“What is it?”he asked.
“I was planning on telling my father about my engagement tonight.Now I’m glad it never happened.He won’t ever have to know.”
Lucian sat up and grimaced before twisting to face me.“I want him to know.”
I tapped my fingernails on the table, bemused by his remark.“Why?”
“Because I’m courting you.I want him to know I fought for you.”Lucian took my hands in his.“You said you were afraid my kindred would come along one day and I’d leave you.Let me put that fear to rest.What I feel for you is different.With Mae, a pull tethered me to her.It was only a promise of a life Icouldhave.But with you, I feel love, and that’s different.It changes everything.”He frowned at our hands.“Mae and I were like drinking glasses—a matching pair that go together.But you’re the water that fills me up.”
I scooted closer and nestled against his chest.That was everything I needed to hear.“If you want to tell my father the story of how you won my hand, then do it.”
“Does that mean…?”
I leaned my head back and smiled up at him.“It means you don’t have to keep growing your hair until it reaches your ankles.You don’t have to challenge every suitor in town.I’m yours, Lucian Cross.Maybe I always was and just didn’t realize it.”
“I need to win your father’s approval.Maybe telling him about tonight will give me an edge.”
“Don’t worry about my father.I wanted to give him peace of mind knowing that I’d be happy when he left this world, so that’s why I was arranging my own marriage.I never thought I’d mate for love, but this feels right.I’m more sure now than ever.All he wants is my happiness.”I stroked his neck while gazing into his sparkling eyes.“We can’t predict what the future will bring, but I think we’re off to a pretty good start.Don’t you?”
Lucian kissed my forehead.“Yeah.Do you want me to call you honeybunny or pookie or something?”
I burst out laughing.“How about…my female?”
He growled his approval and delivered a molten kiss.
Boisterous laughter erupted from the other side of the room, and we listened to Tak recount the story for what must have been the fifth time.With each retelling, his story grew more descriptive and tension-filled.Archer had his arm around Virgil, both men grinning at Lakota and Krys, who were reenacting the scene like actors in a play.
“When do you want to get mated?”Lucian asked.
“Hmm.I need to have a talk with your Packmaster first.”
“You meanweshould have a talk.We’re a team.And don’t worry—you won’t be sleeping on the floor in my room.Tak agreed to moving the security room downstairs, so you can decorate the bedroom however you want.”
“I wasn’t concerned about that.It’s about my father.”
“Tak knows.He’s cool with it.”
“What do you mean, ‘he’s cool with it’?Wolves don’t invite just anyone in.”
“They took me in, didn’t they?”Lucian rubbed his head.“I don’t know where he’ll sleep, but trust me, Tak would give you the side-eye if you left your father behind.”
“He’ll have to sleep downstairs.Are there any rooms left?There’s no way he could sleep on the second floor.That’s worse than the basement because of all the steps he’d have to climb, and I don’t want him trapped up there.”
“He can have my room.We’ll pick another.”
“You would do that?”
Lucian frowned with one eyebrow while arching the other, a look that implied I was crazy for asking such a silly question.“It’s only a room.As long as we share a bed, I don’t care if we sleep in a treehouse.”
A veil of silence passed between us, yet we communicated easily through touch.
“You don’t have to take my name,” he said matter-of-factly.“Everyone in town knows you by your father’s name.”
I honestly hadn’t given it much thought.Immortals carried different traditions and didn’t hold to one belief.Some changed their names, others didn’t.
Lucian retracted his arm.“It’s up to you, but it’s not a big deal.”He glanced across his shoulder at me with a sexy smile.“Should I take your name instead?We could start a new tradition.”
I laughed at the suggestion.“What if I kept them both?I could hyphenate.It’s not about my career; I want to keep a piece of my father with me.How would you feel about that?”
