Page 73 of Hitched to the Vampire King

“You’re so quiet,” Gabriel commented. “What are you thinking about?”

“You. Me. Us.”

Gabriel laughed, his body shaking against mine. “Well, that’s specific.”

I tipped my head back and gazed up at him, memorizing his face. “I was thinking about the eternal kiss, actually.”

His brows shot upward. “I honestly didn’t expect that to be your answer.”

“What’d you think I was thinking about?”

“Food,” he said without any hesitation.

My stomach chose that moment to rumble, and I laughed. “Food’s always on my mind. But no, I was thinking about something else for once.”

“That so?” he asked as he leaned down and pressed his lips against my throat.

I chuckled—it didn’t take a genius to know where his thoughts had strayed. “I think… I think I want to do it,” I said, my voice soft.

Gabriel paused, then he pulled back to meet my gaze. “What?”

I took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking about it. Lucy and I chatted about it for a bit too. And I think I want it.”

Excitement flared in Gabriel’s eyes, but he didn’t move. Instead, he asked, “Are you sure? I don’t want you to regret this decision, because it’s irreversible.”

I laughed nervously, then wiped my clammy hands against my thighs. “Yeah, it’s a pretty big decision. But I—I’m sure.”

Gabriel hooked a finger under my chin and lifted my head. “You know I would never force this choice on you. The eternal kiss will always be an option. But it isn’t something we have to jump on right this second. If you need more time to consider this?—”

“I don’t,” I assured him, finding strength in my resolve. “But do you need time? I love you, Gabriel, more than anything. I never thought I’d be so lucky as to find someone I would want to spend eternity with. But if we do this, if we take this step, thenyouwill be stuck withmeforever,” I said, laughing. “So, I guess what I need to know is, do you want this? Do you wantmefor the rest of your immortal life?”

“More than anything,” Gabriel said without any hesitation. “I’ve wanted you from the moment I met you. After Camilla died, I closed myself off. I told myself to keep everyone at a distance for fear of getting burned. But then you came into my life, and you tore down every single defense I had in place. The shape of our future doesn’t matter to me, Maddie, so long as it’s with you.”

His declaration resolved my lingering doubts. I pressed closer, sealing my decision with a kiss that spoke volumes. But before he could deepen the kiss, I pulled back and said, “Let’s do it then.”

Gabriel blinked. “What, like right now?”

“Right now,” I repeated, before I lost my nerve.

He paused, clearly considering my words. Just when I thought he was going to say no, his expression shifted, and his gaze softened. “Hmm,” he murmured. “What if we were to wait…just a bit longer? Say, a year?”

I frowned. “A year? Why so long?”

He smiled, a hint of excitement playing at the edges of his lips. “I want to make it special, and there’s one specific night I have in mind—one that would be perfect for us.”

My brow knotted. What on earth was he talking about? A specific night in one year?

He chuckled, his eyes shining with mischief. “Trust me, Maddie. A year would give us the time to plan everything out, invite all our loved ones, and do this right.”

My eyes shot wide, and I stepped back. “Wait. You want to invite our loved ones to watch us share blood?” I did not love that idea. At all.

“No, not for that part,” he clarified quickly, his laughter easing my concerns. “I want to invite our loved ones to watch us marry. The blood sharing would happen later that evening on our wedding night.”

For a split second, my mind reeled, caught in a whirlwind of shock and disbelief. Had I heard him correctly? Or maybe my brain was playing tricks on me. “Marry, as in you and me? As in…you want to marry me?”

“Mm-hmm,” he murmured, brushing a light kiss against my lips. “I, Gabriel Roche, soon-to-be former Vampire King, want nothing more than to marry you, Madison Smith, werewolf, vampire slayer, and the love of my life. The question is, will you marry me?”

The initial shock melted away, and excitement swept through me. I couldn’t contain the grin that spread across my face at the thought of marrying Gabriel. A wedding. Us, standing together, reciting vows in front of our loved ones. The picture that started to form in my head was beautiful, and I couldn’t wait to see it come to life. I wanted to screamyes. But I couldn’t make itthateasy for him.

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