Shadow Mate

A crown built on lies.
A guardian forged by guilt.
A bond that could save the kingdom—or destroy them both.

Zaylen is a weapon disguised as a man.

Once the elite Captain of the Shadow Guard, he now serves in disgrace, haunted by a failure that cost a prince his life. Bound by duty, sharpened by guilt, and sworn never to hesitate again, Zaylen exists only to protect—at any cost.

Corbinian is not the ruler the court wants.

A scholar-prince in a kingdom that reveres brutality, he is seen as soft, expendable, easily replaced. Behind the polished diplomacy and careful restraint, Corbinian knows the truth: power in his court belongs to those willing to destroy from the shadows.

When a subtle assassination attempt exposes a deeper conspiracy, Zaylen realizes the threat is far closer—and far more personal—than anyone suspects. Archon Velius, the kingdom’s most dangerous political mind, is dismantling the throne piece by piece, using Zaylen’s past failure as his sharpest blade.

Forced into an uneasy alliance, guard and prince must navigate a court poisoned by perception, betrayal, and whispered lies. But as danger closes in, something far more dangerous awakens between them: a forbidden magical bond forged from devotion, protection, and unyielding trust.

The Shadow Mate bond was never meant to form between men like them.

And if it does, it demands everything.

In a world where power is measured in blood and fear, Zaylen and Corbinian must decide whether loyalty can become love—and whether love itself is strong enough to survive a kingdom that will burn to tear it apart.

Shadow Mate is a slow-burn M/M romantic fantasy featuring political intrigue, forbidden devotion, morally gray protection, and a bond that blurs the line between duty and desire.