The deal

Jordan paced fiercely in the expansive hall, his agitation palpable. Isaki entered, bowing in respect.

“Your Highness…”

“Enough with the formalities—tell me how to break the bond between me and the girl!” Jordan interrupted, the tension crackling in the air, yet Isaki remained unfazed.

“Your bond cannot be broken, Your Highness,” she replied calmly.

Anger surged through Jordan, but Isaki continued, her next words cutting through his frustration. “There is one way, but it’s extremely dangerous, my lord.”

He stepped closer, urgency in his voice. “What is it? How do I sever this worthless bond?”

“By killing her.”

Jordan’s breath caught in his throat, shock washing over his face. The thought of killing her felt like a dagger through his heart.

Just then, he heard hurried footsteps at the door. When he looked up, Norah’s terrified eyes met his before she bolted. He instinctively moved to chase her, but Isaki's voice halted him.

“If you kill her, you will lose half of your powers, and your mental state will deteriorate. That’s precisely why the witches covet her life. If you’re intent on this course, we must devise a plan to safeguard your sanity.”

“I have no intention of killing her,” he declared, storming out of the room. “Looks like the bond is growing stronger,” Isaki noted with a knowing smile.

Norah ran blindly, panic fueling her flight. Palace workers cast puzzled glances her way as she clutched one maid’s arm, breathless and desperate.

“Please help me! Show me the way out!” Tears streamed down her face, leaving the maid bewildered yet intrigued. Just then, the atmosphere shifted dramatically as the workers bowed and Jordan appeared at the top of the stairs.

Norah’s eyes widened with fear, and she turned to escape, but Jordan was quicker. He seized her waist before she could flee, her back colliding with his solid chest. In a swift motion, he turned her to face him.

“Let me go! Please, don’t kill me!” she pleaded, but he dismissed her words, hoisting her over his shoulder and striding away.

Once they departed, whispers filled the hall.

“Should we inform the King?” a male worker suggested, and others agreed, recalling the edict against unnecessary killings, even by royals.

Norah struggled, shouting and thrashing until they reached his room. He tossed her onto the bed, and she sat up, tears glistening in her eyes.

“I’m not going to kill you,” Jordan stated, his tone firm.

“Why would I believe you? You and your witch girlfriend plan to eliminate me because I’m your mate. You want to be rid of me to be together.” Jordan was taken aback, bursting into laughter—a sound unfamiliar to him in over eighty years.

“What’s so funny?” Norah asked, her irritation evident yet somehow endearing.

“Sounds like you’ve read too many novels to concoct that story,” he replied, shaking his head.

“If that’s not it, why did you want to kill me?”

“Because you’re my weakness.”

Norah’s expression soured. “So, I’m just a burden to you.”

Jordan felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her but forced himself to focus.

“Norah, until I figure out how to end this bond, no one can know you’re my mate—especially not your family or mine.”

She furrowed her brow. “Why not?”

“Too many enemies. They’d use you against me,” he explained, and she nodded, understanding.

“Got it.”

“Next, you will live in this palace with me.”

“What?” Norah exclaimed, taken aback.

“What about my aunt and uncle?”

“Leave that to me. I’ll handle them.”

“But I don’t want to live here; it’ll be boring.”

“It won’t be. There’s a cinema, a gaming room, a minibar, and you can talk to my sister, Sabrina. Plus, you can invite friends and family when you want.”

With a heavy sigh, Norah relented. “Fine.”

“Thirdly, you’re only allowed to go to school and back here. Nowhere else.”

“What?” she yelled, forcing him to close his eyes.

“Your voice is a bit loud.”

“Your last command is absurd!”

“It’s for your protection.”

“Then hire bodyguards! I should be able to enjoy parties and shopping whenever I want

Don’t test my patience,” Jordan warned, his voice low and commanding.

Norah felt a twinge of fear, but she held her ground, staring straight into his eyes without flinching.

Jordan was unaccustomed to someone defying his orders.

“If you want to party, I’ll arrange something at the quarters I’m preparing for you,” he offered.

“No! I want to go to an actual party, to dance with people and meet a nice guy.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Jordan growled, his tone clipped.

Norah took a step back, a mix of apprehension and defiance in her stance. He muttered a curse under his breath. The thought of her seeking another man felt like a knife to his heart.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said, softening slightly.

Norah nodded, but he continued, “But you can’t meet or date someone else. It will hurt your mate. Until we find a way to break the bond, we have to stay single.”

“Got it,” she replied, a broad smile on her face that ignited warmth inside him.

Damn it, he had to keep his distance from Norah before he truly fell for her. He couldn’t let this bond overpower him.

With that thought, he exited the room quickly, leaving Norah looking stunned.

In the celestial realm, Serena gazed into the shimmering, clear water, witnessing the exchange between Jordan and Norah.

“Jordan, no matter how hard you try, you can’t sever the bond between you and Norah. Your connection was forged by faith and destiny, long before you both arrived here. I hopJordan paced fiercely in the expansive hall, his agitation palpable. Isaki entered, bowing in respect.

