Epilogue 11-2
“I, Kane Vayne, take you, Simone Ryker, to be my wife, my mate, my queen, and my partner in all things. I promise to love you, protect you, and stand beside you through whatever comes. You have my heart, my loyalty, and my devotion for as long as I draw breath.”
Claim
“I, Simone Ryker, take you, Kane Vayne, to be my husband, my mate, my king, and my equal in all things. I promise to love you, challenge you, and build a future beside you that honors both our
people. You have my heart, my trust, and my love for as long as I live.”
When it came time for the mating bite, I was gentle, my teeth finding the same spot on her neck where I’d marked her before. She returned the favor, her own mark on my throat claiming me just as thoroughly as I’d claimed her.
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, but I barely heard them. All that mattered was the
woman in my arms, the bond singing between us stronger than ever.
But we weren’t done yet.
A servant approached with a velvet cushion bearing the queen’s crown, a delicate circlet of gold
and sapphires that had belonged to my mother. I lifted it carefully, my hands steady now that the
moment was here.
“With this crown, I name you Queen of Aerith Kingdom,” I said formally, placing it on her head. “May you rule with wisdom, compassion, and strength.”
“Long live the Queen!” someone shouted from the crowd, and soon the entire ballroom was echoing with the chant.
Simone’s eyes were bright with unshed tears, but she stood tall and regal with the crown on her
head. She looked born to wear it, born to stand beside me and lead our people into a better future.
“Long live the King and Queen!” Mal called out, and the cheering grew even louder.
The formal ceremony transitioned into celebration, with music and dancing filling the ballroom. I
watched with amusement as Dash immediately asked three different ladies to dance, while Finn
pulled Amelia onto the floor with a huge smile on his face.
Kenzi had somehow managed to corner Mal near the refreshment table, and from the way he kept
blushing and stammering, her recovery was going better than expected.
When it came time for Simone to throw her bouquet, I wasn’t surprised when Kenzi caught it with deadly accuracy. The way she smirked at Mal while holding the flowers made it clear she had
plans for their future.
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Clam
“Think she’ll let him live long enough to marry her?” I asked Simone as we swayed together on the
dance floor.
“Oh, she’ll keep him alive. She likes her men a little broken,” my wife replied with a grin.
My WIFE.
I was never going to get tired of thinking that.
“What about you?” I asked, spinning her around before pulling her back against me. “Do you like
your men a little broken too?”
“Just the right amount,” she said, reaching up to trace the scar on my jaw. “Broken enough to need
me, whole enough to stand beside me.”
“I love you, Queen Simone,” I said, using her new title for the first time.
“I love you too, King Kane,” she replied.
I leaned down and kissed her then, soft and sweet and full of promise. Around us, our people
cheered and celebrated, but all I could focus on was the woman in my arms and the future we
were going to build together.
It had taken eighteen years of exile, months of searching, and nearly losing her to finally get here. But as I held my wife, my mate, my queen, I knew every moment of suffering had been worth it to
end up exactly where I belonged.
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