A part of Lina knew she could not blame Kaden for his betrayal to start the war. Atlan was to blame as well. Atlan.

  Where was he now?

  "How did you gain immortality?" Lina asked him.

  "The legend of the Golden Rose."

  Lina stiffened. So her initial predictions in her dorm room were correct. She swallowed. Hard. He had firmly denied sleeping with anyone else.? Lina had known in her gut it was how he had become immortal.

  Priscilla, all along, was the Golden Rose. One thousand years ago. It was said she died a tragic death by suicide. If that was the case, who was the new Golden Rose? How many are there in history?

  "A-and the fact that you're a Pure-Blood?" Lina demanded.

  "Atlan."

  Lina's eyes grew wide. "What?"

  Kaden let out a small sigh. His dear dove, ever the trusting woman. Even now, she did not know the true nature of her "kind-hearted" mentor.

  "He was a baby Pure-Blood, a man who did not know of his origins," Kaden stated. "Don't tell me you've never seen him with red eyes?"

  Lina slowly blinked. "W-well, he wasn't from Teran… The rare times I did see red eyes was when he was angry, but they were the color of dark grapes, he didn't appear bloodthirsty. I just assumed it was a trait he inherited from the country he came from."

  Kaden wryly glanced at her. "Let's just say… when I tortured him, I discovered sharp fangs and knew he was a mythical creature of the night. If women with magical abilities existed, then so did other fairytales."

  Lina pressed her lips together. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to have the image of Kaden drinking blood. She knew how a Pure-Blood was created, but only from the death of another.

  Pure-Bloods were, well, pure, because they were the people that normal vampires descended from. They were the truest form of a vampire, the ones with the strongest bloodlines. There was no way to become a Pure-Blood unless you drained the blood of one and injected it into your body. Even so, the survival rate was little to none.

  "Weren't you worried about dying?" Lina asked.

  Kaden raised his head towards her. He tortured Atlan before becoming an immortal, but the blood had been drained for a while. It had been placed in a jar dug into the ground meant to keep food and everything cold during that era.

  "You and my unborn child were deceased," Kaden confessed. "I had lost everything in my life. Do you truly believe I had a will to live after you were gone?"

  Kaden gritted his teeth. "After your death, I did not want to live. Afte realizing I was an immortal, I frantically searched for the jar with the blood I buried into the ground. I knew the rate of survival from drinking the blood would be fatal and painful. I wanted to die in as much agony as possible, beliving that was the only way to die. To my luck, I survived. Now, you have a Pure-Blood immortal."

  Lina opened her mouth, but he sharply continued, except, in the same soft tone.

  "Without you, my life is meaningless, Lina. Every step I've taken these years is a step towards you. You are my destiny."

  Lina's breath hitched. Her heart stopped at his words. She didn't know what to say. She could only hug him tightly. And so, she did. She embraced him, burying her face into his shoulders.

  He waited one thousand years for her and would wait another eternity to reunite again.

  "I love you," Lina confessed.

  Kaden swore his heart skipped. He could've sworn time stopped right then and there. The world around them blurred into nothingness. All he saw was Lina. All he smelled was her. All he cared for was her.

  It was these three simple words. In his one thousand years of living, it was all that he wanted to hear, yet, never did so.

  Not until now.

  Kaden let out a soft laugh. Then, another, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Without warning, he crashed her body to his. He hugged her tightly, one arm pressing into her lower back, the other on her upper. He held on for dear life, unable to part from her.

  "Tell me again," Kaden demanded, his voice gruff.

  "I love you, Kaden," Lina confessed.

  "Again."

  "I love you," Lina repeated in a much louder voice.

  Kaden loudly laughed, pulling her even closer, until their bodies were flushed against each other. He kissed her everywhere he could. On her hair, her ears, her face, her forehead, until she was squealing from laughter.

  "It tickles," Lina exclaimed, but he didn't stop there.

  Kaden peppered her features with his kisses. He showed her as much affection as he knew how to. His chest swelled with joy. He was unable to suppress his large grin.

  "Tell me again," Kaden pleaded like a starved man before an oasis.

  "Tell me as well," Lina mused, resting their foreheads together.

  Lina contained her smile. It was impossible. When she saw him happy, she was also happy. A big smile broke out. Seeing him this joyous, you'd think he had won the lottery.

  "You already know," Kaden murmured. "I was the first to say it—"

  "Tell me anyway," Lina stated.

  Kaden chuckled.

  'Even his laughter was harsh,' Lina thought to herself.

  Lina's lips twitched with amusement.

  "Well, I'm glad this fierce side of yours hasn't changed," Kaden pointed out. "You used to be such a demure little woman—"

  "Tell me," Lina insisted.

  Kaden's grin widened. He shook his head at her foolishness. How could she not know how much he loved her so? He waited one thousand years to reunite with her properly, where they were on equal standing again.

  "Dove of mine, I'll love you as long as there are stars in this universe," Kaden promised. "And trust me, it's much longer than eternity."

  Lina's eyes lit up at his words. Her chest felt full. Her heart was stuffed. She lowered her gaze, coyly hiding her enthusiasm.

  Kaden saw it anyway. Her ears were tinged bright pink. Had she not just woken up from a coma, he'd take her on this bed. She was simply too adorable to not to.

  Thus, he resorted to a simple peck on her lips.

  "Now lie down, my dear dove," Kaden murmured. "You just woke up from a coma and you need to rest properly."

  Lina quickly realized the position they were in. She had been too distracted by him to even realize her IV drip was poking her in the hand. Sheepishly, Lina laid down in bed. She tried to hide her reddened face.

  Kaden laughed under his breath.

  Lina swooned. He was easily one of the most handsome men she had ever laid eyes on. None could compare. Not even magazine ranking of the "hottest men" of the year.

  "My beloved wife," Kaden addressed.

  Beloved wife.

  Lina's heart skipped. It was while remembering her first life that she fell in love with him all over again. His patience towards her in this life. His mellow behavior towards her fiery one. Despite her reluctance to him, he still stuck by her side.

  In the end, how could Lina not love him?

  This man, who waited so long for her. This man, who loved her even when she was not here. This man, who built a shrine to honor her.

  "My dear husband," Lina whispered, testing the word on her tongue.

  Lina smiled to herself. She liked how it sounded…… She always would.