Seraphina's POV
When Mortimer looked up again, the corners of his eyes were rimmed with a suspicious, raw red.
"Whether Vivian exists or not, the fact that we are locked in a business contract remains unchanged. Since it's a contract, there's an expiration date where this mating bond gets dissolved, isn't there? As soon as we go to the Moon Goddess's temple and erase the mark, we'll go back to being complete strangers."
"No!" Mortimer denied it instantly. His tone was hard, his volume spiking with a desperate edge, almost as if he was aggressively trying to convince himself.
His rationality completely collapsed in that moment. His voice vibrated with a primal, guttural wolf's growl.
"No! The contract can be renewed. We can renew it for a lifetime! I can fully mark you, and make you mi
