The betrothal jewels sparkled around her neck and wrist. They refracted the warm, muted glow from the fireplace.

I wasn’t sure how the newly forming bond would react, since the devils claimed she was their mate, but it wasn’t unheard of to have different bonds connecting people.

They’d marked her as their slave and still considered her their mate.

The mere thought of the tattoo filled me with rage, and I breathed deeply as I held Aran close.

Around the room, competitors talked, kissed, danced, fucked, as they mingled.

I couldn’t care less about any of them.

I’d stopped caring about anyone else the minute the exquisite creature with curly blue hair and a pipe between his lips had moped about being chosen to be a recruit.

There’d been something about Aran’s dry sarcasm that entranced me.

When Aran had first arrived at the academy, I’d known immediately that I wanted to be his best friend.

It was probably my separation anxiety from my twin; I’d latched onto the first person I’d met whose energy reminded me of his. Dark, but not stifling and arrogant. A unique and hard combination to find.

Most powerful people were all ego.

Finally, I’d found someone who didn’t take themselves too seriously. Someone funny I could hang out with and who could make this academy seem a little brighter.

I’d trusted my gut and befriended Aran immediately.

It was the best choice I’d made. Ever.

If I was being 100 percent honest, I’d gotten hard around Aran a couple of times while we wrestled and played in bed. I’d been embarrassed and worried I was taking advantage of my best friend, so I’d forced my body to calm down by imagining Lothaire naked. Thankfully, Aran never noticed.

However, it had become quickly clear to me I didn’t view him in a brotherly way.

Especially when Sadie had visited and I’d had to listen to them fucking each other in the shower.

I was generally an easygoing guy.

When Sadie had screamed Aran’s name in the shower, I’d wanted to rip out the short woman’s vocal cords.

Aran was mine. My best friend. No one else’s.

To this day, the sight of Sadie filled me with rage. If I had my way, she’d never lay her hands on Aran ever again. Especially now. After Aran had dropped the enchantment that concealed her true identity, everything had changed.

I hadn’t been hard just sometimes; I’d had a permanent boner in her presence. How could I not?

Aran was the funniest person I’d ever met. I was addicted to his sarcasm and violence.

Then she’d revealed her true face.

Aran had the type of beauty that made artistic geniuses travel across time and space just for the opportunity to spend ten seconds in her presence. She was the definition of a muse.

She was ethereal.

She was hilarious.

She was breathtakingly gorgeous.

She was grumpy and violent.

She was going to be my wife.