Page 33 of Ruined Kingdom

“Are you sure? You might regret binding yourself to me later on.” Her lips trembled as she spoke.

I couldn’t even fathom the thought of regretting her. “Never. Not if it's you.”

By the Goddess, this is torture! My heart hangs in the balance, and Sophia’s apprehensions are only becoming more apparent.

Then she took my hand in hers and raised it to her chest. “You’re a foolish man.”

“How do you account for that?”

“Don’t you know already? Can’t you feel how my heart only beats for you?” Tears filled her eyes as her heartbeat quickened. “I’m yours. I’ve always been yours.”

I released the stale air in my lungs as I moved my arm around her waist and drew her into me.

My mouth pressed against her, and I could taste the honey on her tongue.

How can someone taste like honey? I found myself wondering at the back of my mind.

The idea made me famished, I could just eat her right up, but we had things to do.

The sun eclipsed beyond the horizon, shrouding us in night.

The moon hung in the sky, so close that it looked like it would collide with us. It was a full moon tonight. This was a special night.

I didn’t feel the need to shift tonight, which I suspected was because Helene was giving me a helping hand in suppressing it.

“This ceremony—” Sophia made sure to look away from me before she began speaking, and my heart skipped a beat. Did she change her mind? “— it’s like a wedding?”

I relaxed once more as a smile stretched across my face. “I suppose the wedding is the closest thing mortals have to it, but it’s much deeper. There’s no turning back after it's done.”

“I don’t think there was any turning back from the moment I met you.” She rolled her eyes over to me playfully.

“Good to know.” My voice deepened. Then I leaned closer to her. “It would make it difficult to ravage you if you were trying to run away from me.”

Her shoulders stiffened suddenly.

Her heart was beating so ferociously that I could hear it pounding against her ribs.

I imagined her body coiling with excitement. I had to calm myself, but I wanted to run my hands over her body again … and feel her soft skin against mine. I placed my hand over my heart, feeling how wildly it was beating.

Her tongue ran across her dry lips nervously. “When will the ceremony take place?”

“Tonight is a supermoon. There is no better time than when I am at my most powerful.” I explained, expecting her to panic or feel that it was too sudden, but instead, she turned to me and smiled.

“It’s certainly a lovely evening for it.” Her eyes didn’t hold an ounce of trepidation this time as they met mine.

Even now, I still underestimate her courage.

9

SOPHIA

Kaine led me from the garden where Tieni and the others were waiting to whisk me away. They took my arms and led me in the opposite direction of Kaine.

I didn’t question it until I found we were going down an unfamiliar part of the castle. “Where are we going?”

“You need a dress, don’t you?” one of the maids whispered to me.

I looked at Tieni, but her mind was preoccupied with something else. “Am I not to be dressed in my room?”

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