Violet_167

Isabella Beaumont figured she was making a smart, if desperate, trade: her freedom in exchange for marrying the dreaded Duke Alaric Thorne. 
Sure, the guy had a reputation darker than a moonless night, whispered about in every corner of the kingdom, but it was just a contract, right? A way to escape a brutal past that had literally left its mark on her face. 
She wasn’t expecting warmth, and definitely not passion. But then Alaric, this formidable, feared man, starts acting… protective. His unexpected kindness will make her want to throw away her protective mask and actually fall for the man who was supposed to be just her ticket to freedom. 
Just as Isabella starts believing she might actually deserve happiness, everything begins falling apart around them.
With the villains on the loose, old wounds being ripped open, and everyone’s true colors showing, is this sudden, fierce love strong enough to survive the storm? Or will the darkness from their pasts and the deadly games shatter everything they’re starting to build?

The Masked Duchess

"The Raven's mark," I whispered, the words hanging in the damp air of the cave entrance. "I have no such mark."


Alaric moved closer to me, his hand finding mine in the dimness. "This must be another Blackwood trick. A way to stop us from proceeding."


The stone in my palm pulsed with an eerie blue light, casting strange shadows across the cave walls. Its rhythm seemed almost alive—like a heartbeat growing more insistent with each passing moment.


"I've never heard of any Raven's mark," I said, my voice echoing slightly. "Surely my mother would have mentioned something so significant."


Sir Kaelen stood alert at the threshold, his eyes constantly scanning the darkness beyond. "The Blackwoods are masters of deception. This could be meant to confuse us—or separate us."


"Wait," came a small voice from behind.


Chapter 123 - The Mark of the Raven, A Hidden Legacy