Evaline:
My heart felt like it was going to pound straight out of my chest as his voice filled the quiet of the room.
"Evaline Greystone..."
His tone was rough, deep, and laced with something that made my skin prickle. Then, in a breath that seemed to carry the weight of centuries, he spoke the words that I had been waiting for.
"I - Alpha River Thorne - also accepts you as my mate."
The moment the words left him, I felt the bond locking into place like an unbreakable chain, but instead of cold metal, it was warmth, a golden thread weaving tightly between us.
The warmth not only filled my chest, but also my veins, my lungs, my very soul. The mate link finally opened between us, and I gasped as a rush of emotions slammed into me.
Love. Fierce, relentless, consuming love.
It was so overwhelming, so raw, that tears stung my eyes before I even realized they had formed.
