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Truth.
Ava studied him. “So again, I ask you, where is your failure?”
“You believe that,” he whispered.
“Of course I do.” A half-hearted admonishment sounded in her voice, as though she couldn’t believe he’d be so thick. When she took a step toward him, he didn’t retreat. “I won’t ever lie to my mate.”
“We’re not mated, Ava.”
“You have only to ask.”
“I felt your loathing—your disgust—when you looked at these.” He turned his palm up so his scars were laid bare before her eyes. “Why would you want to link yourself to someone who repulses you?”
“Oh, Remmus.”
She swiftly closed the distance between them and took his forearm in her grip without hesitation. Bending forward, she instantly placed the softest of kisses on the line of scars.
“The loathing you felt was for the ones who made you do it. Not for you. Never for you.”
Truth.
Shocked by her sincerity, Remmus didn’t move when her palms cupped his chin and she drew her mouth over his, claiming him in front of his sovereigns and friends.
The floodgates opened, and he gave into the passion of her kiss, drawing her flush against him. Her subtle curves clashed with the hard panes of his body. Remmus, adrift in a tide of emotion, coiled his arms around her waist possessively to anchor himself.
And just as quickly, her hands linked behind his head, pulling him closer before she retreated and spoke the words he thought he’d never hear. “I love you, Remmus.”
Truth.
To his bruised and broken soul, he’d never heard anything sweeter. All at once, the remaining ice that sheltered his battered heart shattered, unconditionally giving her the keys.
As his side of the mating bond solidified, Ava’s eyes widened. A split second later, her teeth sunk into his neck—right above his parents’ brand.
The mating bond exploded between them, irrevocably linking them together. Connecting deep within their souls, it changed from a whisp of rope to a steel cable. The sky shifted and his world altered.
I love you, Ava.
It’d been the barest whisper of telepathy, but she’d heard it. Her dazzling smile illuminated the room, and the territorial way she held him made him beam. Remmus had a sneaking suspicion the possessiveness would be mutual.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Twenty-three hours later, Ava’s fingertips traced the river inked upon Remmus’ left arm. A pine tree, delicately detailed and incredibly lifelike, spanned all the way up to his elbow, framing the frothy river cascading from snowcapped mountains.
They’d given in to impulse and now were resting off the excess. Remmus, still recovering from his energy drought, was lying next to her under the sheets. One glance at his face made her forget all about sleeping. Blinking at her, his dazzling eyes were cataloging every nuance of this moment.
“Do you recognize it?”
“Recognize what?”
“The mountains. The river. The trees.”
Ava frowned and looked closer. Tracing over the details, a flicker of familiarity tickled her consciousness. She studied the silhouette of the mountains for a moment before sudden clarity sparked.
“This was our home—our river!”
His dimple appeared alongside a lopsided grin. “It’s the day we met.” Seafoam green eyes became distant with memory. “I wanted to remember it, so I inked it on myself.”
Full stop. “Wait—you did this?”
