Chapter Forty

“Sebastian! Sebastian, wake up! Please, wake up.”

Wasn”t I supposed to be dead? No, not dead. Gone. Consumed. Erased. I didn”t feel erased. Was I still being tested? My hands clenched, instinctively holding on as I had promised.

“Sebastian!”

I opened my eyes and saw Shale”s face. I was lying in his lap, cradled in his arms, and he was crying.

I frowned and wiped the tears from his face. “He promised you”d be happy.”

“Who, my love?” Shale asked.

“Ranu, he said . . .” I trailed off, my jaw falling open. “Did you just call me love?”

“My love.” Shale pressed his forehead to mine. “I feel it, Sebastian. You did it. You took back my love. And it”s all for you now. There”s no pain. I remember Erelis, and I know I loved her, but it was another life. In this life, there”s only you.”

“But I”m supposed to be consumed,” I whispered. “He promised you”d forget me.”

“It was part of the test,” Duchess Thera said. “The last, most important part. Love can only be claimed by love. The God”s love held Shale”s and couldn”t release it until an equally devoted love came to claim it. You have proved your love for my son this night, Sebastian Ralle. You”ve proved it to the Gods.”

“The Gods? My name is Dahl.” I looked back at Shale in bafflement.

“Not anymore. Now, you bear my name,” Shale said, his lips spreading into a smile.

“What are you talking about?

“Can”t you feel it?”

“Feel what?”

“My soul inside you.”

“What?” I gaped at Shale. But then I did feel it. I had been feeling it for a long time, just muted. Those odd sensations that told me when he needed me. The pull to him. The ache. The horror when I thought about leaving him. “It”s stronger now. It”s . . . amazing. That”s you?”

“The Goddess has been merciful. Generous,” Shale said with a soft, amazed smile. “She”s given me a second mate. A second chance. With you, Sebastian. I mated you, but without love to seal it, we were only partially bonded. When you freed my love, the mating bond came alive. I knew instantly that you were mine.”

I sat up and pushed off Shale”s lap. “I”m your mate? I can”t be. I”m supposed to be dead.”

“Oh, will you get over that already?” Duchess Thera said. “Ranu found you worthy.”

“Mother!” Shale widened his eyes at her.

“Sorry, Son. He”s been blessed by the Gods, and he”s still stuck on death.”

“Because your god told me he was going to eat my soul!” I snarled.

“He what?” Shale gaped at me.

“Ranu said I could either return to you without your love and go on as we”d been before, or I could give him my soul as a sacrifice, and you would regain your love. Your love was purified by the God when you sacrificed it, the mating bond with Erelis broken, and once he consumed me, I would cease to exist, so you wouldn”t remember me. You wouldn”t feel the pain of our deaths, not Erelis”s or mine.”

“You would have done that for me?” Shale whispered. “Given your very soul to free my love?”

“What good is my love without yours?”

Shale made a broken sound and yanked me back into his arms. “I love you, Mate. So fucking much.” He pushed me back to look at me. “But don”t you ever offer yourself to a god again!”

I laughed, hardly believing that I was alive and mated to the Dragon King. The King who loved me. I had won, triumphed against the trials of a god. Holy fuck. “I promise, Shale. Never again.”

Shale pulled me into a kiss, and I didn”t care that his mother and a bunch of priests were watching. I languished in that kiss and celebrated our win. Our miracle. Yeah, I had paid for it, but I was good with that. I”d pay it again. Ten times over.

“Well done, Sebastian Dahl,” Ranu said.

I jerked away from Shale to look at his mother, expecting to see the God staring out of her eyes. But her stare was lifted to the statue. I looked up and up and up and found the God”s eyes gone dark, black as they”d been when I was in his arms.

“Holy fuck,” I said and scrambled to my feet.

Shale got up with me and held my hand as we faced Ranu. “Thank you, Great One. Thank you for sending Sebastian back to me with my love.”

“He held on,” was all Ranu said before the darkness faded from his eyes, and his presence departed.

Shale looked at me.

I shrugged and smirked. “I promised.”