Page 54 of Chase Me

Ciara sat at the table for another moment staring at the beautiful piece of jewelry. Match had said Inanna, the mate of the First Dragon, had given it to his grandmother when she had fallen in love with his grandfather.

Her mind whirled and swirled. Someone had given her that necklace and she knew the same as two plus two that it was the same person who'd left the ring on the table for her. Ciara closed the lid of the box and carried it back to the entrance of the lair.

“Giving up so soon, little witch? Well, that’s probably forthe best.” Match and Jakob both stared at her as she climbed over the pile of gold and stepped up in front of them.

Where Match’s face was filled with derision, Jakob’s was concerned.

“Everything okay?”

She winked at Jakob and slapped the ring box into Match’s hand. Match gently opened the lid and stared silently at the ring inside it. Cage and Ky came over and peered down into his hand.

Ciara turned her back on them all and walked into Jakob’s arms. “I found it.”

“You didn't even have time to get all the way to the side cave where I keep all of the dragon heirlooms.”

“You knew where it was?” She couldn't have expected him to tell her, but she was a little surprised. “Doesn't matter, I didn't go into any kind of cave. It was on a table near your rack of paintings.”

“Ciara, I know every single thing that is in this cavern, down to the tiniest jewel and each individual coin. There is no table here.”

“Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. It looks more like it came from a garage sale than anywhere else. I think I know who put it there.” She paused, considering whether she should tell him her theory or not. She knew so little about their lore, but what pieces she knew all fit together. “I'm afraid your lair is haunted, because Inanna is or was here.”

“She left the ring for you, didn't she?” Jakob said the words with reverence.

Ciara nodded but didn't get a chance to tell him anything else. Match marched over and interrupted their conversation. “Put it on.”

He shoved the ring box back to her, but Jakob intercepted it.

“She'll wear this ring,” his voice filled the cavern, “when you read the ritual, and I put it on her finger.”

Match’s left eye twitched, but he nodded.

Jakob had retrieved a very old looking book from a nearby shelf and handed it over to Match. He nodded to Cage and Ky, who took up on either side of her and Jakob. Match flipped the book open and began reciting words that sounded vaguely Middle Eastern to her. She didn't understand any of them except when he said her name and then Jakob’s. Jakob responded in the same language as if he had been asked a question and said her name.

Then both Jakob and Match looked at her like she had something to say. Match rolled his eyes. Jakob grabbed her hands and said, “repeat after me.”

She nodded and listened to the foreign syllables so that she could say them back to him.

“Ni, Ciara Mosley-Willinghamcad men anna ni gudJakob Zeleny.” The cadence of the sentence felt oddly familiar. She'd heard something similar to it before, but she couldn't quite put her finger on when or where. It wasn't like she spoke any foreign languages.

She repeated as much as she could back to him. “Ni, Ciara Mosley-Willingham,cad…”

“cad men anna ni gud–” Jakob prompted her.

“cad men anna ni gudJakob Zeleny.” As she finished the sentence, Jakob took her hand and slid the ring on her finger.

Ciara had to blink fast to hold back the tears forming on her eyelashes. They had just bubbled up out of nowhere. Seeing Jakob put the ring on her finger made her think of allof the times she'd seen a groom slide a wedding band on to a bride's hand.

She'd love to experience the real deal for herself. She didn't even know if dragons had weddings.

She planned her own in her head a million times. The flowers, the venue, the cake, and even the groom changed over the years. But what always remained the same was knowing she'd finally found the right one.

Not someone who completed her, because she was her own woman, but a man who loved her and wanted her, who'd chosen her above all others. A man whom she'd chosen too.

She might not ever have that, if Jakob was right and destiny had taken that choice from them both and put them together. The feeling inside of her chest was the same, like a warm glow. Like that feeling she'd had on a snowy day in her childhood when she was chilled to the bone and then climbed into bed with an electric blanket. A shiver rolled across her skin in the exact same way, waking up all of her nerve endings and telling them everything would be all right.

Jakob grabbed her up in his arms and kissed her. His tongue pressed at her lips asking for entrance, and she opened for him. For a moment she forgot anyone else was around and lost herself in Jakob's kiss.

Match read something more from the book then closed it shut with a pop. Jakob gave her one more taste and then pulled away. The smile on his face was so big that she couldn't help but return it. Ky slapped her on the back and Cage shook Jakob's hand.

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