Page 128 of The Stolen Princess
She rolled her hand out in front of her for him to carry on.
“Like I was saying,” he laughed. “I’m not going to wait. I don’t want to spend another moment not being yours.” He shrugged. “Because I’m yours, Myka. If you’ll have me.” Drake got down on one knee, holding the ring out in front of her. “Mykaleen Adler, the best version of myself is when I’m with you. Please say that you’ll marry me.”
She stood there, frozen, staring back at this handsome man who loved her. She had no one else, but she didn’t need anyone else as long as she had Drake Vestry.
His chin slowly dipped down and his brown eyes peered up at her. “Myka, if you have to take this long to answer, maybe I should’ve waited to ask you.”
“Oh...No! I mean yes! You told me not to interrupt so I was waiting for you to finish.”
“Usually, when the man says,will you marry me, that’s the end.”
“Well, you didn’t phrase it like that.”
“Myka! Will. You. Marry. Me?”
She lifted her chin. “Geez, if you’re going to beg like that, I guess I have to.”
Drake shook his head, sucking in through his nose. “You’re going to drive me crazy for the rest of my life, aren’t you?”
She smiled. “You’ll love it.”
“I’ll loveyou.” He stood up and slipped the ring down the length of her finger. “I’ll love every part of you.”
Then he pulled her in for another mind-blowing kiss.
Epilogue
Commander Stoddard
The Kingdom of Cristole
Winter 2060
Stoddard paced back and forth across the rented room at the Cristole City Inn. His eyes darted to the patient. Her body was sprawled out across the smaller mattress. An empty tube went from her arm to the IV pole next to her bed. The clear bag that hung on the pole was also empty, taunting him. Every once in a while, the girl would toss and turn her body like she was having some sort of bad dream.
“If Nurse Edmay doesn’t get here soon, she’s going to wake up,” Doctor Von said. His back was pressed against the wall, next to the patient’s bed.
“She’ll make it back,” Stoddard snapped.
“We ran out of the pentobarbital thirty minutes ago. If we don’t add more medicine to her IV soon, she’ll wake up.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Stoddard yelled. He wiped the sweat gathering on his brow. How had his plan gone so wrong? How had incompetent Princess Mykaleen beaten him? No, notPrincessMykaleen.QueenMykaleen, now. He let out a deep breath, looking over at the girl. This wasn’t over. He still had the most valuable weapon in his possession. He could use her and come back even stronger. As long as she didn’t wake up right now.
“I can’t believe this happened!” Doctor Von said, fidgeting with the side of his half-moon glasses. “Our entire plan is ruined. Compromised!” He folded his arms, looking down at the girl. “All my work of the last year will be destroyed.”
“Settle down,” Stoddard barked.
“I can’t settle down.” The doctor glared at him. “If Adler had been alive, none of this would’ve happened. The plan would have gone on as usual. I never should have trusted you.”
Stoddard rolled his eyes. “Who else were you going to trust, if not me?”
Doctor Von shook his head, looking away.
The patient groaned beside him, lifting her hand to her head. “Dad?”
The doctor straightened, and his eyes went wide. “Commander, what are we going to do?” There was a sense of panic to his voice that had rubbed off on Stoddard. “If she wakes up, she’ll remember everything.”
Stoddard slammed the palm of his hand up against the wall. “Where is that nurse?” he yelled. “We sent her to Cristole Castle over an hour ago for more medicine. She should be back by now!”
