Page 86 of A Game of Love and Betrayal

Just like that, the nerves were banished. The butterflies found a new home, far, far away from him.

Ryker held Brynleigh’s hand and stared deeply into those black eyes. “Sweetheart, getting to know you over the past six weeks has been the greatest honor of my life.” His voice was steady and as unwavering as his grip as he spoke. “The day I walked through the doors of the Hall of Choice, I hoped to find a bride. I wanted someone smart, fierce, and loyal who could love someone like me.”

He kissed the back of her hand. “I was hoping for you, even if I didn’t know it yet.”

Someone in the crowd gasped.

Another murmured, “This is so romantic.”

Ryker tuned them out, focusing solely on the vampire before him. “Brynleigh Elise de la Point, I love you.”

This was the first time the water fae had said those words aloud, but it wouldn’t be the last. He would proclaim them every single day from now until he Faded.

“You are the moon, shining your brilliant light into my life,” Ryker murmured, his voice deepening. “I lived in darkness before I met you and didn’t even know it. You complete me. I wake daily thinking of you, and you’ve already taught me so much.”

Brynleigh’s gaze softened, and she whispered his name. “You’ve taught me a lot, too.”

“I can’t wait to see where the rest of our life goes.” Ryker’s grip tightened on her hand. Though his next words were quieter, their impact reverberated throughout his entire being. “Will you marry me?”

Brynleigh inhaled deeply, and her fingers twitched in his.

He silently begged her, Please say yes.

The entirety of Ryker’s world revolved around the beautiful vampire before him. Every breath, every heartbeat, every second felt like an eternity as he waited for her response.

She opened her mouth and whispered, “Yes.”

Ryker rose to his feet in one smooth movement. “Yes?”

His vampire—his fiancée—laughed. The beautiful, familiar sound washed over him like springtime rain. “Of course, I’ll marry you.” Her smile could have lit up the darkest room. “I’ve been waiting for this day since we first met.”

Elation, unlike anything he’d ever felt, washed through Ryker. He grinned and picked Brynleigh up, twirling her in a circle. Her crimson gown trailed behind her, and she giggled.

“She said yes!” he shouted. He wanted everyone to hear their good news.

Cheers and claps filled the ballroom as Ryker returned Brynleigh to her feet. Remembering the box he held, he popped open the lid. Smaller onyx jewels encircled the sole diamond, and the ring sparkled in the light.

Brynleigh gasped. She reached for the ring, only to pull back at the last moment. “Ryker, this… it’s too much.”

She was wrong. Nothing was too much for her. She was his, and she would soon learn what it meant to be loved by him. Ryker always looked after those closest to him.

He shook his head. “No. It’s perfect, like you.”

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

Ryker was delighted that he’d rendered her speechless. He’d chosen this ring with her in mind. Lifting her left hand, he asked, “May I?”

She nodded slowly. “Of course.”

Sliding the ring onto the appropriate finger with care, Ryker admired the fit. “Do you like it?”

Glistening black eyes met his, making him feel like the most important man in the world. “I love it.”

The look on Brynleigh’s face made Ryker forget they had an audience. She looked at him like he was the reason the world turned; she was there for him and only for him.

He felt the same way.

Threading their fingers together, he drew Brynleigh closer to him. He bent his head, his arm wrapping around her waist and settling beneath her wings.

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