Thank You #3
Meanwhile my attention stayed completely fixed on mine. He stood beside me in ceremonial black threaded with silver fire while shadows curled softly around his hands like living things responding to him instinctively. And that felt more overwhelming.
The council already waited beneath towering silver arches wearing ancient ceremonial robes while silver flames reflected across the massive palace halls. The entire kingdom had gathered for this. And my heartbeat started acting like a bitch again.
My demon noticed.
“You’re nervous.”
“That feels accusatory.”
“It sounded fond.”
Rude. Unfortunately, he was also completely accurate. Then his voice softened, quiet enough that only I could hear him when he spoke again,
“You can still stop this at any moment.”
The words hit harder now.
Because even here, with an entire kingdom waiting, with soul bonds and ancient rituals prepared, he still gave me a choice first.
I reached for his hand.
“No.”
Something in his expression softened after that.
Then the ceremonial doors opened.The sound that erupted from the kingdom below nearly shook the palace itself.Silver fire exploded across the terraces while ancient bells echoed through Hell beneath the night sky. And together, we walked forward.
The ceremony moved quickly after that. Ancient vows echoed through the palace halls while glowing silver markings spread beneath our feet with every step closer toward the center platform.
The atmosphere shifted afterward. Heavier. Sacred. Because now came the true bond. The moment royal demons feared most. Vulnerability.
The entire kingdom fell silent.Even the fire stopped moving.Then slowly,my demon stepped toward me. And to the visible shock of half the council, he lowered himself onto one knee before me willingly.
The palace gasped collectively. Because the princes of Hell did not kneel.
Ever.
But he was completely unconcerned about the thousands of witnesses watching him surrender the one thing demons protected most carefully.
Himself.
His hands wrapped gently around mine while silver shadows curled softly around us both. The world disappeared around us. No palace. No kingdom. No audience. Just him. His forehead rested lightly against mine before he whispered softly enough that nobody else in existence heard it:
“Your husband's name, remember in your soul my love , ‘Kaelith Vaerion’.”
The bond surged through me instantly, but it wasn’t the pain or the power that hit hardest. It was him.
Every guarded part of him opened against my soul all at once until I could feel everything he’d kept buried for so long.
Emotion. Memory. Love strong enough to steal the breath straight from my lungs.
God, tears burned behind my eyes instantly because I finally understood what this really was. It wasn’t surrender born from weakness. It was trust so complete it felt terrifying, and he had placed it in my hands willingly.
Silver markings ignited across my skin beneath the ceremonial fabric while warmth spread through my chest like living fire. The entire kingdom erupted afterward. Silver flames spiraled violently through the night sky while demons below screamed celebrating beneath the palace balconies.
But I barely heard any of it. Because my demon was still looking at me like he’d finally stopped surviving love and started accepting it instead. Then softly, through the completed bond now connecting us completely, his voice moved directly through my soul.
“Now there is nowhere in existence you could go where I would not find you.”
Nina POV
The second Eva’s ceremony ended, the entire kingdom completely lost its stability.
Silver fire exploded across the palace terraces while demons below screamed celebrating loud enough to shake the towers themselves. Honestly? Good for them. Meanwhile I had a significantly more immediate problem.My ceremony was next. And I was terribly sweating.
Beside me, my demon seemed entirely too entertained by this realization while the council desperately tried reorganizing themselves into ceremonial professionalism again. Unsuccessful effort to be fair.
Mostly because several rulers were still quite recovering from watching the future king of Hell kneel publicly for love.
One elder looked ready to resign permanently.
Meanwhile my demon stepped closer toward me beneath the silver firelight. Which was a very dangerous mistake. Because every time he looked directly at me lately, my brain started malfunctioning aggressively.
“You’re staring again,” I informed him.
“You’re beautiful.”
“That sounded rehearsed.”
“It sounded true.”
Rude. But, it worked on me anyway.
The palace quieted afterward while ancient symbols ignited brighter beneath the ceremonial platform around us. And the atmosphere shifted. Because this was the real moment now. The true bond. The terrifying royal secret demons guarded more carefully than kingdoms.
Then my demon moved directly in front of me. No teasing this time. No smug flirting. Just complete focus settling onto me hard enough to make my heartbeat betray me instantly.
