chapter forty-nine

Thea looked out the manor's window, thinking about all the times she had dreamed of a home that would keep her sisters warm and safe. Now that they finally had one, she realized that even the biggest families could never need so much. It was like living in a castle, but without the duty of caring for your citizens. Which was why she and Zared decided to give it all up.

"You're giving me your inheritance?" Ceyden asked as he shifted forward in his seat, nearly colliding with the desk that separated him from Thea and Zared.

"Well, not all of it," Zared said. "I'm splitting it between you and Daida. You'll receive custody of the estate, and Daida will receive the excess lands. As for Malik's fortune, I plan to divide it evenly. I may be the eldest son, but after all Daida has been through, she deserves to live comfortably, and I don't intend to fully rob you of an inheritance you were led to believe was always yours."

Thea smiled at Zared. He could have easily taken Malik's fortune and kept it to himself. Once King Zion heard the truth behind the labyrinth's creation, and the abuse Malik's children had gone through, Malik was immediately banished to Underworth, where he'll be working as a gravedigger for the rest of his extended life. Usually, crimes of that extent were punished with trips to the labyrinth, but for some reason King Hayden was more than happy to offer up another option for the wicked divine one.

After he was banished, all his fortune passed onto Zared, giving him more money than he could have ever dreamed and a manor that was almost as dizzying as the labyrinth.

"Why do I feel like there's a catch to all of this?" Ceyden leaned back in his chair with a stiff lift of his brow. "Why are you both telling me this?" Ceyden glared at Thea, but she merely gave him an innocent smile.

"Ah, we've only known each other for a month, and you already know me so well, dear brother." Zared laughed. "Yes, there is a catch. In exchange for your portion of the inheritance, I want you to release Theabelle from the promise she made to you prior to entering the labyrinth."

Ceyden's ears turned red, his expression already steaming, despite expecting that this would happen. Ever since Thea stepped back out of the labyrinth, Ceyden had been trying to push for them to wed. The only reason she'd held him off for as long as she did was because she threatened to tell King Zion how he had her framed in the first place. With Zared, Daida, and all her family willing to support her story, it would have been far too easy to get him sent into Underworth's service alongside his father.

"Break the engagement," Thea said simply. "And this house, and the life you once had, is all yours."

Ceyden grumbled a few unsavory words under his breath, glaring at both Zared and Thea for a long moment before releasing a pent-up sigh. "You just had to take everything from me, brother, didn't you?"

"I could always take more." Zared shrugged. "Thea's family might enjoy keeping this house if you don't want it..."

"That's enough," Ceyden huffed. "I accept your deal. It's clear Thea loves you, anyway. I don't want a wife who's always pining for another."

Zared gave Thea a sly grin, causing heat to flood her cheeks. She'd loved him long before he was human, but he was almost overwhelmingly attractive now that his curse was broken. He looked like Ceyden, but with more mature features, playful expressions, and a perfectly trimmed beard that was coming in nicely. Ceyden was right; if she had married him, she'd always be looking at his brother.

"Glad we've come to an agreement." Zared reached across the table to offer Ceyden a handshake. Ceyden didn't accept it at first, but after another grumble, he sat forward and accepted his shake. "I'll get the paperwork written up by the end of the week, and the manor should be yours by the end of the month."

"The end of the month?" Ceyden lifted a brow. "Why so far away?"

Zared's lips twitched like he wanted to smile, but he kept it pressed tight before a grin could slip through. Thea wasn't sure what had him so amused. Maybe making Ceyden wait was his brotherly way of getting revenge on Ceyden for how he treated Thea in the past?

"I'll have to explain that part later," Zared finally said. "First, I need a moment alone with Thea. If you don't mind, of course."

Ceyden pushed his chair back, the legs screeching on the floor as he wasted no time leaving the office that would soon be his. "Have fun, lovebirds." Ceyden rolled his eyes, then left the room with a few heavy-footed steps.

Zared adjusted his chair so he was facing Thea, and Thea turned to face him. His eyes were so striking, like the silver lining between clouds after the nastiest of storms. She could spend a lifetime looking into those eyes, and now that she was no longer promised to Ceyden...

"You still have my ring," Zared said, pointing to the gold ring that had been on Thea's thumb ever since he gave it to her in the tunnels.

The ring?

Thea looked down at the golden trinket. She'd grown so used to it being there that she'd nearly forgotten she had it on at all. Its magic still coursed through her, but all it ever did was lead her back to Zared now that he was the sole desire of her heart. She tugged the ring free and held it out to him.

"I'm not sure if it will still fit you now," Thea said as she passed it into his palm. "Your hands aren't quite the same beastly size they used to be."

Zared laughed and rolled the ring in his fingers, staring through it like a spyglass to look at Thea. "That's all right, I wasn't planning on wearing it, anyway." He laughed. "Actually, I want you to keep it. I just wanted to make sure it didn't do me any good anymore. For some reason, it only wants to point me toward you."

Thea's cheeks warmed, her heart fluttering as Zared gave her a mischievous smile. "I suppose it's useless for both of us, then."

"Not entirely," Zared said, taking Thea's hand as he shifted out of his seat, pressing one knee to the floor. "I have another use for this ring, so long as you're willing to keep wearing it. I'll just need to get it resized for the proper finger."

Thea's breath snagged in her throat, her heart going wild as Zared gazed at her with the most affectionate look that could have melted her where she sat.

"Theabelle Aynna," Zared said her name so beautifully, like it was the first syllables of a poem he'd spent years perfecting. "I may not have a mansion, a crown, or even a divine gift to grant you power. I've spent my inheritance on a piece of land in Mortalia with enough space for all your family and a humble life for a beast-turned-man. I've spent enough days alone to know that solitude isn't a life I can endure, so today, I'm asking you to join me in this new life, and together, we can get lost under the sun instead of in the dark. Will you marry me, Theabelle?"

Yes wasn't a strong enough word, but not even a yes could pass through her lips as she nodded mutely with tears streaming down her cheeks. Zared smiled, pulling her into her arms as she collapsed into his enchanting embrace.

"It's perfect," she whispered in his ear, digging her fingers into the back of his shirt as she pulled him tighter. "Yes, I'll marry you. I would love nothing more."

Zared pulled back, keeping his grip tight on her as he shifted to see her beaming face. He held her so differently now that he was human. It was still tender, yet somehow more animalistic now that he didn't fear injuring her. He cradled her like a protective beast who wouldn't hesitate to fight for the one he loved.

"Are you sure? I've been told I can be rather beastly ," he said with a teasing growl, hooking a finger under her chin. "Are you sure you want to run away from Olympia with a monster like me?"

Thea dug her hand into the back of his hair, giving him a sassy smile as she fearlessly pulled him closer. "You're no monster." She brushed his lips against his, pulling away before he could dive into the kiss. "Though I have been rather fond of beasts... You wouldn't happen to know any, would you?"

Zared bit back a laugh right before his patience shattered. He pulled Thea closer, wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed her like the beast was still trapped inside his soul. Thea brushed his face, her fingers tickling against his prickly beard.

Perhaps she still loved a beast, after all.