Page 97 of The Library

But there was one moment during our wedding that stood out above the rest.

As I slipped the blood stone band onto Sebastian’s finger, I saw the recognition flicker in his eyes. The weight of it wasn’t lost on him—he knew exactly what it meant. I’d spent weeks planning, making sure the ring carried the same meaning as the one he’d given me. It wasn’t just a wedding ring—it was a blood oath, a promise sealed in the very essence of who we are. I had given him my blood, bound him to me just as he had bound me to him.

His lips curled into a slow, dark smile as he looked down at the ring, then back at me, his mismatched eyes blazing with understanding. No words were needed. We both knew what this symbolized. It wasn’t just love. It was ownership. It was forever. In this life and in death, whenever that cruel day finally comes to rip us apart.

When we exchanged rings, I felt a sense of completeness that I hadn’t expected. The solid blood stone band, his ring, made from my own blood, was a reflection of the same dark intensity that tied us together. We had always been bound, in more ways than one, but this was different. This was permanent. And asI watched him slide the ring onto his finger, I knew that no amount of blood, danger, or chaos could ever tear us apart.

After the ceremony, we returned to our house—our home now, filled with memories, lust, and the unmistakable energy that only Sebastian could create. I was still in my white dress, a simple thing, more symbolic than anything else. And Sebastian? He looked as dark and dangerous as ever in his black suit, the sharp lines accentuating every muscle, the fabric so perfectly tailored to him it made my breath hitch.

But it wasn’t just the suit that captured my attention. His eyes—those intense, mismatched eyes—pulled me in deeper. I’ve always been mesmerized by them, by the way they seem to see into every part of me. The green in his left eye was vibrant, brighter than I’d ever seen it, and his right eye, with that haunting line of brown splitting the green, had an intensity that made my breath catch. He looked more dangerous and more beautiful than ever, the love in his gaze clashing with the darkness that always lurked just beneath the surface.

“I’ve got something for you,” he said, handing me a glass of wine. The deep red liquid swirled in the glass, rich and heady, and I took it from him with a smile, my white dress flowing around my feet like liquid silk. He looked me up and down, his gaze intense, devouring me, and I knew what was coming. But first… he clicked a button on his phone, and soft music filled the room. “I Found” by Amber Run.

My heart clenched, the emotion swirling around me as Sebastian pulled me into his arms, his hands firm on my waist. We swayed to the music, the world outside falling away. It was just him and me, and for the first time in so long, I felt like everything was going to be okay. His body pressed against mine, the warmth of him seeping through my skin, his love wrapping around me like a cocoon.

We shared our first dance as husband and wife, and for a fleeting moment, I felt like I was living in a dream—a perfect, dangerous, beautiful dream. The rhythm of the music, the closeness of our bodies, the way he held me—everything felt surreal, like a memory unfolding in slow motion. His hand slid down my back, possessive and tender all at once, and I knew this was what forever with him would feel like. Uncompromising. Fierce. Ours.

But as always with Sebastian, the tenderness didn’t last long. The second the song ended, the look in his eyes shifted from soft to dark, from love to lust. In one swift movement, he had me pressed against the wall, his lips crashing against mine. His hands tore at the delicate fabric of my dress, ripping it away as if it was the one thing standing between us and the wild, primal connection we always fell back into.

“I’ve waited long enough,” he growled against my skin, his breath hot as he kissed down the length of my neck. “Now I’m going to fuck mywifelike the whore she is.”

I moaned, my body responding instantly, melting under his touch as he fucked me right there, on the floor of our home, surrounded by everything we’d built. And just like that, I was his again—claimed in every way imaginable, my body screaming for more as he pushed me to my limits, dragging me into the dark abyss of pleasure only he could create. He didn’t hold back. He never does. His hands on my body, his lips on mine—it was everything. It was love and ownership, the perfect mix of desire and domination.

The night blurred in a haze of passion and lust. We didn’t make love like newlyweds; we consumed each other, leaving no part untouched. Sebastian’s need to mark me, to claim me completely, was evident in every touch, every thrust, every word whispered against my skin. He was mine, and I was his. Completely.

The days that followed were filled with more of the same. Passion, intensity, and love that felt almost too big to contain. I tried to go back to class, but it was impossible to focus. My mind was always on Sebastian. Even when he wasn’t physically with me, I could feel him everywhere. I could still feel the weight of his ring on my finger, a constant reminder of the vows we’d made. But it wasn’t just the ring that weighed on me—it was everything that came with it. The life we now shared, the secrets that still lingered in the air, the darkness that surrounded him, and by extension, me.

