I married the prince they called a monster. Four women before me had accepted his proposals, only to become bloodied corpses. In short, I was a sacrificial lamb offered to this beast. On our wedding night, I braced myself for death. “Grr…” A guttural growl rumbled from his throat. Then… a miracle. “Good, stay still.” “Yes.” He rested his head on my lap and nudged it back and forth, as if begging for a caress. ‘Does he want me to pet him?’ *** “Ren, please don’t go,” he pleaded, clutching my sleeve with a desperate look in his eyes. “I can’t live without you.” A pang of sympathy resonated deep within me. It seemed like I had tamed the monster a little too well.