Broken Kingdom (Corium University, #3)

by C. Hallman

After today, I vow never to cry for people who do not cry for me, who do not care for me. I vow to be stronger because the only person I can count on is myself.

“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.”

“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.”

“I can’t. I love you.” Her words slice through me like a hot blade, burning my insides without killing me—because death would be the easy way out. This is worse than death, so much worse.

“Don’t ever do something like that again. I almost lost you once. I can’t risk losing you again, and especially not because you tried to save me.”

“I love you. I always will. You’re the only thing I care about in this world. You have my name, but you’ve had my heart much longer than that. And I intend to devote the rest of my life to you. My wife.”