For a long breath, Heiko didn’t move. His heart thundered, a primal drum inside his chest. Everything within him, every instinct, every thread of his being, called out to her. And now—she was his. Not by force, not by politics or ritual, but by choice.
He took her face in both hands, reverently. His thumbs brushed her cheeks, and his forehead leaned against hers.
“Then hold on to me,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion, “because this bond is forever.”
And she did.
Their lips met again, not with the urgency of earlier, but with aching reverence. Their kiss was slow, exploring. Her fingers tangled into his hair while his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close until no space existed between them.
The mating bond burned like golden fire beneath their skin.
Heiko lifted
