Page 63 of Ruined Kingdom

The only thing that mattered to me was that I was able to bind myself to Kaine permanently. He’d mentioned to me, as he got in behind me in bed last night, that he intended for us to still bind ourselves to each other. But privately this time.

I just hadn’t expected him to want us to do it the very next day. Warmth spread through my chest as I padded barefoot over the lush carpet to the dress, a small smile playing on my lips.

I tossed any thoughts of the ticking, withering rose by my bedside to the back of the recesses of my mind. I wasn’t going to allow any of my worries to ruin today.

Today, Kaine and I deserved to just be a man and a woman in love, and not have anything else distracting us from one another.

I hopped out of bed and got ready by myself. I was much too excited to wait for anyone to come and help me.

The dress was easy enough to put on since there were fewer layers than the other dresses I’d normally wear.

Tieni entered without knocking, only to find that I was already dressed. Delight spread across her face as she waved me over.

“Come, dear. He’s waiting for you.” She beckoned me, and I didn’t hesitate to follow her. She didn’t lead me to the room we went to before with the stained glass.

I began to question if I had misread the situation and glanced down at my dress as if it held the answer.

Tieni only gave me a sideward smile as if to say, you’ll find out soon enough. Instead, she led me to Kaine’s bedroom and couldn’t help the blush growing on my cheeks.

As she opened the doors, the smell of flowers and expensive oils graced my senses. The room was lit with thousands of candles that made it look like the inside of a lantern.

There, standing in the middle of the room, was Kaine waiting for me. A smile of relief and anticipation stretched across his handsome face upon seeing me, giving me a slow and elaborate head-to-toe glance—approval and hunger glimmering within his eyes.

“Oh, Kaine… It’s beautiful.” I was breathless, looking at what he had done for me. “But what about the room with the stained glass and Helene?”

“That’s just tradition and ritual,” he said, his eyes still taking their time in taking all of me in, as if he was trying to commit this moment to memory. “Believe me, the Goddess doesn’t care about all that. And neither do I. I want to be Bound to you, and I can’t wait any longer. That’s that.” His deep voice had a growl to it that set my blood ablaze.

I looked down at his extended hand, filled to the brim with love and happiness as I put my palm into his.

There wasn’t another hand in this realm that I would ever want more. He squeezed my fingers firmly as if he was thinking the same thing.

I turned to Tieni, who was watching us like a proud mama bear.

“Tieni, I’ve got it from here.” Kaine dismissed her from the room with a confident and slightly mischievous smile.

Her face turned red. “Right! Of course,” she said, giving me one last smile of encouragement before ducking out the door.

I smiled as I heard the lock sliding into place. Tieni wanted to make sure we wouldn’t be disturbed.

“Are you ready?” he whispered to me, drawing me back into him like I was a little boat lost on a raging sea, and he was a lighthouse.

“Yes.” I could barely speak a word.

“Then I shall begin.” He brought my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles before taking my other hand.

“Sophia Everly… My Sophia.” He stared into my eyes, seeming to be losing himself there.

“Yes?” I leaned in, urging him to proceed.

“Goddess help me… I love you so much,” he breathed as if he’d meant to utter it in his head, but then again, maybe he did.

Perhaps I was hearing his thoughts as clearly as I could hear him speak now.

He cleared his throat and brought himself back to me. “This ceremony is known as the Binding of Souls. It is a sacred rite for mates that—our people have done for thousands of years. It’s a custom event most rare and coveted, for not many ever find their mate…”

“Sophia…” He released my left hand and pulled out a white ribbon from his jacket pocket.

I watched as he folded it over our joined hands and recited the most beautiful words I’d ever heard.

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