Page 105 of Monster's Pretty Bride

A roar of approval erupts, the villagers cheering, clapping, laughing.

But all I feel is him.

His arms wrap around me, lifting me against him as he devours my lips, as if he can’t get close enough.

I hear their voices, but they are nothing compared to the thunder of my own pulse.

This moment. This choice.

This future.

Naranus grins against my lips, his forehead pressing to mine. “You’re mine now, little purna, my bride.”

I laugh, breathless. “And you’re mine, warlord.”

And with the stars watching over us, with our people cheering, celebrating, believing.

We begin.

47

ERYSS

The moon hangs huge and luminous, casting its glow over the village like an ancient guardian, watching, waiting.

The villagers gather in the clearing, forming a wide circle around the sacred stones where the ritual will take place. The heart of the village.

They whisper in excitement, their eyes shining with anticipation. Children clutch their parents' hands, their wide-eyed innocence making my chest tighten. I never thought this moment would come, not for me.

Yet, here I stand, at the edge of a destiny I never imagined.

The aroma of burning sage and wildflowers drifts through the air, mingling with the smoke from the towering bonfire crackling in the village. It flickers with a golden glow, casting shifting shadows over the expectant crowd.

I feel him.

Naranus.

He steps forward from the other side of the clearing, bathed in silver light. His golden eyes lock onto mine, his expression unreadable, but his power hums across the space between us, wrapping around me like a whisper of heat.

The villagers fall silent.

The village elder steps forward, her face lined with wisdom, her weathered hands steady as she raises a bowl of blessed water to the sky. "Tonight, under the eyes of the gods, under the witness of the land and the stars, two souls become one."

My throat tightens.

Naranus walks toward me, each step deliberate. The crowd parts for him, the villagers bowing their heads as he passes. His people may be gone, but they have been replaced with a new kind of kin, humans who now call him their own.

He stops in front of me, gaze unwavering, as if he can see straight into my soul. Maybe he can.

We stand together.

Magic crackles in the air, responding to the moment, to the power of what is being forged between us.

“Eryss.” His voice is rough, raw, and so achingly deep. “Are you ready?”

My lips part, but words fail me.

Ready?

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