"No, Ethan. I don't miss being human. How could I? I have you and you gave me Samuel. While the food choice of our people is somewhat off-putting, and having Satan for an uncle and the Seven Deadly Sins for cousins is a pain in the ass, never in a million years could being human replace what I've gained. I love you so much it hurts sometimes. Forever will never be long enough for us to be together," I whispered.
Ethan's body relaxed and his lips brushed my cheek. His smile now reached his eyes. "I have another question for you."
"Is it as deep as the one you just asked?" I inquired warily. It had been a really long day.
"Deeper," he said as my stomach dropped. "But you will have to stand for this particular question."
"Stand?"
"Yes, stand."
Little butterflies tangoed in my tummy as I crawled off of his lap and stood hesitantly next to the couch. What was he thinking? What had I done? If I had breath to hold I'd be blue. My curiosity level was in a state of panic and I shook for reasons I couldn't figure out. Had I not actually regained all of my memory? Was there something monumental I'd missed? Something that would ruin what I was so happy to have back?
I bit down on my bottom lip and pierced it with my fang without even realizing it. A thin tendril of blood ran down the corner of my mouth. Ethan's eyes turned a brilliant green and I reached up and frantically grabbed him by the shoulders. "You need to feed. You haven't eaten." I quickly offered my neck, but he shook his head no.
The wave of anxiety that roared through me was horrible and my eyes filled with tears. There was more that I didn't remember. There had to be. He didn't want my blood. I felt unsteady and broken.
"Astrid, stop. I will feed from you while we make love, but I have to ask a very important question first."
I nodded and clutched the back of the couch for purchase. He didn't seem angry or repulsed by me—just the opposite.
"Ethan, I'm having a mini breakdown here. As you are well aware I have an overactive imagination. Prime example, in case you've forgotten—Grandma's house, high school, virgin stripper. I'm going to freak any moment now, so if you'd like your mate to be in one semi-sane piece you should really fucking get to the question."
"Are you through?" he asked. His sexy half smirk jumbled my brain, but I took his inquiry seriously. Was I done?
"Um, I think so," I mumbled.
"Good." He smiled as he dropped to one knee and took my hands in his. I was speechless and in shock. No words would come from my lips, but it wasn't my turn to talk. It was his.
"Astrid Porter, I have loved you from the moment I saw you. You are the most beautiful and courageous woman I have ever known. I have waited for you longer than you can comprehend. You have brought meaning to my endless life and given me the gift of our son. In my world to be mated is the highest honor. It's a sign of complete trust and fidelity. It's an unbreakable bond and to call you my mate brings me joy that I don't I deserve, but I want more. I want your Vampyre, your Demon and your human self—I want both your body and your soul. I want to make you mine in every legal and illegal way possible."
My legs shook like a leaf and I was certain I was going to land in a mushy puddle at his feet. "Is that the question?" I whispered.
"No, it's not."
"Um…okay."
"Will you marry me?"
I would swear I was hyperventilating, however that was an impossibility. Blood thundered in my ears and I wanted to tackle him and ride him till we were both blind, but…I wanted to hear the words again. Maybe there were a few human things I missed.
"Repeat."
His laugh reverberated through me and my grin practically split my face. "Astrid, will you marry me?"
There was screaming and there was blubbering. Son of a bitch, I should have locked those old bags in a closet. They were horning in on one of the most magical moments of my life. I whipped around to rip them a new one, but no one was there. Martha and Jane weren't sobbing and Ethan certainly wasn't blubbering. The only option left was me… It was me crying like a fool, but I didn't care—not even a little. Until this moment I had no idea how much being married to Ethan would mean to me. I knew it was considered a silly formality amongst Vampyres because it could end in divorce. A ritual so flimsy wasn't worth speaking of, but it wasn't silly to me. My tears flowed freely and I had no clue I could love the man kneeling before me more than I already did.
"Will you be my wife?"
"Yes, Ethan. Yes, I will be your wife."
His grin of delight made me giddy and I threw myself at him. We tore at each other's clothing until we were skin to skin. His body felt new to me and I reveled in the smooth, beautiful skin over the hard muscle.
"Come with me." He took my hand and led me outside and down a trail to a breathtaking garden. Massive ivory flowers that shone in the moonlight spilled from delicate trellises. Tall grasses swayed in a light breeze and rushed over my skin like a caress. Flowering vines of riotous colors made a natural wall around the huge garden.
"Ethan?"
"Yes?" he said as he pulled me farther into the maze.
"We're kind of naked here," I replied. His carnal grin caught me off guard and I almost tripped over a blossoming shrub.
"Very astute," he said with a sexy crooked smile. "We need to be naked for what I have planned."