Page 62 of Beta Hybrid

‘Oh. Isn’t that like now?’ I say, watching them. Some are travelling as humans, driving, others in wolf form. Alaric will take up the rear. Drusilla and the other vampires will hear him coming a long way away, he says. Best to make his entrance a surprise.

‘In a few.’ Cai jerks his head, and Vale and Sarah join us, a couple of steps away.

‘What’s going on?’ I ask.

Sarah hands something to Cai, but I can’t see what it is. ‘There’s something I have to do before we go.’ The words left unsaid are loud: in case we don’t get another chance.

My heart starts racing. ‘Cai, what’s going on? You’re scaring me.’

He holds my face in his hands. ‘No, no.’ He kisses my forehead. ‘Just trust me.’

I do. So I take his hand as he leads me a little ways from the convoy getting ready to go. He leads me to a garden, blooming in bright colours, with a gorgeous pond. ‘This is a nice spot,’ Cai says. ‘Isn’t it?’

‘It is. It’s beautiful. But Cai, what are you doing?’

He glances over his shoulder. Sarah smiles, tears welling in her eyes. Vale sniffs, clearly hiding his own emotion. Jana’s eyes are wide, but her lips are pressed into a firm line, keeping her mouth shut.

Cai looks back at me and blows out a shaky breath. ‘Sorry, I’m a bit nervous.’

I laugh. ‘You? Yeah, right.’ I don’t remember him ever being nervous, about anything. Even when he and Alaric appeared in Gaia’s realm, the giant wolf towering over him he was calm, pleased with himself. Jana nearly passed out from screaming.

‘No, really.’

I could feel through the bond that he meant it.

Cai blows out another breath. ‘Okay, here goes. Zenna. You—you have been in and out of my life forever. I was only five when you arrived, a little baby. We grew up together, and for the longest time, I knew it would be you. That you would be my mate. And then I was the biggest idiot in the world and, well, you know… rejected you.’

I stare at him, my heart pounding.

‘Then we found each other again.’ The corner of his mouth kicks up. ‘And I… sort of kidnapped you, and I’m sorry about that, but I was so, so happy to see you again. We’ve been through so much, you and I. I know we’re about to face the unknown again. I always wanted to do this, but now, I won’t walk into battle without having done so.’ He slowly lowers himself.

Onto his knee.

And holds up a ring that shines under the moonlight.

I gape at him.

‘Zenna, I have loved you all your life. I will always protect you—even when you don’t need it. I will always be yours. Will you please do me the honour of marrying me?’ Tears well in his silver eyes. ‘Please?’

I sniff a laugh, staring down at him. ‘I—I didn’t expect this. I thought—you were going to ask if I wanted to be your beta— the acceptance ritual—’

‘Vale made that up,’ Cai says with an apologetic smile. ‘He was trying to throw you off, that’s all. When you become my wife, you become my beta.’ Those silver eyes shine brilliantly. ‘If you say yes, that is…?’

I look down at him, his heart pouring out.

And mine, finally healed.

I kneel with him in the dirt and take his face in my hands. I press my lips to his, and he kisses me back. Tenderly, softly, then passionately, and back to tenderly, all at once. He leans back a moment, hope filling his eyes. ‘Please, Goddess, tell me that’s a yes.’

I arch my brow and pause. Anxiety thrums through the bond. I finally break into a smile. ‘Yes. I will marry you.’

He sets a hand on his chest. ‘Holy crap, woman, you nearly gave me a heart attack.’ He takes my hand, showing me the ring. It’s not diamond, but bright, highly polished moonstone. ‘For the moon within us both. My eyes, your hair.’ He slides it onto my finger.

Tears slide down our cheeks and mingle when we kiss. We kiss there, kneeling in the dirt, for what could have been forever.

Eventually, he wraps his arms around my waist, nuzzling into my neck. ‘There’s something I have to do,’ he says shyly.

‘I know.’ I smile. ‘Go ahead.’

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