“And do you, Elianna Valderre, Rightful Heir and Queen of the Velyran Realm, take Jace Cadoria to be not only your mate in this life but your gods-favored wedded spouse?” Veli’s voice broke the silence.
“I never thought I would find a love so great, one that flows so deeply in my veins that it has become the very essence of my existence. A man who was my mirror in our enemy’s ranks had shown me a kindness that hadn’t even been granted by those who had sworn themselvesand their loyalty to me. Jace, you have gifted me a love that I never believed existed, and in turn, you have also gifted me the courage and support needed to reclaim what is rightfully mine by birth and blood. There will never be enough in this realm that I could provide that would feel worthy of repaying your constant love and aid, so I will start by offering you both my heart and soul forever. For they are yours—always have been, and always will be. And as we stand here beneath the eyes of the gods, I do, as well. I take you as my husband, my mate, and the king of both of our people. In this realm and beyond.”
With these words, Veli’s stare began to glow, their golden hue projecting onto us, mixing with the fiery shades of the setting sun cast in the distance. Ancient, forgotten words left her in a whisper, and with each syllable, the gold in her irises intensified as her spell draped us like an invisible cloak—its presence not seen but felt.
Lightning crackled through the clear sky, a phenomenon I never thought possible. A wind-like tunnel surrounded only the two of us, our hair swirling in its mix as we stood with our fingers intertwined and locked with one another’s.
Suddenly, we each began to glow ourselves—our skin illuminating a golden, radiant light as the gods gifted us their blessing.
Faster than we could blink, the wind ceased, dropping from us instantly, and the lightning vanished as Veli’s words halted.
I sucked in a breath through my nostrils, refusing to break our gazes, as everyone in the crowd remained eerily silentand still, watching the ancient ritual of merging mated souls.
“As a blessing bestowed from the Velyran gods above, I am honored to pronounce the two of you as not only husband and wife but fated mates of the soul. May your lives and love be everlasting. You must now seal your joining by kissing your bride.”
“You will never have to tell me twice,” Jace breathed as he cupped both of my cheeks in his calloused hands and pressed his lips firmly to mine.
My heart melted, and my knees buckled as his hands moved down my body—one supporting the arch of my back as the other was placed on my hip. He twirled me, gently guiding me into a dip beneath our wedding arch, his lips never leaving mine in a soul consuming kiss as everyone around us clapped and cheered.
“Always.”
His voice filled my mind as his mouth remained on me, stunning me as I was held in his arms.
He broke our kiss and gazed down at me with a knowing grin as he held me in the dip. A smile cracked my lips as I realized that the bridge-bonding to each other’s minds had been successful, feeling him and his comforting presence so much more now than I ever had before.
“Always,” I echoed in a whisper.
Chapter forty-nine
Elianna
The hours following theceremony were filled with booming laughter, the clinking of wine goblets, dancing, and kisses snuck beneath the shadows that Veli kindly cast upon us when she sensed privacy was needed.
After a while, we realized we weren’t the only ones sneaking kisses when we thought everyone's eyes lurked elsewhere. Gage and Avery slowly danced beneath the lit torches in the estate's backyard, while Finn and Landon were often found roaming about the outskirts of the gathering, hand-in-hand. As for Veli and Zaela, on the off chance the witch’s shadows weren’t looming over us, it was safe to assume they were covering their maker and another sneaky blonde.
As the night died down, and everyone who had come to attend the celebration for us said their goodbyes, I watched as most of our family drunkenly wandered up to the estate to end the most perfect day.
Lynelle had left with Leon, considering they had been inseparable the entire evening.
Avery twirled gracefully toward me, her dress flowing around her, as Gage and Jace moved through the yard,extinguishing each torch while leaving behind a trail of fading light.
She threw her arms around my shoulders, and we both spun, our giggles echoing through the air as our gowns tangled at our feet.
“How does it feel to be amarriedfemale?” she asked through her laughter.
“Very surreal,” I answered. “I never really considered myself to be the marrying type—Jace, either, for that matter.”
Her smile beamed even more. “And the mind connection?”
I blew out a breath as my own laughter faded. “We’ve been too distracted to do much with it tonight, but I’m sure that will all come in time.”
“Imagine all the things I can say to you…all the plans I have for what I want to do to you, all while they remain oblivious.”
My eyes widened as Jace’s voice filtered through my mind with his promises of sweet taunting. My gaze shot to him from across the yard, and his wicked chuckle echoed through our bond as we made eye contact.
My eyes drifted back to my sister to find her staring at me with a knowing glare.
“Too distracted,” she mocked while her eyebrows fluttered rapidly.
