Rise of a Queen (Kingdom Duet 2)

His hand wraps around my throat, and my breathing hitches like every time he does it. “And I’m glad I kept you, wild one. You flipped my world upside down and I enjoy every second of it. I don’t only love you, I’m obsessed with everything about you, and I’ll spend the rest of my life proving how much your presence means to me.”

“Jonathan…” My voice shatters with adoration and utter passion for this man. My tyrant. My love. My life.

“You’re staying. It’s final.”

“I’m staying. After all, I have Alicia’s permission.”

“Alicia?”

I lift my chin. “It’s a secret between me and my sister.”

“Fascinating.” He shakes his head. “I’ve known you were a wild one since you were five.”

“Since I was five? I first met you when I was seven.”

“Mmm. Maybe.”

“Jonathan. What do you mean?”

A sadistic gleam covers his eyes. “A secret.”

“You’re awful.”

“You still love me.”

“I do.”

“Say it.”

“I love you, Jonathan.” I sigh. “I love you so much.”

Still grabbing me by the throat, his lips find mine in a kiss that seals my fate.

Epilogue 1 - Aurora

Six months later

You know when you think you have it all, and there’s a nagging feeling at the back of your head that maybe something wrong will happen and take all the good away?

I’ve never stopped thinking about that possibility since the attack. Not even after Dad went into a coma, taking most of my childhood memories with him.

But in another way, I learnt to move on.

My nightmares have slowly started to disappear, and it’s all thanks to the man who sleeps beside me every night.

Jonathan holds me to him or above him, and the moment I get lost in his warmth, the world ceases to exist — nightmares included.

We go out on long walks, and I’ve gone back to hiking. I love the thrill of climbing and knowing I’ll reach the top at the end of the journey. The fact that Jonathan is there every step of the way gives me a sense of empowerment I wouldn’t have found any other way.

That’s why I’m here today. A year ago, if anyone had told me I would be wearing a huge white dress and walking towards the man I once thought was a god, I would’ve pegged it as another hallucination.

Now, it’s far from it.

All eyes turn to me as the music changes. We’re on Jonathan’s private island for our wedding. The island he named Aurora right after he told me I was staying with him and that was final.

He can be so swoony, despite his tyrant nature.

For him, the proposal was simple. He slid the ring on my finger and said, “You agreed to stay, what did