“I’ll remember you as the lovesick fool that you are,” Everly said with a smirk on her face.
I rolled my eyes before I bent space into the edge of the woods bordering our cottage. A few nearby trees rustled, and I wondered if they were trees or the lirio who continued watching the forest.
A female lirio stepped from behind a tree and quirked her head to the side in question.
I pointed at my home. “Humans have strange customs, and Teddy’s friend forced me out this morning. I want to see my mate, though, so I’m going to sneak inside.”
She blinked and gave me a knowing smile. “She’s in your bedroom with her brother.”
I nodded in thanks. With far too much confidence, George walked up to the front porch andknocked on the door. When Ryenne answered, I bent space and stepped right into Teddy’s and my bedroom.
Teddy let out a shriek that had Brenton reaching for his sword. Thankfully, aside from the lirio outside, no other fae in our home could’ve heard her scream. It was a good thing I’d spoken to the female earlier, or I was certain the lirio would’ve stormed through our home to save her.
With her hand on her chest, she drew in a ragged breath. “What the hell?”
But all I saw was Teddy. She was stunning with her red hair draped in loose curls over the milky white of her dress. The dress clung to her frame, probably wanting to touch every part of Teddy as much as I did.
Brenton said something, and by the look in his eyes, he wasn’t amused. I didn’t care. All I wanted at that moment was my soul-bound mate. After putting his sword away, he sent me a scathing look and left the room.
I took the two long strides I needed to reach her, cupping the back of her head as I leaned down to kiss her lips. Her arms wound around my neck, her breath warming my skin as she played with the tips of my hair.
“You are exquisite,” I said.
“And you are here when you should be at George and Everly’s.” She pursed her lips, and I ran a finger across them.
Her breath stammered out. Would she always react this way to my touch? With the same desire I felt each time she touched me?
“I had to see you,” I told her honestly. Taking her hand in mine, I knelt on one knee. “I realized I never proposed.”
Smirking, she shook her head. “You’re a little late for that.”
I kissed her hand, then I turned it over to press another kiss to her wrist and then her palm. “You are my greatest wishcome true, and I can’t believe I get to spend the rest of my life loving you. I vow my life to you. It’s yours. I’m yours. I can’t promise to love you perfectly, but I vow to love you chaotically, maybe a bit recklessly but always completely. Will you marry me,mo elma?”
She went to her knees and took my face between her hands. “Did your parents read you poetry when you were younger? Is that why you always have such pretty words?”
I laughed but didn’t say anything else as I waited for her to reply.
“I love you chaotically, recklessly, and always completely,” she said, and I tucked her promise into the chasms of my heart. “Hundreds of years together doesn’t feel like enough, but I’ll take every day we’re gifted as long as you’re by my side.”
I took her in my arms, kissing every inch of her face while she let out a breathy giggle that sank into my bones.
“Is that a yes?” I asked.
She bit her bottom lip but couldn’t fight back her smile. “That’s a hell yes, which is great timing on your part since I’m already wearing a wedding dress.”
“Are you angry with me for seeing you in your dress before our wedding?”
“Would you care if I was?” she asked.
“Of course.”
She gave me a mischievous smile. “I think you can find a way to make it up to me.”
I looked at her smile, at her lips, and I couldn’t look away. The tip of her tongue dragged across her parted lips, and when I leaned in, just a breath away, she let out a soft, shivery breath that made my pulse kick up.
Still cradling her against me, I carried her to our bed. Herdress shimmered in the low light, and I was careful not to tear it as I kissed the edge of her jaw, making my way down the column of her neck, across the slope of her chest. I traced my fingers over the silk of her dress, lifting it inch by torturous inch until I felt the warmth of her skin.
“Teddy,” I murmured against her collarbone and when she whispered my name, need slammed into me.
