Page 159 of In Shadows We Dance

My turn now, and the words come without hesitation. "I spent my life learning to be invisible, but you saw me anyway. Saw past every lie, every facade, every attempt to fade away. I vow to let you see everything. Every shadow, every secret, every piece of myself I tried to hide."

His hand finds my throat, his touch possessive.

"You didn't just find me in the darkness. You showed me how beautiful that darkness could be. I vow to burn with you, to dance in shadows with you, to belong to you so completely that no one will ever doubt who owns every mark on my skin, every breath in my lungs, every beat of my heart."

"Mine." The word carries through the silent ballroom.

"Yours." I meet his gaze. "Always yours."

His mouth claims mine before the officiant finishes speaking.

Let them watch. Let them see what kind of love this is. Let them understand that some loves are meant to burn.

The rest of the day passes in a blur of activity. The ceremony is followed by a meal, then a reception, where guests pretend not to see how Wren’s hands never leave me.

Later, much later, we stand in the ballroom again. Moonlight spills through windows that have witnessed every step of our journey. Every dance. Every claim. Every moment of surrender.

"Happy?" His voice holds that edge that still makes my stomach flip.

I turn in his arms, arching against him. "You know exactly how happy I am."

"Show me then." His hands move lower. "Show me everything you've become since choosing to burn rather than fade away."

Music fills the room as he claims me again. Let the world wonder what kind of love makes someone choose shadows over safety.

This is who we are. What we've always been. What we'll always be.

In shadows, we dance forever.

The Letter

Three days married,and I still catch myself staring at the ring on my finger, at the way it catches the light. The same way I've been staring at the envelope in my drawer—worn at the edges, as if it had been handled many times before Charles passed it to me. Alexandra's letter to the girl who would one day wear her necklace. To her grandson's wife.

I've been waiting for the right moment. Our wedding night didn't feel right—that belonged to us alone. The day after was lost in a haze of sensation and possession, Wren barely let me leave our bed. Even yesterday felt too soon.

But tonight, with my husband asleep beside me, his arm draped over my waist and his ring cool against my skin, I finally break the seal.

The letter is written in elegant handwriting.

To the one who wears my necklace,

If you're reading this, you already understand what others never could about Wren. You've seen the intensity that makes people look away, and instead of flinching, you were drawn closer. You recognized the darkness in him because it called to your own.

From the moment he was born, I knew my wild devil would need someone extraordinary.Someone who could match his strength and stand in his fire without burning. Someone who wouldn't try to change him or tame him, but would instead embrace every edge and shadow.

You're reading this because you are that person. Because you understand that his possessiveness isn't a cage, but a crown. Because you've discovered that his obsession is really devotion in its purest form. Because when he watches you with that burning intensity that frightens others, you feel most alive.

He sees the world differently than most. It's what makes him brilliant. It's what makes him dangerous. It's what makes him Wren.

And you, my dear, are the only one who truly sees him in return.

Love him completely or not at all. There is no middle ground with hearts like his. No space for doubt or hesitation. He will consume your world, and you will welcome it because you understand that real love isn't gentle or safe.

It's all-consuming. Overwhelming. Absolute.

Take care of him. Lethim take care of you. Build your empire in the shadows together, and never apologize for the darkness you share. You were meant for each other—two pieces of the same exquisite blade.

He is yours now, as completely as you are his. Protect that bond. Cherish it. And know that somewhere, I am smiling, because I was right about you all along.

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