Page 46 of Blood Lord

"I'm sorry for springing that on you in front of everyone. I wish I could have asked you first instead of you hearing it like that, but the Council has to approve it, and I thought it was best to build it into our negotiations."

I shake my head. "I understand."

He kisses the tip of my nose, holding my face between his palms. "For vrakken, we rarely mate. It's like I told you before. Most vrakken can't choose a lifelong mate. Being immortal makes the concept of one person seem impossible."

Raziel sucks in a shuddering breath. "But I know that all I want for the rest of my life is you." My heart starts to pound, and tears well in my eyes. He pulls me closer, half supporting my weight as he kneels before me. "There will never be anyone else for me Selene. I am yours and only yours for all eternity, if you will have me."

He clears his throat, pulling one knee up as he slides his hand down my arm. "I don't know if this is how humans still propose, but it's what we did when I was on Earth." His lips quirk into a nervous smile. "Selene, will you choose me for the rest of your life and be my mate?"

My heart feels like it's going to explode, and I shriek, "Yes!" I throw myself forward, wrapping my arms around his neck as I rock us back, our lips crashing together.

Raziel cups the back of my head, parting my lips, and I let him. My entire body is flushing hot as he holds me, and a deep ache settles between my legs. I pull him tighter to me, wanting to mold him to me.

How could he think I'd ever want anyone else? He is all that I want for the rest of my life, and my heart soars as I know that I will be all he wants for the rest of his–

I jerk back, tears filling my eyes as the painful realization hits me. "Wait."

Raziel freezes, blinking as he takes me. "Nafasam, what's wrong?"

"What'snafasam?"

A grin breaks across his face. "It's what my father used to call my mother. It means you are my breath, the very thing that keeps me living."

And that only makes my heart break more. Tears race down my cheeks, and I ask him, "What will happen when I die? I'm not immortal like you, and I have to stay human for my role." I reach out, holding the face I couldn't imagine never waking up next to again. "Do you want to Change me when I'm older?"

He shakes his head before I get the full sentence out, wiping the tears from my face. "No, my sweet. You are perfect just the way you are. I wouldn't change a thing about you. I don't want you to have to be immortal because of me, and I love you enough to continue without you once you go. You'll still be it for me."

My shoulders shake as his words hit me, and the pain is obvious on his face. "You always have the option for me to Change you if you want," he reassures me. "I'll never deny you your own choices, but I won't make them for you."

I nod. "Thank you."

He kisses my cheeks, trying to clear my tears. "Anything for mynafasam."

I reach for him, trying to pull him back into a kiss, but then he gasps, jerking back. "I almost forgot!"

He rushes to the shelves along the wall, his hands hovering in the air as his eyes search for something. Suddenly, he jerks forward to swipe something, and he comes back in front of me, kneeling again and presenting me with a ring. It's an ornate, gold ring. It looks old and extremely beautiful.

"It's from my human days on Earth. I kept it all this time, and now I want you to wear it, to symbolize my promise to protect and love you as long as you'll let me."

"Oh, Raziel." I lean in to kiss him, and he reaches for my left hand. "It's beautiful." He slips it on my fourth finger. "Is this another human thing?"

He chuckles. "It used to be, at least."

"You've taught me so much about being human." I giggle.

"I think we're done with lessons for the day," he teases, wrapping his arms around my middle as he stands.

It takes me a second to remember but then I bite my lip, reaching for my shirt as I say, "Oh, but I need some special attention."

He cups my face, bending down and pausing just before our lips meet. "Then, let me give it to you."

I bite my lip as I throw my shirt to the ground. "Please do."

And he descends on me. Raziel picks me up, my legs settling around him, and he holds me against him, one leg cupping my ass while the other moves up and down my back.

I shiver at the feeling of him on my skin, and when he breaks our kiss to move down my neck, I grip the hair at the back of his head. Tipping my head back, I give him more room to work with, and his fangs scrape along the skin, making me shudder.

"Bite me," I whimper out, and Raziel pauses, hovering just over my neck. "I want you to erase what he did to me. I want to feel you everywhere."

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