A Vow Of Silence Novels & Stories

The words catch, hesitate, then burst forth, broken by tears: — I choose to walk with him, in faith and in love. Then, the brother joins our hands. His fragile fingers trace the sign of the cross above us. His eyes close for an instant, as if to seal a silent prayer. — May these betrothal vows be the seal of your covenant. Not in secrecy, but in light. Silence falls again. But it is no longer the heavy silence of nights of waiting, nor that of stifled secrets. It is a vast silence, inhabited, a silence that breathes with us.

It was for something far more intimate, far more sacred. A vow. It was not the very first vow Killian and Seraphina had ever made to one another. The first had been spoken years ago by two young, naive lovers who foolishly believed that passion alone could conquer every incoming storm. This vow, however, would be spoken by two battle-hardened people who had actually survived those storms, borne the deep scars, and chosen to return to the altar anyway. The entire kingdom gathered within the clearing in a profound, respectful silence.

With a soft clink, two dull platinum wedding bands tumbled out. Inside the bands, our initials were still engraved. At that moment, every last bit of strength drained from my body. I lifted a hand to cover my eyes and sobbed. The fifteen-year-old Pierse had made his promise with a heart full of certainty. And the fifteen-year-old Eva was simply happy to believe that the two of them would grow old together. Back then, neither of us knew the truth. When the fifteen-year-old Pierse made that promise, those very words came back like a bullet—hitting the twenty-eight-year-old Pierse right between the eyes.

I moved off the bench and knelt on the ground to force him to look at me. He stared at me with an intensity that made it feel as if goosebumps were forming over my skin. I wasn’t sure if they were good or bad or if it was simply because I was eager to know. Finally, he sighed, and I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and waited for him to say something. “I was sworn to secrecy, and if he finds out I let it slip, it could get me in a lot of trouble.” “I vow on the Goddess that I will not tell him you told me anything!” Even if I wasn’t a werewolf, I shouldn’t have vowed upon the Goddesses name, as I was now bound by the Vow.

⸻ A low chuckle echoed through the speaker. ⸻ “Oh, but we do.” ⸻ The room suddenly felt smaller. Colder. ⸻ “We are the League of Silence,” the voice continued. “We do not require your approval, your permission, or your morality.” ⸻ I slammed my hand against the desk again. “You acted without presidential authorization!” ⸻ “And yet,” the man replied, “you’re still alive because we allow it.” ⸻ Silence hit me like a punch. ⸻

Leaving only one thing in its place. Silence.

The silence that followed was horrible. Please, I thought desperately. Someone please object. Someone please end this. But no one spoke. The moment passed. "Damon," the officiant said gently. "Your vows." Damon's jaw clenched so tight I thought it might shatter. For a second...just one second, I thought he might actually refuse. Might tell everyone this was insane and walk away. But then he spoke.

Elara touched her stomach lightly, whispering her own silent prayer. The cycle began again—darker, more isolated, but bound by Kai’s suffocating love and the fragile new life growing inside her.

“I just exposed who you are in front of everyone.” He shoved me into the new car and climbed in after. The doors locked with a heavy click. This one was even more armored, windows tinted pitch black. “Because right now,” he said, voice low and rough, “someone wants us both dead. And I need to know if you’re stupid enough to be working with them.” “I’m not working with anyone” I shot back. My wet hair stuck to my face. “I planned the leak for months. It was supposed to be clean. Expose you, humiliate the Volkov name, and finally get some justice for my mother.”

However, he seemed different to me. I was going to be destroyed by this man. The person who wanted to shatter me was the one who ought to be close to me. I was aware of it. I could feel it in my bones. The priest spoke calmly and clearly as he began the vows, but I could hardly hear what he was saying. Everything seemed surreal to me. And then the words appeared. "Do you consider Kayla Adam to be your legally wedded wife, Dante Cruz?" the priest asked. At last, Dante turned to face me, "To love and cherish, from this day forward, till death do you part?" His hateful gaze met mine.