“You’re my monster. My protector. You stood up for me, even killed for me, and that’s something no one has ever done… and probably never will again.” His gaze softens, the contours of his face relaxing. “No one will ever hurt you again, Aspen. I vow, on my life, on my sister’s, on my mother’s lives, that no one will get to you ever again. So long as there’s blood pumping through my veins and air in my lungs, I will protect you. Tell me you understand that? Tell me that no matter what happens in the future, you will remember that.”
