Bound to the Beast Lord: 2

A marriage of convenience to save her village. A husband who was never supposed to want her back.Two failed grain seasons have left Lira's home village one bad winter from ruin, so when the Concord offers a way out - a marriage alliance with the beast lord who controls the region's trade route - she volunteers before anyone can ask her twice. It's just one more thing a situation requires. She's good at giving people exactly that.Lord Threk isn't looking for a wife who'll perform gratitude at him. He's looking for a treaty that holds, in a territory that can't survive another border raid. He agrees to the marriage the same way she does - because the alternative costs more.Neither of them expects to like the bargain. Both of them are too disciplined to admit when it stops feeling like one - until the border starts bleeding, someone inside Threk's own hall is feeding raiders his schedule, and Threk has to decide how much of his hall he's willing to tear apart to keep the woman the Concord sent him from becoming the excuse someone needs to burn the alliance down.Tropes: - Marriage of convenience- Fated mates- Forced proximity- Slow burn- Political intrigue / court betrayal- Possessive hero- HEA guaranteedBook 2 of the Ashveil Realm - standalone HEA, no cliffhanger.