**CHAPTER THREE** *Anna's POV* As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and gold, Daniel became a shadow in my day. He dodged me with an elusive grace, anger simmering beneath the surface of his stoic demeanor. I had merely voiced my thoughts, challenging his decisions, yet he seemed to take it as an affront. “Your majesty, you called for me,” Lucy, the head maid, entered my chamber with a tentative air. “I don’t want to be bothered by your trivialities. Just do what you see fit and spare me your incessant chatter,” I replied, my voice as icy as a winter night. Yet, she pressed on. “I was curious if Queen Anna might prefer strawberry cake or blackberry cake. The baker has been struggling to achieve the right balance—” “He can find another job if he can’t make a cake suitable for the Queen!” I snapped, cutting her off with a warning glare. “Leave me be, or I swear I will not forgive the disturbance.” With a hasty retreat, she disappeared, leaving me in the solitude of my room. I surrendered to the embrace of a warm shower, letting the steam consume me as the sun surrendered to twilight. I gazed outside at the vast expanse of azure that slowly faded into darkness, finding a sense of kinship with the bold crescent moon that hung in the sky—a stark light amidst shadows, reflecting my turbulent spirit. Unlike its soft luminescence, I felt sharp and unyielding. Picking up my phone, I dialed a familiar number. “Good evening, my queen,” came the answer, tinged with respect. “How is everything proceeding?” I asked, my tone commanding. “We haven’t located him yet, but I have pinpointed his whereabouts,” the voice on the other end replied cautiously. “You know what steps to follow next. I expect everything to be executed flawlessly. I have no tolerance for mistakes,” I warned frostily before ending the call. Plans unfurled seamlessly before me, each thread leading closer to the ultimate revelation—the life I had long yearned for was just within my grasp. As the moon climbed the night sky, I leaned against the balcony, lost in thought when suddenly, a familiar dread engulfed me. “No…no… Stop! It wasn’t my fault, please don’t leave me!” My eyes slammed shut, terror seeping into my dreams as the same nightmare haunted me, morphed into something more brutal. Trapped upon my throne, I could only watch as my mother tormented me, while my father unleashed a barrage of curses—each word a bitter dagger. The darkness was suffocating, a crushing weight of solitude pushing down on me as I battled against my own demons. A swarm of ravens screeched above, their raucous cries echoing my deepest fears. I sprinted toward the grand door of the throne room, my heart racing, only to stumble outside our mansion. There stood Daniel, a silent sentinel amidst a backdrop of hazy figures. Falling to my knees, I reached out, begging for mercy, but he shoved me away, his accusations ringing inside my mind, painfully incoherent. “Stop!” I pleaded, drowning in an abyss of despair that threatened to consume my very soul. “Kill her! She’s a witch! Liar, she can’t even bond with a mate!” The cacophony of voices screamed in unison. “It’s not true! Please, I beg you, stop!” I cried, my soul tearing at the seams. Suddenly, the door creaked open. I sensed Daniel’s presence drawing closer, the weight of his approach making the bed dip as he arrived at my side. A thick air of magic hung between us, tangled in a web of anguish and desperation. “No, please stop,” I murmured, struggling to pull myself from the clutches of sleep. An unfamiliar heat enveloped me, igniting every nerve ending. “Queen Anna, wake up,” Daniel urged, his voice a mix of authority and concern. But this time felt different, charged with an energy I couldn't place. My body stirred, restless and hungry, as if something primal had awakened within me—an insatiable desire pulling me closer to him. “Wake up, Queen Anna,” he said again, but his tone shifted, laced with a dark undertone that sent shivers down my spine. What was happening to me? The haze of the nightmare began to lift, replaced by an urgency I couldn’t comprehend. His lips brushed against mine, and in that moment, every flicker of desire ignited into an inferno—a craving that surpassed mere physicality. As soon as he pulled away, my eyes locked onto his, searching the depths of his gaze. An unfathomable yearning lurked behind his brightness. “Touch me, Daniel,” I found myself commanding, my voice steady, yet filled with want. Without hesitation, he complied, leaning in to kiss me once more, unraveling the ties of restraint that bound us. His mouth moved to trace the curve of my neck, fire igniting beneath his touch. I tangled my hands in his raven hair, pulling him closer, intoxicated by the dizzying thrill of our connection. “Mark me, Daniel,” I urged, my voice a sultry whisper mixed with desperation. For a moment, he hesitated, confusion flickering over his features. “I can’t do that, my queen,” he replied, but his eyes betrayed him—a reflection of desire that mirrored my own. “I don’t ask out of mere desire; I command it because you are mine now,” I asserted, my tongue darting across the spot he’d kissed, leaving a trail of urgency that demanded fulfillment. With a surge of longing, he finally relented, his teeth biting down on my shoulder, the sharpness sending waves of pleasure coursing through me as he soothed the pain with his tongue. At that moment, a bond ignited, weaving our souls tighter, intensifying my need for him. I began to undress him, exploring every contour of his body that set my heart racing. “Will you make love to me, Daniel?” I asked softly, the command slipping into a vulnerable plea. “It’s your birthday, my queen. Is that truly what you desire?” He asked, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes as I flushed, turning my gaze from his. “Happy birthday, my Queen,” he murmured, brushing his lips against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Will you marry me now?” I pushed, the question hanging heavy in the air, eliciting a slight smile that softened his features. “You know I can’t marry you, my Queen. I am not your mate, and you are bound to your true mate alone,” he reminded me, the truth bittersweet against the backdrop of my yearning heart. If only I could lay claim to him, I would do so in an instant. But the laws of our world were unforgiving, and I was determined to alter them. He was the one who made me feel desired, cherished—beyond the façade of arrogance I wore like armor. I would claim him, no matter the cost. “I have marked you, Daniel. Don’t you understand what that means?” I pressed, the realization crashing down like a tide. My heart raced wildly—this was love, a ferocity that twisted and turned within me, something deeply uncontrollable, binding us together in ways I never imagined possible.