Page 310 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

“But Devin will try, won’t he?”

Alex nodded, frowning. “I’m afraid so. But he will be severely limited in what he can do to you after we are married. I will have the advantage over him and he will have to respect my decisions regarding you.” He gave a firm nod.

Anna gaped at him. “Really?”

“Ja, Anna. I came home to Germany to learn how best to protect you from Devin and to minimize or remove the control he has over you.”

“Is it possible? I mean, for him not to control me?”

“I believe it is.” He stroked her hair gently. “I have more research to do, but I believe you can be free of him someday.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Would I be free from you?”

Alex blinked. “Do you want to be?”

The thought of being disconnected from Alex pained her heart, and she shook her head.

He smiled tenderly. “Gut. I want you to be free, but I never want to leave your side. Our marriage will bond us for life. There is no separation, except in death.” He stroked her hair. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“I’d like that,” she whispered.

“Me too.” He pulled her close and she rested her head on his chest as he stroked her hair. Anna would have been perfectly content to stay there all night with him, but he pulled away a few minutes later and cupped her cheek. “Anna, Devin will not want us to marry. If he finds out about our engagement, he will try to stop us.”

Her heart dropped in her chest. Alex was right. Devin always knew everything she was doing. “What can we do?”

“Marry me tomorrow.”

She gasped. “Tomorrow? Isn’t there planning and... stuff that needs to be done?” Anna didn’t know much about weddings, but any event had to be planned.

Alex chuckled. “I have been working on it since I found out it was the best way to protect you. For some stupid reason, it is very difficult to get married here. But we must be married here in Germany. And it must be approved in the Schloss by the Elders and consummated there. Everything is ready.” He looked at her tenderly. “I just needed you to accept me.”

A terrible thought crossed her mind. “Are you marrying me just so you can protect me?”

“Nein, Anna. Nein. I wanted to marry you even before I found out about the added protections.” His cheeks turned pink. “I had planned on returning from Germany next month to court you. But, if you are willing, we’ll return as husband and wife.” He took her hands. “Even if we waited to be married six months from now, our wedding ceremony would not be any different. In Germany, the only way to marry is in a civil ceremony in a government official’s office. Then, later, there are parties and sometimes a church wedding. It’s very different from in America. But we can have a reception when we get home to San Francisco. And... well, my family usually has a New Year’s Eve party, and we thought it could be our reception here. Most of the people who would be invited to the reception will be at the party anyway.”

Alex looked so earnest. Anna could tell he was trying to make her happy. She would have been happy with the simple act of being married to him, and he was talking about parties. She supposed that most people had parties to celebrate weddings, though she had never been to one.

Anna squeezed his hands. “Alex, it’s more than I ever dreamed would happen. I never thought I would marry, especially after what... Devin did. He warned me if I had any more distractions, he would eliminate them, too. I swore I’d never date anyone again.” She smiled tenderly. “But he can’t eliminate you, can he?”

“Nein, Anna. He cannot. He would only be hurting himself and you if he did so.”

Tears filled Anna’s eyes again, but this time they were tears of joy. “Then let’s get married tomorrow.”

Alex grinned. “I will hardly be able to sleep tonight.” He hugged her again and then stood and helped her to her feet. “Kommen Sie. Let me introduce you to my family.”

Chapter 144

Alex held Anna’s hand as they walked up the marble staircase and into a room the same size and shape as the entrance hall, but this room was clearly a family living space. Near the middle of the room, Wilhelm and Ilsa sat near a large marble fireplace in plush brown leather chairs, each with a book in hand. They looked up and smiled as Anna and Alex walked into the room. A leather sectional sat closer to the staircase where Kurt sat with Greta and two women in their twenties Anna hadn’t met.

Greta had been lounging on the couch and jumped up when they walked in. “Did you ask her?”

“Ja, Greta. I asked.” Alex laughed. “Can I introduce her to Liesl and Gretchen before I make the announcement?”

Greta pouted and said something in German.

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