Book excerpt: A challenge between rivals will either lead to suffering...or love. Chieftain Rygar Idras must lead his warriors on a dangerous raid into Astor to rescue his men from captivity. But an ambush brings him face-to-face with Vash Terric, a powerful and ruthless king, and the raid ends with Rygar in chains. He's imprisoned within a castle in Astor, but his spirit remains unbroken, and he's determined to escape and save his men. But Vash gives him an ultimatum. The king will free one of his men every time Rygar comes to his bed of his own free will. If he refuses, he will remain in chains, a captive to the king, and his fellow raiders will languish in the dungeon. Rygar is prepared to do anything to free his men, whether that is killing the king...or sleeping with him. But denying his attraction to the commanding Vash is far more difficult than he imagined. When the king honors his promise, Rygar discovers that protecting his heart from his rival may be the greatest challenge he's ever faced... King Vash loves nothing more than the stability and prosperity brought by law and order. Astor is a beacon of order in the world—a light threatened by barbarian raiders like Rygar. But Vash can't escape his raw desire for his captive. He's drawn to the man's strength and defiance. The longer he keeps his enemy captive at his side, the more fascinated he becomes with Rygar and his strange ways. Perhaps Rygar isn't the savage Vash thought he was. Vash is willing to conquer all his enemies to protect his people and impose order on the chaos...but his growing feelings for Rygar threaten to bring everything he has achieved crashing down around him. Reader note: contains gay fantasy romance including male male love, enemies to lovers, and a happily ever after