The Last Sempyr: Alpha's Fated Mate

“You don’t get to decide for me, Ira,” Ruel says, his voice rough, his hand pressed against the wall beside my head. “You don’t run. You don’t bargain. And you sure as hell don’t walk away when I tell you to stay.” His eyes turn cold as I push against his chest. “You think you can command everything you touch…” I glare up at him, my heart pounding. “But we both know nothing good will come out of this!” I snap. His jaw tightens, green eyes flickering to my mouth. “I’d burn the world to keep you here,” he says, his hot breath brushing my lips as he leans closer. I swallow hard, my voice breaking into a whisper when I speak. “You don’t understand, Ru… you’re the one who needs protection… from me.” *** As an orphan, Ira has spent years surviving by stealing, running, lying, and fighting for every scrap of food to keep a roof over her head and the children she protects. Until the night she gets caught and handed over to the army of the North’s most feared commander. Xuaru Ruel, the Alpha King’s most ruthless weapon. Feared by armies, bound by loyalty, and fueled by a need he can't ignore. When a defiant sharp-tongued servant is chained to his bed, she awakens something buried deep within him… something dangerous. He was bred to destroy her kind. Yet with every passing day, the walls between them begin to crack, revealing pain, truth, and a pull neither of them can fight. Still, loving her might break what’s left of him... And falling for him could destroy her completely. Caution: R18+ slow-burn romance with emotional tension and characters who are beautifully imperfect.