Fated to My Vampire Lord novel · Chapter 23 of 24

Chapter 23: The Last Day of the Deal

One year to the day, I stood in the great circle at sunset in a white dress.

I had chosen it myself this time.

The pack stood around the stones.

The Courts had come up the hill in their long black cars to watch the anniversary of the pairing.

The whole world had grown fond of watching us.

Cameras stood on tripods at the edge of the circle.

Tiernan stood beside me in his plain black coat.

We had not spoken about it.

Eleven days ago I had said I would hold him to the terms.

He had said nothing, and every day since he had looked at me a little more carefully.

The chair's replacement, a gentle man with a bad knee, cleared his throat.

"Alpha Bellegarde. Lord Crowhurst. The one-year term of the courtship under clause nine ends at sunset. Do you wish to say anything?"

"I do," I said.

Tiernan's hand tensed at his side.

I turned to face him, with the cameras on both of us and the pack at my back.

"Term five," I said. "Either of us may end it at the one-year mark, with no explanations."

"I remember it," said Tiernan.

"I'm ending it."

The wind moved over the Ridge.

Behind me I heard Otis, from the front row, say in a low voice, "Oh no. No, no, no."

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