Trained

In the competition to find a husband for Princess Atalanta, Thoros has a certain advantage. He happens to know that he and Atalanta appreciate the same things in a man: an attitude so rebellious it demands to be punished, a spirit so dauntless it can only be tamed by a single master. Yes, Dalin has the hard body and quick mind of a warrior, but Thoros must teach him to meet the hidden challenges in Atalanta’s contests, the ones only he knows are there.

Dalin will do anything to escape the caste he was born into—even marry a woman. If Thoros can help him win Atalanta’s hand, he’ll endure the pain and humiliation of Thoros’s peculiar brand of training, and he’ll pay the price Thoros demands in return from his body and his soul. What Dalin won’t do is admit how much he likes it. He might submit, but he’ll never surrender.

As one competitor after another is eliminated, Dalin’s chances look good. But winning means leaving Thoros’s cottage for Atalanta’s castle, an exchange he’s no longer sure he wants to make. Meanwhile, Thoros is realizing that he’s forged his perfect partner only to give him away. Can two stubborn warriors fight their way to a prize more valuable than a kingdom?