“Take me instead.”

Three words. Guinevere Lunaris trades herself and saves 300 lives.

Tied. Gagged. Underestimated by a mile. They chain her to a tree in the snow. Mistake.

While running for her life, she meets a stranger in the dark and tells him to hide so he isn’t killed.

Twelve hours later, he walks into her father's hall wearing a crown. The man she just told to hide in a hole is Maddox Drakencrest, High King of Velkaris. Ruler of an entire continent.

Maddox hears his dragon say ‘mate’ right away. But her wolf is silent.

More and more Alpha Kings enter the hall. She catches the tail end of her father’s toast and chokes on her wine.

“—leave here with a virgin bride.”

An auction for her hand turns into a full-out bidding war. Maddox wins. 750 million in gold, three dragon fleets, and an urn full of the bastard who chained her the day before.

Every force in Velkaris is betting against a wolf on a dragon throne.

The Elders say the queen must be a dragon rider, which is impossible for a woman without dragon blood. The king's half-brother agrees with them, but his solution is a civil war and taking the crown for himself.

If his brother’s rebellion wins, Maddox dies and she belongs to him. If the elders win, she goes back to the father who sold her.

Neither is happening.

Her wolf calls Velkaris home. She's not giving it up.

They expect Guinevere to behave like a good little wolf princess and play along with their political games.

She says bet.