“Dad, you’re the literal lord of the dead; intensity is a part of the job description.”
“Touché,” Hades concedes.
Persephone grabs my hands and tugs me away from Jayden. “Come, Beth. Sit. Sit. Jayden has a question for you.”
“Mom, remember the intensity comment, that was for you too,” Jayden grumbles.
I follow reluctantly as she tugs at my hands and directs me to a chair. “What’s going on here? What question do you have for me that you couldn’t have asked at the villa?”
“They all insisted on being here for this,” Jayden whispers.
“For what? What’s happening?” I glance around me.
Jayden drops to one knee in front of me, his hands shaking as he grips mine. My eyes widen and I squirm, glancing again at all the smiling faces.
“This is ridiculous. I have killed literal hell beasts and I’m shaking like a damn freshman at the academy who has never encountered a monster before.” Jayden blows out a shaky breath. “Beth, I know the fates have already spoken and we’re fated mates, but I want to be yours in every way possible. I have loved you from the moment I first saw you in that bar.”
I grip his hand tighter, leaning forward and whispering to him, “What is happening here?”
“Let me finish. This is harder than I ever thought possible.” He pulls a small box from his pocket and opens it for me to see inside. “Will you marry me?”
“Really?” Tears well in my eyes as I nod to him.
Jayden pulls the ring from the box and slides it on my finger. “I didn’t get it too big because I don’t think the young demigods you’re training would appreciate their faces getting torn up. If you want something bigger…”
I grip his shirt and pull him close to my face. “Jayden, shut up and kiss me.”
Jayden leans forward and kisses me hard. Everyone around us cheers, but my attention is only on Jayden. My mate. My love. My life.
In the end, I got everything I ever wanted—friends, family, and the man of my dreams—despite all the obstacles on the journey to get here. It was worth every second of heartache and pain. We definitely came out stronger in the end and will face any obstacle together.
The End
***
