Faith
Nicholas stayed on his knee, his dark eyes looking up into mine with an intense, unyielding sincerity that made every lingering ghost of our past dissolve into the morning air.
"I swear it to you, Faith," Nicholas rasped out, his deep voice carrying the weight of a solemn, sacred vow. "I will never put you in a cage again. You are my equal, my partner, and the heart of this family. We walk side by side through everything—the light, the dark, and every storm in between."
A radiant, joyous laugh broke from my throat, tears spilling over my lashes as I dropped down to my knees on the stone terrace right in front of him. I wrapped my good left arm around his neck, pulling him close until our foreheads pressed together.
"Then yes," I whispered against his lips, my raspy voice thick wi
