No Such Ring

Contents Blurb Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Epilogue Thank you for reading! Acknowledgments About the Author Also by CoraLee June No Such Ring by CoraLee June Published by June Publishing www.authorcoraleejune.com Copyright © 2023 June Publishing All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions, contact: [email protected] Cover by Jay Aheer Edits by Helayna Trask with Polished Perfection Blurb Leo is afraid of heartbreak. My shadow. My protector. He doesn’t want to share. The crushing burden of wedlock descended upon me, threatening to ensnare me in an unbreakable bond. But I refused to accept my fate; I had to be courageous for my men. Filled with a burning passion, I declared myself the Bloody Queen and led my men in a daring struggle for their freedom. As we charged into battle, I knew that our victory would not come without great sacrifice. My love for them was so deep that I was prepared to give up anything and everything to see them safe. To reclaim our freedom and keep us together, I understood that sometimes love demands the highest cost of all: my life. Long live the Bloody Queen. For Heather and Amanda. Chapter One CHRISTINE It was as if my blood was boiling as I clenched the silver butter knife in my soot-covered hand, the cut on my palm burning with a painful scream that matched the level of rage simmering within me. My mind was already picturing how I could plunge the blade into Theodore DuPont’s eye socket, and if there weren’t a guard looming with a gun behind me, I might have gone ahead with it. “Smile for your future husband,” said Theodore from the head of the table. “He’ll be here soon.” My frown only deepened as my mind raced with turbulent thoughts of escape and revenge. “Haven’t you heard? It’s impolite to force a woman to smile,” I gritted. “I don’t particularly care about politeness. That’s why you’ll be the queen and I’ll be behind the scenes.” I stabbed my breakfast before dropping my fork. Last night was long and draining. I didn’t even get a chance to shower before they were dragging me out of my room to have breakfast with Nathan. I was bruised and beaten, dried blood clinging to my robe. My hair was a rat’s nest of knots, my eyes puffy with exhaustion. Earlier this morning, Theodore DuPont had marched me through the guards’ quarters, now overrun with DuPont men and stragglers from Lord Nathan’s rebellion. They openly gawked as we passed. I was a bride, but more importantly, I was a threat. I’d killed their men when I escaped DuPont tower, and I’d do it again. Theodore watched me closely as I struggled to force food down my throat. I was a prisoner, here for one reason: I was a meal ticket for the self-proclaimed devil. The banquet room where we ate was massive, with a long wooden table that lined one whole side of the great hall. It was covered with a thick bluish linen tablecloth, and at the head was a large throne-like chair. The other end of the table held enough food to feed a small country. Pancakes. Sausage. Eggs. I didn’t have the stomach for eating, not with the stench of death still lingering in the air. It seemed like a lot of effort for the three of us, but it was apparent that Theodore DuPont wanted to make a show of his power. Theodore’s eyes pierced mine. “Smile.” I gritted my teeth. “No.” He sighed. “I can have you whipped for insubordination.” “You can have me whipped for breathing.” I narrowed my eyes. “But you will never have me. I’m here. I’m doing what you asked. But I won’t pretend to be happy about it.” “Oh, you’re such a spirited woman.” He leaned over his plate, eyeing me with a sick sense of excitement. “So much like Isabelle. I suppose you learned how to be defiant from her. I might not have broken her spirit in the end, but I look forward to breaking yours.” I didn’t understand why this man was so stuck on Isabelle, but something told me it motivated him to do this hostile takeover. He couldn’t have her, so he stole her castle and stripped their son of his title. “Isabelle was better than you’ll ever be. Stronger. Smarter—” “Isabelle was a whore that stayed with King Frederick when she could have had more.” Theodore’s face contorted in rage, the heat of his glare burning a hole through me. He ran an impatient hand through his freshly trimmed hair, the short curls standing to attention. His suit was a deep gray, an obvious complement to the black of my robe, as if he wanted us to coordinate outfits. His teeth were a straight line, barely holding back the venom he wished to spew at me. He looked like the picture of a man who was capable of anything. His eyes were cold and black, like two broken pieces of ice dipped in mud. I wanted to run away, but there was an armed guard at the door. “And what about your wife?” “My wife is none of your concern,” he said, his voice a low growl. Why was he so obsessed with Isabelle when he had Elizabeth? I swallowed, unease swirling in my gut. Theodore DuPont was a real prick. “Oh, good,” he said when someone wearing a lab coat came in. “So glad you could be here, doctor.” I looked at the man as two guards swarmed me. I thrashed against them as strong