Lila's POV:
I chose the day of my marking.
That morning, Poppy did my hair. She opened the trunk holding my wedding gown and asked whether I wanted to wear it again.
I shook my head and took the new dress from beside the bed. "Not that one."
The hall smelled of burning pine. Malcolm stood beside the priestess. When I approached, he took my hand first.
"Are you sure?"
"Didn't you ask me yesterday?"
He smiled, the tips of his ears turning red.
I stepped forward and bared the side of my neck.
When his teeth pierced my skin, I clutched his sleeve. He paused and gently supported the back of my neck.
The new bond formed slowly. For the first time, I felt another person's emotions unfiltered.
He was so nervous that even his breathing had become uneven.
I couldn't help smiling. He lowe
