She nodded again, her mouth flattened into a line of tension that disabled her ability to speak.
He leaned in to brush his lips against hers. “It’ll be difficult,” he whispered. “And I’m certain we will have moments of regret—likely on your behalf more than mine. I’m overbearing, ruthless, and very set in my ways. And perhaps, most importantly, I am not someone a woman should choose as a faithful partner.”
More nodding, agreeing with all his comments, or more likely, accepting them. Because they were truths, not opinions.
“But,” he continued softly, “while I recognize my shortcomings, I also realize that with you they don’t exist. You’re the only one I want in my life, Caro. And I will fight for you—for us—throughout eternity, if you’ll have me.”
Three thousand years was a long time to be alive. He understood his preferences better than most, knew what he loved about life, what he hated, what he enjoyed, and what he craved. And Caro ticked every box for him.
She encouraged him to laugh. She enthralled him both inside and outside the bedroom. She fought him. She didn’t fear him. She refused to yield to him.
Two months was a blink of an eye, but when one lived as long as Sethios, one learned how to read situations quickly. And Caro intrigued him in a way few ever had.
Eternity with her wouldn’t be easy, but he didn’t want easy. He wanted a challenge. He craved a partner who could put him in his place and excite him at the same time.
Caro embodied everything he desired and more. That their bond would enhance his ability to protect Astasiya was a significant bonus. How could he refuse such an opportunity?
“Bond with me, Caro.” He cupped her cheek. “If you’ll have me forever?”
21
Blood Bonds
Caro’s heart stopped beating. “You want the blood bond?”
She felt certain he would refuse, or worse, laugh at her. But as with everything Sethios did, he surprised her yet again.
He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“Because of Astasiya?” She knew it was a very real possibility and accepted that outcome, yet she held her breath while waiting for him to respond.
“Because of you,” he replied, his lips a whisper away from hers. “Because of us. This isn’t short-term, Caro. It never was.” His palms burned against her cheeks as he cradled her face. “We created a life together and, in the process, formed something far more powerful between us. You gifted me an experience I never knew I wanted.”
Sensation thickened her throat, causing her eyes to burn. She hadn’t realized how much she craved a connection with him until he agreed. It felt right, as if fate herself encouraged the union.
She swallowed, the world slowing around her. “The bond is similar to a marriage, only far more intense and eternal. Nothing can break it, not even a Seraphim as strong as you.”
His lips tilted upward into a breathtaking smile. “I thought I was an abomination. Not a Seraphim.”
She placed her palm over his chest. “You’re Seraphim enough to me.”
He might not have wings or the ability to mist, but power radiated from him like a beacon. And he drew her to him in unspeakable ways.
“You’re better than a Seraphim,” she clarified softly. He took care of her, taught her how to feel, introduced her to pleasure, and gifted her a beautiful daughter—one she could feel smiling through the familial bond. “You’ve changed me irrevocably, and I have no desire to return to my former self.”
The Caro of two months ago was bored; she just didn’t realize it. Now she felt more alive than ever before and had the man beside her to thank for that.
He kissed her, his tongue lightly slipping into her mouth to explore every inch in long, languid strokes. She met him move for move, her body responding to his as if living solely under his command.
“Caro,” he breathed, pushing her back into the bed and settling over her. He’d exchanged his towel for jeans at some point but hadn’t bothered with a shirt.
His chest burned against her bare breasts, sending delicious tingles to every nerve ending of her freshly healed form. “I’ll never tire of this,” she vowed, arching into him.
Sethios went to his elbows on either side of her head, the lower half of his body cradled between her thighs. “I’ve been with thousands of women, and men, too, when I was bored, as well as a combination of both at times. The majority of my experiences were forgettable occurrences. And honestly, nothing surprises me anymore, and my interest in new partners tends to wane quickly.”
He pressed a finger to her lips when she opened them to point out that this was neither a romantic speech nor something she wanted to know. She actually preferred him to stop speaking.
“But,” he continued, a smile in his voice, “you surprise me, Caro. At every turn. When I bargained with you that first night, I thought a few hours would satisfy my curiosity. Instead, it heightened it. And every moment since has stoked that curiosity to an eternal flame that will take centuries to dampen, perhaps even forever.
