Chapter 249 Chapter 249
Chapter 249 Chapter 249
Amber
“I really thought I was going to lose you back there,” he continued. “I was prepared to lay down my life. I thought it was what I deserved. But after fading into the void… after feeling everything go dark…”
His eyes grew distant for a moment.
“Suddenly, there was this pull. A powerful tug. A connection so deep it reached out, grabbed my soul and dragged it back. I knew it was you. I knew you wouldn’t let me go.”
My entire body trembled.
“I couldn’t leave you,” he said firmly. “No matter what. Dying as atonement was stupid from the start. I’ll never do it again.”
“What are you saying?” I breathed.
He reached for my hand.
Lifted it slowly.
Pressed a gentle kiss against my knuckles.
“I’m saying that I love you, Amber.”
The words were soft but unwavering.
“I love you more than life itself. I would give absolutely anything just to spend the rest of my life with you and our daughter. When I opened my eyes in that hospital, all I felt was gratitude—gratitude to the Moon Goddess for letting me see you again.”
His thumb brushed over my skin tenderly.
“I want nothing more than this bond. I want to be one with you again completely. I want to make you mine forever, Amber.”
For a moment, the world felt unreal.
Like I was suspended inside a dream.
Was this truly happening?
Or had my exhausted mind created this perfect illusion?
But even if it was a dream…
I would cling to it with everything I had.
I swallowed hard, my vision blurring.
“Rayne,” I whispered.
And then the words came.
Raw. Honest. Unfiltered.
“I have loved you in every lifetime my heart can remember. Even when you hurt me. Even when I tried to hate you. Even when I told myself I deserved better. You have always been the rhythm beneath my ribs, the gravity that pulls me home. I don’t want a life where I merely survive. I want a life where I wake up next to you, argue with you, laugh with you, grow old with you. I want to build something so strong that even death would be foolish to try separating us again. You are not my weakness, Rayne. You are my choice. I love you so much. I'll love you every single day for the rest of my life. And I will keep choosing you for as long as I breathe.”
Silence filled the room. And then I saw it, tears rolling down his cheeks.
I stiffened instantly.
“Oh my goddess, are you in pain?” I asked, panicked.
He quickly wiped them away, looking embarrassed, turning his face slightly.
“I know it’s pathetic,” he muttered. “But I can’t help it. I’m so happy my heart feels like it’s going to burst. It feels like I’ve been waiting for this day my whole life.”
My chest softened.
“I should have said it earlier,” I whispered. “So let me make it up to you.”
I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. At first, it was gentle and careful. Testing the waters, but he responded almost instantly.
His hand slid to the back of my neck, fingers threading into my hair, pulling me closer. His lips parted slightly against mine, warm and insistent.
The kiss deepened.
It wasn’t frantic.
It wasn’t reckless.
It was slow.
Burning.
Every movement deliberate like we were memorizing each other all over again.
His thumb traced along my jaw while my hands fisted into the fabric of his shirt, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath it.
Alive.
He was alive and here with me.
When we finally pulled apart, our breaths mingled between us.
His eyes were filled with so much love it almost overwhelmed me.
“That said,” he murmured softly, “I do believe you deserve an explanation.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.
My mouth dropped open.
“I had Roger get this for me,” he admitted. “I was planning to propose… but I got really nervous on the drive home worrying that you’d reject me.”
“Dear goddess, I—” I stammered, completely flushed.
He opened the box.
Inside was a red diamond ring that complimented my hair. It seemed to have been custom made and it caught the light beautifully.
“So, Amber Queen,” he said softly, voice trembling slightly, “will you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me? I promise to love you with every breath I take and make you very happy. Including trying to make up for all the grief I’ve caused.”
I couldn’t speak.
Tears streamed freely down my cheeks.
I nodded frantically instead, holding out my hand toward him.
Yes.
Yes.
A thousand times yes.
Everything felt surreal.
Too perfect.
Was this truly my life?
Was I truly allowed to be this happy?
He slid the ring onto my finger.
It fit perfectly.
And then I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around him carefully as I cried into his shoulder.
I'd come such a long way, from being rejected and unwanted, from loneliness, from believing I wasn’t enough.
To this.
A beautiful family. A second chance. A mate who chose me. Watching all of my dreams come true. Every hardship had led here and I couldn't be more grateful.
Never again would I let hatred take over, I'll continue to love and I'll cherish this bond till the end of my days.