Chapter 518-We Said I Do.

Chapter 518: 518-We Said I Do.

Ragnar:

The council leader stepped forward, his expression solemn as he looked between us.

"Today, we stand witness to a union that goes beyond promises, beyond titles, and beyond the bonds that fate has already written. A mating bond is sacred, but marriage is a choice. It is the decision to stand beside another soul, not only when love comes easily, but when life tests the very foundation of that love."

He paused, allowing his words to settle before continuing.

"Alpha King Ragnar and Verity Swan, the path that has brought you here may not have been simple, but the future you choose today belongs to the two of you. From this moment forward, you will no longer walk through life as two separate souls. You will share your victories, carry each other’s burdens, and find strength in one another when the world becomes difficult."

His voice softened.

"May your bond be built not upon power or obligation, but upon trust, patience, loyalty, and respect."

He brought his hands together and then he turned toward us.

"Alpha King Ragnar, Verity Swan, please join your hands."

As the officiant finished his speech, I reached out and offered Verity my hands.

She slowly raised hers and placed them in mine.

The moment my fingers closed around hers, I noticed how incredibly soft and delicate they were.

Her hands were trembling, and I could tell she was anxious.

But strangely enough, I had never felt so confident, so certain of a decision in my entire life.

Everything about this moment felt right, as though I was finally doing something I had always been meant to do.

"Alpha King Ragnar and Verity Swan, you may now begin your vows of acceptance," the council leader announced.

I gently drew Verity closer by her hands before lowering my head.

Looking up at her from beneath my brows, I pressed a kiss to the back of each of her hands, watching as she drew in a deep breath and parted her lips slightly to release it.

"I, Alpha King Ragnar, accept Verity Swan as my mate, my forever, and my bossy wife."

I’d deliberately added a little humor to my vow, hoping to ease her nerves, because her hands had begun trembling even more.

But Verity simply took another deep breath, and I could tell that nothing I said was going to calm her down.

If anything, she seemed to be growing more anxious by the second.

"I..." she began, her voice sounding unsteady.

She paused before trying again.

"I, Verity Swan, accept Alpha King Ragnar as my mate and my husband."

There was no humor in her words, not even the slightest attempt to tease me.

And that was when I realized just how seriously she was taking this moment.

Her hands were still trembling in mine.

"You may now mark each other," the council leader instructed.

I gently pulled Verity closer until there was barely any space between us.

Guiding her hands toward my chest, I let her rest them against my shirt before placing my hands over hers.

Then I slowly slid my palms along her forearms, moving from her wrists toward her elbows before continuing up to her upper arms and beneath them.

My fingers settled against the soft skin near her underarms, giving her a gentle squeeze as I drew her closer.

I bent down toward her, then lifted one hand to brush the loose strands of hair away from her face, carefully tucking them aside to expose her neck.

Once her hair was out of the way, I withdrew my other hand from beneath her arm and brought it beneath her chin, gently supporting her face.

My thumb began stroking her jawline while she stared up at me with those beautiful, big eyes of hers.

She looked so innocent and mesmerizing at the same time that, for a moment, I simply couldn’t look away.

Then I lowered my face and pressed my lips against her chin, leaving a lingering kiss there before slowly trailing my mouth along her jaw.

I continued down toward her neck, pressing gentle kisses against her skin until I reached the spot where I intended to mark her.

Then I parted my lips and slowly ran my tongue over her skin.

"Umm, ah!" A soft moan escaped her and her fingers immediately tightened around the fabric of my shirt, clutching it so firmly that I could feel her knuckles pressing against my chest.

I let my canines extend, my fangs sharpening as I held her steady.

And then, without taking my lips away from her neck, I sank my fangs into her soft and delicate skin.

The deeper my fangs sank into her skin, the more her blood began filling my mouth.

And I had no idea what came over me, but my hand immediately moved to her back, gently squeezing and massaging her skin as I slowly withdrew my fangs, only to sink them into her neck again.

I repeated the motion, easing my fangs in and out of the mark without completely pulling away from her neck.

Each time, her moans grew louder, and my hand continued soothing her back, gently kneading her skin.

Finally, I stopped.

I sucked the last traces of blood from the mark before slowly pulling away.

My hand remained against her cheek, my thumb gently caressing her soft skin as I stared at her.

God, she looked like the most beautiful creature in the entire world.

And marking her had awakened something inside me that I couldn’t quite explain.

It was a strange, overwhelming sensation, almost as though an intoxicating substance had suddenly flooded my entire body.

I didn’t know whether it was her blood or something else entirely, but I’d never experienced anything so intoxicating before.

It felt as though I were heavily drunk.

And I wasn’t speaking figuratively.

I literally felt intoxicated, to the point where my mind had gone completely blank.

I couldn’t think, couldn’t process anything, and could barely remember what I was supposed to be doing.

"Alpha King Ragnar."

"Alpha King Ragnar!"

What the hell was happening to me?

I finally snapped out of my daze when one of my warriors gently placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me a small shake.

Only then did I realize I might have been standing there staring at Verity for several minutes.

Even she was frowning at me in confusion.

"Luna Queen Verity Swan, you may now mark your mate," the council leader announced.

The moment he addressed her by that title, I watched her eyes widen in surprise.

But she quickly composed herself and nodded.

That was when I decided to be a little naughty with her.

She was already trembling, and the sight was absolutely mesmerizing.

If she could leave me feeling so thoroughly intoxicated, why shouldn’t I return the favor?

So I bent forward and placed both hands on the table behind her, one on either side of her body.

The moment I did, she stepped backward, almost shyly, until her back pressed against the edge of the table.

And with her standing there between my arms, I lowered myself even farther, bringing my face directly to her level.