The Wrong Bride (The Windsors, #1)

by Catharina Maura

That all changed when I took Hannah with me to Sierra’s twenty-first birthday party. I saw him first, but she’s the one he never looked away from.

There’s something about the way she’s always said my name. It feels different. It’s a strange kind of addiction.

“No,” I lie to her. “The friction from you moving on top of me made me hard, yeah, but I don’t want you, Raven. I’ll never want you. I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but you need to stop. Do you know how much your actions tonight would hurt your sister? Fuck, it’s hurting me.”

She’s like the moon, Raven. Beautiful on a lonely night but cold and distant. You? You’re the sun. You’re warmth and happiness, and the center of all that’s good.

“This is it,” I whisper. “From this moment forward, you’re my wife. Mine to care for, mine to cherish, and mine to protect. I know this isn’t what you wanted for yourself, but I swear I’ll give you my all, Raven.”

“I won’t be your dirty little secret, Mrs. Windsor. You carry my name, and you’ll do it with pride.”

Why can’t I ever be anyone’s priority? What makes me so undeserving of that? Why can I never measure up against Hannah in my parents’ eyes? In Ares’s eyes? What is it that she’s got and I’ll never have? Why is my best never enough?

“I want you here, Raven. There is no one I’d rather have in my bed than you. No one. You may not believe that, but it’s true. From the moment I married you, you’ve had my loyalty right down to my every thought. There’s no one on my mind but you. When I look at you, all I see is my wife. Nothing else. No one else. There’s no space for anyone but you—not in my mind and not in my heart. This may all sound like pretty lies and a poor attempt to console you, and I get that, but, baby, over time you’ll realize that it’s the truth.”

“You and I started our marriage under the worst possible circumstances, and even now, it feels like so much stands between us, like the odds are stacked against us. I don’t know what our future will hold, Rave, but this much I promise you: throughout our entire marriage, you will be everything to me. I will prioritize you above all else, and I’ll do everything in my power to ensure you’ll never feel like you’ve had to sacrifice anything to marry me. I know the road we’ve chosen to walk isn’t an easy one, but I can’t think of a better partner on this journey.”

“I promise to give this marriage my all. I know we’re still adjusting to being together, and you’re right to say that so much is still uncertain, but this much I promise you: for the rest of our lives, I’ll be true to you in every way. You’ll be everything to me, and I’ll do everything within my power to be the best wife you ever could’ve asked for.”

“My love, I don’t think you quite realize that your wedding ring is worth more than the penalty I paid. And either way, it doesn’t matter. There’s nothing I won’t do for you.”

“It means that I want more than just your body. I want a chance to prove that I truly do want it all with you, the past be damned. I want a chance to win your heart,” he whispers. “Because with each passing day, you’re stealing a little bit more of mine.”

“I love you,” he tells me. “I loved you then, and I love you now. Hell, if I’m honest with myself, I never stopped.”

“I thought I lost my chance with you, Raven. I did what I could to ensure I could keep you in our lives.” He drops his forehead to mine and inhales shakily. “Throughout the years, I took as much as you’d give me, finding any excuse to spend some time with you. I’d attend fashion shows under the guise of having to network, just so I could catch a glimpse of you. Most of the time, I could even fool myself, telling myself I was just looking out for you when it was so much more than that. It was wrong and deep down I knew it, but I couldn’t stay away. I told myself that it’d be okay so long as I never crossed the line, but fuck, being around you and not having you…yeah, that fucking killed me. I swear to you, I’ll spend the rest of our lives making up for lost time. Hannah won’t get away with this—I swear it. Raven, I will never hurt you again.”

“Let’s normalize walking away from toxic situations. You don’t have to stick it out when your mental health is taking a beating, just because that’s what everyone expects of you. It’s okay to reassess and decide whether or not a situation is still acceptable to you.

I wish I could promise you the carefree life that I want to give you, but being with me won’t be easy. What I can promise you is that I’ll always put you first, and I will do everything in my power to ensure you’ll never regret choosing me. So choose me, Raven. Please come home to me.”