“I think I'd miss you even if we’d never met,” Azrael whispered as his fingers trailed the side of her face, leaving an alluring warmth.
Anna’s throat became dry, “We shouldn’t have met then―”
“No,” he said, “Even if it means losing everything, I would rather have you.”
They were destined to fall from the start. A forsaken bond. A hopeless cause. And yet, in that stolen moment, Anna didn’t care anymore, neither did he.
* * * 
Anna is a human in a world where her kind is treated like dust, while Azrael is the demon duke infamous for his ruthlessness and bewitching looks.
On a fateful night, her life gets entangled with him. Azrael takes her as his fiance, however, theirs is a relationship formed over a contract; a marriage of convenience.
In a land where the hatred between humans and demons runs deeper than blood, she can not let her guard down. 
Anna harbors no feelings for the handsome duke, nor for his kind. Though that doesn’t stop her heart from stuttering whenever he’s near, nor the ghost of a familiar fear to surge at the sound of his voice.
But he’s always near.
Telling her what to do.
Making her feel warmer, hotter than he should.
* * * 
To yearn for someone who is forbidden to you is a terrifying feeling. To burn from desire and never speak of it, to have a secret that is horrible to almost everyone, to hide something that could ruin everything.
This is a story carved in hidden desires, inked in blood, and sealed with a fatal sin. Will Anna make it out alive? Or will her heart lead to her downfall?

The Duke's Secret Sin

Anna could feel as if she was being buried under the intensity of Serena’s gaze. Her eyes were as red as blood and carried that dangerous predatory glint of demons that made Anna wish she hadn’t looked at her. 


Azrael glanced at Serena at the same time and the two of them happened to look at each other. Though his small smile didn’t falter, his eyes turned extremely cold and hostile. 


Serena fought a shudder. Her status was nearly as high as him but he looked at her as if he wondered where she got the audacity to question him. 


But then he let out a small smile, “There simply wasn’t a gem good enough for Anastasia. But rest assured, Lady Serena, we will have the ring soon. I heard you own some exotic mines?” 


Serena was at a loss for words. Was he not aware of how her heart felt? 


Rafael broke the tension with a small laugh, “I suppose His Grace has already made his decision. Let’s not pause the ball anymore.” 


To Be His Duchess