“But,” he continued softly, “while I recognize my shortcomings, I also realize that with you they don’t exist. You’re the only one I want in my life, Caro. And I will fight for you—for us—throughout eternity, if you’ll have me.”

Three thousand years was a long time to be alive. He understood his preferences better than most, knew what he loved about life, what he hated, what he enjoyed, and what he craved. And Caro ticked every box for him.

She encouraged him to laugh. She enthralled him both inside and outside the bedroom. She fought him. She didn’t fear him. She refused to yield to him.

Two months was a blink of an eye, but when one lived as long as Sethios, one learned how to read situations quickly. And Caro intrigued him in a way few ever had.

Eternity with her wouldn’t be easy, but he didn’t want easy. He wanted a challenge. He craved a partner who could put him in his place and excite him at the same time.

Caro embodied everything he desired and more. That their bond would enhance his ability to protect Astasiya was a significant bonus. How could he refuse such an opportunity?

“Bond with me, Caro.” He cupped her cheek. “If you’ll have me forever?”

21

Blood Bonds

Caro’s heart stopped beating. “You want the blood bond?”

She felt certain he would refuse, or worse, laugh at her. But as with everything Sethios did, he surprised her yet again.

He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

“Because of Astasiya?” She knew it was a very real possibility and accepted that outcome, yet she held her breath while waiting for him to respond.

“Because of you,” he replied, his lips a whisper away from hers. “Because of us. This isn’t short-term, Caro. It never was.” His palms burned against her cheeks as he cradled her face. “We created a life together and, in the process, formed something far more powerful between us. You gifted me an experience I never knew I wanted.”

Sensation thickened her throat, causing her eyes to burn. She hadn’t realized how much she craved a connection with him until he agreed. It felt right, as if fate herself encouraged the union.

She swallowed, the world slowing around her. “The bond is similar to a marriage, only far more intense and eternal. Nothing can break it, not even a Seraphim as strong as you.”

His lips tilted upward into a breathtaking smile. “I thought I was an abomination. Not a Seraphim.”

She placed her palm over his chest. “You’re Seraphim enough to me.”

He might not have wings or the ability to mist, but power radiated from him like a beacon. And he drew her to him in unspeakable ways.

“You’re better than a Seraphim,” she clarified softly. He took care of her, taught her how to feel, introduced her to pleasure, and gifted her a beautiful daughter—one she could feel smiling through the familial bond. “You’ve changed me irrevocably, and I have no desire to return to my former self.”