“Your Highness…”

“Enough with the formalities—tell me how to break the bond between me and the girl!” Jordan interrupted, the tension crackling in the air, yet Isaki remained unfazed.

“Your bond cannot be broken, Your Highness,” she replied calmly.

Anger surged through Jordan, but Isaki continued, her next words cutting through his frustration. “There is one way, but it’s extremely dangerous, my lord.”

He stepped closer, urgency in his voice. “What is it? How do I sever this worthless bond?”

“By killing her.”

Jordan’s breath caught in his throat, shock washing over his face. The thought of killing her felt like a dagger through his heart.

Just then, he heard hurried footsteps at the door. When he looked up, Norah’s terrified eyes met his before she bolted. He instinctively moved to chase her, but Isaki's voice halted him.

“If you kill her, you will lose half of your powers, and your mental state will deteriorate. That’s precisely why the witches covet her life. If you’re intent on this course, we must devise a plan to safeguard your sanity.”

“I have no intention of killing her,” he declared, storming out of the room. “Looks like the bond is growing stronger,” Isaki noted with a knowing smile.

Norah ran blindly, panic fueling her flight. Palace workers cast puzzled glances her way as she clutched one maid’s arm, breathless and desperate.

“Please help me! Show me the way out!” Tears streamed down her face, leaving the maid bewildered yet intrigued. Just then, the atmosphere shifted dramatically as the workers bowed and Jordan appeared at the top of the stairs.

Norah’s eyes widened with fear, and she turned to escape, but Jordan was quicker. He seized her waist before she could flee, her back colliding with his solid chest. In a swift motion, he turned her to face him.

“Let me go! Please, don’t kill me!” she pleaded, but he dismissed her words, hoisting her over his shoulder and striding away.

Once they departed, whispers filled the hall.

“Should we inform the King?” a male worker suggested, and others agreed, recalling the edict against unnecessary killings, even by royals.

Norah struggled, shouting and thrashing until they reached his room. He tossed her onto the bed, and she sat up, tears glistening in her eyes.

“I’m not going to kill you,” Jordan stated, his tone firm.

“Why would I believe you? You and your witch girlfriend plan to eliminate me because I’m your mate. You want to be rid of me to be together.” Jordan was taken aback, bursting into laughter—a sound unfamiliar to him in over eighty years.

“What’s so funny?” Norah asked, her irritation evident yet somehow endearing.

“Sounds like you’ve read too many novels to concoct that story,” he replied, shaking his head.

“If that’s not it, why did you want to kill me?”

“Because you’re my weakness.”

Norah’s expression soured. “So, I’m just a burden to you.”

Jordan felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her but forced himself to focus.

“Norah, until I figure out how to end this bond, no one can know you’re my mate—especially not your family or mine.”

She furrowed her brow. “Why not?”

“Too many enemies. They’d use you against me,” he explained, and she nodded, understanding.

“Got it.”

“Next, you will live in this palace with me.”

“What?” Norah exclaimed, taken aback.

“What about my aunt and uncle?”

“Leave that to me. I’ll handle them.”

“But I don’t want to live here; it’ll be boring.”

“It won’t be. There’s a cinema, a gaming room, a minibar, and you can talk to my sister, Sabrina. Plus, you can invite friends and family when you want.”

With a heavy sigh, Norah relented. “Fine.”

“Thirdly, you’re only allowed to go to school and back here. Nowhere else.”

“What?” she yelled, forcing him to close his eyes.

“Your voice is a bit loud.”

“Your last command is absurd!”

“It’s for your protection.”

“Then hire bodyguards! I should be able to enjoy parties and shopping whenever I want

Don’t test my patience,” Jordan warned, his voice low and commanding.

Norah felt a twinge of fear, but she held her ground, staring straight into his eyes without flinching.

Jordan was unaccustomed to someone defying his orders.

“If you want to party, I’ll arrange something at the quarters I’m preparing for you,” he offered.

“No! I want to go to an actual party, to dance with people and meet a nice guy.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Jordan growled, his tone clipped.

Norah took a step back, a mix of apprehension and defiance in her stance. He muttered a curse under his breath. The thought of her seeking another man felt like a knife to his heart.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said, softening slightly.

Norah nodded, but he continued, “But you can’t meet or date someone else. It will hurt your mate. Until we find a way to break the bond, we have to stay single.”

“Got it,” she replied, a broad smile on her face that ignited warmth inside him.

Damn it, he had to keep his distance from Norah before he truly fell for her. He couldn’t let this bond overpower him.

With that thought, he exited the room quickly, leaving Norah looking stunned.

In the celestial realm, Serena gazed into the shimmering, clear water, witnessing the exchange between Jordan and Norah.

“Jordan, no matter how hard you try, you can’t sever the bond between you and Norah. Your connection was forged by faith and destiny, long before you both arrived here. I hope you two find your way back to each other—Norah and Jordan, or as fate would have it, Elijah and Mareena.”

e you two find your way back to each other—Norah and Jordan, or as fate would have it, Elijah and Mareena.”