People are staring. Whispering. But I don't look at them.
I look at Adrian.
His eyes never leave mine. There's something in his expression I can't read. Pride? Possession? Satisfaction?
All of it. None of it.
I keep walking.
Past rows of strangers. Past elaborate flowers and candles and all the trappings of a wedding I never wanted.
Toward the man who stole my freedom and gave me no choice.
The man whose child I'm carrying.
The man I'm about to marry.
My feet move on autopilot. One step. Another. Another.
The aisle feels endless.
But eventually, finally, I reach him.
Adrian extends his hand.
I look at it. At the ring already on my finger. At the choice I'm making.
This isn't surrender,I tell myself.This is strategy.
I place my hand in his.
His fingers close around mine. Warm. Strong. Possessive.
He pulls me up the last step to stand beside him.
We turn to face the officiant together.
And my wedding begins.
CHAPTER 12
Adrian
She's mine.
The thought pulses through me with every heartbeat as I watch my wife sign the marriage certificate. Her hand trembles, the pen leaving an unsteady signature across the page.
Seraphina Nero.
My wife.
The mother of my child.
Mine.
The officiant declares us married, and I don't wait for permission. I pull Sera to me. I want to devour her, claim her in front of every witness, but she's trembling in my arms. So I shift. Soften. Coax her lips apart with gentle pressure instead of demand.
She freezes for half a second before melting into my arms. Her lips part under mine, and I taste her surrender. This might not be perfect, but the way she opens for me makes it clear that there's something here.
