"Never again," Valerius vowed lethally, his massive arms wrapping entirely around me, sealing me perfectly within his unbreakable embrace as we watched the sun completely disappear into the dark, endless ocean. "The world is entirely ours."
The cold, salty ocean breeze whipped around us, but I felt nothing except the immense, radiating heat of his solid body. The endless ocean stretched before us, a vast expanse that perfectly mirrored the terrifying depths of the man holding me. For the first time since he aggressively pulled me into his violent shadows, I didn't feel the suffocating need to constantly look over my shoulder. The perimeter was entirely secure. The massive empire was flawlessly functioning. The war was officially over.
Valerius gently released his iron grip on my waist, s
