Lifting my chin, I stared them all down and even gave Geo a nervous glance.
"You don't have to worry about me, baby. I've got you," he said in that smooth voice of his. "I'm in for life."
"None of us are going anywhere," Mace declared. "Aiden and I may still need to work to gain your trust back, but I'll do whatever it takes, even if you want me to beg for the rest of my life on my hands and knees. I'm dead serious about this, Liora."
"As am I," Aiden nodded. "I'm in. For life."
"For life this time," I nodded.
"Since you're allowing me to court you," Mace said, reaching into his pocket. "I have my first courting gift for you." He nodded at my hand.
When I reached out, palm up, he dropped a set of car keys into my hand.
"Keys?"
"I bought you the '73 Mustang fastback you fell in love back when we went to that car show."
I felt the cool metal in my hands, but was still in shock. "You got me a car? Before I said yes?"
"I hoped you'd come around and if not, I was going to give it to you for Christmas anyway." He gave me a small smile. "It's in the garage."
My heart rose and then fell in the same beat. "Mace, I can't drive."
"Our first date is a driving lesson," he promised.
"Wow," Finn remarked. "He's going above and beyond."
"I am, because that's what our omega deserves." Mace leaned forward, dark eyes serious. "Liora, I love you and I never stopped loving you, I just really fucked up showing you how much I cared. Thank you for letting me have a second chance to prove it to you."
"Thanks for the car."
"Well, after his gift, mine is pathetic, but it's still a promise to love and cherish you forever," Aiden said. He jumped up from the table and ran upstairs. A moment later, he was back with a small purple silk bag that he handed to me across the table.
I opened it and found a hairpiece, a curved oval that fit over a bun or curled braid with a silver stick to push through the hair and two holes to hold everything in place. The hairpiece was delicately made from silver and had tiny words etched into it. I peered closer, "What does this say?"
"I love you, in about fifty languages."
"Where did you find this, it's beautiful?"
"He made it," Finn spoke up. "Took a whole workshop and everything."
"You've been here or at work, haven't you?" I was confused.
"It was while you were . . . gone." Aiden looked sad. "I made it because I hoped someday I'd be able to give it to you and make you smile."
"Thank you, Aiden." I twisted my hair up and set the silver piece on it, pushing the stick through. "It works perfectly."
"Bonus, you have a weapon if you need it in that mini spear," Geo joked, lightening the mood a little.
"Let's eat," I suggested.
We all dug into the food and I felt much better, having laid everything out with them. Now we'd see how they reacted in the long term.
Chapter 31
The Bite
Geo
