A Clash of Storms (A Shade of Vampire #50)(87)

“Serena,” he said, his breathing ragged as he broke our kiss to look at me. His eyes flickered black, his golden energy washing over me like a radiant sun, while his hand fumbled through his coat pocket. His pulse spiked, his heart banging against his ribcage.

I placed my hands on his chest in an attempt to soothe him. Whatever was going on, he was so nervous that I started to worry… until he brought up a delicate diamond ring between us. It was made of sterling silver, with two snaking vines intertwining to form a smooth, heart-shaped loop around the flawless stone.

My heart jumped in my throat and my stomach immediately tied itself up in knots, heat rushing through me and burning my cheeks as I realized what was happening.

“My father once gave this to my mother,” Draven whispered, trying to catch his frantic breath. “It was a symbol of his undying love for her. It was one of the heirlooms he left me with, and I never thought I’d find anyone worthy of wearing it, but… then you ended up in my mansion, all mad and loud and annoyingly curious and so… so beautiful, so… so determined and fierce and sharp. And I’ve been living with this interesting feeling ever since… That maybe, just maybe, I’ve actually found someone to give this ring to, as a symbol of my undying love…”

His words peeled away at my heart until I was left so naked, so fragile and raw, that I felt tears coming to my eyes and love pouring out of me in turbulent waves. He felt it all, and he shuddered, his steely gaze fixed on me.

“I love you, Serena,” he said, his eyes flickering black. “I love you like no one and nothing else in this world. I nearly killed you, and yet you still believed in me. You fought for me, and you singlehandedly pulled me out of the darkness and took me back into your arms. I will worship you for as long as I have a breath, my sweet, sweet sentry. And I want you as my wife. As my partner. My queen. My empress. My goddess. My everything…”

Tears were carelessly rolling down my cheeks at the sound of his declaration of love, further unraveling my soul in front of him. I knew he was genuine; I could feel it shining out of him, enveloping me in a warmth I’d become certain I could no longer live without.

“Will you marry me, Serena? Will… Will you give me the chance to make you the happiest creature in all of the In-Between and the worlds beyond?”

What could I possibly say to him, other than a loud, wholehearted Yes? What could I tell him, other than I love you a million times? How could I not be the most fortunate creature in all the universes, for having found Draven, the isolated Druid with such strength, with raw emotions raging through him like foamy mountain rivers?

I was his, and he was mine.

“You know what?” I managed to croak, swallowing back more tears of pure happiness. He just looked at me, unable to say anything. Too nervous to react, waiting for my response. “I think we should scratch my previous statement about how happy I am, because you’ve just managed to take this to a whole new level…”

He didn’t move, but he held his breath, his heartbeat echoing into mine.

“I’ve just found a whole new, much higher level of sheer bliss right here, with you,” I continued. “I love you, Draven, with all my heart, my body, and my soul. So, yes, of course I’ll marry you. I will follow you to the end of the universe and back if I have to…”

It was then that his spirit simply expanded like an incandescent star, heating me up as his lips crashed against mine and captured me in his tight embrace, kissing me so sweetly, so profoundly that it brought new tears to my eyes.

It was joy that we felt, like a warm summer breeze lifting us off the ground as we held on and deepened the kiss that sealed us for good.

We filled each other with love as we lost ourselves in one another. Our souls forever connected. Our bodies always attuned.

And our lives beginning a new chapter… as was GASP’s. With the new Eritopian alliance, our famed Global Agency for Supernatural Protection had just become even stronger, and we were one step closer to understanding the vast unknown that was the In-Between, and the mysterious, beautiful, and deadly subset of creatures that called it home.

GASP’s journey here was just beginning, with so many worlds lying in wait, but I also knew The Shade would remain its beating heart. It was the one place in the universe where anyone was welcome, no matter their size or shape; the one place we all knew we could return to after a hard week of work. I suspected our beautiful island would continue to beguile new creatures onto its calm shores, long into the future. We were going to have some interesting new couplings, to say the least—as well as new species to tame and integrate into our way of living.

Clutching my fiancé’s hand, I looked boldly into the future.

I couldn’t wait to see what another Shadian adventure would bring.