Cunning Vows Novels & Stories

A magic circle materialized with dizzying speed, its surface adorned with a complex array of runes and symbols. I could feel the immense concentration of mana coalescing within it, a palpable energy that set the hairs on the back of my neck on end. "Bond of Vows," Adelaine whispered, her voice barely above a breath. At her utterance, the swirling mass of blood that had been suspended in the air suddenly separated, each drop shooting forth with blinding speed towards its respective owner.

Chapter 29: Tailoring for Battle "A charity auction," Adrian said, tossing the heavy, cream-colored envelope onto the weathered oak table. The thick parchment mocked him with its embossed silver lettering, a gilded death warrant disguised as philanthropy. "Hosted by the Bellweather family. If that isn't a trap wrapped in black-tie elegance, I don't know what is."

I called it arithmetic. Two on the marble. Plate and wound. Kirill’s mouth on my cup-smear. Eva’s cheek on stone, charm cracked, Goddess gone to dirty glass. Slava in red between them and the obsidian, crown on the ember I had kept small. Vaelin’s gold aimed at my bowed skull now, aura sharpened, the cursed script hungry. Partnership. Thumbs on a grate. They thought a vow could dim a name on his heart. I watched.

“Marriage doesn’t free you from obedience. It ties you to loyalty—to both your husband and to me.” I forced a smile. “Oh, I remember my vows. I just think it’s time I figure out what they really mean.” He scrutinized me for a long, heavy moment before standing up. “Be careful,” he said, softer this time but still menacing. “Queens are the most powerful pieces on the board, yes. But they’re also the first to be sacrificed.” His warning lingered even after he left. I exhaled, trembling hands hidden under the table, praying Nikolai hadn’t noticed. Of course, he did. He always did.

“We tie the knot. We pretend to be married. And we leave without any problems after a year. “ When Sophia saw the contract her eyes remained fixed. “And what happens if one of us violates the rules?” Adrian laughed dryly and said, “ You mean if we both fall in love with each other? That's not going to happen. However, there is a non-contest clause in that scenario. You'll forfeit all of your rights to the assistance I offer. The Bennett partnership will no longer be under my control.” “Convenient.” She reclined in the leather seat. “No intimacy. No affection.” “Exactly. This is a strategic alliance, not a romance,” he stated.

Zara’s gaze flickered toward the crowd. Her mother. Eyes glassy. Emilia. Frozen still. Chantel and Kemi. Watching her with silent strength. And Regan… just beside her. She could feel the heat of him. The conflict in him. The uncertainty. The priest’s voice faded into the background. Do I really belong here? The moment drew nearer. The vows loomed like a wall she couldn’t climb over. The priest turned to Regan. “Do you, Regan Kareem, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife…”

"Do you take this female to be your lawfully wedded Luna, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, through good hunts and bad hunts, for richer or poorer, and promise not to take a single bit of her shit, for as long as you both shall breathe?" What in the name of the ancestors? This vow is absolutely not legally binding under council law. I should open my jaws and object to his terrible phrasing, but my throat refuses to obey the command. Besides, saying the words feels like the most magnificent idea my wolf has ever had, especially when Rowan looks up at me with those shining, mismatched eyes and a beautiful smile, like she is truly a happy bride. A tiny, fading voice in the back of

Only the vows that would bind them further than their mate bond would. You are mine and I am yours. Where you go, I will go. Your happiness is my happiness and your grief is my grief. From this day until the day we depart this world. Then, the Elder handed Denzel an ornate dagger with which he pricked his thumb and gently smeared the drop of blood that had formed, down Cinnia's lips. Cinna repeated the same and then they shared a deep kiss, sealing the vows forever as the pack members cheered and whistled.

The point of no return. “I, Skyla Parker, take you, Alonso Ignacio, to be my lawfully wedded husband.” My voice is steady, but it doesn’t feel like mine. “I promise to stand beside you, to honor and respect you. I vow to be a mother figure to your child and to fulfill my duties as your wife, for as long as this union shall bind us.” The words taste like lies on my tongue. But I say them anyway. When I finish, I force myself to meet his gaze. Alonso’s face remains impassive, but something flickers in his eyes something too fleeting to grasp.

“I, Lady Caroline Hurst, vow to cherish and protect our marriage so that we can live until the end of time. I swear that I will only love you, Lord Daniel Cutler, for the rest of my life as long as my heart is beating and there are breaths in my lungs. “I know that we don’t know much about each other but I know that we can learn to love one another. I swear my loyalty will never be thawed by something else other than you and you have my heart only reserved for you,” Caroline said in the mini-speech that she had composed and rewritten with the help of her ladies’ maid who was poetic at heart. She could hear that the crowd was silent around them before the archbishop was turning to look at the