Anna and I tried to keep things normal. We went shopping, had coffee, and spent afternoons at the spa, pretending like everything was just fine. But there was always that undercurrent of something more—something unspoken. Ty and Sebastian were always vague in their texts, never giving us more than we needed to know. Anna, for her part, seemed to be adjusting better than I was. But I knew she was worried too. She didn’t say it outright, but I could see it in the way her eyes flicked to her phone every few minutes, waiting for a message from Ty.

It was during one of those spa trips with Anna that I saw it again—the motorcycle. The same black bike I’d seen before, the one that always seemed to show up wherever I was. I’d noticed it more and more lately. At the coffee shop, outside the library, even when I was on campus. I didn’t think much of it at first, chalking it up to coincidence. But now… now it felt like something more. Like it was following me.

I hadn’t told Sebastian about it. Part of me didn’t want to bother him with something that might be nothing, especially when he was dealing with so much already. But the more I saw it, the harder it became to ignore. There was a pattern, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that whoever was riding that motorcycle was watching me.

Sebastian had always told me I was safe. That no one could touch me as long as I was his. But seeing that bike, over and over again, made me question how safe I really was. It made me question what kind of world I’d stepped into by marrying him. And more than that, it made me question what dangers lurked in the shadows, waiting to claim me when Sebastian wasn’t there.

The weight of it all was starting to settle in. The reality of being Mrs. Sebastian Ashford wasn’t just about love and lust—it was about danger, secrets, and the ever-present threat of the unknown. And as much as I tried to focus on my writing, to pour myself into my work and my dreams of becoming an author, there was always that nagging feeling in the back of my mind. That feeling that something was coming. Something I wasn’t prepared for.

Sebastian

The last few weeks have been chaos. The kind of chaos that’s familiar, the kind that pulses through my blood like a dark tide, but this time, there’s something different. It’s not just about the assignments. It’s not just about the Society and the shadowy world I’ve always been a part of. It’s Lilith.

I watch her while she sleeps, her body still flush from our latest round of fucking. She’s everything I didn’t know I needed. But with her, there’s this added weight now, this constant edge of fear slicing through me. Not fear for myself—I’ve never been afraid of death. It’s always been a possibility. A reality. But now, the stakes are higher. I can’t lose her. And that’s a weakness I’ve never had to contend with before. She’s mine, and nothing will take her from me. But lately, I’m starting to wonder if I can keep that promise.

The Society has been… off. The external threats we’ve been dealing with are becoming more brazen, more dangerous. And the big assignment Ty and I handled a few weeks back—it stirred up a storm I wasn’t expecting. What we did was supposed to tie up loose ends, clean house. Instead, we might have lit the fucking fuse on something bigger.

My father hasn’t said it outright, but I know the tension in the air. He’s been quieter than usual, watching me with that scrutinizing gaze of his. Always calculating, always planning.He doesn’t trust anyone—not even me. And that’s why this is spiraling out of control.

Ty feels it too. I can see it in the way he carries himself. He’s more on edge, not just with work but with Anna. He’s more protective of her now, the way I am with Lilith. And I know he’s starting to feel the same weight—wondering if we can keep our girls safe from the storm we’ve set in motion.

I pull out of bed, careful not to wake Lilith as I stand, watching the first light of dawn filter through the curtains. She stirs slightly but stays asleep, her breath soft and even. My ring—the blood stone she gave me—catches the light, and it’s a reminder of the bond we’ve forged. A bond written in blood. She gave me a piece of herself in this ring, just as I gave her mine. We’re bound together now, and no matter how much danger circles us, nothing will break that bond. But that doesn’t mean the world won’t try.

Ty and I are due for another meeting with my father today, and it’s going to be brutal. The Society’s hierarchy has been shaken, and the vultures are circling. There’s infighting, whispers of disloyalty, and external threats pushing harder than ever before. What we did on that last job—it was supposed to silence the threats. Instead, it’s like we kicked a hornet’s nest, and now the whole thing’s about to blow.

My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I grab it, reading Ty’s message.

We’ve got a problem. Meet me in thirty.

Of course, we do. There’s always a fucking problem.

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