I crumpled the note in my fist, wishing I could change but knowing that if Bane wanted me to have clothes, he would have sent them. It was even more obvious to me now that he was trying to have some kind of revenge on me for lying to him by banishing me to this unused tower room with nothing but my sister’s clothes.

I didn’t know much about the man I had unintentionally married, but so far he wasn’t making a great impression. The only thing I could honestly say I liked about him were his looks.

With a sigh, I started down the stairs. Once I made it out of the dusty wing, I quickly got lost. But then, I expected this was part of Bane’s plan to make my life as difficult as possible. I had never been in the palace before and had no idea where his rooms were, so how was I to find them in a building this massive?

After getting lost a third time, I stopped a small group of maids carrying linens. “Excuse me. Can you direct me to the prince’s rooms?”

They openly gawked at me, and I held back another sigh. It seemed that word had gotten out about the consort switch then. Well, it was always going to happen eventually.

Finally one of them cleared her throat. “It’s down that hall and two flights up,” she said. “When you turn right at the stairs, it’s at the end of the hall.”

“Thank you,” I said before hurrying past them. It wasn’t long before I found myself standing before a set of ornate doors, but to my horror, there were others already there. The prime minister, Lord Syr, the priest, and at least half a dozen other demon lords and ladies were gathered there, staring at me with a mix of curiosity and hostility.

I faltered. “Um…”

Lord Syr was the one to break away from the rest. “We are here to congratulate you, my lord.”

“Oh, um…okay. Thank you.” But why were they all gathered outside the prince’s bedroom?

“Allow me to introduce you,” he said, gesturing to the others. He rattled off a list of names, and I quickly realized that these were the lords of the parliament.

I was forced to shake each one’s hand. Some were polite, others less so. When the prime minister gripped my hand, I couldn’t hold back a wince.

He glowered openly at me. “It was quite the surprise when you turned out to be the consort,” he said in a deep and authoritative voice. He was an older man, tall and lean, but his eyes held a dangerous glint.

I nodded and looked to Lord Syr, who only smiled pleasantly, not giving away if this was some sort of trap or not. He’d been kind to me so far, but I wasn’t so foolish as to think I could trust anyone here. After all, these were politicians. There wasn’t a single doubt in my mind that I could become a pawn to any one of them—if I wasn’t already given the nature of this marriage.

Suddenly, the tower room far away from the rest of the palace seemed quite appealing. Maybe Bane, in banishing me there, had given me a gift: the gift of distance.

“I hope you enjoy your wedding night,” the prime minister said.

I realized then with a little jolt of surprise why they were all gathered here. They were to ensure that the royal couple consummated the marriage.

Tamping down my unease, I forced a polite smile. “Oh yes, thank you. I’m…sure I will.”

Knowing what was expected of me now, I turned to the door and knocked, feeling awkward and anxious with all the people standing behind me, clearly watching my every move. This entire situation was mortifying.

When the door opened a moment later, Prince Bane stood on the other side, still dressed in his wedding garb. He glared at me before letting his gaze sweep over the lords and ladies gathered behind me. He nodded at them in acknowledgment and gave me a pointed stare.

“Come in.”

Realizing that I was just standing there like a fool, I hurried inside, somewhat relieved when Bane closed the door behind me.

“I didn’t say anything,” I rushed to assure him.

Bane narrowed his eyes. “Good. But keep your voice down.”

He looked pointedly at the door, and I immediately understood. He believed they were listening in.

I nodded slowly. “What are we supposed to do?” I whispered.

Bane lifted a dark brow. “Are you really so sheltered? Do you not know what a couple does after a union?”

He gave me no chance to answer as he slowly stepped toward me, an unreadable look in his eye. I gulped, feeling my throat suddenly go dry.

As Bane stalked forward, he loosened his ascot and undid one of the buttons of his shirt before shedding his jacket.

He was…stripping. He was actually stripping! Did he really expect me to sleep with him tonight? I didn’t even know the man, not outside of all the rumors about him at least. And those rumors said that he was the best lover in the entire kingdom.

Why was it so easy to believe that? My gaze caught on the beautiful smooth skin exposed by the open button of his shirt. Suddenly, all I wanted was to press my lips there, to taste him.

He backed me toward the bed, pushing me lightly so I fell back onto the plush mattress. His knee landed on the bed beside my hip, and I held up a hand. “W-wait.”

Bane hesitated for a moment, one brow lifted. “Are you not ready to do your duty as royal consort?”

I shook my head, then nodded, then shook my head again. I didn’t know what I wanted.

Bane rolled his eyes and leaned down until his nose brushed against mine. “You should have thought all this through before you tricked me.”

My heart raced, and my entire body felt as if it was aflame. I desperately wanted Bane to finally kiss me, but I was also afraid of that kiss. Afraid because…I didn’t know how I would react.

My head told me to say nothing, but my heart, or something else, made me gasp out, “Please.”

His eyes flared before he tilted his head and pressed a hard, punishing kiss to my lips.

If my body had been aflame before, now it felt as if it would burst, every part of me tingling beneath the warm pressure of his lips. When Bane’s tongue slipped into my mouth, I couldn’t hold back a whimper, and I was sure I heard Bane let out a low growl.

Bane’s lips were suddenly on my neck, and I gasped out a moan. My body…I couldn’t seem to control it. Every touch was like a tickle, making me writhe beneath him.

Bane’s teeth nipped lightly at my neck, and that contact alone sent me spiraling in a mixture of pleasure and pain. Instinctively, I reached up, letting my fingers tangle in the prince’s hair. I wanted to encourage him to keep going, but a moment later his weight fell away, and when I looked up, it was to see him buttoning his shirt and looking down at me callously.

I knew what I must have looked like, lying on the bed, completely disoriented with passion. With just those few kisses, I’d come undone. And suddenly it was very clear to me why there were so many rumors about him and his prowess in the bedchamber.

“There,” he said. “We’ve consummated, and you have the proof on you if anyone wants to check. Stay here for the night so no one suspects anything.”

I watched as he walked across the room and pressed a panel beside the fireplace, making a hidden door open. Bane didn’t look back even once before disappearing inside and letting the door close behind him.

Curious, I stood up and walked toward it, already fascinated by the mechanism but also confused about what had just transpired.

As much as I wanted to press the panel just so I could examine the workings of it, I didn’t dare risk the prince’s anger again. With a sigh, I turned away, going over to an ornate, floor-length mirror. I tilted my head, examining the bite mark on my neck.

So that was what he meant, I thought. This was all just for show.

I pressed my hand to my lips, still swollen from his kiss. It came as a shock—though perhaps not a great one—that I had…liked it. Quite a lot, actually. What was a bigger shock was that I wanted to do it again, and I wanted to do more.

I met my reflection’s wide eyes as it all hit me. Just what the fuck was I supposed to do with that?