The Beast King's Bride

DeeFig 7 stories

Story Notes

Summary

For centuries, the dragon beast king has protected the deer kingdom. Wars. Raiders. Famine. The price never changes. Every king must face Ștefan in the pit carved into the Carpathian mountains—stone walls, fire‑scorched earth, a gladiator arena where kingdoms live or die. Iliana’s father fought. Survived. The treaty held. Then her father brought his daughter to the mountain. Iliana was sixteen. Wild hair. Book under her arm. She didn’t curtsy. Didn’t tremble. She asked the dragon about the books on his shelf. Ștefan said nothing. But something ancient in him latched on. The dragon who had protected generations of deer kings looked at this girl and wanted—not the kingdom, not the debt—her. Years later, Iliana is queen. Every potential mate must face the dragon. Some are strong. Some are fast. Some are truly worthy. Some are not. Ștefan kills them all. Even the unworthy ones. Especially the worthy ones. Because worthy means they could stand beside her. Touch her. Claim her. And he will never allow that. Iliana sees the pattern. The way his eyes track her every step. The way his fury sharpens when another man speaks her name. He isn’t guarding the crown. He’s guarding her. Then one suitor tries to cheat the trial. A lie. A coward’s trick. The crowd drags him out of hiding, booing him, pelting him with whatever they can grab. And when the beast king arrives, the entire kingdom falls silent—because the look he gives Iliana is not anger. It’s possession. End of the month. She comes to him. Or he burns everything. The dragon beast king has waited centuries for a queen worthy of his obsession. He’s done waiting.