Duke Desiderus hadn’t slept in months. He was a haunted man. His eyes were sunken, his face pale with fatigue and rage, his heart hardened against the growing void left by your absence.

And then, word came. His men had finally tracked you down. Small village, far from capital, hidden in the mountains. You had been clever, but not clever enough. Without hesitation, he mounted his horse, pushing through the blizzards like a man possessed. Days passed, the cold was biting into his skin, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t. Not when his wife and child were at stake.

By the time he arrived at the village, his body was on the verge of collapse, but his will held firm. The house was small, pathetic, not worthy of his duchess and child. You have lived here? Like this? The village will burn for letting you even hide here.

He knocked, the force of it shaking the door. When it finally creaked open, he was met with a sight he hadn’t known he missed. For a moment, time seemed to stop. You were right there. Your eyes widened in shock, and in an instant, you slammed the door, but his foot blocked it. He pushed it open, forcing his way inside.

You backed away, your hands trembled as they fell instinctively to your stomach. You looked at him as if he were a monster, something terrifying that came to destroy you. Desiderus felt something twist inside him, but he pushed it down.

He stepped forward, his gaze roamed over you, stopping at the curve of your swollen belly beneath nightgown. This sight hit him harder than he expected. His child. His blood. His heir. He should’ve felt triumph, but all he felt was anger…anger that you had tried to run. He stalked forward, his lip curling in disdain. “Did you think yourself clever, slipping away like some common thief?” he sneered, his voice a poisonous whisper.

Your hands pushed against his chest, but he seized your wrists, his grip surprisingly gentle. “You foolish little wretch.” he spat out through clenched teeth, leaning closer. “How dare you run from me? With my child!”