Estella’s POV
The second wave of the heat was worse than the first. Three days of pure torment, and I was ready to jump off the balcony—if only I could go past the railing.
Darius didn’t come to see me. Instead, he sent female servants who brought me food, piles of his mother’s books, and concoctions that barely helped with the worst of the pain. By the evening of the third day, I was writhing in bed, biting my pillow and digging my nails into my own flesh just to keep from screaming. Touching myself no longer helped—it only made me crave a man’s touch even more.
I had to admit that Darius was right. Without a partner, I wouldn’t last. I was desperate enough to climb into bed with anyone just to make the ache stop. But all males seemed to have disappeared from the castle, which left me
