by Mari Carr
Walt had been around Eric enough to know he meant every word he spoke. He also knew there was nothing in this world that would make him betray the vow he was about to take.
He shook off Eric’s grip and pressed his bloody finger to the paper without hesitation.
Eric bade him to repeat in Latin once more. “Cum sanguinis mei, et cor meum recipienti pignori obligo animam meam.”
Walt spoke the words in Latin, translating them in his own mind. With my blood, I pledge my heart and my life.
His chest swelled with pride. He was a part of this now, a member of the Masters’ Admiralty.
“Walter Hayden, you have promised your life to the Masters’ Admiralty. As Caesar, I welcome you, and bid you to go forth.” Eric shook his hand, not in the traditional fashion, but in that of a warrior handshake, the two of them gripping each other’s wrists rather than palms.
“Thank you, Fleet Admiral.” For the first time, Walt used Eric’s title and meant it.
With that ceremony concluded, Jakob and Annalise left their places by the wall and joined him in the center of the office. Annalise kissed him, smiling widely. Jakob reached out as if he intended to shake his hand, but Walt turned that grip against him, pulling him in to grab a kiss from his other lover as well.
Eric cleared his throat, drawing their attention to him. “We’re only halfway done. Are the three of you ready for the rest?”
“So ready,” Annalise said. She’d dressed for the occasion, wearing a white sheath dress with a short emerald-green jacket that made her hair seem to glow. She reached into her purse and pulled out a large fascinator with a small net veil. She pinned it on, looking elegant in the way of old Hollywood movie stars, the net over one eye, the edge brushing against her cheek.
Jakob looked extremely handsome in his slacks and dress shirt. Instead of a suit jacket, he wore a shorter military-style leather jacket that didn’t interfere with the sword belted to his hip.
Walt was glad he’d still had the suit from Oscar’s wedding in his luggage.
“If you’re ready.” Eric gestured to Jakob, who reached his hand out. Walt and Annalise placed theirs on his.
“I hereby bind you, Jakob Bauer, Annalise Fischer, and Walter Hayden of Germany, in marriage.”
Walt chuckled at the idea of suddenly being a German. Despite growing up in South Carolina, he’d spent too many of his adult years as a nomad. It felt good to set down some serious roots. In the short term, he would have to go back to his clinic, but they’d video chat, and in time he’d find someone to take over the clinic and then he’d move to Frankfurt, into the house Jakob had built for Annalise, but which suited the three of them perfectly.
“Your union will serve to better and protect the people of our proud and ancient society. It is your duty to love, protect, and keep your spouses. I will hear your pledge to not only keep and protect one another, but to strive to better our world.”
Jakob took the lead, showing Walt what came next as he released their hands and knelt before them. “I pledge on my honor, and as your spouse, to love, protect, and keep you, all of your days.”
Annalise knelt next, repeating the same words.
Walt was the last to go to his knees. “I pledge on my honor, and as your spouse, to love, protect, and keep you, all of your days.”
“Rise,” Eric said. “In the eyes of the law and the Masters’ Admiralty, I pronounce you husband and husband and wife.”
He was married. He was married and had joined a cult and was now planning to spend the rest of his life living in Germany…
Holy shit.
But also, everything about this felt right.
“Good to have you, Dr. Hayden.” The way Eric stressed his last name and the too-pleased, cocky grin he sent his way told Walt he was looking forward to bragging to Juliette about stealing him from the Trinity Masters. Luckily, Walt had no reason to be anywhere near the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, so he wouldn’t be in the same country when Eric dropped that bomb.
“Tell Langston that I offered you two hot wives first and you refused,” Eric added.
“Duly noted,” Walt said.
Eric stared at them, and then shook his head in apparent exasperation. “Kiss already.”
The phrase was so close to what Walt had once said to Jakob and Annalise that they all snorted.
“Christ, do you need me to draw you a picture?” Eric said when they didn’t immediately start making out. He sighed, then, in a more formal tone, declared, “You may kiss your bride and your groom.”
Epilogue
“You fucking fucker,” Oscar snarled.
Langston grinned. “Congratulations!”
“You fucking promised you’d join the Trinity Masters.”
Walt leaned back in the chair, laptop on his knees. A video call wasn’t how he’d imagined he would be telling his brothers he’d gotten married, but here they were.
“Well, technically I promised to join a cult.” Walt grinned. “I was planning to promise to join the Trinity Masters, but you opened your big mouth and cut me off. You said cult and I agreed, so I didn’t break my promise. By your standards, the Masters’ Admiralty is a cult too.”
“You fucking fuckface!” Oscar snarled.
Langston howled with laughter and Walt smiled gently—which he knew would only piss Oscar off more.
“Fucker! The Grand Master is going to be pissed at me. Somehow this will be my fucking fault.”
“Well, it is your fault,” Langston said cheerfully. “If you hadn’t said cult…”
“Fuck both of you. I hope your husbands fuck your butts without lube.”
“Hey now, that’s just rude,” Walt said.
“Wow, do we need to talk to Luca about anal etiquette?”
