Chapter 59: The Ritual of the Heart

“When a wolf, or more precisely, a Lycan, finds his true mate and is certain she is the one, he can bind her to him with ritual words even before marking her body. It’s akin to a human marriage ceremony, but far deeper,” Raul explained, his voice carrying an earnest gravity. “Our souls and hearts are halves of a single whole, incomplete when apart. These ritual words rebind us as we were always meant to be.” Olivera’s eyes widened, her breath catching as she processed this new revelation. A Lycan? The Alpha King was a Lycan? This revelation cast his ruthlessness, strength, and otherworldly allure in a new light. Her mind raced to reconcile this new understanding with the man she had come to know. “But I thought the bond was established through chemistry, blood, or the mark,” she said, her tone a mix of curiosity and skepticism. “They are indeed destined to be, and the bond begins there,” Raul said with a casual shrug, his obsidian eyes unreadable. “The mark can come later. You might