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The Wedding - Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chatper 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
 
Chapter 20

FOR A SPLIT SECOND, I thought that Lucius had changed his mind about our marriage, and I felt all of my blood draining away. But then he lowered his eyes—and raised them again—and I realized that he was actually giving me one last chance to back out. In the last moments before I committed myself to Lucius forever, he let me see that dark, damaged place inside of himself that had driven him to press a sharpened stake against my chest, then break down and cry out, “Everything around me is destroyed!”

Yours Forever

We were in public, and he couldn’t say anything. But I knew what he was doing: reminding me, one final time, that I was about to enter a very different—sometimes violent— culture, for good, with a vampire who’d once promised that he’d always be “treacherous.”

There was no way our guests had any idea what was passing between us as we stood there, just staring into each other’s eyes. They probably wondered if I was about to call off the wedding. Claudiu, at least, no doubt wished that was happening.

He wouldn’t get his wish.

Without the slightest reservation, I spoke my vow, too. “Yes, I accept Lucius as my husband, now and always, for as long as I shall exist.”

Lucius smiled—as if he’d ever thought I’d really turn him down. Then we released our hands and both turned back toward Alexandru, who nodded first to Raniero, then to Mindy, signaling that they should reach for the small silver cups filled with our blood.

Continue to Chapter 21...

 
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