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?
A file of men wound down from the stands, sturdy men in gladiator garb with military bearing. They filtered through the ranks of contestants, some of whom stood at attention as he did while others slouched in disinterest or fidgeted with nerves.
“When do you think they’ll get to it?” a soft body near Dalin muttered to the man next to him. “Too hot to be standing around in the altogether.”
“I suppose the girl’s got to get a look at the goods,” his companion answered with a sly sideways glance. The soft body had a soft cock, small and hooded by a wrinkled foreskin.
“The girl can come and look for herself then,” the first one said. “I’ll give her a taste of it.” He grabbed his dick and pulled on it in a suggestive manner. His buddy laughed appreciatively.
READ MOREDalin remained at attention, not even relaxing his face enough to smile at the thought of how quickly those two would be eliminated. Something told him that the gladiators circling among them were the ones to impress. And that the two soft bodies slouched into disrespectful attitudes were failing at it.
One of the gladiators approached. He cast a dismissive glance at the two jokers who didn’t bother to notice him back before coming to a stop in front of Dalin. Dalin kept his eyes level, holding his breath to keep his chest fully inflated and his abs strong and tight.
His assessor circled him in consideration. A large man with a firm barrel of a chest beneath the leather straps that crossed it, bearded with tightly-shorn dark hair. Dalin couldn’t discern any more than that without allowing his eyes to wander, but he felt the bulk and warmth of the man, felt the weight of his evaluation.
A hand clasped over the swell of Dalin’s right ass cheek. He willed himself into stillness.
“I thought we were competing for a woman,” one of the two men next to him joked with a braying laugh. “Seems this chap has something else in mind.”
COLLAPSEon Amazon:This author comes up with the most original story ideas. I have her on my watch list and would hate to miss one of her books. Its hard to wait and see what she comes up with next.
Amazon wrote:I was fascinated by the process Thoros leads Dalin through to prepare him for the competition scenes and the variety of kinks Thoros used. I loved how their relationship changed as they progressed with the training, I was even caught by surprise at a couple of creative twists Chris used! I would highly recommend this!
I really enjoyed this reimagining of the story of Atalanta as a BDSM tale. Thoros is an exacting, kinky taskmaster, and Dalin is his stubborn, unyielding contestant to train into the kind of submissive consort that will please Atalanta. This is definitely not a romance, but is, in its own way, a love story. The relationship between Thoros and Dalin is difficult to witness at times, especially at the beginning, but it struck all the right notes. And the ending made me tear up. A very satisfying read.
Don't miss the free epilogue, Tribute.
It’s Princess Atalanta’s birthday, and Thoros makes Dalin into the perfect gift by sewing him into predicament bondage using corset piercings. But he didn’t intend to actually give Dalin to Atalanta.