Dark Vow (Blackwoods College)

My Robyn, my love.

She believed this would be the end. We’d marry, achieve our goals, and separate.

But I’d never let her go.

She was mine now. And sooner or later, she’d realize it, and love it. I already saw the seeds, planted a long time ago.

Soon it would sprout, and she would open her lips, her legs, her body to me, and I’d fill her to the brim.

20

Robyn

Cora grabbed my hand and yanked it into her face. “What the fucking fuck is that thing on your hand?”

I tried not to laugh as she stared at the wedding band. “It’s nothing, Cor. Just a ring.”

“That is not just a ring. That’s a silver ring on your wedding finger. That’s like a marriage ring. What did you and Calvin do this weekend?”

“Cora.”

She released me and put her hands on her hips. “Talk.”

I spun the ring around. It still felt strange. I hadn’t gotten used to its weight yet, and I kept playing with it, over and over, thinking of him every time I touched it. The metal felt cold against my skin, like his personality shrunk down onto my finger.

After I left him in the garden, I went back to the room and changed out of the wedding dress. I made him get us on the first flight back to Blackwoods so that I’d have plenty of time to decompress and get ready for class on Monday. He was strangely quiet on the way, and didn’t complain once when I refused to sit next to him, and wouldn’t so much as look in his direction.

That might’ve been a bit much. It wasn’t fair to him to act like he dragged me by my hair into his cave and forced me into a marriage. I could’ve at least been civil.

But the way he looked at me down on his knees, and the feeling of his cock between my legs, and the dull, intense throb in my chest every time I thought about being his wife made me keep my mouth shut and put up as many walls as I could.

This wouldn’t become real. I wouldn’t let myself go down that path.

Not after meeting his mother. That woman was a bitter shell of a human, and I was terrified I’d turn into the same thing if I joined the Solar clan in earnest. I didn’t want to waste away, rotting in a far-off corner of their compound while Calvin ran the business with an iron fist.

I wanted a life after living in fear for so long.

He promised me anything. He said he’d make my life better. It would hurt, I knew it would hurt, and he said as much.

But I couldn’t put my future in his hands.

This was for revenge.

Against my father and against his brothers.

Nothing more.

I walked along a curving path through the central quad. People scurried out of our way, and I couldn’t help but notice the looks we were getting.

Cora dealt with that all the time. She was dating the most popular boy at school. It was only natural that the underclassmen and jealous girls (and jealous boys) would give her dirty looks and talk shit openly.

I wasn’t used to getting some of those same looks though.

“It’s not what you think, first of all. So please don’t overreact.”

“I’m about to overreact if you don’t tell me why you’re wearing a ring all of a sudden.”

“We got married.”

“You got fucking married?” She screamed the words so loud that several groups openly gawped in our direction.

“Would you stop it?” I hissed and tugged at her backpack to try to get her to stop dancing up and down. “People are staring. They’re going to talk!”

“They’re already talking, you idiot. Everyone knows you’ve been spending time with Calvin Solar, but holy shit, nobody realizes just how much time you plan on giving to him.”

“Stop it.”

“You married him. I haven’t even married Jarrod yet!”

I paused, frowning at her. “Yet?”

“Oh, don’t give me that. I love your stupid cousin and you know I’m going to be his wife. He’ll knock me up and we’ll have fifty cute babies.”

“Who’s gonna raise those?”

“Fifty highly qualified German nannies. Very ugly, very matronly German nannies.”

“Lovely.”

“How could you do this, Robyn? I thought you hated Calvin.”

“Hate’s a strong word.”

“Clearly. You married him.” She stepped closer, her face composing itself as she grabbed onto my arm. “Are you okay?”

I smiled and touched her back. “I’m okay. Really. He just needs a wife to win some position with his company. We’re doing it to fool his dad.”

“Right, the classic fake marriage to fool your parents into giving you a promotion at work gag. It always works out in romance novels.”

“Really?”

“No, you idiot. They always end up barefoot and pregnant.”

I walked faster. “I’m not getting pregnant.”

“Not with that attitude.”

“Cora.”

“Robyn, for real. You do realize how serious this is, right? You’re getting involved with his family, and his family are freaks.”