Page 37 of The Rise

“Fuck, Hunter. You’re going to make her watch,” he says as I laugh now.

“I’m going to make him watch.”

“Oh shit. That’s even better,” he laughs this time. I check the time, and then I stand, adjusting my suit jacket.

“You ready for this?” I ask him.

“I should be asking you that,” he says as he stands and adjusts his jacket.

“How long until this is you?” I ask him with a laugh.

“Shit. I have to get the girl first,” he replies.

“When is that?”

“Soon, brother. Soon.” I nod my head as we walk out of the room and stop dead in my tracks. Lana is walking into the main room at the same time in a black dress that molds her body. I stop to take her in, and Hoax whistles next to me. I elbow him in the chest, making him laugh as Lana looks between us. Her hair is pulled up on top of her hair, a few strands hanging loosely around her face.

“Is it that bad?” she asks with a smile that kills me. I wish I could see that smile on her face all the time, but I know that’s going to take time, and that’s all I have is time.

“Bad? There’s nothing bad about that dress,” I tell her, motioning for her to come to me. I watch her walk across the room and stop when she’s directly in front of me. Even in her heels, she’s shorter than I am. “You look amazing.”

“You do tend to pick out the best dresses. Where are we going this time?” she asks.

“It’s a surprise.” Hoax chuckles, which catches her attention.

“What?”

“The man is joking when he says it’s a surprise,” he tells her before walking toward the door. I grab her hand in mine and lead her out, too. We climb in the SUV, and Hoax takes off driving as I watch out the window. I know what I’m about to do, and I know she isn’t going to agree to it. Thank fuck the Gods don’t care if the woman agrees or not, and I can force her into what I want.

The ride to the chapel doesn’t take long and when Hoax pulls up, there’s already a ton of people here. We climb out and I grab her hand, leading her inside the chapel. Lana gasps as she glances around. The chapel is beautiful, with stained glass windows and all the decorations.

“What is this?”

“It’s called the chapel,” I tell her. She doesn’t ask any other questions as I lead her closer to the altar. I stop and greet the Kings and the other Gods before we step up on the stage. She seems nervous but that doesn’t bother me one bit.

“Hunter Gram, as a God, you have chosen your forever. You have brought her forth today to make this a legal and binding marriage. In the eyes of God, you will be one. In the eyes of our Gods, you will be her protector. As we stand here today, you are vowing to love, cherish, and dominate this woman for the rest of your lives.”

“What?” Lana blurts out. Malcolm, the God in charge, laughs before looking at me.

“Am I correct in saying this?” he asks.

“You are.”

“Then vow,” he says. I don’t have to look at Lana to know she doesn’t understand what’s happening.

“I vow,” I say. Then he turns to Lana and waits.

“Now’s the time for you to say, you vow,” I tell her. She pulls against my hold when a few of the guys step up behind her. They grab her, holding her steady so she can’t escape.

“Whether you say the words or not, he’s already vowed. There’s nothing that will change this,” Malcolm informs her.

“You can’t do this! I didn’t agree to this shit!” she yells.

“Maybe not, but in our world, the woman doesn’t need to agree,” he informs her.

“This is bullshit!”

“Just say the words, Lana,” I tell her.

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