...The sound of a guillotine falling is not a sharp swoosh, as the storybooks claim. It is a heavy, dull thud....

...That was the last thing Seraphina heard....

...Before the darkness took her, she saw him. Duke Valerius Thorne. The Iron Duke. He stood on the balcony overlooking the execution square, his black military coat stark against the falling snow. His raven hair was slicked back, and his eyes—those terrifying, blood-red eyes—watched her with an expression she knew well....

...Indifference....

..."Witch!" the crowd screamed. "Heretic!"...

...Seraphina didn't cry. She was too tired. Three years of a loveless marriage. Three years of sleeping in a cold, separate wing, praying to a Goddess who never answered, trying to be the perfect, pious wife for a man who never looked at her. And this was her reward: framed by the High Priest, abandoned by her husband, and executed for a crime she didn't commit....

...If I had known it would end like this, she thought, the cold metal of the brace biting into her neck, I wouldn't have spent my life kneeling in prayer. I would have spent it fighting. I would have dragged you down to hell with me, Valerius....

...The blade dropped....

..."My Lady! My Lady, wake up!"...

...Seraphina gasped, her body jerking upright. Her hands flew to her throat, clawing at skin she expected to be severed. But there was no blood. There was no cold iron....

...There was only the soft, frantic touch of linen sheets and the smell of lavender....

..."My Lady, you’re sweating!"...

...Seraphina blinked, her vision blurring. Standing over her was calm, young face....

..."Martha?" Seraphina rasped, her voice trembling. "But... you died of the plague last winter."...

...The maid looked confused. "The plague? My Lady, surely you’re still dreaming. It’s a beautiful spring morning. And you must hurry! The Duke is downstairs."...

...Seraphina froze. The room came into focus. The peeling wallpaper of her father’s estate. The sunlight streaming through the window—not the grey winter sky of her execution, but the golden light of spring. She scrambled out of bed and ran to the vanity mirror....

...Staring back at her was a girl of nineteen. Her golden hair was messy from sleep, falling in waves over her shoulders. Her blue eyes were wide, unclouded by the dark circles of grief she had worn for years....

..."What is the date?" Seraphina whispered....

..."It is the 10th of May, My Lady. The year 742."...

...The room spun. 742. Three years ago....

...This was the day. The day Valerius came to the Vance estate. In her past life, he had come to annul their engagement, citing that his bloodline was cursed and he didn't wish to burden her. In her past life, she had wept, agreed to the annulment out of a sense of inferiority, and then, months later, was forced into the marriage anyway by the Emperor—but by then, the damage was done. They had started their marriage as strangers who resented one another....

..."He is here to break the engagement," Seraphina murmured....

..."Yes, My Lady," Martha fretted, picking up a modest, high-collared grey dress. "The Duke is in the parlor. He looks... terrifying. Shall I help you with this dress? It is the most modest one you own."...

...Seraphina looked at the grey dress. It was the uniform of a saintess. The clothing of a woman who obeyed, who prayed, and who died....

..."No," Seraphina said, her voice hardening....

..."My Lady?"...

...Seraphina turned back to the mirror. She touched her neck again. The phantom pain was gone, replaced by a burning, cold anger. The Goddess had given her a second chance. She wasn't going to waste it being a saint....

...If being pious got her killed, then perhaps being a sinner would keep her alive....

..."Burn that dress, Martha," Seraphina commanded. "Bring me the red silk one. The one with the low neckline that my aunt sent from the capital."...

..."B-But My Lady! That is scandalous! The Duke is a holy man of the Church! He hates indecency!"...

..."Good," Seraphina said, a dangerous smile curving her lips. "Let’s see how much he hates it."...

...The parlor of the Vance estate was dusty, but Duke Valerius Thorne filled the room with an suffocating presence....

...He stood by the fireplace, stiff as a statue. He was a giant of a man, broad-shouldered and imposing. His hair was as black as ink, falling slightly over his forehead. When the door opened, he turned, and his crimson eyes—the color of fresh blood—narrowed....

...He expected a weeping girl. He expected the timid daughter of Count Vance who would quietly accept the rejection papers he held in his gloved hand....

