Page 124 of Elemental Becoming
His thumb brushes against my waist.
“I fought it far longer than I should have.”
That slow, crooked smile returns.
“Amara, darling,” he says quietly, “I love you. I want you. I need you.”
A breath.
A heartbeat.
“That’s all there is to it.”
As we move across the dance floor, I feel the bond pulse between us, deep and impossible to deny.
And gods help me, I fall for him all over again. For the first time in my life, surrender doesn’t feel like weakness. It feels like coming home.
Thane’s thumb brushes over my cheek, his voice dropping again, velvet and heat.
“I wish I could keep you all to myself.”
The words send another shiver through me.
He straightens reluctantly, glancing toward the dais.
“But there are people we need to greet,” he says, amusement tugging at his mouth. “The council and a few others have been waiting to see the Spiritborn—though I told them I needed some time with you first.”
He presses one last lingering kiss to my lips before pulling back, lacing his fingers firmly through mine. His eyes remain fixed on me, an unspoken promise lingering there.
And every part of me wants to drag him right back into that alcove.
Where it’s just us.
But duty waits.
Thane turns, leading me forward into the glittering crowd.Together, we cross the marble floor until we reach the dais.
There, seated in regal arcs, the council members and high-ranking nobles wait, watching.
I take a slow breath to force my thoughts into order, and square my shoulders.
Time to go be the Spiritborn.
Introductions blur together.
Lords. Ladies. Dukes. Commanders. Names spill past me, barely registering. Men and women dressed in elaborate finery, their expressions shifting between curiosity, reverence, and careful calculation.
Some bow.
Some shake my hand.
Some watch me far too closely.
They speak of duty, of alliances, of admiration for what I have done. But I know what this truly is.
They’re deciding what I’m worth to them. Deciding what kind of leader I might be.
What kind of weapon.
