Never before had he seen a woman so angry—or so seductive. It rendered him speechless. He couldn’t fight the compulsion to kiss her.She punched him on the chin, snapping his head back.

You have a way of turning the established order on its head.” Instantly regretting that, he forced his face to relax; Lynx must not see anger in his eyes.

Lynx stood and raced to the camp. “Attend to our injured!” She unsheathed a machete and made for Hare’s killer. Heron grabbed her wrist. “Wait. He’s still conscious.” “Then he will feel my machete,” she replied, voice like ice.

The idea of marrying Lukan made her skin crawl. He was a Chenayan. She, a Norin. He was her conqueror. She, his conquered. He had been born and raised to lord over her. She had been born and raised to hate him. They might as well have been different species.

She looked up at her father. “I am bound so tight by oaths that I feel like a fly in a spider’s web. All I can do is use every resource I have before the spider strikes.

Struggling to control his wayward breathing, Lukan stopped at her side. “A panther. Do you purr as well as claw?”“Only time will tell.” Lynx turned to face him.

Keeping his voice light, he said, “As my soon-to-be crown princess, you’re supposed to set an example, not a new trend.”“Pity. I seem to be particularly good at starting new trends.

It’s impossible to own a Norin, no matter how many cages you wrap around them. We will always follow our own star. The best you can do is to hope you’ve pinned your heart to the same constellation.