Then, unexpectedly, he smiled just a little, and the expression was reckless enough to make my heart trip over itself.
“You’re nervous.”
“I’m considering escaping.”
“You’d come back.”
That answer hit harder than expected. Because annoyingly, he was right. Before I could recover, his hands settled gently against my waist while silver shadows curled around us both. Immediately several council members looked scandalized.
One older ruler whispered: “Oh for the love of…..”
My demon ignored them completely. Then he pulled me closer directly against his chest instead of standing properly apart for the ceremony. The palace collectively gasped again.
“This feels illegal,” I whispered.
“That improves the experience.”
“You are impossible.”
“And still you love me .”
Then he rested his forehead gently against mine, and the entire kingdom seemed to disappear around us. The palace, the council, the screaming crowds outside, all of it faded until there was nothing left except him. Then, quietly enough that only I could hear it, he whispered:
“Lucien Vaerion.”
The bond crashed through me instantly afterward, and this time it wasn’t only power I felt.
It was him in every possible way. Chaos tangled with devotion, desire wrapped around something so overwhelming it nearly stole the breath from my lungs.
Beneath all the flirting, the teasing, and every smug comment he hid behind, there was something devastatingly sincere waiting underneath it all.
Something ancient. Unshakable. He trusted me completely. Me.
The realization hurt me in the worst possible way. Then silver markings ignited across my skin beneath the ceremonial fabric while warmth spread through my chest like living fire.
The kingdom erupted around us afterward. But I barely noticed. Because my demon was still looking at me like I’d ruined his entire existence in the best possible way.
I swallowed once before whispering shakily:
“…That is still the hottest thing anyone has ever done to me.”
He laughed softly against my mouth before kissing me hard enough to destroy at least half the council instantly. Again. One elder sat down immediately.
Meanwhile, Eva was absolutely laughing at me. Traitor.
Then through the completed bond, his voice moved warmly through my soul:
“You are going to make eternity disastrously entertaining.”
Chapter 37
Kaelith POV
The palace celebration still roared somewhere far below our chambers. And thousands of demons celebrated the completed bonds across the city beneath us.
But the second the doors closed behind us, the entire world narrowed down to her.
My wife.
Eva barely made it three steps into the room before turning toward me. And lord, the mating marks glowing faintly beneath silver ceremonial fabric nearly snapped whatever remained of my coherent thoughts. The bond pulsed violently the second she looked at me.
Mine. She was mine now completely. The realization hit harder now. Eva watched me carefully for one long second before stepping closer.
“You’re staring again.”
Because she was beautiful. Because silver fire reflected across her skin like the kingdom itself had marked her sacred. Because I could still feel my true name wrapped around her soul now. And because I could not stop touching her anymore apparently.
She noticed the exact moment my attention dropped toward the glowing mating marks near her collarbone. Then very intentionally, she reached up and loosened one silver clasp holding the ceremonial fabric around her shoulders.
The heavy material slipped lower instantly. My thoughts stopped functioning properly.
Eva’s mouth twitched slightly.
“You do look emotionally constipated.”
I crossed the room before she finished the sentence. One hand caught her waist hard enough to pull her directly against me while the other pressed against the wall beside her head. The silver flames around the chamber reacted instantly. Shadows curled violently across the ceiling.
And my wife just smiled innocently.
“You did that on purpose.”
“Yes.”
The mischief in her eyes betrayed her innocent smile. And that made it worse.
She reached for the ceremonial collar around my throat before dragging me down toward her mouth hard enough to make the bond flare painfully hot through my chest. The kiss turned dangerous. Her hands sliding into my hair while my grip tightened instinctively against her waist.
The bond reacted violently every time she touched me. Especially when she whispered softly against my mouth:
“Kaelith.”
The room nearly shook. I buried my face briefly against her neck with a low curse. Eva laughed softly under her breath.
She actually laughed. But the sound of her laughter made my chest feel full.
“You like hearing it.”
That was not the point. Unfortunately the bond betrayed me by flooding warmth straight through her. Traitorous magic.
Her smile widened instantly afterward.
“Oh my God.”
“This bond is deeply invasive.”
“It’s hilarious.”
Rude.