Growling, his fangs threatening to lower at being so close to her he said, “What are you doing?”
Her hands bunched into his shoulders and when she looked at him, he saw anger and pain there—a lot of it.
“You were hurt.” She slapped his shoulder. “You hurt me.” She slapped his other shoulder. “Why are you here, because I swear if it isn’t to beg me for forgiveness then I’m going to kill you myself?”
Jacks waited a second and when she didn’t slap him again, he grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her to shut her the hell up.
God, he’d almost forgotten what she tasted like. Delicious, sexy woman—his woman. Vera.
The kiss was anything but gentle. Teeth clanged against each other and lips bit and sucked on tongues. They each fought for possession, their breaths mingling roughly with each other.
Jacks broke away first and pressed his forehead to hers. “This wasn’t how I envisioned seeing you again.” She choked on a laugh. He smiled at the sound, his heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks.
“I need to call Vane and Brayden about this, okay? And then you and I have a lot to talk about.”
She glared at him and damn if it didn’t feel good. “I’m sorry, I said that wrong. I meant I have a lot of begging to do because I was a son of a bitch, and I’ve never been sorrier for anything.” She tugged her lip between her teeth looking so unsure he hated himself for putting that look there.
When she finally relaxed and gave him a tumultuous smile, he felt the vice that had been around his heart let go.
Chapter Thirteen
The Justicars arrived within the hour. They took her and Jacks’ statements and wrapped up Conner’s body. Ariss was still alive and Vera didn’t feel sorry for her as they locked her up and stuffed her in the back of a black van. She would get her day in court right next to her Master Claude whom the Justicars said they captured earlier that day.
As the last of the cars drove away, Vane hugged her tight. He’d looked so scared when he came running up and Vera hated that look. It was the same panicked look he had when they found out their parents had died. She sent him and a wide-eyed Sarina back home with hugs and smiles—this time genuine ones.
Quiet crept back over her cabin. The chirp of crickets ascended now that the danger was gone. Vera kept her head down as she walked back to the cabin, passing Jacks. Now that it was over, she couldn’t stop the feeling of unease that settled in her.
The floorboards creaked as he walked away from the cabin, she almost cried out for him to stop as panic clutched her. He went over towards the trees and picked something up—a red box. He came back, his eyes not meeting hers, his steps silent on the gravel.
“Here,” he said gruffly, thrusting the box at her.
Vera gulped hard at the knot in her throat. She took the box, holding it like the most precious thing in the world. A hot liquid pressed against her eyes.
“Why don’t you open it inside,” he suggested when she just stood there.
She nodded faintly and went inside to plop down on the couch. She fingered the paper for a moment, then carefully tore at the sides on the left then on the right. Gently, she tore the paper across the bottom then slid the paper off. It was an ugly cardboard box underneath the paper, she smirked at it. He would wrap a present in a cardboard box.
She felt the couch dip next to her as he took a seat. She used her fingernail to tear open the tape and, like she was receiving her very first present, she opened one side of the cardboard box, then the other.
White tissue paper stared back at her, crinkled under her fingers as she spread it wide. Her eyebrow puckered as she looked at what lay beneath—a white dress. Vera fingered the soft material and lifted it out of the box. It was long, sleeveless, and utterly beautiful. It had elaborate beading on the front and an elegant, big bow at the back.
“You...bought me a dress?” She looked over at him but he was staring hard at the wood floor, as if he was trying to decipher what kind of wood it was.
“Yeah,” he said gruffly. “There’s more underneath it.” Vera closed her mouth and gently laid the dress over her lap. The material of the dress, judging by the look of it—was expensive. It felt like satin at her fingertips, and she was pretty damn sure it was a wedding gown.
Even though he’d said there was more in the box, it was still a surprise to find a pair of matching opal colored high heels. She read the label and bit her lip from giggling like a, well, girl. They were her favorite brand. Strappy, pretty, and with a little point at the end.
“I know you like your shoes.” She stared at him like she’d never seen him before.
“How do you know that?”
“Vera you don’t have to tell me everything for me to figure it out. You’re always wearing nice expensive-looking shoes, and damn near a different pair for each day.” The man truly was after her heart. “Do you like it?”
“I...I love it.” And you.
“See the reason why I wanted to give that to you is because,” he slid to the ground in front of her on both knees and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black box. He held the box up like an offering and Vera quickly shoved the cardboard box away.
“I, um, I wanted to know if you’d marry...me.” He flipped the box open with his thumb and a sparkling diamond ring with a gold band winked up at her. The warm liquid that had been swimming in her eyes was trying to get out, but no way was she going to blur this image with tears.
When she could only stare, a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. He took the ring out and gently picked up her hand. His touch warmed her, felt so perfect. He settled the thin band around her fingernail and held it there.
“I know you lykaens have a different tradition, and I may be an undead, half-dead, whatever you want to call it vampire thing, but I’m still a human at heart. And in the world where I grew up in, when there’s a brilliant woman you love more than anything, you marry her. So Vera Kategan, will you marry me? Before you answer,” he said quickly when she opened her mouth, “know that I am not a perfect son of a bitch, but I promise to love you and no other until the end of my days. And I promise to never, ever lay a hand on you in anger. I am not my father. I won’t have a single drop of alcohol, ever. I vow it.”
A frown tugged at Vera’s lips as she struggled not to cry.
“Ah baby, don’t cry. You don’t have to marry me if you don’t want to, but that doesn’t mean I’ll leave you alone, because I can’t. I can’t live without you, baby. The past four weeks were harder on me than the years I spent in the military, drinking away my father’s memory, my fucking problems. I was mad for a while, that you made me feel worse than that. But I went and saw my mom. Yeah, I did. She made me realize how stupid I was.
Go figure she could do that. She wants to meet you, said she’ll make you your favorite pie.” He swallowed hard. “Just say yes, say you still love me and we can work through anything. I’m prepared to fight for you for as long as it takes because I love you so damned much.”
Vera slid to her knees in front of him, her finger catching on the ring. It slid perfectly up her finger.
She wrapped her arms around him, slanted her mouth across his, and showed him without words her answer.
Groans filled the air as bodies strained to get closer; lips tasted and learned each other. Vera pulled his tongue into her mouth and sucked on it. With a growl, he pulled back, breathing hard.