The Gender End (The Gender Game #7)

A hush filled the hall, and I heard the strong voice of the chamberlain filling the room.

“We are gathered here, in the eyes of the Mother, in the home she provided us, to unite our queen and her chosen in a bond of love, honor, and respect. A united front to stand as both shield and sword against all foes and evils that would do their people harm. As per the queen’s wishes, they will co-rule Matrus with a strong and united rule, further cementing the queen’s belief in a better and brighter future. Will the petitioners of this union present themselves?”

“That’s me,” Morgan said excitedly, stepping forward. I waited for Meera to move, then a heartbeat longer, and followed. The room was quiet, reverent, as Morgan stepped through the archway, shimmering in her white, gauzy gown.

From the other side of the room, I saw Owen stepping out from his own archway, Cody leading the way with a familiar wooden box in his hands, his face a bright smile. The box was the same one Henrik had given Viggo and me, but the rings were different—Morgan had wanted something special to carry them in, and I had thought this would be perfect.

Viggo stood directly behind Owen, and I smiled at how amazing he looked in his formal attire. Then I heard, rather than saw, Cruz—also in the chosen’s wedding train—speaking in a loud whisper that echoed throughout the cavern.

“But Viggo, I’m telling you, reinstating the Power Fight League could really be—”

“Anello!” Dr. Tierney whispered indignantly from behind me in the procession, and Cruz blinked and then immediately looked contrite.

“Lo siento, mi amor,” he whispered. Dr. Tierney gave him a pointed look, then looked at Morgan and Owen. “Right—so sorry, Owen. Queen Morgan.” He fell back in line, trying to look inconspicuous, and I caught Viggo shaking his head.

As the wedding procession moved along, I saw Henrik stepping up after Cruz—in fact, I was pretty sure Cruz was supposed to go at the end of the line, judging by the way Henrik grabbed his shoulder and stepped past him to move behind Viggo. Following Henrik were Cody, Solomon, Jay, Quinn, Tim, and Logan—and Logan waited for Cruz to regain his spot just in front of him before continuing the procession. It was all I could do to keep from laughing, but I was pretty sure Owen and Morgan didn’t care.

“My man should’ve cut,” Amber whispered up the line, and I grinned as I saw Logan rolling his eyes at her from behind Cruz’s back.

Owen and Morgan noticed none of this, or maybe just ignored it, their eyes solely on one another. Their eye contact never broke as they drew together, coming to a slow halt.

Owen reached out with his hand, and Morgan settled hers on top of his in an almost ritualized way. Then again, the chamberlain had made them practice more than a few times. I waited as they moved forward together, up to the lip of the pool, where the chamberlain waited.

The chamberlain’s hair was free, her dress a simple white frock, her arms and legs bare.

“They stand here as equals—partners—their duties to each other as well as their people. Does anyone object to the union of the two before us?”

Silence met the question, and she smiled serenely.

“Recite your vows,” she commanded.

I looked at Viggo as Owen began to speak, staring at him across the small space that separated us. He grinned at me while Owen recited his vows—the very same vows Morgan had made us recite—and I returned the smile, pressing my hand to my stomach, right up against where I hoped Melissa (or Thomas, if our child was a boy) was settling in for the night. I recalled the moment of our wedding, the vows sounding comfortingly familiar, and I knew they were still as true for me and Viggo as the day we’d said them. I knew as long as Viggo and I had each other and our family, we could face whatever tomorrow brought, for good or for bad.

And the bad was disappearing, slowly, one day at a time.



*

What’s next?



Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed the conclusion to The Gender Game series. It’s been an incredible journey and I want to thank you for accompanying Violet and Viggo til the end.

Saying goodbye to them and their group is both sad and bittersweet—their story will always hold a deep place in my heart—but I’m also looking forward to a new adventure.

This book marks the end of Matrus and Patrus’s story, but not the end of the world that surrounds them.

If you’re curious to know more about the mysterious Tower civilization Violet came across in this book, keep turning the pages to read 3 early sneak-peek bonus chapters from The Girl Who Dared to Think — a book that continues the story of Violet’s greater world.

The Girl Who Dared to Think releases very soon: August 9th, 2017.

Check out the breathtaking cover, and keep turning for the bonus chapters:





(Pre-order links here:

If you’re in the US, tap here.

UK: tap here.

Australia: tap here.

For any other country: tap here. )

Keep turning…





BONUS CHAPTERS





The Girl Who Dared to Think





Blurb:



How do you fight an enemy when they’re inside your mind?

A gargantuan glass-walled tower looms over a deadly wilderness. They say it’s all that’s left.

The Tower’s survival is humanity's survival, and each must serve it faithfully...

Twenty-year-old Liana Castell must be careful what she thinks. Her life is defined by the number on her wristband — a rating out of ten awarded based on her usefulness and loyalty to the Tower, and monitored by a device in her skull. A device that reports forbidden thoughts.

Liana is currently a four, the lowest possible acceptable score, and despite her parents’ perfect scores of ten, she struggles to increase it. Rebellious ideas come all too easily, and resentfulness seems part of her being. She is an Knight-in-training, but her future will be dark if she cannot raise her worth...

Threes require drug treatment.

Twos are isolated.

Ones disappear.

When Liana's worst nightmare comes to pass and she drops to a three, desperation spurs her down a path few dare to tread. A chance encounter with a cocky young man whose shockingly dissident attitude toward the Tower couldn’t possibly have earned him the perfect “ten” on his wrist, sets her on a trail to save herself—even at the risk of dropping lower.

Stalking the young man seemed like a simple enough task, but after events take an unexpected twist, Liana finds herself taking a treacherous dive into the darkest depths of the Tower… and the decades’ old secrets buried within.

In a society where free thinking can make you a criminal, one girl dares to try...

An unforgettable tale brimming with suspense, mystery and romance - The Girl Who Dared to Think will thrill fans of The Gender Game…





Chapter 1