"Liar."
I smile despite everything. "Maybe a little."
"My dad's coming."
"Yeah."
"He's going to yell at you. Probably hit you."
"Probably."
"But he's coming." Her voice breaks, thick with emotion. "He's choosing me. Even though everything we did—the marriage, the lies, all of it—he's choosing me."
"He was always going to, darlin'. You're his daughter. That comes before anything else. Even his pride. Even his anger."
She's quiet for a moment, her fingers tracing gentle patterns on my chest, careful to avoid the bandaged area. "Promise me you'll come back tomorrow."
"I promise."
"Shadow—"
I roll to face her, cupping her cheek in my hand. "I'm coming back. We just got married. Just got these tattoos with each other's names. Just started our life together. I'm not leaving you now. Not ever."
"Forever?"
"Forever."
I kiss her, slow and deep, trying to memorize this moment.
The way she tastes.
The way she feels in my arms.
The way her breath catches when I touch her just right.
My wife. In my arms. Safe for now.
Tomorrow, I make sure it stays that way.
Tomorrow, Flint dies.
And maybe, just maybe, I start fixing things with Phantom.
But tonight?
Tonight is ours.
Grace falls asleep first, her breathing evening out, her body relaxing against mine despite the fear, despite everything.
I stay awake longer, listening to her breathe, feeling the steady beat of her heart against my chest, my hand resting protectively over the bandage on her ribs where my name is permanently marked.
Tomorrow's going to be brutal. Violent. Bloody.
But tonight, I hold my wife and count every heartbeat as a gift.
And I swear to whatever god might be listening that I'll come back to her.
I'll kill every Copperhead King that stands between us if I have to.
