The first rays of dawn crept through the sheer curtains, painting the room in soft amber hues. Devika stirred beneath the silk sheets, her body heavy with the lingering exhaustion of the night before. Every muscle ached, a delicious soreness that reminded her of how thoroughly she had been claimed. The mangalsutra lay heavy against her chest, the gold pendant resting between her breasts, marking her as his wife now, his property, his everything.

She became aware of a sensation first a wet, rhythmic pressure between her thighs, hot and insistent. Her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped, her hands flying to the source.