Page 129 of Brutal Birthright

His creased brow deepened into a dark glare at the sight of her shaking her head and trying to escape from his hold.

That wasn’t going to be happening.

She might have had to live without him for the past, however long it had been, but he had already told her once before. He wouldn’t be damn well letting her go.

She could bloody well fight him if she wanted.

“I'm here. I'm never leaving your side. I told you I wasn’t ever going to let you go.” He dropped kisses over her tear-stained face as he spoke. “Congratulations, my perfect faerie.”

Quiet sobs wracked her body, and her eyes flew open. Staring up at him with disbelief.

“I thought I’d lost you forever.” This time her fingers dug into his shirt, no longer trying to push him away, but holding tighter and tighter and drawing him in.

He pressed their foreheads together again. Taking a deep inhale and suddenly feeling like his lungs could expand once more. Just having her back in his arms was like taking the first breath after being submerged and struggling without air.

“My black fucking heart aches for you. It beats only for you.”

Rowan could feel the weight of the audience they had for this moment. He’d burst in on her ceremony. Leapt up on stage like a man possessed and kissed her in front of a sea of onlookers.

There was no time like the present to show her just how deadly serious he was about this. About them.

How he’d rather be dragged through the underworld and ancestral plane fighting till his last breath before he’d let this woman be separated from him again.

“I love you, Oriana.” Slowly, he dropped down to one knee in front of her, holding both her small hands wrapped in his calloused grip. As he did so, a volley of gasps rocketed through the entire building.

Screw them all. He wanted the entire realm to witness this.

“I don’t have a ring because I know you don’t give a shit about anything like that.” He eyed her with a silent instruction not to dare move as he let her hands go but pressed them against his chest to keep her right there where he wanted her. Then, Rowan withdrew his blade and offered it to her with both hands. “Will you become a Nocturne? Allow me to remain by your side? I’m yours to command, in this eternal life and whatever lies beyond this one.”

Silent tears tracked down her cheeks, and the rest of the world around them dropped away. Nothing mattered but this moment as they hung in space, staring at each other for a long heartbeat.

“Yes.” She breathed. The most perfect drop of salvation from her soft lips.

All around them, the ballroom burst into chaos. The blade now forgotten, as he allowed it to drop to the ground at their feet, and Rowan scooped her into his arms. Cheers and hollering and whistles surrounded them, while magic was let loose by someone in the audience, creating a shower of sparks and glittering explosions above their heads.

His heart swelled with pure, unfiltered love as she threw her arms around his neck, and he nuzzled into her hair. Inhaling a deep lungful of this girl. His woman. Digging his fingers tight to hold her tiny size up against his chest and wrapping her legs around him.

“Do me the honour… and allow me to be the best version of a man I could ever hope to be. For you.”

“Say it again.” She whispered into his neck.

He chuckled. Running his nose up the side of her pointed ear tip. “Which part? I don’t think I can remember everything, it wasn’t exactly planned.”

She huffed out a breath, then drew back to study him and traced her fingers over his jaw.

“You know which part, brute.”

“That I’m insane for you? Or that I love you, my little faerie.”

Her smile could have lit up the entire realm.

“I love you, my brute.” She kissed him deeply now. Allowing her fingers to sink into the hair at the back of his neck as she melted into him.

It only took another moment before Rowan reluctantly had to pull back because they were quickly surrounded on all sides. While he refused to let her go completely, he set her down and drew her back against his chest in too allow for the wave of hugs and kisses that were smothering and congratulating them.

In between thumps on his shoulder from his brothers, tearful pecks on his cheek from Belle and Ruby, and squealing excitement from Oriana’s friends and classmates who ran up onto the stage… it was complete and utter chaos.

Everyone was fucking crying. And he’d had more than enough of seeing his girl with tears in her eyes.

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