Ancient magic ruined her life’s work. Now, it's marking her skin—and binding her to the one man she can’t afford to desire.

For seven years, brilliant archaeologist Jasmine has kept her relationship with her billionaire benefactor, Ben, strictly professional. She hid her sarcasm behind data sheets, and he hid his fierce, protective instincts behind stone-cold boundaries. But when the ceiling of the First Cathedral pancakes around them, their carefully structured world shatters.

Pulled from the rungs of a collapsing ladder and pinned against Ben’s solid chest, Jasmine expects dust and debris. Instead, she finds a hidden repository, a living book bound in skin-like vellum, and an explosion of gold wardfire that permanently sears a matching supernatural brand onto their wrists.

Ben is no mere billionaire archaeologist. He is an immortal vampire, a morally grey predator who has spent centuries funding a secret sanctuary for broken supernaturals. For years, he controlled his hunger, but the ancient bond doesn’t care about his ironclad restraint. The vertical gold line throbbing on their skin forces a telepathic link that leaks his darkest, most possessive cravings straight into Jasmine's mind.

With a ruthless Council of Wardens hunting them down to turn Jasmine into a commodified weapon, their only hope lies in the very pages that bound them. To survive the looming siege, Jasmine must reject her scientific skepticism and accept a terrifying prophecy. They are the Alpha Queen and the World King—and claiming their true sovereignty means shattering every remaining boundary between them.

• Forced Proximity:
• Seven-Year Slow Burn:
• Touch Her and Die:
• Soul-Bond / Fated Mates:
• Found Family:
• Morally Grey Hero: