The Immortal Prince ✔️

Epilogue

~Valea

I stare down at the pond, at it's emerald surface.

"This is where it all started," I sigh, folding my arms over my chest.

The last time I stepped into the pond was when I had to die, which was a couple of weeks ago now. And the first time, I was with Eyla, exploring something I knew nothing about.

I never expected to find a mate through all of this.

"Right now I should probably I feel terrible that you had to go through all that, and I do mean that. But I'm glad you're here, with me," Hale says, staring at the pool.

I flatten my palms against my thighs. "I agree. I would do it over again."

Hale wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer.

"I think I'm going to get rid of this pool, you know," he sighs.

With widen eyes, I stare up at him. "Why? I thought you said you were proud of it."

"Maybe. But it feels as though there is a new path in my future. I don't want to mess around with magic that can hurt people anymore. I want to concentrate on you now," he explains softly, brushing a hair behind my ear.

I smile up at him, until a cold reminder shudders through me.

"This spell pool also happens to be the only way for you to end your life, right?"

Hale sighs grimly. "That too. But it doesn't matter anymore. Now that I have you, that thought will never come across my mind again."

"So now what? We are here, ready to be together forever. What are we going to fill our time with?" I ask.

Hale grins. "I have something in mind."

I push at his shoulder, unable to help my laugh. That definitely takes up most of our day, and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon.

"You know what I mean," I laugh.

He sighs, thinking. "Well, we can do whatever you want. Although in the mean time, I have an idea of what we could do today."

"Really? What?"

He holds his hand out to me, which is completely gloveless. It took me a while, but I think I've finally managed to get him to break that habit.

I don't need to ask him where he is going to change him, weaving my fingers through his.

The world transforms around us, the sweet scent of pine greeting me as my eyes open.

It takes me a moment to remember where we are. It appears as any other forest, but I haven't forgotten about this place, and how I came here with Hale and Eyla some time ago.

"Wow. This brings back some memories," I breathe, turning in my spot.

Hale doesn't let go of my hand, leading me through the thick trees to to the lake, in looks more stunning today than I remember.

And down the shore, is the wharf.

"It feels like forever ago," Hale muses, gazing off in the distance, the sweet breeze rustling the fringe of his dark hair.

"It may as well have been. We were completely different people then," I remind him.

He shrugs. "I was as much in love with you then as I am now."

I stare at the side of his face. "No way."

"It did not take me long to realise I wanted you, Vaela. I took you here because that day, all I wanted to do was touch you, but I was so scared, so in my head about you not being my mate that I couldn't bear it," he murmurs quietly.

My heart aches suddenly.

It's clear he still bears the burden of avoiding touching me for so long, that he could have taken my pain away far earlier.

Maybe that is the case, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Everything we went through together was special, and I look back on it all fondly.

"Come on, I can't handle standing here with your unspoken thoughts a moment longer," he says.

All of a sudden, he leans down and sweeps me up into his arms, striding quickly down the wharf toward the water.

"Hale! We have our clothes on," I exclaim, clinging to his shoulders in panic as I watch the amount of wharf left to walk over quickly disappear.

He smiles, eyes glittering. "We can always take them off."

He doesn't stop to oblige me, instead, tosses me into the water before diving in after me.

The shock of the cold water does little to dampen my elated spirit. I burst above the surface, looking around for Hale, who appears beside me.

"You are terrible, you know that?"

He shakes his hair, water spraying across my face.

I'm not sure how long we played around in the water. We dove beneath the surface together, and emerged only to splash each other with water and laugh until it hurt.

Eventually, I end up in his arms, gazing into those silver eyes I adore so much.

"I wanted to do this that day. More desperately than you shall ever know," he murmurs, leaning forward to kiss me.

With his lips pressed against me, I realise I yearn for nothing more than this.

I love my mate. I'm finally happy.

Nothing has come from Relm in weeks, so I presume all along that Keo was the problem.

There is a chance I haven't seen Keo for the last time. But what he does now - who he hurts to get what he wants - is now out of my hands.

I have everything I want right here.

And even he cannot take that from me.

🤎••🤎

Thank you all for reading this story (:

~Midika 💜🐼