Page 57 of The Soulbond and Her Beloved

And yet nothing could have truly prepared him for this sight of Aekeira. Bent over, shaking, her body wracked with the pains ofheat. Her scent was thick in the air, so potent it made his head spin.

Seeing her like this—seeinghimselfin a rut—drove reality home.

Aekeira was in heat.

A Syren.

And he—Vladya, the male who had spent centuries drowning in loneliness, despair, and misery—had aSoulbond.

All those endless nights of unanswered questions, making peace with the idea that he would live and die alone, slippinginto madness with no one to tether him... his fated mate was beside him all along.

A female born forhim.

Destined forhim.

Created to behis.

His woman. His mate.

Aekeira.

Frozen in place, too caught between shock and realization, Vladya only stared as Daemonikai hurried past him.

"Emeriel..." he murmured.

The girl, wrapped around her sister, face buried against Aekeira’s forehead, heard his voice and lifted her head.

Her tear-streaked, swollen eyes stared blindly in his direction. "D-Daemon?"

"It is me, dearling." Hunching, he gently untangled her from Aekeira and lifted her into his arms.

She instantly latched onto him, legs wrapping around his waist, fingers twisting into his hair.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone." Daemonikai's voice was filled with deep sorrow.

"You promised..." Emeriel let out a broken sob.

Guilt carved into Daemonikai’s features. "I know I did."

She ground her hips against his stomach, letting out a moan of sheer relief. "Oh, that feels so good."

With a sigh of regret, Daemonikai stilled her movements, gently holding her hips.

She whimpered in agony at the denial.

Finally, Vladya forced his pinned feet to move. And once he took that first step, the rest became easier.

Within seconds, he was beside Aekeira, kneeling and reaching for her. "Aekeira."

She flinched, a quiet whine leaving her. Eyes closed.

She did not acknowledge him. Did not even seem to hear him.

"I think she may have slipped into another heatstroke."

Vladya glanced at the head maid, head bowed respectfully.

"She has been in and out of it all night," Livia said.

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