Kissing her forehead, I murmured, “Tu es en sécurité. Avec moi.” You’re safe. With me.

When she quieted, I gathered her closer. Pushing my hand beneath her pillow, I tried to grab the item I’d hidden there a few days ago. When I’d designed the poker brands, I knew if Tess let me mark her with such a permanent thing, I would go one step further to seal her to me.

Ever since I made the decision, my headaches had been miraculously absent. Almost as if the stress I’d lived with melted away, letting me know I’d made the right choice. The only choice.

No longer would I wait to merge my life with hers. There was no way I would let her go, and it was time the rest of the world knew that.

Tess mumbled, eyes opening sleepily. “What are you doing?”

The soft twilight highlighted her grey-blue eyes, glimmering gold in her blonde hair. I wished I had a camera to capture her sleep-warmed and lazy beauty. She looked so fragile and I embraced two urges: one that wanted to see just how fragile she was with the use of a whip, and one who wanted to wrap her in bubble wrap and cover her with kisses.

My hand latched around the small thing hidden under the pillow and I sat up, pulling Tess with me.

The sheet fell away from her, exposing her perfect br**sts and pink ni**les. My c**k instantly hardened. I had to look away before I pounced and forgot what I needed to do.

Tess yawned, fluffing her hair.

Nerves attacked my stomach, making me second-guess myself. You’re doing the right thing. Man the f**k up.

“I have another gift for you.”

Her eyes dropped to the tented sheet between my legs. Licking her lips, she murmured, “A second gift would be nice.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “No, you little sex fiend, my c**k is not on offer.”

She pouted, reaching over to grab me.

A slight thread of temper filled me and I slapped her hand away. Goddammit, she wasn’t making this easy.

I rolled the gift in my fingers, keeping it away from her sight. “I need you to wear this as much as I needed to brand you. Compris?” Understand?

She frowned, but nodded slowly.

It’s now or never.

I unclenched my fist, shoving my hand toward her. Resting in my palm was a ring I’d painstakingly sketched and ordered the local jeweller to create.

It represented everything I was. Everything that we were. Everything that I hoped we’d become.

The same day I went to pick up the finished product, I bought a pair of lovebirds. The lucky things had the entire aviary to themselves, but I planned to add more as I returned to work, doing what I did best.

Tess shied away from the ring as if it was about to bite her. My forehead furrowed as I plucked it in my fingertips and inspected the jewellers work. He’d got it perfect: two spanning wings, bending into a circlet. Every feather hand-carved with exquisite detailing, inlaid with diamonds. The gold band was extra thick, to allow for—

“That’s for me?”

Her eyes glassed with tears, and I snatched her hand before she could go running from the room. Did she not want this? How could she not accept a ring when she let me burn my mark into her neck?

Anger sat low in my gut, churning with rejection.

Tess didn’t say a word as I splayed her hand, pushing the ring onto her wedding finger—the one that symbolised commitment and togetherness.

She fulfilled my humanness. I could never let her go.

A single tear dripped from her lashes as she held her hand closer to inspect the jewellery.

It’d taken a nightmare of events to bring us together. Our relationship wasn’t normal, our needs and lifestyle uniquely us, but after everything we’d been through, I wanted more. I never wanted to wake up without Tess by my side. I wanted her with me when I hunted down all the cocksuckers involved in trafficking and put them into the ground. And I wanted finally to have the courage to show her just what I needed to be completely happy.

With my heart bucking wild, I asked, “Veux-tu m'épouser?” Will you marry me?

Tess sucked in a gasp then launched herself into my arms. Her lips crashed against mine, sending us sprawling to the mattress.

I tasted salt from her happiness and passion from her tongue.

For the first time ever, I was complete, wondrously happy and achingly content.

“You don’t have to ask. My answer is already given.”

I smiled, cupping her jaw. “Now that I have it on your finger, I should tell you there’s a tracking device in there. I never mean to have you far from me again.”

She laughed. “Consider myself warned.” She kissed me again, but I pushed her back, sliding to the side of the bed.

She watched as I hoisted on jeans and held out my hand for her to take. “Get packed. We’re leaving.”

“Leaving?”

When she didn’t move, I grabbed her ankle and dragged her to the end of the bed, trapping her between my arms. Darkness and light and every f**king emotion bubbled inside me; I couldn’t wait another minute. “We’re going to get married.”

Tess’s eyes popped wide. “Now?”

“Now. There’s no point in waiting.”

I hoisted her into my arms. “I want our life to begin, Tess.”

Her lips landed on mine. “It has already begun.”

I kissed her back, making her swallow my words. “Your life is mine. My life is yours. I want it to be official.”

“It is official. You branded me.” She smiled, touching my cheek.

“It’s not official until I have you in a white dress, vowing to obey and serve me for the rest of your days.” I was only half joking. “I need to promise my life to you. I need you to be my wife.”

Tess nodded. “I want you as my husband, now and for always, ‘till death do us part.”

Epilogue

Note from Author

I’ve sat staring at this part for weeks, and I can’t wrap up Q and Tess’s story in just one chapter. After everything they’ve been through, it’s only fair to give them a Happily Ever After. Q needs to finally let go and show Tess how dark he wants to take her. Tess needs to realize Q is her monster through and through, and they need to explore their relationship now they’re committed. Not to mention have an amazing wedding and saucy honeymoon.

When I started Tears of Tess, it was meant to be one book. But Q and Tess captured my mind and heart and kept whispering in my ear.

So, I hope you can forgive me for writing a third and final book in the Monsters in the Dark series.

Twisted Together will be the Happily Ever After for all those twisted individuals who found their perfect other. The ones who can’t breathe without consuming the other… the ones who live slightly in the shadows.