“I do,” he replied, stealing a kiss. “With all my heart, I do.”
Hope sparked within me. “Does that mean you want to—”
“Gods, yes.” He claimed my lips, silencing my doubts before I even had the chance to give them voice.
He released me just long enough to unclasp my cloak. He spread it on the ground as if it were made of the finest fabric, kneeling on the rough wool before pulling me down next to him. My heart thudded faster and faster as I stared at him, until I was certain if it sped up any further, I would pass out. So many emotions flowed through me all at once that I barely knew how to handle them. Daegal was looking at me with so much affection that it felt like my heart would burst. Already, tears gathered in my eyes, as though my body was preparing for the emotional onslaught to come.
Apparently, not only was I a terrible warrior, but I was going to cry during what might have been the most important moment in my life.
My Fortune Elf murmured, “Ryllae, ever since—” His words dried up as my tears made their escape, running down my cheeks. He lifted a finger, rubbing them away with the pad of his thumb. “Don’t cry, love.”
I sniffled. “I can’t help it. I’m sorry.”
My emotions seemed determined to get the better of me.
“Princess, don’t apologize. Don’t ever apologize to me.” The tears came faster, and he wiped them away as he kept speaking. “Ryllae, ever since the moment I first laid eyes on you in Nightstone Prison, I knew there was something between us.” He laced our fingers together, raising our joined hands to his lips. His breath brushed over my knuckles, and I shivered. “Every single day since then, getting to know you has been the greatest experience of my life.”
My mouth opened, and I drew in a shaky breath. “I know I’m probably not what you expected in a mate—”
“You’re what I want,” he said firmly.
“Tears and all?” I asked, hiccuping.
“Tears and all, he confirmed. Pulling me towards him, he kissed me. “You’re what I need.” He punctuated every word with a kiss, and I melted in his hands. “I don’t want anyone else, Ryllae. Just you. Today. Forever.”
My Heart was on the Line
DAEGAL
My heart, that life-giving organ of mine, had never beat so hard in my entire life. Ryllae’s gaze, as blue as the depth of the sea, met mine and I forgot to breathe. The world stopped as she gazed into my eyes. She was myeverything. My heart. My soul. My other half.
I hoped.
Ryllae opened her mouth, and my gaze traveled to those lips, staying there. I had laid myself out to her, and now, all I could do was wait. I wanted her. Ineededher more than anything else in the world.
She was my mate. Fated to be mine, if she chose. I’d suspected as much for a long time, known it since we left the merfolk in the Indigo Ocean, but Ryllae hadn’t been ready. Now, it seemed that was no longer the case.
I kneeled in front of her, forcing myself to be patient. For her to tell me she would be mine and that she felt the same way. A rock dug into my knee, the cloak doing little to soften the hard ground, but I didn’t care.
Did she know I would give her anything she asked for? Do anything for her?
Ryllae’s crimson aura pulsed, and her lips parted as she drew in a deep breath. I tracked every single movement, every breath, every sound as I gazed deep into her eyes.
“Daegal,” she whispered, running her hand down my chest before placing it over my heart once again, “my sweet Fortune Elf. I want you, too.”
The words left her lips, lifting a weight off my chest that I didn’t know existed. It was as though I could breathe again. The cool, cavernous air tasted different. Like freedom and the future, mixed together. I couldn’t have stopped the smile that stretched across my face, even if I tried. Hugging my Death Elf to me, I breathed in her scent. She smelled like the darkest, crispest night air right after a rainstorm. Fresh. Invigorating.
Mine.
“Truly?” I asked, unable to stop myself from kissing her.
Ryllae smiled against my lips, pulling back just enough to whisper, “You’re my mate.”
Hearing those words come out of Ryllae’s mouth waseverything.The sense of renewed life flooded through me. My lungs expanded. My heart skipped a beat. Even my magic, which was usually a constant, steady hum in my veins, sang.
“Gods, that sounds so good,” I said on a groan.
This time, Ryllae surged forward. She kissed me with a passion that spoke of the mating bond between us. The hand that had been against my heart moved down, exploring my chest and stomach.