Duke of Duskmoor: A Gothic Dark Romance

~Copyright © 2025 C.B. Blackburn~

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

~About C.B. Blackburn~

C.B. Blackburn is an independent author of dark erotica, horror-romance, and taboo thrillers—stories drenched in atmosphere and unapologetic in intensity. They craft worlds where the kinkier, the better; the creepier, the best, blending steamy passion with shadows and suspense.

At their desk—usually with rain pelting windows, a mug of hot coffee by their side, and music in their headphones—impossible scenarios unfurl, bleeding into being as their fingers ignite the keyboard.

~Trigger & Content Warnings~

This novel contains mature, dark, and potentially distressing themes. Reader discretion is strongly advised.

Explicit sexual content (graphic and frequent)

Breeding kink / pregnancy fetish themes

Power imbalance (wealth/class, emotional dominance)

Rough sex & degradation (possessive language, primal rutting, “filthy” dirty talk)

Public scandal / exhibitionist undertones (elite society watching, whispered judgments)

Manipulation & obsession (intense, unhinged declarations of love)

Verbal control / commanding behavior

Emotional vulnerability in extreme contexts

Profanity / explicit language

Alcohol use and high-society indulgence

Mild violence & destruction of property during passion (shattered glass, slammed furniture, etc.)

Dark gothic imagery (death, ruin, legacy)

Pregnancy-related themes (references to heirs, lineage, future children)

This work is a piece of dark romantic fiction. It is intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be interpreted as a guide to healthy relationships. Themes of dominance, obsession, and power imbalance are depicted as part of the fantasy. Please read responsibly.

The Raven & The Black Widow – Alexander & Clara’s Playlist

Chopin – Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor (haunting piano, setting the gothic stage)

Max Richter – On the Nature of Daylight (melancholy elegance, Edinburgh’s mood)

Voltaire – When You’re Evil (playful yet sinister cabaret, Alexander’s dark wit)

Florence + The Machine – Seven Devils (Clara’s pull into his world)

Arvo Pärt – Spiegel im Spiegel (icy stillness, Alexander’s cold beauty)

London Grammar – Hey Now (aching longing)

Voltaire – Almost Human (seductive irony, perfect for Alexander’s charm)

Daughter – Youth (fragility and yearning, Clara’s perspective)

Ólafur Arnalds – Near Light (soft introspection, the calm before storms)

Cigarettes After Sex – Apocalypse (dreamy eroticism)

Banks – Waiting Game (tension, hesitation, seduction)

Voltaire – The Night (dark, romantic, waltz-like pull)

Deftones – Change (In the House of Flies) (intensity, corruption, surrender)

Lana Del Rey – Shades of Cool (velvety obsession, Alexander’s allure)

Massive Attack – Paradise Circus (dark sensuality, dangerous pleasure)

Clint Mansell – Lux Aeterna (grand, inevitable fate)

Chelsea Wolfe – Feral Love (wild, consuming passion)

Dead Can Dance – The Host of Seraphim (haunting climax, transcendence)

Woodkid – Run Boy Run (relentless forward drive, Alexander’s empire)

Hans Zimmer – Chevaliers de Sangreal (cathedral-like grandeur, legacy & power)

Nine Inch Nails – Right Where It Belongs (quiet, unsettling reflection—what’s real, what’s illusion?)

Indila – Love Story (Version Orchestrale) (sweeping, tragic romance)

Alexander Rybak – Fairytale (yearning, obsessive love with a sharp edge)

Lindsey Stirling – Carol of the Bells (icy brilliance, Alexander’s dark crown)

~Dedication~

For you— the one who dares to open these pages, to trespass where desire is dressed in velvet and ruin.

Do not expect mercy here. Expect only devotion sharp enough to wound, kisses that taste of sin, and love that burns like candle flame against cathedral stone.

If you are unafraid of the dark, then come closer. I have been waiting.

~Alexander Drummond~

“I do not fall in love, Clara. I consume. And once I have tasted you, there will be nothing left for the world to claim.”

“You mistake my silence for coldness. In truth, I am listening—to every tremor in your voice, every confession your body makes.”

“If you run, I will follow. If you resist, I will break you. If you surrender… I will worship you.”

“You call me cruel, but cruelty is simply the shape my devotion takes.”

~Clara Whitmore~

“You mistake me for someone who needs saving, Alexander. I don’t. I only need silence.”

“If you wish to intimidate me, you will have to try harder. Men with softer smiles than yours have already failed.”

“I am not your conquest, nor your curiosity. Touch me like a prize, and you will bleed for it.”

“Do not confuse my presence with consent. I stand here because I choose to, not because you summoned me.”

“Cold? Yes, perhaps. But I would rather freeze alone than burn at your altar.”