The Silver Serpent's Bride

Bella was raised by her grandma on one rule: stay away from serpents. Her grandma also told her she is the Sacred Maiden, born once every thousand years, with the power to double a male serpent's strength. A bracelet hides her scent. Serpents have been searching for her. Bella breaks the rule when she finds a heavily wounded man in the forest and saves him from his pursuers. He is Silvan, the Silver Serpent King. He gives her three days before he comes for her as his bride.

Bella tries to escape that fate by marrying Tommy, her childhood sweetheart and fiancé. On the wedding day, Silvan crashes the ceremony and declares her his in front of everyone. He marks her. Tommy treats the mark as proof she slept with a snake. Silvan's answer: the mark only means he wants her. He forces Bella to agree to marry him and gives her two days to say goodbye to her family.

Bella agrees to run away with Tommy instead. Silvan learns his brother Kael, the Black-Serpent-born prince, has been torturing and killing human girls in search of the Sacred Maiden. Silvan sends scouts to find Kael's altar and moves to stop him.

Tommy leads Bella to Kael. Kael's plan: the blood of twelve virgins under the full moon will double his power and let him defeat Silvan. Tommy's reward is a power elixir. Tommy admits the betrayal. Kael notices Silvan's mark on Bella and decides to break her and burn her on the altar with the other virgins.

Bella is betrayed, hunted, and on the edge of death. Kael moves to take her. Silvan reaches the altar. "Get your hands off my bride."