Page 44 of Claimed By the Alien Prince
Her shoulders relax slightly, but uncertainty still clings to her like the humidity in the air. She turns back to me, searching my face for reassurance. “You really think we’re mated? That this is fate?”
“There is no doubt in my mind.” My words hang between us, weighted with conviction.
“Really?” she asks, brow furrowing as if grappling with the absurdity of it all.
I nod, feeling the truth of it surge through me like the energy coursing through these ancient trees. “I never thought I would be mated to anyone—never imagined being bound like this. Marriage? It seemed like a distant obligation for others.”
Carys’s expression shifts from doubt to intrigue, and I can see her trying to piece together the puzzle of us.
“Then why?” she presses gently.
“Because it never felt right before.” The admission rolls off my tongue without hesitation. “I've been with women before—only out of duty or expectation—but none ever ignited anything in me.”
I watch her reaction closely, noting the way her eyes widen slightly as she processes my confession.
“But you…” I continue, closing the space between us just enough for intimacy to crackle in the air. “You unlock something inside me—a desire and need I didn’t even know existed.”
She blinks slowly, taking it in as if testing the weight of my words against reality. “This isn’t just some Kiphian ritual or instinct?”
“No,” I say firmly, reaching for her hand and intertwining our fingers. Her warmth floods through me—a sensation both foreign and familiar. “This is real. This is you.”
Carys studies me, weighing my sincerity against her skepticism. Then a hint of a smile dances on her lips—a small spark that threatens to blossom into something more.
“You make it sound so simple,” she murmurs.
“It is simple,” I reply softly. “What we have… It’s not just fate; it’s inevitable.”
I watch her, the way her brows knit together in that adorable, thoughtful way. “You’re telling me this is destiny?” Carys asks, skepticism lacing her voice.
I smirk, unable to help it. “Is that disbelief I hear? I thought you were a scientist.”
“Exactly! Science doesn’t dabble in ‘destiny.’ It’s all variables and hypotheses.” She shakes her head, curls bouncing as she gestures emphatically. “And here you are, throwing around words like ‘mate’ and ‘fate’ as if they mean anything concrete.”
“It means everything to my people,” I counter, the weight of tradition anchoring my words. “Jalshagar is sacred among us. It binds lives together through bonds deeper than mere choice.”
She narrows her eyes, a playful challenge igniting in their depths. “So what if I don’t believe in fate? What does that make us?”
“Complicated,” I reply with a hint of mischief. “But perhaps we can find a middle ground.”
She chuckles softly, the sound melting something rigid inside me. “Middle ground sounds more reasonable than ‘sacred bond.’”
I lean closer, captivated by her spirit. “What do you believe then?”
Carys hesitates for a moment before speaking, the sincerity in her voice grounding us both. “I believe in you.”
Her admission strikes me like an arrow to the heart—unexpected and precise. The tension between us shifts from playful debate to something more profound.
“You believe in me?” I echo, wanting to savor the taste of those words.
“I do,” she continues, meeting my gaze with fierce honesty. “Whatever this is—whatever we have—whether it’s some cosmic joke or actual connection… I don’t want to lose it.”
Her vulnerability pulls at something deep within me, compelling me to reach out and tuck a loose curl behind her ear—a simple gesture that feels loaded with meaning.
“Carys…” My voice softens as I let her words settle between us. “You won’t lose me.”
“But how can you promise that?” she asks, the hint of worry creeping back into her tone.
“Because,” I say firmly, holding her gaze steady with mine. “This isn’t just about fate or bonds; it’s about choice too. And right now? My choice is you.”
