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

I woke to a sharp pain lancing through my lower back. For a moment, I lay still, wondering if I'd merely twisted awkwardly in my sleep. Then another wave hit, stronger this time, causing me to gasp.


"Alaric," I whispered, reaching for my husband's sleeping form beside me.


He was instantly alert, years of vigilance making him a light sleeper. "Isabella? What's wrong?"


"I think—" The pain intensified, stealing my breath. "I think the baby is coming."


Alaric's eyes widened. Despite discussing this moment for weeks, the reality seemed to catch him off guard. He leapt from the bed, nearly tangling himself in the sheets.


"I'll get Mariella and the midwife. Don't move. Or, should you move? What did the physician say was best?"


I might have laughed at his uncharacteristic fluster if another contraction hadn't gripped me. "Ring for Alistair first."


Chapter 151 - The Heir's Arrival, A Duke's Delight