Book excerpt: A king and his future queen meet on their wedding day. Too bad it’s hate at first sight.  Ariana Twice before my father tried to marry me off, and I left those jerks at the altar. But my ruthless new husband rules everything he sees, and suddenly that includes me. His cool indifference, along with the dangerous spark between us, intrigues me, but I’m over the whole idea of marriage. As soon as the ink is dry on our marriage license, I’ll plot my escape. Damien My new wife is a spoiled brat who thinks she can play me, but she has no idea who she is dealing with. True, she’s a beautiful distraction, a pawn in my game. An heir is the only thing I require from her, and I relish conquering my virgin queen. The problem is, it leads to me wanting more from her, and that’s not the plan. Regardless of what the matchmaker says, a royal marriage should be marked by strategy, not love. So I will offer Ariana the one thing she can’t resist… Her freedom.