...What walked through the door was not a girl. It was a storm....

...Seraphina stepped in. The red dress clung to her waist and flowed like liquid fire around her legs. The neckline exposed the elegant slope of her shoulders and the swell of her chest—scandalous for an unmarried noblewoman. Her golden hair was not pinned back in a bun but left loose, cascading down her back like a waterfall of light....

...Valerius stopped breathing. His grip on the papers tightened, crumbling the edge....

..."Lady Seraphina," he said, his voice deep and rough, like stones grinding together. "You are..." He struggled for the word. "Improperly dressed."...

..."And you are early, Your Grace," Seraphina replied. She didn't curtsy. instead, she walked straight toward him....

...Valerius stepped back instinctively. He was the Commander of the Holy Paladins, a man who slaughtered demon beasts without flinching, yet the approach of this small woman made him retreat....

..."I have come to discuss the termination of our engagement," Valerius said quickly, holding out the papers like a shield. "My life is one of war and blood. It is not fit for a woman of... delicate constitution."...

...In the last life, Seraphina had taken those papers with trembling hands....

...This time, she reached out and took the papers. She glanced at them, her blue eyes meeting his red ones. Then, slowly, deliberately, she tore the document in half....

...Valerius’s eyes widened. "What are you doing?"...

..."Refusing," she said. She took another step. She was close enough now to smell him—leather, steel, and the faint scent of winter air. "I do not accept your rejection, Valerius."...

..."You must," he grit out, looking away from her exposed collarbone. A flush was creeping up his neck, visible against his pale skin. "I am trying to save you. I am a monster. The Church calls me the Iron Dog. I have no heart to give you."...

..."You have a body," Seraphina whispered....

...The silence in the room was deafening. Valerius’s head snapped back to look at her, shock written all over his stoic face. "Excuse me?"...

...Seraphina closed the distance. She placed a hand on his chest, right over his heart. It was beating fast. frantically fast....

...So, she thought. The Iron Duke is not made of iron after all....

..."We need each other, Valerius," she said, lowering her voice to a sultry purr. "My family needs your protection. You need a wife to stop the Emperor from nagging you. Let us make a contract."...

..."A contract?" he choked out. He seemed unable to move his hand away from hers....

..."Marriage," she said. "But not a cold one. I don't want to be a decoration in your house, Valerius. If I am to be your Duchess..."...

...She rose on her tiptoes, bringing her face inches from his. She saw his red eyes dilate, the hunger he tried so hard to hide swirling in their depths....

..."...I intend to share your bed."...

...Valerius turned a shade of red that matched his eyes. For the first time in his life, the Duke was utterly defeated....

..."You," he whispered, sounding terrified and mesmerized, "are dangerous."...

...Seraphina smiled, sharp and beautiful. "You have no idea."...

...The silence in the parlor stretched thin, taut as a bowstring. Dust motes danced in the shafts of sunlight between them, but the air felt charged with something far heavier....

...Valerius stepped back, finally breaking the magnetic pull she seemed to have over him. He cleared his throat, the sound rough and unpracticed. He adjusted his gloves, avoiding her gaze—specifically, avoiding the expanse of skin her dress revealed....

..."Lady Seraphina," he said, his voice regaining a fraction of its command. "You are clearly... unwell. Perhaps the sudden warmth of spring has fevered your mind. I will pretend I did not hear that."...

..."You heard every word, Your Grace." Seraphina didn't retreat. She moved to the worn velvet sofa and sat down, patting the empty spot beside her. "Sit. If we are to be married, you must get used to being near me."...

..."We are not getting married," Valerius insisted, though he didn't leave. He stood his ground, looking like a fortress under siege. "Do you not understand who I am? I am the Commander of the Paladins. I spend my days hunting beasts in the Abyss. My hands are steeped in gore. The Church considers me a necessary weapon, not a man. A woman like you—"...

..."—A woman like me?" Seraphina cut in, her blue eyes sharp. "You mean a woman with a failing estate, a sick father, and a bloodline so ancient it’s the only thing keeping the High Priest from seizing our lands?"...

