Page 109 of Moonlit Thorns

I blink, and the first tears fall.

“I’ve never loved anyone like I love you, Anabelle, and I refuse to be away from you again. I want you to be a part of my life forever. Whatever that means to you, I don’t care. We can live together, be a Dom and Sub, get married… I just know that living without you isn’t an option.”

I let my head drop and bring his hand to my forehead while I cry in relief. Once I’ve composed myself, I look back up at him. “I was prepared to fight you and tell you that I’m not going anywhere. Thank you for saving me the trouble.”

He chuckles and cringes again.

“I love you, Asher Voss. All the parts of you. The damaged ones, the healing ones, and the perfect ones. I never want to be without you again.” I stand and lean over him, pressing my lips to his.

“Forever,” he says.

“Forever.”

Asher has been recovering at home for a couple weeks now and is finally able to get out of bed and walk around a bit. He certainly hasn’t been the easiest of patients, but I’m not complaining. I’m just happy that he’s here for me to fuss over.

Today, I’m taking him to see his surprise as part of his daily walk. We move slowly through the house because I don’t want him to overdo it, and when we reach the entrance to the maze, I turn to him.

“You sure you’re up for this? If not, it can wait for another day.”

“Stop worrying about me. Let’s go.” He starts in ahead of me.

I roll my eyes and follow him. Because I’ve been in and out of this maze so many times, it doesn’t take long for us to approach the center square.

“I’ve been working on this for a while,” I say as we get close. “I wanted to do this for you because I could tell it was special to you.”

He takes my hand and squeezes, giving me a quizzical look. “I’m intrigued.”

We walk into the open square, and he sees his surprise right away. I know because he stops walking, and when I look up at him, his eyes are glassy with tears.

“How…”

I let go of his hand and walk over to the rose bush that’s in full bloom and healthier than ever. Plump red roses cover the bush, and gone are the dying leaves and the overabundance of thorns. “I found a book of your mom’s in the library, and she had a bunch of notes in it on how she cared for it. I just followed her instructions.”

“My mother…” he whispers and steps up beside me. “Anabelle, I…”

He doesn’t finish his sentence, instead bending down and kissing me thoroughly. Joy fills in my chest. His reaction is all I could have hoped for.

He pulls away and cups my face. “Marry me.”

I blink several times and let out a nervous chuckle. “What?”

We haven’t discussed what he said to me in the hospital bed. It didn’t seem right to talk about when he was still bedridden and recovering.

“I’m not prepared. I don’t have a ring or anything with me, but I’ll get you whatever you want. Just please, be my wife. I won’t live without you, and I want to be as committed to you, to us, as I can be.”

Maybe it makes me crazy, but I don’t have to think about my answer. I’m nodding before he’s even finished speaking. “Yes, I’ll marry you!”

He kisses me again. Eventually we sink down onto the ground, making love among the petals and the thorns.

Epilogue

NINE MONTHS LATER…

ASHER

Anabelle and I were married in an intimate springtime ceremony in the center of the maze. It seemed fitting. That’s where we first came together, it’s where we committed to our lives together, and it’s where the symbol of my mother was nursed back into being by the love of my life.

A week after she agreed to marry me, I presented her with a giant rock of an engagement ring as well as another day collar. The single strand of diamonds rests around her neck right now as a symbol of our Dom/Sub relationship while the engagement ring and wedding band serve as signs of our love and commitment to each other.

---