He collects his tithe every seven years. And this time, it’s me. I’ve been chosen. Sacrificed. Delivered to him as payment for my family’s sins. I am the tithe. My father’s debt has fallen on me, and now I belong to the infamous Lord of the Manor. He is mysterious, reclusive, and cruel. A man who thrives on control and punishes disobedience. He keeps me in the dark, both literally and figuratively. He says my only purpose is to obey. To be his perfect, silent pet. But I see the way he looks at me. I feel the fire in his touch. There’s a hunger in him that runs deep, a need that goes beyond mere punishment. He thinks he can break me. He believes my spirit will shatter like so many before. But he’s wrong. Because with every forbidden glance and every stolen touch, I see the cracks in his own armor. The beast has a weakness. And I am going to find it.