...Valerius pressed his lips into a thin line. She had struck a nerve....

..."Precisely," Seraphina continued, her voice softening. "You need the Vance name to legitimize your standing with the nobility, who see you only as a butcher. And I... I need a shield. A very large, very powerful shield."...

...In her past life, she had waited for him to protect her. She had waited in the chapel, praying for his safety, sending him letters he never opened. She thought his distance was disdain. But looking at him now—watching the way his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, the way his eyes darted to her lips before darting away—she realized the truth....

...He wasn't cold. He was terrified. He was a man who believed his touch destroyed everything good....

..."I propose a contract," Seraphina said, leaning forward, resting her chin on her hand....

...Valerius sighed, the fight draining out of him. He pulled a chair from the corner and sat opposite her—safely out of reaching distance. "State your terms."...

..."One," Seraphina said, holding up a finger. "You will clear my family’s debt immediately."...

..."Done," he said without hesitation. "Money is of no consequence to me."...

..."Two. You will ensure the safety of this estate while I am gone."...

..."My personal knights will be stationed here by sunset. Next?"...

..."Three," Seraphina said, her voice dropping an octave. "We will live as a true couple. No separate wings. No separate meals. And certainly... no separate bedrooms."...

...Valerius gripped the arms of his chair so hard the wood groaned. "Lady Seraphina, that is improper. For the sake of your virtue—"...

..."My virtue is mine to give," she interrupted. She stood up and walked toward him again. This time, he didn't retreat. He looked up at her, paralyzed....

...She stopped beside his chair and leaned down, whispering into his ear. "The Church watches you, Valerius. If they see a cold marriage, they will find a way to annul it and replace me with one of their spies. Do you want a spy in your bed, or do you want me?"...

...Valerius squeezed his eyes shut. "You." The word escaped him like a confession....

..."Then it is agreed," Seraphina declared, straightening up. She felt a tremble in her knees and hid it by smoothing her dress. It was a gamble. A massive gamble. But she had won....

...Two hours later, Seraphina sat in the Grand Duke’s carriage....

...It was a monstrosity of black wood and silver trim, pulled by four nightmare-steeds—horses bred with magic to withstand the presence of demons. The interior was lined with crushed black velvet....

...They had left the Vance estate in a whirlwind. Seraphina packed only a single trunk. She left the grey dresses behind....

...Now, she sat across from Valerius as the carriage rattled over the cobblestones toward the capital. The space inside was intimate, forcing their knees to brush with every jolt of the road....

...Valerius sat with his arms crossed, staring out the window at the passing forest. He looked composed, but Seraphina noticed the tension in his jaw....

..."Your Grace," she said....

...He flinched. "Valerius," he corrected, keeping his gaze on the trees. "If we are to play the part of lovers, titles are... unnecessary."...

..."Valerius," she tested the name. It felt heavy on her tongue. In her past life, she had only called him that once—moments before she died. "You are sitting very far away."...

..."I am giving you space."...

..."I am cold."...

...It was a lie. The carriage was enchanted with warming spells. But Seraphina shivered theatrically, rubbing her bare arms. "I foolishly wore this thin silk. And you have such a heavy coat."...

...Valerius looked at her. His gaze swept over her exposed shoulders, his red eyes darkening. He wrestled with himself for a moment, then began to unbutton his military coat....

..."Here," he said, taking it off. "Cover yourself."...

...He moved to hand it to her, but Seraphina didn't take it. Instead, she moved to the seat beside him....

..."It would be warmer if we shared it," she murmured....

...Before he could protest, she draped the heavy coat over both of them, snuggling into his side. She felt his entire body go rigid. He was hard as stone, his muscles tense....

..."Seraphina," he warned, his voice strained. "I am not a saint. Do not test my control."...

..."I don't want a saint," she replied, resting her head on his broad shoulder. She could smell him—clean soap and the metallic tang of magic. "I want my husband."...

...She reached out and took his hand. It was huge, calloused, and scarred. He tried to pull away, but she interlaced her fingers with his, holding tight....

..."My hands are stained," he whispered, the self-loathing bleeding into his tone. "I execute heretics. I slaughter beasts. This hand should not hold yours."...

