44. Jalen

My thoughts were too excited to think straight and I held Clarissa close to myself, feeling lightness and happiness wash over me. A gentle breeze rustled in the room and I felt that something shifted in my life, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

I looked down at Clarissa, who was staring up at me with her sea-blue eyes, filled with love and adoration. I couldn't believe that this was the same woman who had been forbidden to me just a few days ago. Now, she was mine, marked by me and bound to me forever.

I wondered if the curse that had plagued me for years had finally been broken, now that I had marked Clarissa. But I kept my thoughts to myself, not wanting to jinx it. Instead, I leaned down and whispered

"I love you" to her, from the bottom of my heart.

Her full lips parted unconsciously and I moved closer to her, intertwining our hands. Then she gave me a peck on my cheek, and I knew that everything was going to be alright.

We lay there, holding each other close. I