The Vow Novels & Stories

Chapter 22 Charlotte spent the last few days meticulously observing Ezra, Volkan’s supposed wife, a woman who radiated an unsettling aura of fragility and controlled fury. She couldn't control her anger when it came to this woman either. She wasn't sure if she was angry for her or with her. Ezra’s story, of a love-struck naive girl, swept off her feet by a charismatic mafia boss, was riddled with inconsistencies, tiny cracks in the carefully constructed façade.

Taking a vow with somebody’s life on the line is a serious matter. It is not simply words. A vow is made using one’s own wolf, and if a life is placed on the line, that individual’s wolf is also involved. A vow that is untrue results in a terrible death for the individual whose life has been used. “You have a sister, don’t you?” I take a step forward. “You and Vivian referred to me as a promiscuous whore. And in a public setting, no less. Make a vow right now and prove to everyone, using her life, that I was the palace whore.”

The priestesses gathered around Olivia again, forming a perfect circle. Zara raised her hand. White fire spun between her fingertips. “To join forces with the Pact, you must take the Red Moon Vow.” Olivia nodded. “I’m ready.” “You are not,” Eun-Ji whispered. “No one is.” Zara continued. “The vow requires blood, breath, memory, and truth. If you break the vow, you die. If you fail the vow, you die. If the Widow takes you first…” Her eyes flicked to Ethan. “Then he dies.”

I lost the illusion that I could control the terms of my own suffering. And from that moment forward, my vow became real. Not to him. But to myself. I would never let this be my ending.

Marco stepped in, steam curling around him like some kind of dramatic entrance effect. The buzzcut only made his already sharp face sharper. "I should be fasting today," he said, settling across from me in his all-white habit like some chill, holy hot priest. Then—he grabbed a slice of meat and popped it in his mouth. Broth clung to his lips. Distracting. Too distracting. "Thought you were fasting?" He licked the corner slow, deliberate. "Fridays are for fasting. But I'd break any rule for you."

Dropping to one knee, I whispered tenderly to the nineteen-year-old before me, "Agnes, will you marry me?" She covered her mouth, tears spilling. "You… you'd still marry me?" "Of course. I will always love the version of you standing before me now." I looked into her eyes with absolute sincerity, the starlight in them my eternal devotion. I don't know how long it took before she finally nodded hard and extended her left hand. "Frank, I will. I will." Smiling, my heart overflowing with joy, I gently took her hand. Just as I was about to slip the ring onto her finger…

“Go on. What’s the vow?” I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of everything I had endured lift just a little more. “I vow to live fully, to love without hesitation, to forgive without reservation, and to never let the mistakes of the past dictate my future. I vow to embrace every moment, every joy, every challenge, every love that comes my way—and to do so with courage and honesty. I vow to build a life with you, grounded in respect, trust, and the understanding that we are stronger together than we could ever be apart.”

I looked up. The priest stared at me for one sad second, before he cleared his throat and began the vows. “Do you accept Dimitri Volkov, as your lawful husband..” My nails dug into my palms, as I clenched my fist. No please, I wouldn't. I will never! “To have and to hold..” My throat constricted. “from this day forward, for better or for worse,” I reached out one hand to steady my pounding heart. “for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?”

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.

The Vow Lying naked in the center of the spiral, wrapped completely around one another, Serena spoke the words that sealed their hearts: “Tomorrow, when the ritual begins… I give myself to both of you completely. Body. Blood. Soul. No barriers. No hesitation.” Kael’s voice was thick with emotion. “I give you everything I am. My strength. My heart. My future.” Damien’s crimson eyes shone with rare vulnerability. “I give you my eternity. All of it.” The three of them sealed the vow with slow, lingering kisses — a promise of what was coming. Outside the chamber, the blood moon continued to rise.