Before she ever opened her eyes, the Gods bound her fate to his. Evangeline was born a Goddess, daughter of Hades, Lord of the Underworld—divine, untouchable, destined for greatness. Christian was born a Dragon prince, great-grandson of Leviathan, the first Dragon—loyal, fierce, and marked by a bond carved into his soul before he took his first breath. Their destinies were braided together by ancient decree, a tether of power and prophecy that should have made them inseparable. Instead, it made them enemies. From childhood, Evangeline fought the bond with every breath. She pushed Christian away with cold words and cruel distance, determined to defy the fate the Gods had written for her. She refused to be claimed. She refused to be owned. She refused to love him. But love is not a thing the Gods ask permission for. Christian loved her anyway—quietly, fiercely, painfully. Every stolen moment of softness was followed by a blow meant to keep him at arm’s length. Every kindness he offered became another wound she carved into him. Loving her became a curse he could not escape, a devotion that hollowed him out until he fled to save what was left of himself. And still, he would have walked through fire for her. But Evangeline carries a secret that has been killing her slowly. At seventeen, she was attacked. Poisoned. And now, she’s dying. And the cruelty she used to drive Christian away was never hatred—it was fear. Fear that he would watch her fade. Fear that he would sacrifice himself to save her. Fear that the Gods would take him from her if she let him stay. Now the Gods demand the one thing Christian cannot give: his mark—his life—his soul. The only thing that can purge the poison and save her. But Christian refuses. Not because he doesn’t love her. Not because he wants her to die. But because she stole his choice long ago—twisting love into a weapon, turning destiny into a cage, and making him the villain in her story so she could be the martyr in hers. He will not be her salvation unless she asks for it. Unless she tells him the truth. Unless she gives him back the choice she took. As Evangeline’s strength wanes and the poison spreads, the world around them fractures—Gods whisper, clans prepare for war, and fate itself begins to unravel. Christian must confront the bond that has ruled his life, the Goddess who has broken his heart, and the truth that loving her may be the only thing that can save them both… or destroy them completely. This is not a tale of perfect fated mates. This is a tale of destiny stolen, love twisted, a Goddess dying, and the Dragon who loved her wrong… and loved her still. Their story began before birth. Their heartbreak was carved by the Gods. And their ending—if they survive it—will rewrite fate itself.