His eyes are wide with disbelief. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“You’re insane.”
“So?”
“Wh—but—you hardly know me. I could be terrible. I could be—I could be a serial killer.”
I tuck his hair back from his face. “I know enough.” These months without him have been agony. It took Gia four weeks to convince me that the reason the suppressants weren’t helping with the constant ache was that itwasn’tjust the beast who was missing him.
As soon as I smelled him again, I wanted to pounce, to lock him in my claws, to never let go. Now that he’s against me, all feels right again.
“But I… what if I’m not…”
I tuck my cheek against his forehead. “Someone I respect very much… once told me something doesn’t have to beperfectto beenough.”
Tears spill from his eyes, and I squeeze him tight.
“I love you,” he whispers past the tears.
A knot lodges in my throat. “I love you, too.” I can’t let on how much I ache for the answer to that one all-important question, though. Still, my voice shakes. “So is that… a ‘yes’?”
Jamie musters himself. “I meant what I said at the loft… about being willing to take the risk. And I still… I still feel the same way. But you don’t—you don’t have to marry me. I don’t want to—I mean, I get it. I know how it goes with omegas, and it’s—it’s okay with me if you want to keep your options open, and—”
“Jamie,” I cut in. “You’re doing it again.”
“What?”
“The martyr thing. Where you hurt my feelings.”
“Oh shit, I’m so sorry, I…”
“I don’t wantoptions,” I hiss, straining to gentle the anger swirling in my chest. Intellectually, I know why he’s reacting the way he is. Instinctively, I won’t stand for this. “I want you to bemine. Utterly. Body and soul. I want everyone to know it. I want a ring on that finger because if anyone so much as touches you, I’m separating their throat from their body. I want the press talking about how there’s no prenup, and just howsoftI’ve gone for you.” My voice drops lower, wavers. “And I want you towantme. The absolute last thing I want is for you toplacateme.”
Jamie’s eyes shine up at me, and I swear I see a shell crack away deep inside of him.
“I’m yours,” he breathes.
I force my breath to stay even. Force myself to be patient. “So, let’s try that again. Will you marry me?”
“Yes, yes, a million yesses,” he says, throwing himself against my chest.
Relief floods my body. I squeeze him tight, a purr rising inmy chest as I nip at the base of his neck. “Muchbetter. I also… got you a little something.”
I shift to my feet, easily holding him against my chest, and carry him back inside to my bedroom. I set him on the bed, reach into the nightstand, and pull out a little black box.
Then I do something I never thought I’d do for anyone.
I kneel.
#
JAMIE
Morgan fucking Hunteris kneeling in front ofme.
And she opens the box.
