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“Do you deserve a kiss right now?” He asked, eyes narrowed.
“Always,” she said, confidently.
He rolled his eyes but obliged, kissing her softly, almost chastely. “Don’t push it.”
She planned to do exactly that later that evening in the bedroom, when she could push his buttons and get exactly the kind of comeuppance she longed for. They were alone at the top of the mountain, and her mind was drifting. She wondered just how likely it was for someone to climb up and interrupt them. Her hand moved lazily up his thigh, over the thick denim of his jeans.
“I love this view.” He leaned back on his hands, making room for her to nestle more comfortably against him. “You can see the Rosewood territory and the Silversands, all at once. Have to say I think we got the better deal with the coastline, but youall seem content with your special little tree and your postcard town.”
“I’ll be sure to tell Spencer we should consider expanding to the coast because my boyfriend thinks it’s the place to be. Start a little pack war, shall we?”
Vera did not understand the appeal of the ocean. She didn’t mind swimming in a pool, a nice, clean pool where you could see all the way to the bottom, and she knew there was a perfect balance of chemicals that kept everything working smoothly. The ocean was a mysterious, murky place full of animals she’d never studied in vet school. Not to mention the beach itself. Getting covered in sticky water and then rolling in the sand had never been her idea of a good time.
But she’d driven out to watch the sunset over the water a few times with Rami, and from the passenger seat, she’d agree that it made a striking sight. That was just as close as she needed to be to appreciate it.
“Hmm, I was thinking about pack harmony, actually. Alliances, and all that.” Rami’s voice was dreamy. His chin rested on the top of her head, breath tickling her hair.
“Politics at a time like this? The Rosewoods and the Silversands have a solid alliance. There’s nothing to worry about.”
She hoped he wasn’t still concerned about the mild tiff he’d had with Spencer during the fight against the curse. It was water under the bridge now, the sort of thing that might ruffle fur under perfect conditions but was easy to explain away in a high-tension situation. Spencer had laughed it off and she thought Rami had done the same.
“You know how they used to form alliances?” Rami went on.
She felt him moving behind her. Was he grabbing the thermos to refill her coffee?
“Is this my history lesson now, gramps?” Vera held up her empty cup, waiting for him to top her off.
It took a moment for her eyes to realize what they were seeing. Rami’s hand was open, palm flat. On it sat a small silver ring. A modest blue sapphire sparkled at its center, low enough to not snag on anything or get in her way.
“A mating ceremony. Nothing tied the packs together like a declaration of eternal commitment.”
“Rami,” she gasped, dropping her empty tin mug. “Is this—“
“I hope so,” he replied. “Vera, my love, my mate, my heart.”
She twisted in his lap so they were face to face. His face was raw and open, every emotion etched into the handsome features. “Yes. A thousand times, yes.”
She caught his face with both hands and kissed him fiercely. It had seemed an impossible dream once, something she hadn’t dared to even fantasize about. He wanted her and he wanted the world to know it, wanted to declare it and swear to it.
When she broke the kiss, it was only to let him fit the ring onto her finger. It slid over her knuckle and settled at the base of her finger, looking like it belonged there.
“It’s perfect.” She held it up and twisted her finger side to side, letting the light catch the deep blue of the gem. “Silver, too. Like the locket we found.”
“I thought the color would suit you.” He looked down at the ring. “And that the silver might remind you of a love that persisted. I hope that wasn’t a mistake.”
Vera thought of the witch’s pain and the love that had inspired it. A bittersweet reminder of the dangers of loving. It opened you to pain. She knew now that she couldn’t open her heart without risking being hurt, but she knew, too, that the pain had been worth it. She and Rami wouldn’t have grown as they had to come back together without that pain.
She tightened her hand into a fist, pressing the ring against her palm. “It wasn’t a mistake. She brought us back together, in a way. I like the reminder.”
Sometimes, Vera wondered if, without the threat of the curse, Rami would have let her leave the first time she’d wanted to storm out. If they hadn’t been forced back together, maybe they wouldn’t have realized it was worth another try.
Rami smoothed his fingertip between her brows, ironing out a crease there. “What’s worrying you?”
Vera chewed her bottom lip. “It’s just… you’re sure about this? It’s a big commitment, and we’re still working things out. I just went through an almost midlife crisis. What if that happens again? I don’t even know what I want out of life yet.”
“But do you know if it includes me?” Rami cupped the back of her head in his hands, fingers in her hair.
She nodded. “I know it does.”