“Fucking hate you both so hard…”
“Two and two, probably better that the Trinity Masters and Masters’ Admiralty have a tie in the race for the Hayden siblings,” Langston said.
“Sad for the Trinity Masters that they got the two dumb ones.” Walt made a mock sad face.
“Wow, you gonna do me like that?” Langston demanded.
On screen, Walt could see Oscar thumping his head against the wall behind him.
“On a serious note, we all have to learn German now,” Walt said. “I’m not going to play translator when you come visit me.”
“I’m never visiting you because I’ll be dead, my body tossed into the fucking Boston Harbor like some shit tea,” Oscar snapped.
“Hold on, downloading Duolingo.” Langston was looking at his phone.
The door to the sitting room where Walt had come to make this call flew open. One of the Spartan Guard stormed into the room. “Come with me, we need to secure you and the other guests.”
“What?” Walt said, utterly confused.
“What’s going on?” Langston demanded.
“You better not die, you fucker,” Oscar snapped, but he was tense, his expression tight and worried.
“There’s been an attack. We may be the next target.” Keanu, the Spartan Guard, grabbed Walt by the arm, hauling him up.
“Attack.” Walt’s brain was taking a minute to catch up “Where are Jakob and Annalise?”
“Already secure. The dungeons of the castle are reinforced to prevent a cave-in if the building is bombed.”
“Bomb?” Oscar’s voice was tense with worry.
“Bomb?” Langston sounded worried, but also interested. “What kind of bomb?”
Keanu glanced at the laptop dangling from Walt’s hand, reached over, and snapped it closed on Walt’s thumb. Walt tossed the computer aside onto a chair as he was dragged out the door.
Walt caught sight of Eric as he was hustled down the spiral stairs to the basement…no, wait, dungeon. In a castle, it was definitely a dungeon.
“Eric!” Walt called out. “What’s going on?”
“Fucking weddings,” Eric snarled.
Then Walt was stumbling down spiral stone stairs after Keanu. Jakob and
Annalise were there when they reached the bottom, Annalise throwing herself against his chest and hugging him tight.
“Stay here,” Keanu ordered.
“What’s happening?” Jakob demanded.
“Someone blew up the security minister of Castile’s wedding.”
“Assassination?” Jakob asked.
“Hopefully,” Keanu answered.
“I’m sorry…what?” Annalise asked.
“If it wasn’t an assassination attempt, it means the Bellator Dei are back.”
If you’re interested in reading more about Erik, Nikolett, and Vadisk, be sure to check out the entire Masters’ Admiralty series.
Treachery’s Devotion
Loyalty’s Betrayal
Pleasure’s Fury
Honor’s Revenge
Bravery’s Sin
Suspicion’s Fire
And see where it all began! Be sure to read the entire Trinity Masters series as well.
Elemental Pleasure
Primal Passion
Scorching Desire
Forbidden Legacy
Hidden Devotion
Elegant Seduction
Secret Scandal
Delicate Ties
Beloved Sacrifice
Masterful Truth
Fiery Surrender
Necessary Pursuit
Join the society! Hey fans of Facebook! Did you know there’s a Trinity Masters/Masters’ Admiralty fan group? Come join the fun—behind the scenes news, exclusive sneak peeks, cover reveals and (gasp) too many screenshots of texts between Mari and Lila.
Suggested Reading Order
Because there is some crisscrossing between the Trinity Masters and Masters’ Admiralty series, Mari and Lila are always asked about the reading order. Well…ta da! Here it is.
Elemental Pleasure
Primal Passion
Scorching Desire
After Burn - Free short story
Forbidden Legacy
Hidden Devotion
A Very Trinity Christmas - Free short story
Elegant Seduction
A Grand Master Christmas - Free short story
Secret Scandal
Delicate Ties
Beloved Sacrifice
Treachery’s Devotion
Masterful Truth
Wildly Inappropriate - a Trinity Masters, BDSM Checklist, Wild Irish crossover short story (because Lila is insane).
World’s Collide - Free short story. Crossover with Lexi Blake.
Loyalty’s Betrayal
Pleasure’s Fury
Honor’s Revenge
Bravery’s Sin
Fiery Surrender
Hollywood Lies
Necessary Pursuit
Joyful Engagement
Wrath’s Storm
Suspicion’s Fire
About the Authors
Virginia native Mari Carr is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller of contemporary sexy romance novels. With over two million copies of her books sold, Mari was the winner of the Romance Writers of America’s Passionate Plume for her novella, Erotic Research.
Join her newsletter so you don’t miss new releases and for exclusive subscriber-only content. Find Mari on the web on Facebook | Twitter | BookBub | Email: [email protected].
Lila Dubois is a top selling author of contemporary erotic romance. Having spent extensive time in France, Egypt, Turkey, England and Ireland Lila speaks five languages, none of them (including English) fluently. She now lives in California with a cute Irishman.
You can visit Lila's website at www.liladubois.net. She loves to hear from fans! Send an email to [email protected] or join her newsletter.