Kaius could not blame him.
He had once dreamed of the same thing. Since he was young, he had imagined what it would feel like to bear a mate mark, to claim and be claimed in return, to have the certainty of belonging to someone forever.
But fate had played a cruel prank on him.
He had experienced the bond, only to have it shattered before it could ever truly settle.
Gavi caught his eye and grinned. “You’re lost in thought, my friend,” he remarked, setting down his fork.
Kaius forced a small smirk. “Just thinking that you look like the happiest i***t in the world.”
Gavi chuckled. “That’s because I am.” He stretched his arm, fingers brushing over his mate mark with quiet satisfaction. “It’s a good feeling, Kaius.”
Kaius nodded, offering genuine congratulations. “You deserve it.”
Afte
