Yet the proof of it pulsed steadily inside his chest. The bond between them burned bright and undeniable, a living connection tying their souls together in a way neither of them had expected.
***
The carriage ride back to their manor was long and largely uneventful, nothing like the final day they had spent at the cottage. Nothing compared to the quiet, persistent awareness of him that now lived within her.
The carriage rolled to a gentle stop before the wide stone steps of their manor. The horses stamped softly against the frost-touched ground, their breaths puffing in the cool afternoon air.
Ragnar stepped down from the carriage first before he turned and extended a hand toward her. Circe placed her hand in his without hesitation, allowing him to help her down. As soon as her feet touched the ground, a gust of cold wind brushed against her face and stirred loose strands of her hair.
