A vow of love

1.Prologue

"Michael" the two men shook hands. "Welcome Derek, I assume this is your son?" Michael Levi slightly bent down and gave his hand to the eight-year-old boy, who stood with a proud face next to his father, trying to imitate his dominant presence, with his hands in his pants and a cold look. "Shane, Michael is our ally, show respect" his father scolded sharply as the little brat just looked at the proffered hand with disdain, as he had often watched his father do.

The boy held out his hand and Michael took it with a smile of approval, shaking it slightly before ruffling Shane Stone's hair, who stepped back with a grunt, trying to straighten the unkempt locks that were messily covering his forehead anyway. "I can see that even now he is showing excellence. One day he will become a worthy head of the family" Michael stood up, but kept his eyes on Shane, who was disapprovingly glaring.

"That's right, his training is going great" Derek looked at his son who was still trying to straighten his hair. "What about your daughter?" Derek looked at Michael, who smiled slightly. "Come on, let's have a drink and I'll send someone to fetch her" Michael escorted Derek and his son to the living room where a maid offered them each a glass of whiskey and a juice for Shane, then went out to fetch the heiress of the Levy family.

"This will be the strongest alliance between two families in two different cities" Derek looked at his son who was curiously following the adults conversation but was trying to hide it by pretending to look around the room while drinking the juice from who hadn't swallowed a drop. "Daddy?" the two men and the boy looked at the door.

Shane glanced at the little girl. Claire Levy was like a model for a gilded picture frame. Five years old, her blonde hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders, slightly coiled in small curls around her forehead. Her blue eyes shone childishly innocently in such a light blue that they resembled the sky on a spring day, untouched by even the smallest cloud. Her little lips were sucking hard on her thumb as she clutched a small teddy bear in her other hand.

"Claire, come and greet our guests" Michael leaned back on the couch and patted his knee lightly. Claire looked at the huge man across from his father and tilted her head slightly when she met the gray gaze of the little boy sitting next to him. She trotted over to her father and climbed onto his lap, twirling and pouting until her father settled her himself, then hugged the bear to her chest and smiled slightly.

"Welcome, I'm Claire Levy," she introduced herself in a thin voice, her cheeks blushing sweetly, her thumb again covering the perfect O between her lips. "The last time I saw her she was still a baby, she's growing really beautiful" Derek gently placed a hand on his son's back and looked at him. "Shane, I want you to meet Claire, one day she will be your wife, so you have to promise to take care of her, right?" Shane blinked in confusion at his father, then turned his gray eyes to the little blonde girl who was looking at him curiously.

"Dad, what's a 'husband'?" Claire asked, raising her bright, curious eyes to her father, who was nearly choking on his whiskey. "Um...that's...well...you know how me and your mom were married?" Claire nodded, her eyes wide. "I was your mother's husband" Claire gasped and looked appraisingly at Shane who's brow furrowed. "So he will be my husband?" Claire was babbling as her finger made her already soft words even more unintelligible as she clearly refused to take it out of her mouth unless she needed her hand.

"A husband takes care of his family and his wife, providing her with a good life and protection" Derek smiled slightly and Claire turned her attention to him. "When you're old enough, you and Shane will unite the two families by getting married" Derek finished and Claire looked at her father for confirmation. "Claire, why don't you show Shane your room until his father and I have a word? Then someone will call you?" Michael lifted his daughter off his lap and she nodded, sucking her thumb audibly.