Crimson Vows (Book 1 of Crimson Empire)
"We never asked for this. Our lives were written by others, our hearts shackled to a contract neither of us wanted. But somewhere between the lies we told ourselves, we found something we never expected to feel-something dangerous, the truth ."
Love was a luxury I never sought, never allowed myself to want. I built walls so high, pushing people away to keep them safe, only letting a few in for fleeting moments of pleasure. But when her parents demand an arranged marriage to unite our families, my father has no choice but to agree. Defy them, and we risk everything.
I knew her already-knew the way the sun made her skin glow, the way her curly brown hair danced with every step she took. But did I like her? That was a whole different question.
Our families' hatred ran deep, centuries of bloodshed and betrayal fueling the fire that had burned between us for as long as I could remember. The only reason I even tolerated her was because of her brother-my best friend. The one person I thought I could trust... until I learned I was never supposed to be his ally at all.
Now, fate has forced us into a marriage neither of us wanted. It feels like a foreign limb, an unwanted tumor growing at my side, suffocating every ounce of freedom I had. The question is-can we both survive this? Or will one of us end up broken, shattered by the weight of what we never asked for?
But somewhere along the way, the impossible happened: I fell for her. Completely. Undoubtedly.
And now, I don't know if we'll make it out alive... or if we'll destroy each other in the process.
