The Darkest Sentinel

"He is a ghost wrapped in silver armor, a shadow with a lethal smirk. And no matter how close I get, he always vanishes before I can demand his name."

As a high-stakes diplomat assigned to the Fallen Court of Oakhaven, Evangeline knows that survival requires precise, calculated moves. Surrounded by treacherous nobles and draped in the castle's perpetual gloom, she can navigate any political trap-except for the sharp, dangerously charming commander watching her from the stone pillars.

Commander Damian is charged with guarding the border of the haunted, suffocating woods that surround the court. Dressed in dark leather and wielding a lazy, wicked smile, he carries himself like a man with nothing to lose. But every time Evangeline steps close enough to break the tension, he melts into the shadows, leaving her breathless and infuriated.

He isn't ignoring her out of coldness. He is bound by an ancient, volatile blood-curse-a hungry magic that reacts violently to his deepest desires. Staying away from Evangeline is the only thing keeping her alive.

When a sudden threat breaches the court's defenses, forcing Damian to draw his weapon and step between Evangeline and the dark, his lethal curse flares out of control. Stranded together at the edge of the enchanted woods, the game of cat-and-mouse is over.

He can no longer run. And Evangeline isn't letting him go.