..."Your hands are warm," she countered simply. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed the knuckles, right over a jagged white scar....

...Valerius let out a shuddering breath. He turned his head slowly, looking down at her. The indifference she remembered from her past life was nowhere to be seen. In its place was a raw, bewildered hunger. He looked at her as if she were a fragile bird that had landed in a lion's den, and he was terrified he might crush her....

..."Sleep," he commanded gruffly, though he didn't pull his hand away. "It is a long ride to the capital. And once we arrive... the wolves will be waiting."...

...Seraphina closed her eyes, exhausted from the adrenaline of rewriting history. She felt Valerius shift, and hesitantly, awkwardly, his arm came around her shoulders, pulling her closer into his warmth....

...I have him, she thought, drifting into darkness. I have the monster on a leash. Now, I just have to make sure he doesn't realize that I’m the one who needs saving....

... The carriage rattled to a halt, jolting Seraphina awake....

...She blinked, disoriented for a moment by the heavy velvet darkness, until the scent of leather and winter pine grounded her. She was warm. Unbelievably warm. She realized with a start that her cheek was pressed against a solid, rhythmic weight....

...Valerius’s chest....

...He was awake. He sat stiffly, staring straight ahead, his arm still wrapped protectively around her shoulders. He hadn't moved an inch, likely for hours, terrified of disturbing her sleep....

..."We have arrived," he murmured, his voice rumbling through his chest and into her ear. "Blackwood Keep."...

...Seraphina sat up, smoothing her hair. "Home sweet home."...

...Valerius grimaced. "It is no home. It is a fortress. And the people inside... they are not used to softness, Seraphina. Stay close to me."...

..."I intend to," she replied, checking her reflection in the darkened window. She looked disheveled—lips swollen from sleep, hair wild. It was perfect. She looked like a woman who had been thoroughly ravaged by her lover, not a pristine noblewoman....

...The footman opened the door. A blast of chilly night air rushed in....

...Seraphina stepped out, Valerius’s hand firmly gripping her elbow. They stood in the courtyard of the Ducal estate. It was massive, built of black stone that seemed to drink the moonlight. Gargoyles perched on the high towers, staring down with hollow eyes....

...In her first life, Seraphina had entered through the side door, ashamed and unnoticed....

...Tonight, the main double doors were thrown open. Two lines of servants, dressed in severe black and silver livery, stood at attention. They bowed as the Duke approached, but Seraphina saw the ripples of shock pass through them. Their eyes darted from the Duke’s unbuttoned coat to the woman clinging to his arm in a scandalous red dress....

...An older man with greying hair and a monocle stepped forward. Silas, the steward. A man who had looked at her with pity in the first timeline....

..."Your Grace," Silas said, bowing low. "We did not expect... company. Nor did we expect your return so soon."...

..."Plans have changed," Valerius barked. He sounded like the Commander again—cold, distant. "This is Lady Seraphina Vance. My betrothed. My wife."...

...Silas blinked, his monocle nearly falling out. "Wife? Your Grace, surely the engagement was to be annul—"...

..."Silas," Valerius warned, his tone dropping a dangerous octave....

..."Understood," Silas recovered quickly, though his eyes lingered on Seraphina with suspicion. "I shall have the East Wing prepared for Her Ladyship immediately. The fires will need to be lit, and the linens—"...

..."No," Seraphina interrupted....

...Her voice was soft, like a bell chime in the heavy silence, but it carried authority....

...Silas froze. Valerius looked down at her, panic flaring in his eyes....

..."The East Wing is too far," Seraphina said, smiling sweetly at the steward. "And it is so cold in this drafty castle. My husband and I will be sharing the Master Suite."...

...A collective gasp went through the line of servants. The Master Suite? The Iron Duke slept there alone. Rumor had it he slept with a sword under his pillow and that shadows moved in his room at night. No maid dared enter past dusk....

..."Seraphina," Valerius hissed, leaning down. "We discussed this, but consider the reality. I have night terrors. I toss and turn. My magic... it leaks when I dream. I could hurt you."...

