Skye’s hands drop from her face to show her radiant smile, warmer than any sun. The pretty little witch says the quietest, shortest word, but it’s the best word ever spoken in all of creation.
“Yes.”
“You’re certain?” I frown. “I was beastly just now.”
“You wereyou, grumpy and bossy and so perfectly you.” She brushes her fingers between my brows, soothing away my frown. “I wouldn’t have you any other way. I love you, Luke.”
Ring be damned. Nothing matters but this woman. I drop the box and surge to my feet, scooping her into my arms. All of me longs to hold her, my tail wrapping aroundher legs, my wings enfolding us.
Skye smiles at me, love shining in her beautiful eyes. I now realize the emotion has been there for quite some time—my little witch always shows everything she’s feeling—only I could never read what it meant until now. Love is a language no translation crystal can conquer, one I needed to learn painstakingly, each individual letter carved into my stony heart by a tiny hand tipped with candy-pink nails.
I kiss her for all the world to see, the crowd cheering as I feast on her taste, sweet and spicy and Skye. She melts in my arms, her soft curves molding to my body, making my cocks stir to life, the main one tingling with the desire to knot, toclaim.
To make her mine in a way no human ritual can match.
“I love you, Luke. I love your intelligence and determination. Your thirst for knowledge and the willingness to keep reading, to keep learning. I love your little secret smile.” Her fingers brush the corner of my mouth. “And I really,reallylove your massive library.” She grins, and my lips twitch, exactly where she touched. “But most of all, I love the way you believe in me.”
“How could I not? Your power spoke to me from the moment I first saw you, but it’s only a fraction of who you are. I love your quick mind. I love your love of books and reading, which rivals my own.” I cup Skye’s cheek, my thumb dragging over her alluring red lips. My tone softens. “I lived for so many centuries, thinking happiness could never be mine. Then you burst in, all pink and sweet and spice. You turned my entire world upside down.”
She gives a soft huff of amusement, her lips twisting into a sheepish smile.
“It was exactly what I needed,” I growl, my hand slipping to the back of her neck and tightening. “You’reexactly what I needed. I love the joy and sweetness you’ve brought into my life, my little candy witch. I feel truly alive for the first time in centuries, and it’s all because of you. I love you, Skye.”
“Oh, Luke.” Her lower lip trembles.
I can’t resist. I kiss her again. I kiss her as the music starts. I kiss her as other couples fill the floor around us. I kiss her until someone taps my shoulder.
“What?” I bark, setting Skye on the floor before spinning to snarl at a grinning Shadow.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist, big guy.” The werepanther holds out the ring box. “Thought you might want this before it gets trampled.”
I grunt, then force out the words, “Thank you.”
“Now was that so hard?” He slaps my shoulder.
I snatch the box from him and turn back to my beloved. Lifting her left hand, I slide the pink-sapphire ring onto her finger.
Diamond tumbles over, coming to a halt right beside us, poised on tiptoe, her arms flung wide. The cap of moss perched on top of her head ripples at the abrupt movement, waving tiny white flowers. Gnomes, always so damned dramatic. She taps a finger to the ring, and a shiver of magic thrums through the air as the metal band resizes to the perfect fit. “Felicitations on your engagement! Don’t forget to come back to Bling It On for your wedding bands!” Then she cartwheels into the crowd to join the rest of the gnomes,who’re doing a very acrobatic style of dancing.
Pixies swoop overhead, yelling to each other in bursts of whistling speech. The little imps will spread the news of our engagement to all the realms of Faerie by morning, no doubt.
Several people hover around us, waiting to shower us with good wishes.
Skye holds up her hand to admire her ring, and the women descend upon her in a mob of excited squeals.
“You did it,” Rune says with a slow nod of approval.
“You certainly did.” Severin smirks. A shadow slides from his forearm to wrap around Hannah’s waist, even as my own tail coils around Skye’s calves.
Thorvinn grunts and claps me on the shoulder, his orc strength so great he’d knock over a lesser fae. I am, of course, a dragon and don’t move an inch.
I let that feeling of superiority fade. What good has it done me? These men are friends, the truest I’ve known, along with Jacenrevener. “Thank you all for your help.”
As if called into being by my thoughts, the ice dragon appears at the edge of the dance floor in his fae form, still wearing his three-centuries-out-of-date frockcoat and breeches. He strides over. “Congratulations.”
“You came back,” I say, shaking his hand.
“Earth is… interesting.” His eyes flick past me, taking in the knot of human witches surrounding Skye.
