“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 licked her lips as the heavy silence stretched on and her resolve wavered by each moment. 


The iron stove was standing firm in front of them. It had a large iron slab on the top, marked with round circles for a reason Anna can only imagine. 


Its body was as weird as the top; there were some small compartments with doors and a meter, probably for adjusting and showing the temperature, was engraved in the center. 


Anna furrowed her brows wondering how bizarre the richer households were. Why didn't they just use a hearth? It could be used to cook, to keep the place warm, and was so simple to use. 


Azrael broke the silence, "It should be lit." 


"Oh, marvelous idea!" Anna rolled her eyes, "I couldn't have imagined." 


"How long until I taste your unforgettable tea?" 


She closed her eyes to suppress the heat of embarrassment that threatened to crawl over her skin. 


Forget the tea when she couldn't not even figure out how the stove could possibly work. 


To Honor Her Wishes