Vincent/Vaelthor /Star~
A month had slipped through my fingers since that night in the forest—the night everything changed. Rayma, my grandfather, my adopted father, the ancient creator himself, had looked between Katrina and me and declared our mate bond pure. Untouched. Unquestionable.
Soul-born, not blood-born.
The words still curled through my chest like a warm shadow, steady and reassuring. No more side glances. No more ancient taboos tightening like invisible chains around our throats. Katrina and I were free.
We'd returned to the grand palace soon after, its towering spires of marble and gold stabbing defiantly at the darkening sky. The place felt different now. Lighter. The halls that once whispered suspicion behind our backs now rang with laughter, open voices, and the scrape of boots that didn't stop when we entered a room. Winter and I—once half-acknowledged, half-feared—were finally family.
