These Twisted Bonds (These Hollow Vows, #2)

by Lexi Ryan

“But if you are the queen in question, I can say with confidence that your tethered servant would be honored to share the bond with you.”

Flying and falling and not even a little afraid because I know he’ll catch me. I know we’ll catch each other.

“Abriella, I am your tethered, and you are my queen. I will do whatever I need to do to protect you. To serve you. But I can’t be your lover while you go on to make a life with him. I can’t take these pieces of you when I know he will have your bond until the day you die.”

I open my mouth to apologize and snap it shut again. I got one beautiful, perfect night. I’m giving up so much. I won’t regret that night on top of everything else.

“Then don’t ask me to love someone else the way I love you. And don’t you dare ask me to forget you.” I scoot toward him on the bed and wipe away his tears. “I’d choose to love you even if I’d known what was coming. I’d choose to love you through the pain of knowing I can’t have you. I will choose to love you still tomorrow. I could sooner choose to stop breathing than stop loving you.”

“In a different world, in a different life, we’d be together,” I whisper. “No kingdoms to rule, no people to save, just you and me and a simple life loving each other.”

This is how I’ve always done hard things—taking the next step, doing the next right thing.

“Come on, Princess,” he whispers in my ear. “Make me call you something else.”