Page 72 of Happenstance
Parker threw on a pair of grey sweats and slipped into bed next to me.
“I have something for you.” He pulled me into his arms and held out a small box. “Beautiful rings fit for my beautiful wife.”
My hand flew over my mouth, muffling a gasp. Inside the box were two rings. One had sparkling deep sapphires decorating the petals of an orchid, and the other was a gold band of intricate stems and leaves. I gingerly reached out, carefully tracing the edges of the flower.
“Why?” Was all I could spit out.
It wasn’t my birthday, and I certainly hadn’t done anything to deserve such a gift.
“We are married,” he pointed out. “Don’t you think you should have an engagement and wedding ring?”
My hand dropped.
“I can’t wear these.” It was a sweet gesture but… “People are going to ask about them and wonder why we didn’t have a wedding.” How was I supposed to explain that?
Parker sucked in a deep breath and eyed me.
“How about this. You wear the engagement ring,” he slipped the band with the orchid around my finger and added, “And we’ll have a wedding after the babies are born?”
I had to admit, I liked how the ring looked on my hand, and it was a perfect fit.
“Isn’t a wedding a waste of money?”
Parker barked out a laugh. To someone like him, watching what he spent wasn’t exactly a necessity.
I swear to god, if he calls me cute again…
“Baby, you don’t have to worry about that stuff anymore. And just so you know,” he pulled me tightly into his warm embrace, “I’d spend my last cent to make you happy.”
And there he goes with the sweet crap again.
“Fine,” I sniffed, wiping away a tear. “I’ll wear the stupid ring. But if I’m going to marry you…”
“We’re already married,” he pointed out.
I rolled my eyes.Whatever. Technicality.
“There’s a few things I need to know.” My gaze once again landed on the raven on his wrist, “Like what I’m marrying into.”
Parker let out a long sigh. “You saw the tattoo.”
So he wasn’t denying it.
“Most of the rumors are bullshit.”
My eyes narrowed. “But there is an Order?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re in it?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “But you don’t need to worry about that.”
While my body was exhausted from our little rendezvous with Luke, I was giddy. For years I’d been searching for information. Pulling apart each piece of gossip, hoping to find an ounce of evidence, and here Parker was confirming everything I’d suspected. I wanted to know everything. Questions flew out of mouth at an uncontrollable rate.
“Who’s in it? Where do you meet? Do you really sacrifice virgins?”
The next one came out before Parker could answer the previous. My mind was a jumble, picturing him and his friends chanting in dark robes next to firelight. Micha passing around a goblet of blood from their fresh sacrifice, while wolves howled in the distance. Of course, I knew that it was ridiculous. I’d paid way too close attention to way too many movies. That didn’t stop my imagination.
