Neriah of the Avelah Kingdom never expected her political arrangement with the dragon Prince Barak of the Trago Kingdom to ignite anything but fury. The prideful elven princess harbors a secret devotion to Lyle of the Niles, clinging to dreams of escape from a marriage she resents. Yet Barak refuses to release what he claims as his, determined to make her his in every way that matters. They ignite each other—not with the gentle warmth of mutual affection, but with the consuming fire of undeniable chemistry. Neriah insists her heart belongs elsewhere, but she cannot deny the intoxicating pull when he touches her. The man she despises awakens something within her that no one else can reach. As duty clashes with desire, Neriah must confront an impossible question: Can passion born from conflict transform into genuine love? Can the flames that rage between them burn away the deception, betrayal, and anguish threatening to destroy them both? Or will the ashes scatter them forever apart? In this tale of royal duty and forbidden desire, two fiery spirits battle for control—of each other and of their own hearts. The thorny stem and the rose are bound together, whether they accept it or not.