with fire if you are afraid of flames," He added, his voice hoarse with need.

My plump lips parted in response, "I am not afraid to burn for what I love." I had just stirred something in him that had lay dormant all his life.

"Then so be it... Princess."


She was an angel craving chaos. He was a demon craving peace. She knew he was hell, yet she chose to burn with him.

It takes a special kind of woman to handle his darkness and tame his demons.

Alpha Parthe comes from a bloodline of cursed Alphas. They are endlessly consumed by the need to track and kill prey and offenders, constantly plagued by the scent of blood.

The more they kill, the more they want to kill. It only gets worse on every full moon.

What happens when there is no prey to kill? They become a threat to their loved ones. No one mated to an Alpha from the Wild Wolf pack ever lived more than two years. And every Alpha from that lineage dies at thirty-three due to the curse.

Parthe, determined to let the curse end in his own lifetime, vowed never to have a mate nor bear a son. But these vows crumble the moment he crosses paths with a girl he considers 'little and insignificant.'

The fate of poor Luxuria of the Ash Mountain pack, who was set to marry the love of her life, Beta Kahel, takes a drastic turn when she finds out she was mated to this cursed Alpha, whom she dreaded with all her life.

What happens when his curse gradually begins to seep into Luxuria, the one woman who was meant to be his remedy?

Cara is a talented, humble, and ambitious actress who longs for success and fame in the entertainment world. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Vincent, a handsome werewolf with dark secrets. Fascinated by his mysterious aura and his promise to make all her dreams come true, Cara is tempted to make a deal with the devil to sell her soul. With Vincent's supernatural power, her career takes off, but as she gains fame and fortune, she begins to realize that she has made a deal with devastating consequences. In order to save her soul and break free from Vincent's grasp, Cara must fight against the darkness that surrounds her, facing her worst fears and discovering that there are more important things in life than success and fame.

Plot Twist:
Just when Cara thinks she has found a way to break the pact and free herself from Vincent's control, she discovers that he is not really the leader of the werewolves but merely a pawn in a much larger game. It turns out that there is a Supreme Alpha in their species, who has been manipulating Vincent and others like him to achieve his malicious objectives. Now, Cara finds herself caught in a war among werewolves, where she must decide whether to join the rebel forces seeking to overthrow the Alpha or seek her own revenge against Vincent for deceiving her. In an unexpected turn of events, Cara discovers a hidden power within herself that could change the course of the battle and bring an end to the tyranny of the Supreme Alpha. On her journey for revenge, Cara becomes the last hope for her species and desperately fights to liberate the werewolves from their oppressor and reclaim her own freedom.

Princess Penelope would rather die than marry the feared Crimson Dragon King.

On the night before the wedding, she throws herself to her death.

At that exact moment, in another world, Joseline Hernandez falls from the rooftop of her school building after someone pushes her. Betrayed and exhausted from a life spent being blamed for her father's death, she dies with only one thought : revenge.

But death was not the end.

Joseline wakes up inside the body of Princess Penelope, the very princess who was supposed to become the bride of the terrifying Crimson Dragon King, Drakarys.

Desperate to return home and uncover who murdered her, Joseline searches for a way back to her world. Yet the deeper she enters the dragon kingdom, the more she realizes something is wrong. The dragons are hiding secrets. The royal court is dangerous and the Crimson King himself is nothing like the monster humans claim him to be.

When no path home appears, Joseline makes a choice :

If she must live as Penelope, then she will survive as the Crimson Dragon King's bride even if it means falling in love with the King she meant to fear.

Three weeks after my son's death, I found the blood-stained cloth doll meant to "ward off disaster" with his name stitched on it.

Right there, in the hands of my husband's mistress, who was giggling as she idly toyed with it.
 
"The psychic said my life force was too weak to keep the baby, and that I needed a substitute to take the curse."
 
"I only sewed Leo's name into the doll. I never imagined... he would actually get sick and die."
 
"Declan, do you think Leo traded his life for our baby's?"
 
Through the crack in the door, the same man who had sobbed until he passed out at the funeral was gently stroking his lover's belly. "He was just unlucky. As long as our baby is safe, that's all that matters."
 
I turned away, pulled up the invitation for Chief Medical Examiner from the International Criminal Court in The Hague that I had shelved for a month, and hit accept.

“I’ll die in ten days without my second chance mate…just claim me, Asher… before it’s too late.” I pleaded.

“If I do, I’ll never love you again. That's worse than you dying…”

Banished. Cursed. Unclaimed.

Phina thought being chosen as a mate by a powerful Alpha would save her. Instead, she was used, betrayed, and thrown to the wolves—literally. Now cursed to die unless she's claimed within ten days, she's dragged before the one wolf feared by all: Asher, the ruthless Rogue Alpha King.

When their eyes meet, sparks fly. One word seals their fate: “Mate.”

But Asher is cursed too—one night with any woman, and he loses all ability to love her. He fights the pull. She begs for survival. Every moment burns with forbidden heat…
Until desire wins.

