Chapter 38

Dante’s heart raced as he made his way out of his father’s sitting room. He couldn’t wait to find Tinsley and ask her to officially be his mate. Even though they’d made love many times, the bonding ceremony that signified they had chosen each other was something else entirely.

When he entered the hallway outside the sitting room, he turned to one of the guards.

“Did you see where Maraliza and Tinsley went?” he asked.

The guard bowed his head. “I believe they went that way, Your Highness,” he said, gesturing to the right.

Dante suddenly let out a sigh. “Of course, they did,” he muttered to himself before thanking the guard and striding down the hallway.

He knew instinctively where they’d gone, and part of him was sad that the surprise had most likely been ruined. The other part of him was happy that Maraliza was very much bringing Tinsley into the Lorrz family fold.

When he opened the library door, he found Tinsley and Maraliza gossiping in hushed tones, which immediately stopped as he entered. The two looked at him guiltily, and he couldn’t help but smile knowingly.

“Maraliza, Father wants to see you,” he said, giving his sister a look. “I’m sure he wants to hear all about your ordeal. Privately, of course.”

Maraliza gave him a sheepish grin before slipping past him and out the door. She gave him a quick squeeze on the shoulder, and he had to smile. Sometimes his family wasn’t so bad.

Left in the room with Tinsley, he felt his heart suddenly flood with love for her.

“Would you like to go for a walk in the garden?” Even though it was clear she was expecting his proposal now, he wasn’t quite ready to ask at that very moment.

“I’d love to,” Tinsley replied, a little sheepishly.

They emerged from the palace and strolled through the gardens elatedly. They had captured Tinsley’s heart when she got here, and judging by her face, she had grown to love it even more.

This time, though, she was clinging close to him, as if she was afraid she might miss his question if she got too distracted. Dante couldn’t help but find it endearing.

Even though the proposal was no longer a secret, they hadn’t acknowledged it to each other. The further they walked, the more Dante realized her answer was still unknown, too. He could guess, of course, but he couldn’t be certain until he made his intentions known.

“Tinsley,” he said as they approached the indigo pond in the center of the garden. “I’ve known since the moment we met that fate brought us together. And I intend to honor that gift every day of my life. I love you, and I want you to always know that. That’s why I’m asking you: will you be my mate?”

Dante’s heart raced, and in the moment between asking and hearing Tinsley speak, the entirety of their lives together played out in his mind’s eye, as if he could see into the future and found only happiness there.

“Yes!” Tinsley sang out, her face glowing with happiness. “Yes, of course!”

Dante’s heart felt like it might burst as he pulled her close to him and kissed her deeply. Golden light cast a warm glow over their embrace while the violet leaves of the surrounding trees danced in the breeze as if already celebrating their union.

Those selfsame trees danced two weeks later when, in that very spot, Dante waited for Tinsley to walk through the arched hands of their guests in a blend of human and Lorr customs.

Lorenzo, Tinsley’s father, was waiting at the end. When Tinsley reached him, he kissed her on the cheek before walking her to Dante.

Dante wanted to acknowledge her father, but he could barely take his eyes off Tinsley. She was stunning, dressed in an intricate red and gold dress that she said was traditional for her people.

Dante had seen the white dresses that his brother’s wives had worn at their bonding ceremonies. While they were beautiful, too, Tinsley’s dress was something else entirely. Not only that, but she wore a matching shawl, draped over her shoulders.

In her nose, she wore a large gold ring, and her hands were painted in intricate patterns. Rather than incorporating the traditional paint used in an Indian bonding ceremony, her hands were painted with the rich purple dye of the Lorr sula plant.

It was her way of blending their cultures, and the sight of it made Dante overcome with emotion. He admired her beauty and the joining of their two cultures—not just that, but two families, two lives, two planets. It was almost more than he could bear.

As she approached him, her eyes filled with that same joy, beauty, and love that he felt in his heart. Dante couldn’t help but think she looked like royalty as well. Or, perhaps, more than that. She looked like a goddess.

As she met him at the altar and slipped her hand into his, Dante felt that all was right in the world for once.

“Dante, my son.” His father’s voice began.

He had been surprised when the king offered to officiate, and he marveled at the definitive proof that he really did like Tinsley. His blessing was sincere.

“You have found your mate in Tinsley,” the king continued. Dante squeezed Tinsley’s hand gently. She squeezed back. “I am proud to give you my blessing in this union.”

Dante smiled, first at his father and then at Tinsley.

“Tinsley,” the king continued, turning to her. “You have found your mate in Dante. It is my honor to welcome you into our family.”

Tinsley bowed slightly to the king, and Dante knew that in a few moments, they would officially be bonded. It was everything he wanted from the moment he met Tinsley, and he was so glad she wanted the same.

The next part was something taken from Earth ceremonies.

“Dante,” she began, turning to him, “I promise I will always be by your side, no matter what. I will love and cherish you, support you, and honor you, for as long as I live.”

Dante let her words soak into his heart before he told her his own vows.

“Tinsley, I will always protect you, I will always encourage you, and I will always respect you for the incredible woman that you are. I love you and I will love you forever.”

“You may now kiss each other,” his father said.

He was bonded now, and his life with Tinsley was just about to begin. Stepping forward, he pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her mouth. It was a deep kiss, just like the one they’d shared when he asked her to bond with him. As the cheers of their friends, family, and crewmates went up, Dante was the happiest he’d ever been. He needed nothing more.