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She reached for my hand, her fingers intertwining with mine.“You deserve this, Sterling.Every bit of it.”
“We both deserve it.I wouldn’t be here without you.”
The music began filling the room with a slow, melodic tune.“Dance with me.”
Her eyebrows shot up.“Here?Now?”
“Why not?”I smirked, tugging her toward the center of the room.
Ariel laughed but followed.The crowd parted slightly as we stepped onto the floor, the soft glow of the overhead lights casting a warm halo around us.I pulled her close, one hand settling at the small of her back, the other cradling hers against my chest.
“You know I’m terrible at this,” she murmured, her breath a warm caress against my neck.Despite her protest, the catch in her breath when my hand slid down her back told a different story.
“Liar,” I countered as I swayed us gently to the music.Your body remembers every step we’ve ever taken together."I nipped lightly at her earlobe, grinning when she shivered.“Just like it remembers every other way we’ve moved together, sweetheart.”My fingers tightened on her hip.Later, I promised my wolf.
She rested her head against my shoulder.As we moved together, her body melted into mine and our heartbeats synced.The chatter, the clinking glasses, the flash of cameras, all of it faded away into the background until all I could hear was the sound of her heart.It was just us, moving together in the quiet rhythm of the moment.
I pressed my lips to her temple, inhaling the faint scent of her perfume and her scent.“I have something for you,” I murmured against her skin.
She tilted her head back, curiosity flickering in her eyes.“Oh?”
I didn’t answer.Instead, I took her hand and led her away from the dance floor, toward the elevator.The doors slid open, and I punched the button for the rooftop landing pad.
Ariel’s brows furrowed.“Sterling, if this is your idea of a quickie—”
“Trust me,” I said with a gentle squeeze of her hand.
The elevator ride was silent.Ariel was ready to burst with anticipation.When the doors opened, the cool night air rushed in, carrying the distant sounds of the city below.
Ariel stepped into the night, the harbor wind catching the hem of her dress like waves against the shore.The city lights shimmered hundreds of feet below us.She turned, and the moon was like a spotlight on her.“It’s beautiful, Sterling.”
I swallowed hard, my pulse pounding in my throat.This was it.The moment I’d been planning for weeks.My hands shook slightly as I reached into my pocket.Then, before I could second-guess myself, I dropped to one knee.The ring box felt unnaturally heavy in my palm.
Ariel’s eyes widened.“Sterling—” Her hands flew to her mouth.
I held up the ring, a simple platinum band studded with smaller gems surrounding a large diamond in the center.
My voice shook as I spoke.“Ariel Hayes, you walked into my life and turned it upside down.You saw me at my worst, my most broken, and you didn’t run.You stayed.You fought for me, even when I didn’t know how to fight for myself.You taught me how to trust, how to love, how to live.You’re the reason I’m standing here today, not as Sterling the Nightfang, but as Sterling the man I want to be.”
I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest.“You’ve shown me that I’m more than my family’s mistakes, more than the darkness I’ve carried for so long.With you, I’ve found light.With you, I’ve found me.And I don’t ever want to lose that.I don’t ever want to lose you.So, Ariel, will you spend the rest of your life with me?Will you marry me and let me love you, protect you, and stand by your side as we take on the world together?”
A happy sob escaped her mouth.Tears streamed down her cheeks as she dropped to her knees in front of me, her hands clutching mine.“Sterling,” she whispered, her voice breaking.“You’ve made me feel like I’m enough, just as I am.And that’s why I’ll always choose you, Sterling.Always.”
A choked laugh escaped me as I slid the ring onto her finger.It fit perfectly.Her tears mixed with the laughter bubbling up from her chest, and then she was in my arms, her lips crashing into mine.
I held her tightly, the world around us fading away until it was just us, two souls who had found each other in the chaos and made something beautiful out of it.
“I love you,” I murmured against her lips.“More than anything.”
“I love you too,” she whispered back.She cupped my face and kissed me again.“Always.”
Epilogue
ARIEL
SEVEN YEARS LATER
The scent of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the faint sweetness of maple syrup from the pancakes Sterling was flipping on the stove.Outside, the garden was alive with the chirping of birds and the distant hum of the city waking up.It was quiet, warm, and filled with the kind of peace I’d once only dreamed of.