Page 123 of The Naga Lord's Pretty Little Mouse

She hesitates, then lifts her chin, her hands curling into fists. "It was the ring," she says, turning to face the crowd. "The artifact I wore blocked the mate bond. That’s why neither of us could feel it before." She lifts her bare hand, where the ring had once been. "But it’s gone now. And Ifeelit. Just as he does."

The lords remain silent, their doubt lingering.

I exhale sharply. Fine. If words are not enough, then I will break their disbelief with something irrefutable.

Turning on my heel, I stride toward the dining hall. The others follow, a silent tide moving in my wake.

Inside, the great table is still laden with remnants of the last meal. I grab the nearest plate, my claws scraping against metal as I lift a piece of roasted meat to my mouth.

I bite down.

Flavor explodes across my tongue.

The taste is indescribable, rich, spiced, warm. The textures unravel in layers of sensation I have long forgotten. It crashes through me in a rush so intense I almost stagger.

Gasps rise around the room.

Foryears, food has been nothing to me. A necessary function. A hollow, tasteless ritual. A symptom of my curse.

But now?

A low sound rumbles in my chest, something primal, something exultant.

Veyros stares at me as if I havetransformedbefore his eyes. "The curse?—"

"Gone," I say, my voice rough. I take another bite, then another, as if to ensure this isn’t some trick. But it is real.

The lords exchange glances, their unease shifting into something wary, something almost reverent.

Seren watches me, her lips parted, her expression unreadable.

I set the plate down and step toward her, reaching for her hand. My fingers encircle her wrist, pulse thrumming against pulse.

"Seren," I murmur, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. "Be my mate."

She inhales sharply.

I tighten my grip, tilting her chin up so she has no choice but to look at me. "Not because fate demands it. Not because our bond is written into our blood. But because Ichooseyou." My claws graze her skin, careful, reverent. "Stand beside me. Rule beside me. Let me claim you, fully, in every way."

Her breath shudders, her lashes trembling.

"Have a ceremony with me," I continue, voice dark with promise. "Let me make it official. Let the world see what you are to me."

She stares at me for a long moment, and I wonder,has she already decided?

A slow smile spreads across her lips.

"Yes," she whispers.

A roar erupts from deep inside me, a sound of pure, unrestrainedvictory.

I claim her mouth in a searing kiss, my arms locking around her, my tail curling around her waist. She melts into me, her fingers tangling in my hair, grippingmejust as fiercely.

The bond sings between us, stronger than ever.

I vow, nothing, no one, will ever take her from me again.

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