Chapter 102 The Golden Ring

Chapter 102 The Golden Ring
\- Queen Heminica’s POV -
“My Queen... will you marry me?” he asked with love and hope in his eyes, while showing me a golden ring with a silver diamond that shimmered brightly in the red elegant box.
My heart kept beating so loud, my whole system running wild, and I was speechless. I didn’t even know what to say.
I just got crowned as a queen. I haven’t even done my first duty or my first responsibility, but now, my mate is already proposing to me?
Damn. How I wanted to say yes. My whole soul screamed for it. But still, a lot of things worried me.
I looked at my mom and dad, searching for answers. To my surprise, they were both smiling, as if they already knew this would happen. I was confused—too confused. A thousand thoughts kept racing inside my head, questions without answers, and I wanted those answers badly. Why would Dad smile when he hated vampires? He had been killing them for the past five years, without mercy, and now… oh damn, what was happening?
I wanted to say yes. Oh god, I wanted to say it so badly. My wolf kept jumping and howling in joy inside of me while I stood frozen on my spot, still speechless. I stared at Simone again, and his eyes held so much hope, so much love that it tore me apart.
“Love?” he asked once again. But this time, his voice carried sadness, and his eyes were bloodshot with desperation.
I bit my lip, hesitating. I absolutely wanted to say yes. But I was no longer just Heminica, I was now Queen of the werewolf race. I couldn’t just think about myself. I had to think of everyone, of the common good.
Again, I looked at my father, silently begging for permission. He nodded with a smile on his lips. Despite my confusion, I looked back to Simone, who seemed so agitated, so close to breaking. I gave him a smile.
“Yes, I’ll marry you, Simone.” I finally said, my voice trembling but firm. I extended my hand to him, and his eyes glistened in pure happiness.
He immediately slid the ring onto my finger, and in the next second he was on his feet, pulling me into his arms.
“Thank you, Heminica… thank you. I will cherish you forever. I love you.” His voice broke against my ear as he hugged me tighter, as if he never wanted to let me go again.
I hugged him back with all my strength, closing my eyes as the feeling of holding my mate overwhelmed me. My heartbeat skyrocketed, pounding against my chest like it wanted to escape, and my whole system kept running wild. Damn. This wasn’t normal anymore. I felt like I would break down any second, showing all my weakness, but with him, it didn’t matter.
“I love you too…” I whispered, my voice weak but full of truth.
After some time, he pulled away just enough to look at me. His eyes… gods, his eyes stared at me with something I couldn’t fully decipher, but I knew one thing—it held love and endless longing. I felt swallowed, consumed, by those two dark orbs that belonged only to me.
He cupped my cheek gently, his touch burning into my skin, and I couldn’t suppress the pleasure rushing inside of me. His gaze dropped to my lips, and his thumb rested on my lower lip. My breath caught. Shit. I couldn’t stop staring at his red, plump lips. They were so tempting, too tempting.
He licked his lips, and his fangs glistened. Damn. Instead of fear, I found it so… sexily hot. Oh shit. Something inside me screamed to kiss him, while my whole body burned from a cause I didn’t understand.
“You’re so beautiful, love. And I’m the luckiest man in the whole world.” He whispered, but my eyes refused to leave his lips. The way they moved, the way they looked so soft, like sugared fruit, almost made me crazy. Damn, the pleasure rushing through me was unbearable—and he hadn’t even done anything yet.
I was a vampire now… but how could I feel this kind of heat? Shit, I almost forgot—I was still a werewolf, too. I was both.
“I’m sorry, love. I wanted to come to you earlier, to run to you. But I didn’t want to put you at risk. I—”
“Oh shut up and kiss me.” I cut him off, grabbing his collar and pulling him into me.
His eyes widened in surprise when our lips met. For a second he froze. But then, he smiled against my lips before responding, kissing me back. His hands clutched my waist, pulling me closer and closer until no space remained between us.
My eyes fluttered shut as our kiss deepened. I snaked my arms around his neck, desperate to keep him there. Passion burned through me as his warmth consumed me. He tasted sweet, mixed with that addictive scent of his that lingered all over him. Damn. I couldn’t stop. He was dangerously addictive.
But even more addictive was how he kissed me back—ravishing, hungry, like a starving wolf who hadn’t eaten in weeks. His lips devoured mine, his tongue exploring me, and each touch sent explosions through my body until I couldn’t even think anymore.
In that moment, flashes rushed through my mind—memories of him. The first time I saw him, tortured but standing with strength. The boy who saved me when I was kidnapped. The one who risked his life to save me from death when I was bitten by vampires.
Simone. My Simone.
He was not just my mate. He was my savior. My knight. My protector. My reason to still be here. And I would be forever indebted to him—not out of duty, but out of love.
He pulled back slowly, just enough to breathe, and smiled. I smiled too, breathless, my lips tingling. He pecked me again softly before whispering against my mouth, “Damn, you don’t know how much I love you, Heminica. I did everything for this day to happen. And now that you’re in my arms… I will never let you go.”
His eyes were glowing, filled with so much happiness. I could only wonder what he had endured, what struggles he had faced to reach this moment. My father trusted no one—not even his own people. And yet Simone… a vampire… had somehow earned his trust. My father, who hated vampires with his entire being, was happy to see me with him.
How? I didn’t know. And it confused me deeply.
But at that moment, none of it mattered.
What mattered was that the man I loved—the man my soul longed for every night, the man I wished for—was now here in front of me. And he was mine.
We were bound. We were mates. We were one.
And soon, I would be his wife.
Five years of waiting. Five years of pain. Five years of emptiness. And now… all of it was worth it. Because finally, he was officially mine for the rest of my life.