..."I am a light sleeper," she whispered back, her hand sliding up his arm to squeeze his bicep. "And I am not afraid of your magic, Valerius. I am only afraid of sleeping alone."...

...She turned back to Silas. "Take my trunk to the Duke's chambers. That will be all."...

...Valerius stared at her, his jaw working. He looked like a man standing on a precipice, deciding whether to jump or retreat. Finally, he let out a long, defeated sigh....

..."Do as she says, Silas."...

...The Master Bedroom was vast....

...A fire roared in the hearth, casting flickering shadows against the dark mahogany walls. The bed was enormous, a four-poster beast draped in midnight-blue velvet. There were weapons everywhere—a broadsword mounted above the mantle, daggers on the side table. It smelled of him....

...As soon as the servants left and the heavy oak door clicked shut, Valerius put distance between them. He walked to the window, turning his back to her....

..."You are making a mistake," he said quietly. "You should not be in here."...

...Seraphina ignored him. She walked to the vanity and began to unpin her hair, letting the golden waves fall completely loose. "Help me with my laces, Valerius."...

...He froze. "What?"...

..."My dress. It laces up the back. I cannot reach it." She looked at him through the mirror. "Unless you want me to sleep in a corset?"...

...Valerius turned slowly. His face was pale. He walked toward her as if marching to his execution. He stood behind her, his large frame engulfing hers. She could feel the heat radiating off him....

...His hands, usually steady with a blade, trembled as they touched the red silk of her bodice....

..."This is torture," he muttered....

..."This is marriage," she corrected....

...He pulled the laces. The dress loosened. He paused as his fingertips grazed the bare skin of her back. His touch was rough, calloused, but incredibly gentle. He traced the line of her spine, and Seraphina shivered—not from cold, but from the electric jolt of it....

...In her first life, he had never touched her. Not once....

..."Valerius," she breathed....

...He pulled his hands away as if burned. "Done. You are free."...

...He retreated to the far side of the room, stripping off his coat and cravat with hasty, jerky movements. He blew out the candles, leaving only the dying firelight....

..."I will take the chaise," he said, gesturing to a velvet couch near the fireplace. "You take the bed."...

..."Valerius Thorne."...

...Seraphina stood in her white shift, looking like a wraith in the gloom. She walked over to the bed and climbed in, pulling the heavy furs up to her chin. She patted the empty space beside her....

..."If you sleep on that couch, the servants will know by morning. They check the linens, you know. If the pillow beside me is unused, they will know our marriage is a sham. And if they know, the Church will know."...

..."You are a devil," Valerius groaned, rubbing his face with his hands....

..."I am your wife. Get in."...

...Valerius stripped down to his shirt and breeches. He approached the bed warily. He sat on the edge, the mattress dipping under his weight. He lay down on the very edge, as far away from her as possible without falling off, his back stiff as a board....

..."Goodnight, Seraphina," he said tightly....

...Seraphina waited. She listened to his breathing. It was shallow, jagged. He was terrified to sleep....

...She scooted across the vast expanse of the mattress....

...Valerius flinched when he felt her warmth against his back. "Seraphina, don't—"...

...She wrapped an arm around his waist and pressed her face between his shoulder blades. He was solid, tense, a wall of muscle....

..."Relax," she whispered against his shirt. " The monsters can't get you here. I'll fight them off."...

..."You have no weapon," he whispered back, his voice strained....

..."I have you."...

...Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the tension began to bleed out of him. The exhaustion of the journey, the shock of the day, and the strange, intoxicating comfort of her presence weighed him down....

..."If I hurt you..." he mumbled, his words slurring as sleep claimed him. "If I... hurt you..."...

..."Shhh." She stroked his chest with her hand....

...For the first time in twenty years, the Iron Duke did not need a sleeping drought to close his eyes. He fell asleep to the rhythm of her breathing, anchored by the small, fragile woman who had claimed his bed as her own....

...Seraphina lay awake for a long time, watching the fire die down. She had conquered the bedroom. Tomorrow, she would have to conquer the household. And soon, the High Priest would come knocking....

...She tightened her hold on Valerius....

...Let them come, she thought. This time, the Iron Duke is mine....