I nodded and repeated the vows, but as I spoke something sparked inside me. A recognition of sorts. Not memory. Not exactly. The feeling wasn’t my mind. It dwelled in my heart.
Gods, myheart. Something still stirred there.
Kaem turned to Wolfe again. “Il lanun adair. Arundair, mellor, ilumeniene. Na mienene.”Then, in the common tongue, he said,“I take thee as my mate. From this day forward you will carry my name. From here and into the afterlife. I am yours and you are mine.”
Wolfe spoke the words without hesitation,his eyes locked on mine.His voice seemed to linger on the words:from here and into the afterlife.
When I was little, Grandmother told me that when the Fae marry, it was forever. Not until death. Forever. I never imagined that fate would choose me to become the mate of a Fae prince.
Kaem turned to me again. “Il lanun adair. Arundair, mellor, ilumeniene. Na mienene. I take thee as my mate. From this day forward I will carry your name. From here and into the afterlife. I am yours and you are mine.”
I spoke the words.
Sirril came forth as soon as I finished, presenting a satin cushion bearing two Fae-forged rings. The metal shimmered like sunlight caught in water, etched with runes so fine they seemed to shift when I tried to focus on them.
“Please exchange your rings,” Kaem instructed with a gentle nod.
Wolfe took mine and slid it onto my finger. I did the same to him.
“By the laws between relms,” Kaem declared, “this union stands for all eternity.”
“La níyneria, a mun dair," Wolfe said to Kaem.
"La níyneria,” Kaem replied then addressed us both. “By the Gods, I now declare you mated.”
Everyone cheered, happiness rippling all around.
It was done.Wegot married.
The thought made my head spin, but when Wolfe stared back at me it was as if my very soul knew his, even when my mind did not.
“You may seal the bond with a kiss.” Kaem spread his arms wide.
Wolfe leaned in, his dark hair gleaming like a raven’s wing in the sun. Those eyes, the color of winter storms over deep water, held mine with an intensity that made my pulse stutter. There was something almost brutal in his beauty.
He closed the distance between us and I did not hesitate.
Our lips touched gently at first—almost reverent. Then he deepened the kiss, anchoring me in this moment. I leaned into him, feeling like I’d stepped through a doorway I’d been circling since we left Morgäven.
His hand tightened beneath the binding, pulling us closer and he pressed his thumb into my palm. The touch felt like a promise spoken without words.
When he finally drew back, he didn’t let me go.
He pressed his forehead to mine, caressing my cheek with his free hand.
“Ziyka,” he whispered over my skin. “You are mine, always. And I will never let you go.”
He gave my hand a gentle squeeze.
And I laced my fingers through his.
Chapter 37
Elariya
“Of Hopes Renewed”
Wolfe closed the door to my chamber with a soft click, sealing us away from the rest of the castle.
