A Taste of Darkness
The smell of burning incense spiraled through the air, thick and heavy, wrapping around me like invisible chains. A deep drumbeat sounded in the distance, slow and commanding, like the heartbeat of the underworld itself. The room was drenched in golden candlelight, flickering over velvet-draped walls and casting shifting shadows across the revelry unfolding before me.
Pleasure. Power. Sin.
I stood at the edge of it all, my breath caught in my throat.
The hall was filled with bodies—noblemen and women dressed in silk gowns and gold pieces of jewelry, their movements fluid with indulgence. Some danced, their bodies pressed together in a rhythm older than time itself, while others whispered in dark corners, fingers tracing forbidden promises along bare skin.
And at the heart of it all, sitting on his throne like a god surveying his kingdom, was him.
King Kaizer.
His golden eyes locked onto mine, pinning me in place. A slow, wicked smile curled his lips as if he had already won a battle I hadn't even realized had begun. He leaned back lazily, his fingers wrapped around a goblet of dark wine, his long legs sprawled apart in effortless dominance.
I knew why he had brought me here.
This was a test.
A game of control.
Would I crumble? Would I submit? Or would I fight?
My nails dug into my palms. I lifted my chin. I will not break.
But my body was already betraying me. The air was charged with dangerous tension, something that made my skin prickle with awareness. Every time Kaizer's gaze swept over me, I felt it like a whisper of heat against my flesh.
Then he moved. Slow. Predatory.
He stood from his throne, descending the steps with the ease of a lion approaching his prey. The room quieted, eyes turning toward us as he closed the distance between us.
I should have run. Instead, I stood frozen, my breath shallow, my pulse hammering in my throat. Then he stopped inches away, his fragrance washing over me.
"Do you know why I brought you here, little princess?" His voice was silk wrapped around steel.
I swallowed hard. "To humiliate me."
He chuckled, low and deep. "No." His fingers lifted, tracing the edge of my jaw, tilting my face up to meet his piercing gaze. "To show you what you crave."
I clenched my teeth. "You're wrong."
His thumb brushed my bottom lip, his touch was featherlight but searing. "Am I?"
The music swelled again, and before I could react, he spun me to the center of the room. The crowd parted, forming a circle. The game had begun.
His hand slid down my arm, fingers lacing through mine. "Dance with me."
I should have refused, should have shoved him away. But his touch was fire, and my body was starved for warmth.
He pulled me into his world, guiding me effortlessly through the steps of a dance I had never learned but somehow knew by heart. Our bodies moved as one—his hands firm on my waist, mine pressing against the hard muscle of his chest. Every brush of our skin sent another jolt through me, every shift of his body against mine stoking the embers of something I can't explain.
Desire. Raw. Consuming. Unforgiving.
He felt it too. I saw it in his eyes—the unrelenting hunger, the fierce possession.
His hand slid lower, gripping my hip, and pulling me closer. "Feel that?" His breath ghosted against my ear. "The way your body reacts to me?" I gasped as his lips brushed the curve of my neck.
A claim. A warning. A promise.
Damn him!
I should have hated him for this. For making me burn. For making me want.
But the worst part?
I wasn't sure if I wanted him to stop.
---
A sudden crash shattered the moment—a goblet smashing against the marble floor. The crowd stood still. Tension crackled like a storm about to break.
And then, a voice—dark, mocking, familiar.
"Well, well… it seems the king is not the only one who desires the princess."
A figure stepped forward from the shadows, a masked man cloaked in a sophisticated elegance. His sharp eyes met mine.
My stomach twitched.
Because I knew him.
And Kaizer… Kaizer's entire body went rigid with barely leashed fury.