(Elias POV)
The ring sat heavy on my finger, though it wasn't weight that I felt—it was something deeper, something intangible. The moment I slid it onto my hand, I could sense the connection humming between us like a taut string stretched across the cosmos.
Evernight stood before me, her own ring glinting faintly in the dim light. The way she regarded it—her gaze lingering on the intricate design of shadow and fog—sent a strange thrill through me. Was she pleased? Amused? Or perhaps… moved?
Her expression betrayed nothing, yet her presence pressed against me like velvet wrapped around steel. Every breath I took felt charged with her essence, as though the air itself had been saturated by her will.
"You surprise me," she said finally, her voice low and melodic like the murmur of midnight winds. "Few mortals would dare to bind themselves to a goddess. Fewer still would succeed."
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure under her piercing gaze. "It wasn't about daring,"
Her lips curved into a slow smile, and for a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in her eyes—something warm, something human. But just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, replaced by the infinite depths of galaxies swirling within her irises.
She stepped closer then, her movements fluid and deliberate, until the space between us was almost nonexistent. I could feel the heat radiating from her skin—not physical heat but the kind that seeped into your soul and left you trembling in its wake.
Her fingers brushed against mine lightly as she reached for the ring again, tracing its edges with an almost reverent touch. "Do you understand what this means?" she asked softly, her voice carrying an edge of warning beneath its silkiness.
I met her gaze head-on, refusing to flinch despite the weight of her presence bearing down on me. "I understand that I'm yours," I said simply. "And you're mine."
Her smile widened slightly at my boldness—an expression that was equal parts amusement and approval—and when she laughed softly under her breath… it felt like victory.
"You are bold," she murmured, tilting her head as though studying me anew. "Perhaps too bold for your own good."
"Bold enough to love you," I countered without hesitation.
The words hung between us like a challenge—a declaration that neither of us could ignore—and for a moment, silence reigned.
Then—
She moved suddenly, closing the remaining distance between us in one fluid motion. Her hands came to rest on my chest—not forceful but firm enough to make me acutely aware of every inch of space she occupied.
"You speak of love so easily," she said softly, her voice dropping to a near whisper that sent shivers racing down my spine. "But do you truly understand what it means to love me?"
I opened my mouth to respond but faltered when her fingers slid upward—tracing the lines of my collarbone with maddening precision before coming to rest lightly against my jaw.
Her touch was electric—sending sparks racing through my skin and leaving me breathless in ways I couldn't begin to explain—and when she leaned in closer…
I forgot how to breathe entirely.
"Love is not gentle," she continued, her lips mere inches from mine now. "It is not kind or forgiving."
Her words burned into me like brands—searing truths that left no room for denial—and when she finally closed the distance between us…
Her lips were softer than I expected—warm and inviting despite their danger—and yet there was nothing gentle about the way she kissed me.
It was fierce and consuming—a collision of wills that left no room for hesitation—and when her hands tangled in my hair… I surrendered completely.
The world around us faded into nothingness as shadows coiled tightly around our forms—wrapping us in their embrace like living things eager to witness our union—and when she pressed closer still…
I felt myself unravel beneath her touch.
(Evernight POV)
He tasted like fire—like life burning bright against the cold expanse of eternity—and though I had kissed mortals before… none had ever made me feel this way.
His boldness intrigued me; his passion burned through every wall I had carefully constructed over centuries; his very existence challenged everything I thought I knew about myself.
And yet…
When our lips met again—deeper this time—I found myself wanting more.
More of his warmth. More of his fire. More of him.
It was maddening—the way he made me feel human despite my divinity—but it was also exhilarating in ways I couldn't begin to explain.
Perhaps his wish had truly bound us together in ways even I couldn't comprehend yet.
Perhaps…
I loved him already.