Venom Kissed — Sydney Winward

Monsters are captured for one reason only-to be experimented on and forced to serve in the king's army.Betrayed by the people she loved the most, Kikka Takasi has known nothing but pain and misery throughout the long ten years of her captivity. A strong will and pure determination have been the only things keeping her from losing herself entirely, even if she lost something as precious as her voice during one of their experiments. Convinced she would die in captivity, she's stunned when a group of Umazi warriors breaks her free and absconds her to safety.In his quest to rescue and protect monsters, Warren Steelsworn has vowed to keep himself from falling for one of them again after the tragedy of what happened the first time. But everything changes when he meets Kikka, a winged-snake shifter who shares a special spark with him. However, she doesn't speak, and it only makes him want to learn more about her. Despite his vows, he can't help the feelings of attraction and desire growing between them.But peace is short-lived when the king wants her back, and he will stop at nothing to reclaim her. Can Warren honor his vow to himself and let her go? Or will he shatter bonds and risk everything for the woman his heart has wanted all along?