Adelaide sat in the throne room. Her parents and brother stood before her. The weight of the golden crown on her head was almost as heavy as the tension around them. Allister's face held a wolf's grin while the king and queen looked immensely disappointed. A faceless crowd filled the space behind them, creating a wall of people. A calloused hand grabbed Adelaide's fingers and she looked to her side.
Rowan Adhemar sat beside her. He wore a matching crown on his head. The band of the crown pressed his shaggy, blond, hair to his forehead. He smiled at Adelaide and brought her hand up to his mouth, kissing her fingers lightly. Her stomach churned and she wanted to retch.
Rowan stood, pulling Adelaide up with him, and led them down the three steps towards her family. His hand held onto hers tightly. She tied to pull away but his cold grip only strengthened.
Queen Jocelyn glared at Adelaide. Her mouth was pressed into a tight line and she kept her chin high. She looked at Adelaide the same way she looked at the peasants of Highdell.
The king didn't even bother to look at the princess. He kept his eyes on Rowan. His expression matched his wife's perfectly. Adelaide silently begged for her father to look at her—to show some positive emotion—but his gaze didn't falter.
As Adelaide walked past her brother, he smirked and leaned in close. She could smell his musky cologne and see the chestnut stubble on his face. "Treat him well, sister." His voice was a threatening pure that Adelaide didn't understand.
She turned to look over her shoulder at him but the room shifted. The unfamiliar bodies melted away to reveal a different scene. She no longer stood in the throne room. Now, she was looking up at the ceiling and there was a soft cushion beneath her. She felt her body tip slightly to the side and Rowan's face filled her vision.
He leaned over her, his face merely inches from hers. His torso was unclothed. Adelaide couldn't help but stare at his muscular chest. His arms were on either side of her head and from what she could see; they were just as muscular as the rest of him.
Heat radiated off his body, making the princess uncomfortable. His cologne was a different kind of musk than Allister's. It smelled of dirt and rotting fruit. She swallowed hard and tried not to retch on the prince.
She shoved the bile back down into her stomach and focused on his face. Up close, the prince wasn't handsome. His nose was crooked and his lips were chapped. The princess automatically licked her own lips. Rowan's eyes were an icy blue color that made Adelaide shiver. A chill ran over her body as he stared back at her.
"You make a beautiful queen."
His voice was coarse as he spoke. He dipped his head lower into her neck. His lips grazed against her skin and she felt his hand on her thigh. The touch was skin on skin. Adelaide looked down at herself and nearly gasped. She was completely naked.
She squirmed under him, trying to move away, but he simply pressed his body into her and pinned her in place. He weighed heavily on her chest and hips. She pushed at his shoulders but he only advanced. His kissed her neck again and again while his hand explored her curves. She opened her mouth to cry out, to tell him to stop—but her voice was lost.
He lifted his eyes to meet hers and Adelaide could see a blazing desire in the blackness of his pupils. Her heart drummed against her chest as he repositioned himself between her legs.
"You will be mine." He growled.