The Shadows Have Spoken
Hey shadow darlings,
I’ve been dreading this announcement, but here we are.
Many of you know I’ve been recovering from a broken ankle. I’m finally cleared to begin physical therapy, but healing has taken much longer than expected. I told myself I could revise the last act and format an entire book in four weeks.
Then my body gave out on me.
On Sunday, I was admitted to the ER for severe abdominal pain, which resulted in an laparoscopy. I am home now resting. If anything, I am glad the surgery wasn’t more invasive, and I should heal within a few weeks. As much as it pains me to say it, the release is now pushed to February. (Valentine’s is for chaos gods and obsessive love, right?)
But Beck, why is it taking so long? Well, beside dealing with my many health issues, and a trying year, King’s Kiss became a much bigger book than I expected.
King’s Bride was told from only one POV, but the shadow daddy demanded his own chapters. Who am I to say no? Yep, Dual POVs. That means more pages, more words, more time to get it right.
I know the pre-order period must feel long to many of you who have pre-ordered months in advance. I am so sorry for disappointing you. I will get this book in your hands, exactly when it’s ready.
So, the official update:
❌ The December release is cancelled
❤️ New release date: February 17th, 2026
✨ Pre-orders: All pre-orders will shift to the new date. Amazon has canceled the ebook pre-order. I will hold off on creating a new Amazon listing until release day. All other pre-orders have been shifted to the new date.
✨ Timeline: Orders will begin shipping the end of February and will go out in waves throughout the month. This was generally when books would have shipped with the last release date, so not much of a change. I may move slower than usual in my condition.
✨ Arc Team & Street Team: I will send out a welcome email on January 10th to those who applied and were chosen for the team. ARCs are expected to go out between the Jan 15th- Feb 1st.
Since the date got pushed back, the ARC Application as reopened.
🎁 Gift: As my thank you for your patience, King and Queen of Shadows print is now added to all King’s Kiss pre-orders made on my website.
The “Songbird” throne print by @allexandracurte will also be included with the King’s Kiss exclusive white edition by @BookishSigns
For any questions or pre-order adjustments, reach out to us through the Contact form.
👑 As my extra gift to you, here is new surprise art reveal by @kotimori (included in the overlay set of the print pack). Keep reading for a King’s Kiss snippet of this scene!
King’s Kiss © Beck Michaels
The massive creature moved forward, claws scraping stone as the sound reverberated through the hollow space. Beneath the heavy rhythm of his steps, the whisper of metal followed in its wake. Wings unfurled with a leathery rustle, stretching wide as he advanced with predatory grace. Scales as dark as midnight caught the faintest glimmers of red in the dim light. Smoke curled from his nostrils, and the heat radiating from him was suffocating, as though she stood too close to a wildfire.
Alora’s breath hitched as the beast rose to its full height, impossibly large, impossibly real, like something torn from nightmare and legend.
A dragon.
She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the sheer enormity of him, the peril etched into every sharp, sinuous line. Fear and fascination warred within her, and in that moment, she felt like this must merely be a dream.
Alora reached out with a trembling hand, but instead of air, her fingertips brushed the dragon’s cool jaw. She gasped and stumbled back until her back hit the cave wall.
Gods, this was real.
He was real.
Her lungs heaved with rapid, shallow breaths. A dragon had been the last thing she expected to arrive when she called on the dark, but he may be exactly what she needed.
Alora forced her spine straight, despite the tremble in her hands. “God of Shadows,” she called. “I wish to make a bargain with you.”
A low, amused growl rumbled through the cavern, vibrating in her bones.
Two crimson eyes glowed in the darkness, suspended in the air like twin flames.
Brave little princess. Careful what you wish for.
His voice was velvet-smooth, though it rumbled with something ancient and primal. It seemed to weave through the center of her very being, making her shiver.
A long tail swayed behind him with a slow deliberation, scattering dust and debris. Those terrifying eyes remained locked onto her as he moved closer, claws raking the earth. Fear pricked at her, but awe seeped in, quiet but undeniable.
The dragon halted before stepping into the moonlight, lingering in the dark. She glanced down and found why.
Manacles were secured around the dragon’s wrists and legs, smoke rising where it touched him. Strange glyphs glowed on the chain links. The dragon bared its teeth at them and a low growl vibrated in the cave.
The God of Shadows was bound.
Just like her.
And the chains seemed to hurt him. A strange ache of sympathy swept through her chest, but this presented a sliver of protection. He couldn’t reach her, not with his teeth at least. She shivered.
The creature’s eyes narrowed, and then the corners of his wide maw curled upward in a motion that was chillingly like a smile.
Do I frighten you, songbird?
Alora blinked at the moniker. “I-I am not afraid…” she replied shakily.
His low chuckle filled her head and she flushed. If she were to lie, she couldn’t be so obvious.
She swallowed. “What is your name?”
I have had many names over the centuries, the dragon said, settling on his haunches. The Lord of Shadows. Prince of Darkness. King of the Netherworld. Bringer of Sin and Damnation. His gaze fixed on hers, red and endless. You, princess, may call me Rune.
Alora paused, a little surprised by the simple way of it. Though what would she know of the names of the gods?
It suited him. Perhaps too well. But it carried the airs of an alias like all the others.
“Rune…” she repeated, swallowing. “I am Alora Lark of Argyle.”
The dragon watched her intently, unnervingly still. Well, Alora Lark of Argyle, you have sung my song. What do you desire?
