Page 101 of Vows Forged in Blood

“Well, it’s a long road to integrating them into life in Braxhelm, but for now they’re happy to live in peace there beyond the sisters. They’ve all vowed their allegiance to the Montclares and Braxhlem, taken blood oaths even. Sebastian has sent official decrees to every providence telling them of the end of the war and explaining that many Revenants have wantedpeace for centuries. His word on the matter will go a far way in convincing everyone else. So, some day—soon, I hope—they’ll be able to live among the humans as the vampires were able to do after the Blood Peace. They’re calling this the Clayburn Peace, in case you were wondering.”

Her eyes fly wide and go a bit glassy, a faint tinge of pink to the unshed tears now.

“Really?” she whispers.

I brush a curl from her forehead and slide my fingers into her hair, stroking her cheek with my thumb. She leans into the touch and my heart twists in utter contentment.

“Of course. You are the reason the war is over, Dahlia. You are the reason that innocent lives have been set free and saved. You are the reason that Braxhelm will finally know true peace.You, love.You.”

She swallows hard and a single tear escapes down her cheek. I brush it away and she gives me a watery smile.

“Well then, I suppose I’ll have people fawning over me even more now than when I was merely the great High General’s Consort,” she teases.

“Oh you have no idea. There will be parades in your honor, sculptures erected in village squares, babies named Dahlia for years to come.”

“What about a holiday? I believe a Clayburn Day is in order.” I laugh, pulling her into my lap.

“Oh really now?” She nods, wrapping her arms around my neck and toying with my hair.

“It shall be celebrated with obnoxious amounts of chocolate, alcohol, and dancing.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged. Fi is already planning a huge celebration at Astoria’s Keep.”

“I want Malek and Xavier there,” she says firmly. “I know it will be hard for people to accept them at first, but…well, if I’mthe hero of the hour and I show how much I trust them…that’s got to count for something, right?”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, love. Oh! I have another idea.”

“What?”

“How about those paper effigies of you where children beat you with a stick until treats fall out?” I suggest and she throws her head back laughing. The sound warms me to my core. For days, I thought I might never hear it again. She meets my gaze after a few moments.

“So…no more war?”

“No more war,” I agree. I can’t really imagine it. The army will persist, of course, but the number of active camps and soldiers will decline greatly. Speaking of...

“Would you like to live here at Ashcliff? Permanently?”

Her eyes light up. “Really?”

I nod. “With the threat gone from the pass, there’s no reason for me to be stationed at the camp. In fact, I think the camp will be a perfect site for the first Revenant settlement within Braxhelm.” She smiles at that. “I can lead the army just fine from here and we’ll establish a smaller camp nearby—our lands are vast, in case you didn’t know. This can be our home, Dahlia. A true home. Your family can join us, we can build them their own estates on the property if they wish, or the manor has more than enough room. We’ll build a new shop for your father. What do you think?”

“I think…I think that sounds perfect, Alaric. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. And that will work out well since Enid and Elias are obviously gone for each other,” she adds with a laugh. The two have been nearly inseparable since the day we rode out to the pass and Enid followed. I don’t know what might be in the Clayburn blood that sparks the mating bond so strongly in both the vampire and the human somehow, but it appears tohave worked its magic once again. I suspect that the two of them will be married soon enough, and, should they wish it, Enid will attempt the turning. Speaking of marriage…

“I’m fairly certain I know the answer, but I must ask all the same: will you marry me, Dahlia? Become a princess of the Montclare Clan, the true Lady of the Coven of the Wolf?”

“Well it took you long enough to ask me, didn’t it?”

I roll my eyes and give her ass a playful swat. She squeaks and laughs.

“There was quite a bit going on, if you recall. Proposals of marriage were a bit low on the priority list of things to address.”

“That’s fair, I suppose,” she says, pursing her lips. “Of course I’ll marry you, Alaric. I’m already yours in every way, but being officially joined under the laws of the Montclares sounds appealing.”

I smile and she leans in to kiss me deeply, a blazing fire igniting in my blood at the simple touch of her lips to mine, the gentle thrust of her tongue against mine. She tunnels her hands into my hair, tugging on the strands in that way that drives me mad. She nips at my bottom lip and I growl, gripping her hips tighter and tugging her harder against me. She giggles against my lips.

“I always knew you liked when I bit you, but now…well youreallylike when I bite you, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I say, unabashedly. Dahlia’s fangs in my flesh feels almost as good as my own in hers. It’s a pleasure that I can’t even describe but know I can never live without again. “Plus, your fangs are quite sexy if you must know.”

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