Page 18 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

Aelia nodded.

“If he was good to her, I’m worried I will resent her for it. But if I found the latter, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Tharan’s heart ached for the woman he loved so much. Her pain was his pain. “Your feelings are valid, Aelia, but that was five years ago. You’ve moved on.”

Her gaze softened upon him as she cupped his face in her hand.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t let old feelings get the better of me. The pain is duller now, more a memory of a wound than the wound itself.”

He laid a kiss on her forehead.

“I hope I can help you to heal those wounds.”

She leaned into his kiss, her body relaxing beneath his lips.

“But there is something I want to discuss,” he said.

“Oh?” She took another swig of whiskey.

“Well, two things…”

“Go on.”

“First, I think you should have Elrida lay hands on you. She is ancient and can sense spells. If your mother bound your power, she may be able to tell.”

Aelia inhaled deeply.

“I suppose that is a reasonable ask. What’s the other?”

Tharan pulled her onto his lap, so she was straddling him.

“I have seen the way you look at Caiden. I know you still harbor feelings for him. It’s only natural.”

She bit her lip, and her eyes flitted to the floor. Tharan could feel her body tense on top of his.

He pushed a stray hair behind her ear.

“I want to make you mine. I want us to bind our hands in the sacred ceremony so that our souls may find one another in the next life, but I want to make sure you are ready for such a commitment. So, if you want to be with Caiden, I will not stop you. But once I claim you, once we consummate our binding, you will be marked as mine, and I will defend what is mine at all costs.”

Aelia swallowed hard; indecision plastered across her face. “I’ve never heard you speak like this before.”

Tharan’s eyes stared over her shoulder.

“It is part of the way of the Alder King. We have a primal nature. Our power comes with a price.”

Aelia stroked his chin lovingly, forcing their eyes to meet.

“Caiden is my past. You are my future. But it may take some time for me to let go of him fully.”

His gaze softened upon her, drinking her in. The ache of love grew in his chest. Even her scars were beautiful.

“I have nothing but time. Take as long as you need. After we are bound, I will not share you, but if you wanted to, I would share you with him for one last night. Together.”

Her cheeks reddened.

“He doesn’t even know who I am.”

“It does not mean his heart does not remember.” It pained Tharan to say those words, to think about losing Aelia to Caiden, but it was her choice.

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