Page 3 of Monsters Carve Thrones

He paused. The courtyard was silent.

“This is about alliance. About power, and a fierce love. It is about binding two souls who have seen the world for what it is and chosen each other.”

I could feel every eye on us. Every breath held tight in waiting. Laura sat in the front row beside Kieran and Nico, her shoulders slightly tense with the knowledge of the amount of killers around her. She was never the one to handle the dangerous men.

I was.

“This is not a union built onfragility,” he said, voice deepening. “This is a union built on strength. Fire. Loyalty. Control. This is a bond carved in steel, and sealed in blood. If there are any here who object–” He gave a dry smile, sharp as a blade. “–you’ll need to live long enough to speak.”

A few people actually laughed.

The officiant turned to me. “Adela Sinclair,” he said. “You may speak your vows.”

I turned to face Rafe fully, the silk of my dress brushing against his leg. My heart raced while I stared at the man before me. “I never dreamed of white dresses like the other little girls,” I said, my voice echoing across the stone courtyard. “I never wanted a love that exhausted or bored me like those women I graduated school with. I wanted something that could stand the fire that had always been within me.”

My eyes locked with his, and the corner of his mouth curved in that wicked, lethal grin that always made me want to drop to my knees.

“Then I met you, Rafe Vaughan,” I went on, steady. “A man who didn’t ask me to shrink. Who didn’t flinch when I bared my teeth. You met my power with your own, and instead of trying to dull my edges, you sharpened my blade.”

The wind stirred, brushing through my veil-less hair.

“You are chaos wrapped in discipline. Violence with a crown. And still, I choose you. Not in spite of the blood on your hands, but because you wear it without shame. Because you never lied about the monster beneath your skin. And because I’m so goddamn deranged that I found it fascinating.”

He was breathing harder now, his jaw tight, his eyes ice and flame all at once.

“I vow to match your wrath with mine,” I said, louder now. “Forever and always.”

My hand found his.

“We are not gentle people, you and I. What we have is brutal. And beautiful. And honest. And in this moment, I give you everything I am. My name. My empire. My loyalty.”

I squeezed his hand, gaze unblinking.

“I take you as my equal. As my king. Not just until death tries to part us, but even beyond that.”

The officiant’s eyes sparked with approval before turning to Rafe. “Rafe Vaughan.” The name alone made several guests sit straighter. “You may speak your vows.”

He held my hand a little tighter, stepping closer until there was barely a breath between us. “I never thought I’d love anyone,” he said, eyes locked on mine. “Not really. Not the way a man like me is built to. I was forged in the blood my father spilled to build this empire. I was taught to take, to rule, to destroy. But then I found you.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw as he swallowed, as if the truth was heavy on his tongue.

“You didn’t ask me to be good. You didn’t flinch when you saw the violence I carry in my hands. You looked at the monster... and you fuckingsmiled. And moaned.”

The whole courtyard held still. Even the wind, the birds, and the men with guns along the perimeter. The air bowed to us in that moment.

A dark smile curved his lips. “You are vicious. Brilliant. Beautiful. And you’remine.”

My heart thudded, hard and fast, against the cage of my ribs.

“I vow to worship the empire you’ve built,” he said. “And to give you mine in return. I vow to protect you with everything I am. To protect you to the best of my ability. To be your weapon, your shield, your executioner. Whatever you need.”

He leaned in slightly, and I swore his voice was only meant for me now.

“I vow to love you the wayonlya villain can love. With no limits. No rules. No mercy.”

My breath caught.

“I take you as my queen. Not one who bows beside her king, but one who makes him kneel before her. Because, little doe, you’re theonlyperson who I would do that for.”