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“Oh my God!” My limbs felt like lead, but somehow I dragged my slack body off the bed to look at him properly. “Are you serious?” I probed at the tender spot inside me where this new feeling sat.

“I am,” he told me in a stilted tone.

“Do you hate it?” Damn, I sounded wobbly and upset. I felt like it, too.

“What?” my Raven sat up, too, hands gripping my shoulders. “I don’t hate the bond or you. Never. I just…I’m sorry. I should have been more careful, this…”

“Baby, look at me.”

His dark eyes met mine. It cost him more than I expected.

“I promise you, I didn’t know how to establish a bond. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. Damn it, Raven. You are mine, with or without the mate bond. And I’m not sad about it. It feels great, and I love this. I love you.”

You’re rambling, Arne!

“Guess you’re stuck with me now.”

There was no turning back if Nate was right. He’d told me about his and Vee’s mate bond—in painful detail—while out drinking one time. Once forged, the mate bond stayed in place until you died.

This is forever. Damn, does he have second thoughts?

“Oh, no, Princess. Don’t even think that.” Max gave me a stern look. “I regret nothing,ever, where you are concerned.” He stroked my cheek, trailing his fingers down to cup my jaw.

“What is it, then?” I whispered, not trusting my voice as the confused feelings swirled through my mind unfiltered.

Is this how he feels?

I focused on the one I recognised. It was fluid and warm, like a warm shower. Like his kisses. I imagined taking hold of it so we’d be connected.

“Thank you, Princess,” he whispered. “Yes, you are right. This is the most important feeling. You are human, though, not like me. I was just thinking about what would happen if you didn’t want the bond anymore.”

“Oh, Raven. You aren’t getting out of this one. And you know me. Whatever I do, I do with all of my heart, and my heart wantsyou.”

Parting ways with him after this was hard. I yearned for him as soon as he’d left.

Max: I miss you, too

Max: let’s be strong together

Max: the next months will fly by and we won’t have to hide anymore

Max: we can do this

He’s telling himself as much as me.

Arne: I love you so much

Arne: we can do this and it’ll all be worth it

Arne: I’d wait eighty years to be with you

Thirty-four

Max

It sucked to wake up in my own bed without a warm Viking in my arms. I still contemplated if the need to pee was urgent enough to get up when my phone made a little blip. Only one person’s messages got past my sleep focus.Princess.I picked up the phone and unlocked it.