“A misfortune has befallen the land, and my kingdom is under siege.”
Hmm. Smoke curled lazily from his nostrils.
“Calveron has come to invade Argyle,” Alora continued. “They offer only war unless I marry their prince who seeks my father’s crown.”
The dragon glanced away, apparently bored with her plight.
“Our people are brave. Argyle’s army would march for their home, but bravery alone is not enough.” She drew in a breath. “I ask you to fight for us. To fight for me.”
Rune rose to his feet, pacing the outer rim of the cave. He circled her slowly, his massive form gracefully moving through the shadows like smoke given flesh. The chains rattled at his limbs with every step, sacred runes glowing faintly.
The princess asks a great deal, from one who is imprisoned in this cave.
Desperation rose in Alora’s throat like a scream she couldn’t voice. “Then I will free you from your chains,” she blurted. “Please. You want your freedom, and we want ours.”
The growl that escaped him was low and thunderous, shaking the ground beneath her feet.
His sharp teeth snapped and she flinched back. You have no idea what I want.
Shadows rippled along the ground, brushing her feet with cold, curling fingers. But his anger waned as he paused before her again.
The moonlight fell like a silvery veil between them.
His eyes burned brighter, seeming to see right through her. Yet I am not the only one who is confined.
Alora’s lips parted with a faint breath.
How did he know?
Of course he knew. The gods knew everything. Including her desperation to be free from royal duty.
You came here to make a bargain with the shadows, Rune pressed. But you desire more than to eliminate your invaders. Speak freely.
There was no clever answer to that. No half-truth she could hide behind.
“My people suffer under a curse that renders them into a permanent sleep. The gods are the bearers of this world, the source of all, including magic. You must know how to unravel it.”
For a long moment Rune was silent. Then a low rumble stirred his chest, more amused than sympathetic. Curses are chains of another kind. Some shatter easily… others are meant to bind until the end of days.
Her stomach knotted. “Then, you cannot break it?”
I did not say that. His tail flickered behind him pensively. Curses always demand a price. Such are the rules of magic. His head tilted, maw curling in something like a smile. It can be broken with the right boon. True love’s kiss, perhaps.
The dragon laughed and she tensed at the strange beastly sound.
Might I suggest you simply let the curse take its course. Then you would have no need of my aid, princess. All would eventually succumb to it, and in so doing… grant the freedom you so desire.
Alora blinked, realizing with a chill that it was true. But she shook off the thought. To give such a flippant answer, she wondered if he had been the one to cast it.
“I won’t do that,” she said firmly.
You wish to save a kingdom that will remain your prison?
She thought of the high walls of the castle. The locked doors. The loneliness. The way she was hidden away in the Midlands, kept but never heard. Even if she didn’t marry Prince Aldric, she would remain trapped at her father’s whim.
Still, her people didn’t deserve to suffer for that.
Alora clenched her jaw. “Yes.”
The cavern trembled with his growl.
I can taste your lies, he snarled. I will only hear the truth. What do you want most?
Her heart squeezed and she felt compelled to answer. “I… I want to be free. From my father. From duty. From all authorities that be. I wish to be a princess no more.”
Her confession earned its pleased hum. Poor little bird in a cage. Do you know what it means to make a deal with the dark?
“I’m told you’re a demon.” She clenched her shaking fists. “They say a deal with you is the cost of my soul but it’s all I have to trade.”
Then chains rattled as the dragon moved closer. Close enough to see the flames churning in his eyes. You trade what is not yours to give, but I will gladly take it.
She ignored the tremble wrapping around her spine. “Then we have a bargain?”
With a flick of his tail, the chains struck the stone at her feet.
They were anchored deep into the ground, etched with divine glyphs glowing like trapped starlight. These weren’t made by mortal hands. She could feel the power woven in them, power so immense it could only belong to the gods.
Grant me my freedom, Alora Lark of Argyle, and I shall grant you yours.
Her chest rose with shallow breaths as their gazes locked. Every instinct screamed caution. Whatever had bound him here, the gods were not punished without reason.
Her voice came out thin. “Why were you chained?”
The dragon bared its fangs in what might have been a smile. The sight made her shiver all the way down to her bones.
What other reason would there be to chain a monster?
She swallowed hard, whispering, “To stop it from doing monstrous things…”
His quiet, dark chuckle carried in the cave.
By no means could anyone mistake him for anything but evil, but Alora ignored the warning in her heart.
Because she would rather gamble with a wicked god than bow to Calveron.
✨ King’s Kiss now releasing February 17th ✨
If you’ve preordered, thank you so much for believing in this story and in me. I so grateful to everyone still patiently waiting. I’m sending you the biggest hug through the screen. Thank you for your grace and patience while I learn to have a little of that with myself.
I hate delaying things, especially for a third time, but I want to deliver the kind of tale you deserve. A dark, romantic fairytale, devastating, full of magic and ruin. And that means giving it all the time and care the story needs.
Rune is currently glaring at me from his shadow mountain. He’s not amused by this fragile human body of mine. But it’s either wait until February, or I publish now by giving Alora a new love interest.
He chose February.
Thank you for your patience, your kindness, and the grace you’ve shown me this year. I see every message, every kind word, and every reader still waiting in the dark with me. While I wish I was an immortal with real magic, I’m human. I’m healing. And I will keep writing, even if my books take a little longer to shine.
With all my love,
xoxo ❤
Beck
