Vicious Prince (Royal Elite 5)

I nod again.

His grin falls, but he strokes the back of my hand. “Let’s start with you not leaving my side ever again.”

“You…” I swallow the lump in my throat. “You still want me?”

“Still? Did I ever stop?” He brings my hand to his mouth and brushes his dry lips against the skin. “I’ll never stop wanting you, belle. You’re made for me.”

“You’re made for me too.” I wrap my arms around his neck, my tears wetting his skin. “I love you, Ronan. I love you as I’ve never loved anyone before.”

He lowers his voice. “Even after what Eduard the fucker said?”

I pull back to stare at him. “I told you, his words don’t matter, okay? You do.”

His sensual lips move in a heart-breaking smile. “I do?”

“Of course.”

“Don’t you dare leave me, Teal, or I’ll pull an Astor move on you.”

“An Astor move?”

“Yeah, it involves chasing you to the end of the world, and that’s kind of not fun.” He grins. “For you, not me.”

“Now I’m intrigued.”

“Why am I not surprised?” He tugs me to him and plants a soft kiss on my nose. “I love you, Teal. Now and always.”

Now and always.

Epilogue 1 - Teal

One year later

There’s something about seeing the world through different lenses.

Before, it was blurry. Now, there’s sense to it, a clarity I wasn’t able to feel before.

There’s something called happiness, and there’s something called joy.

For my whole life, I never actually understood what happiness meant and why people would crave to be happy. It felt like a high that would just eventually wear off.

That is, until Ronan became a constant in my life. He’s happiness incarnate.

He’s a high that will never wear off.

After we graduated, we spent the summer travelling. Just that, travelling, from one country to another and from one city to the next.

We were free souls discovering the world and people and cultures. He called me a nerd whenever I asked about museums, and I called him a gigolo whenever he wanted to go to the trendiest bar.

Ronan will be Ronan no matter what happens. Fun and parties are in his soul. Whenever anyone needs a party thrown, he’ll be at the front of the line planning his next ‘epic’ event. The last was Aiden and Elsa’s marriage. He was so extra in his speech, acting salty because he wasn’t the best man.

Since then, he’s been bribing Xander to be chosen as the best man, threatening to delete them all from his chat.

He won’t.

What he doesn’t tell them is that the horsemen saved him from his head several times in the past. They weren’t there just for the parties, like most other people; they were there for him, and Ronan would never forget that.

To say we’re both over Eduard would be a lie. Sometimes, it feels as if he’s still the shadow looming over our lives, even after his death.