I could feel it all around me—both his desire and my own, churning and mingling together, becoming one. He moved in me continually, and I wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but all I knew, all my body knew, was that I never wanted it to end.
My eyes peered over his shoulder to where my hand held him for support—the ring he gifted me, what would become our ring ofvows, glistening beneath the water droplets.
His lips left my skin, and I instantly felt its loss until he pressed them to my ear and spoke the words that would undoubtedly end me. “You are forevermine.”
His voice held a mixture of desperation and possession, and if I was standing, it would have brought me to my knees before him.
And with it—I came undone. My entire body unraveled, the heat of my release coursing through every vein within me. A moan escaped me as I shuddered around him in my orgasm, bringing him over the edge in tandem.
His arms gripped me tightly as he steadied us against the cool stone at my back, and my body went completely limp in his arms as I let out a whimper.
I lifted my stare to his and watched as the lagoon water beaded off his thick lashes as he said, “If I meet my end in this, it was all worth it. Every moment of knowing you, every second of being yours…it was all worth it.”
I cupped his cheek as our gazes remained locked. “I love you, and I willneverlet that happen. We are seeing this victory through to the end. Thetwoof us. King and queen, husband and wife, mates fated by the gods—the title does not matter. What matters is that we will be together. Always.”
A whisper of a smile tilted his lips. “Always,” he breathed.
Chapter forty-five
Jace
No matter how hardI tried, I couldn’t lift my gaze from Lia the entire flight back from our engagement. She leaned into my chest, pressing random, tender kisses to my jaw every time she caught me staring. I watched as her hair flew in the wind, and her smile beamed ear-to-ear as she kept catching glimpses of the ring that now adorned her finger.
My heart thudded in my chest, pride exuding from my pores as I thought about the fact that I would have awife—an idea that I had given up long ago, never wishing or thinking it would ever exist for me—until her.
I never could have fathomed knowing a love like this before, regardless of the mating bond we shared. I would do anything for her—destroy anyone or anything that stood in her way.
As Nox landed outside the door of my family’s estate, the rumbling of the ground gave our arrival away. My eyes flew to the windows to see many curious eyes on us, their faces pressed against the glass as if they were children outside of a toy maker’s shop.
“I have a feeling the secret is out,” Lia said with a giggle as we leapt down from the wyvern.
“I should’ve known that a small white lie would have been better suited to tell Gage,” I joked.
She patted Nox on the nose, and he nuzzled his snout into her chest as she said her goodbyes right before we began our ascent up the walkway to the front door.
Suddenly, the door burst open, followed by excited squeals from Avery and many knowing grins from the others.
Lia did a few adorable little stomps of her feet as shrieks left her, matching her sister’s. They both burst out in excited laughter as they ran towards one another, jumping into an embrace where they swayed side to side.
“Oh my gods, oh my gods, did it happen?!” Avery begged. She pushed out of Lia’s hug and instantly reached for her hand, staring at the ring on her finger. “It’s so beautiful!”
Lia chuckled as she watched her sister beam. “Thank you.” She glanced back at me and smiled softly. “He knows how to make things very special.”
My eyes lifted to Gage, whose arms were crossed as he leaned against the doorway, his brows fluttering at me. I moved past the girls and walked up to him.
“Congratulations, brother,” he greeted as he clapped me on the shoulder, and then pulled me into a hug. “I can’t believe she agreed to spend the rest of her ridiculously long life with you, but it’s better to trick her into it now, while you still can.”
Laughter boomed from him as I jokingly shoved at his shoulder and walked through the doorway.
Zaela immediately gave me a quick hug and smile, saying her congratulations, as both Landon and Finnian came upto shake my hand. Veli remained in the corner of the living area as she inclined her head at me with a small smile tilting her lips.
“I can’t think of a better male for my sister,” Finn said. “I know you will take care of her.” He smiled at me, and I didn’t realize how badly I wanted his and Avery’s approval until it had been received.
Lia came in through the doorway, and everyone flocked to her, gushing over the ring while I internally gushed overher.
Her beautiful green eyes lifted to mine as they swarmed her, and it threatened to make my heart stop.
Zae was the first to break the circle, and she walked up to my side.
