“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

The tranquil morning was disrupted by a loud sound as the birds left the orchard and a few small tables tumbled over, spilling baskets of oranges.


Theodore staggered before crashing against the ground for a second time. A scoff left him as he looked up at Anna with bewilderment.


There were gasps of awe and shock amidst the watching servants.


He fisted his hands, ready to strike again but he had barely gotten up when Anna grabbed his collars and summoned all her strength in her fist. Warmth spread inside her heart when she saw the flicker of panic behind his arrogant eyes.


She might be just a human but the harsh outskirts had toughened her enough to deal with an average demon.


However, just as she was about to land the blow, a gentle yet stern hand caught her wrist. Anna tried to free herself but the grip was too strong and she almost stumbled back into the arms of the person behind her.


An itching irritation flickered behind her eyes as she looked back.


The Hornet's Nest