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My father continues, “Now, all you have to do is think of an invisible string coming from you and another coming from the other person. Once you do that, envision it tying together.” He pauses, giving us a second to do it. “Now say the words ‘Semper et Perpetuo’.”

At the same time, we both say the words, never taking our eyes off each other. “Semper et Perpetuo.”

A jolt runs through my body and we both gasp. I feel an overwhelming pain in my chest as if it’s going to burst. Just as quickly as it came, it goes away. I look down at my hands, seeing that I am once again solid. Holy shit. It worked. Not that I doubted it.

No. Actually, I did. With my luck, we should be floating off into oblivion.

Aiden's eyes wildly run over me as he pulls me against his chest. He shoves his face in my neck. His head is kind of weighing down on my hair causing some of my braids to pull. I let him be, ignoring the pain. I can hear him breathe me in as I rub his back to soothe him.

I can feel his emotions in the back of my mind now. It isn’t too overpowering. There’s a pull to him now as if my soul is reaching out to him. It feels strange.

“You’re okay. I got you,” he breathes out. I don’t know if he’s trying to convince me or himself. My father helps us up and tries to hug me, but Aiden won’t let go.

I lean slightly back from Aiden’s grasp to place my hands on either side of his face and kiss him. When we part, I start to smile at him, but freeze at the sight of something on my hand.

His eyebrows furrow. “Joy, are you okay?” I ignore him and bring my left hand closer. I grab Aiden’s hand and see the same thing. We both have red tattoos wrapped around our ring finger. They have little intricate designs that are just gorgeous.

I am admiring the rings when Yirah bursts into the room with tears in her eyes. “Oh, thank God! I’m not too late.” She runs next to us and tries to pull me out of his grasp, but he still refuses to let go. Yirah gives up and settles for grabbing my hand.

My father informs her, “She’s okay. Aiden and her tied souls. She’s now a reaper.”

“Wait, what?” She looks at me with wide eyes, then grins. “That means you don’t have to leave!” She claps her hands in excitement and I can’t help but laugh.

“How can you all be excited right now? She was seconds away from permanently dying,” Aiden admonishes. Before anyone can reply, Aiden tightens his hold on me and teleports us away to his home—our home.

Without letting me go, he walks into the bathroom, gently places me on my feet by the shower and reaches over to turn it on. He hasn’t said a word since he teleported us away. We have a lot to talk about. Including our new future together now that we are bound to one another for—well—eternity.

“Aiden—"

He shakes his head. “Not right now.” I can feel his anger and worry swirling in him. He doesn’t know how to react. Instead of talking, he slowly strips me naked then himself. He grabs a hair tie from the counter and motions for me to turn around. When I try to help him with my hair, he gently pushes my hand away. His hands move through my scalp massaging it. He lifts my braids and twirls them into a bun on top of my head, securing it with the hair tie. Once he’s done, he moves us into the warm shower. We remain silent as he washes every inch of me.

When he finishes, he turns off the shower, wraps us in towels and lifts me into his arms. He brings us into the bedroom and places me on the ground again. He dries us with the towels, then drops them on the floor by the bed.

Still standing, he grabs the lotion and gently moisturizes every inch of my body. He caresses my thighs, massages my shoulders, and places kisses up my arms. Throwing the lotion bottle to the side, he commands, “On the bed.”

I open my mouth, but close it at his arched brow. I know him well enough to know that it is a dare for me to talk. I can still feel his emotions in turmoil, so I decide to keep my mouth shut for now. Slowly, I back up until the back of my legs hit the bed. I sit, then slowly climb backwards with him watching me the whole time.

“Open,” he gently says. I make a soft sound and spread my legs wide, welcoming him. He takes a deep inhale and closes his eyes. He wraps a hand around himself and strokes himself, making me watch. I begin to pant as I watch him pleasure himself with slow strokes.

“Aiden,” I whisper. “I want you.”

Releasing himself, he climbs into bed and right between my legs. My whole-body jerks as he parts my folds and blows on me.

“You’re already so wet and I’ve barely touched you. At least your body listens, unlike you,” he murmurs.

He dips a finger into my wetness and smears it on my clit as he begins to toy with me, switching between sucking and flicking it with his tongue. I moan when I feel him groan against me. I put my hands through his hair, but he roughly grabs them with one of his hands. I feel myself close to the edge and just as I was about to find my release, he stops and chuckles. He waits till the tension in my body relaxes, then starts again. This goes on for five more minutes.

“Please,” I sob, tears running down my face in frustration, wanting him to let me find my release. This is torture. He is torturing me, and I can’t fathom why. I don’t have enough brain cells functioning to even think beyond wanting him to push me over the edge. His mouth stops and I look down to see him looking at me.

“My Joy, I want you to feel how frustrated I get with you.” He moves up my body, nestling himself between my legs. “Tell me what you want.”

“You.”

“Me?”

“Aiden.”

“What do you want me to do?” He oh so slowly pushes in, inch by inch. We both groan in unison once he’s fully inside. He slowly slides in and out of me. He leans down and licks one of the tears from my cheeks.