Will claiming her break the curse—or destroy them both?

Silas Kane, a 16-year-old boy, lost everything during the Great Rift Disaster. His entire family was wiped out in the vicious monster invasion that tore through their city. No one truly understood how the monsters managed to reach Earth. Some said they came through massive dimensional rifts leading to a hellish realm, others blamed failed experiments with ancient portal technology.

During the devastating war, thirteen extraordinary individuals managed to awaken their hidden magical cores and gained godlike powers. These legends became known as the First Awakeners. They taught the surviving humans how to tap into their own cores and awaken special talents. With these newfound abilities, humanity fought back and finally drove the monsters out of their world.

However, after victory came a cruel new order. Those who awakened powerful talents ruled as kings, while anyone with weak or useless abilities was treated like worthless trash.

On the day of his awakening, Silas only managed to awaken a seemingly useless talent — Resonance Sense. It allowed him to perceive and analyze the energy signatures of others, but offered no offensive or defensive power. Because of this, he was bullied, humiliated, and looked down upon by everyone around him.

Unable to endure the endless suffering any longer, Silas decided to end his life. But the moment he was on the verge of death, the mysterious black crystal he received from the late Grand Instructor Halric activated. A powerful system awakened within him.

[Are you ready to rise from the ashes and become the strongest?]

From a weak, broken boy everyone called trash, Silas begins his journey of revenge, rapid growth, and absolute dominance in a world where power is everything,

"You..should reject me, this is wrong," I rasp out between his powerful thrusts, wanting to push him away but my wolf is totally against it, making my body betray me and becoming even more welcoming to him by squirting in abandon. Calhoun's sweaty brow raises in amusement as he hooks my legs around his hard, naked waist, "we were made mates for a reason, I cannot throw that away," "I don't want to hurt my mother, not anymore .." my last word ends up in a quivered moan because he is going at a full speed now, making my eyes travel into the back of my head. No, this is wrong! "You already started hurting her on the night you parted those legs for me," Calhoun voice supress my moans as he pounds hard into my dripping wet honeypot. *** It all started the night I turned twenty-one. I was dared by my friends to hook-up with a total stranger. Tipsy and determined to be a badass, I approached the most powerful man in the club and had hot steamy sex with him in the back seat of his car. The following day, I traveled for my mom's wedding and came to find out that the stranger I hooked up with is to be my stepfather. And as if that isn't enough, we are mates.

It was a big day for Callie. She looked forward to marrying her handsome groom. Unfortunately, he abandoned her at the altar. He never showed up throughout the wedding.
She was made a laughingstock in front of all the guests. In a fit of anger, she went and slept with a strange man on her wedding night.
It was supposed to be a one-night stand. To her dismay, the man refused to let her be. He pestered her like she had stolen his heart on that night.
Callie didn't know what to do. Should she give him a chance? Or just stay away from him?

Queen Toshiba used to be a stunning type woman, she was so in want of a child that she felt so ashamed of herself.
She met an historical lady who stated she will provide delivery to a child, however things didn't stroll out well.
She gave birth to a wolf and soon determined that the wolf was not just ordinary, however but An Alpha prince of magic wolves.
Mia who made queen Toshiba life a hell the daughter of Mima the 2d spouse to the king and additionally the husband to Toshiba.
What will appear when it was destiny for the Alpha and Mia to be bonded collectively as a mate, will Toshiba agree to this idea.

"You were meant to be my death. Instead, you've become my damnation."
Aria Thornwell has spent three years as a healer in her town, attempting to forget the night her former fiancé publically humiliated her by selecting her affluent stepsister instead—taking Aria's family fortune with him. Now, she lives quietly, utilizing her skill to aid the underprivileged while her stepfamily flaunts their stolen fortune.

But on the winter solstice, everything changes. She's chosen as the ceremonial bride for the vampires' holy Winter Feast—a "honor" that guarantees death at daybreak following the Christmas Eve rite. Dragged to the Crimson Vale with five other human tributes, Aria is prepared to meet her fate with dignity.

Until she meets him.

Lord Sebastian Thorne, the ancient vampire who has presided over the Winter Feast for eight centuries, is meant to drain her at dawn following the binding ritual. It's tradition. It's law. It's survival—the ceremonial blood maintains the vampire realm for another year.

But as Sebastian's lips brush her throat in the ceremonial hall, something unbelievable happens. Her blood doesn't simply sustain him—it wakes something in him that's been dead for generations. And in a move that shocks the whole vampire court, he refuses to complete the rite.
"This one is mine," he proclaims, his old strength sweeping the hall. "Anyone who touches her answers to me."

Trapped in the Obsidian Palace as Sebastian's "protected bride," Aria discovers three frightening truths: Sebastian isn't protecting her out of mercy—he's dying from an ancient curse, and her blood is the only thing keeping him alive past Christmas; the vampire court will do anything to kill her and reinstate the ritual; and her "ordinary" healer's gift is actually a rare and dangerous power that vampire nobility has been hunting for generations.