Page 255 of Vameer

“You can teach your body to have different responses.” He steps back for me to head inside first. “For instance, instead of screaming, you could throw gravito.”

I snort. “Pretty sure throwing my power at a shifter would be way more offensive than screaming. The last thing I want is all the eagles calling me a bully.”

Vameer makes a sound of disagreement as he follows me back through the kitchen to the breakfast nook. My favorite part of the house.

“Anyway.” I set the package down. “I had Haruto help me with something. But this package is way too big for that.”

I pull the string tied around the parcel and peel the top layer of paper back.

A thick envelope sits on top of another layer of wrapping.

I turn to Vameer. “Hold out your hand.”

He tilts his head, but he lifts his big hand.

I gently press my fang against my lower lip, not piercing the skin, but helping me to keep my heartbeat steady.

Why am I suddenly nervous?

“I want it,” Vameer rumbles.

My lips tug into a smile. “You don’t even know what it is.”

He opens and closes his fingers. “Mon Coeur, gimme.”

I sigh, exhaling my unwarranted nerves. “I love you.”

Vameer bends and kisses my forehead. “Good.” He straightens. “Now give me my present.”

I laugh. “You didn’t even know you were getting anything.” I reach into the envelope. “Close your eyes.”

Vameer does. I pull the bracelet out and set it on his palm.

He doesn’t wait, just opens his eyes. And his purr is instant and loud.

I let out a squeak of surprise.

Vameer grins at me as he lifts the bracelet to the light. “Better than a scream.”

“Better than me blasting you with gravito.” I step into his side, needing to press my body against his purr. “I take it you like it?”

“Love.” Vameer twists it. And we both watch how the morning sun reflects off the glaze.

“I made it.”

Vameer’s gaze snaps down to mine. “You made this?”

I nod. “When we got the rest of my stuff out of my old apartment, I found my old box of pottery stuff I’d forgotten about. And figured beads couldn’t be too hard to make.” The heart shapes were actually shockingly hard to make, but the bright glazes make it look like the original plastic version. “I asked Haruto if he knew of any fireproof string so you wouldn’t have to use your gravito all the time to protect it. And he said if I got him the beads, he’d put them on special string that will never break.”

Vameer slides it onto his wrist.

Unlike the original one, this bracelet is sized for Vameer. So the beads touch all the way around without any stretched-out sections.

He hugs me to his side as he holds his wrist up so we can both admire it.

I reach out and slide the pink bracelet off his thick wrist and onto my own.

Vameer’s purr softens. “Gracias. It is perfect.”