Page 10 of Batty About You (Pine Ridge Universe #23)

If you told me a place was “crawling with monsters,” I would immediately picture a slime-coated dungeon of horrors.

But the ballroom at White Pines is filled with humans and monsters, and no one seems to give a damn.

There’s a gargoyle dressed like a Roman Gladiator, two Orcs in full Viking regalia, and a Kraken sporting a Zoot Suit with his flapper gal date who looks completely human.

When I turn up, people cheer and shake my hand in relief.

Cathy and Cindy rush to meet me, hugging me, buying my story about getting lost on a walk in the dark.

No one is scared on the scariest day of the year.

Kelly still loves me. Kelly is... Kelly is plastered to me, and I’m starting to think that the tight black pants I wear won’t conceal what that does to me.

“My family told me that Halloween was the night that my cursed blood would call to evil, and evil would prey upon me and tempt me to follow it—like other members in my family have done. When I saw you crying, and you thought I didn’t show up—and then you were scared of me—”

“It was temporary!” she protests, her head pillowed against my chest, cheek buried in my fur.

“I was sure the curse was real. But you broke it. That makes you magical.”

“This whole night is magical. The princess and the hero have to have some kind of misunderstanding or quest before they get to the good stuff.” Kelly looks up at me, chin on my sternum. So adorable! I wrap my wings around her tightly, even though I know it blocks the view of her beautiful dress.

“You love those fantasy romances.” I kiss her forehead, contentment settling into my soul.

“The correct term is ‘romantasy.’”

“Ahem, who is the guy who sent you the entire Wylding series? All those ‘In the Court of the Shifter King’ books?”

“You are. Because you’re the best boyfriend ever.”

“Which is only fair because you are the best girlfriend ever,” I sigh.

“Do you two need a room for the night? Lennox still has the key to the old caretaker’s cottage...” Cindy asks, dancing past me with her giant, fluffy mothman husband.

“Ignore Cindy. She’s like lust on legs,” Kelly says when I let out a startled splutter.

“It’s a good thing. Makes a happy marriage, just sayin’,” Cindy purrs, winks, and waltzes Lennox away.

The music changes to something more upbeat, and I’m glad.

I don’t want to think about lust. I want to think about long, slow love.

Happy years together. Taking our first trip to the beach together instead of just sending each other postcards and photos of the sunsets over the waves.

Our kids—and how they’d better get her eyebrows.

Going to the symphony together on our anniversary. ..

“You’re a million miles away,” Kelly whispers.

“Funny. You were still with me. Wherever I am, I take you with me,” I whisper back, sneaking another kiss.

Kelly lets out a soft, desperate noise when it ends.

“You okay?”

She licks her lips. “I don’t want to rush.”

“We won’t!”

“But I kinda want to go home. It’s almost midnight now. The catering crew is starting to pack up cake slices to go.”

“Oh. Okay. Kell... I don’t turn back at midnight. It’s at sunrise. Just so you understand.”

Her eyes are suddenly so much darker and wider. I’m falling, floating, and loving the soft landing I have when her hand gently strokes down my chest, fingers digging into thick, soft fur. “I know, Bogdan. I still want to go home. Unless—”

I tug her towards the cake table. “Cake, car, and home. Got it.”

With a happy tinkle of laughter, she races after me. “You’re sure you don’t mind leaving now? We could wait a little?”

“I’ve been waiting for seven years. Not to—”

“No, I know.”

We’re silent for a moment as we take our cake and thank our host and hostess—one who is clearly a ghost, because her feet don’t touch the floor and her fingertips feel like warm gelatin when she puts a box in my hand.

We exit through the terrace and start to find our way to my car when Kelly speaks.

“I know what you mean. Seven years to find the person who makes everything feel like home. Like the other half of your heart is back in place. Like that?”

“Yes! And I’d be happy just to sit and talk to you all night.

No matter how much we talk, we always seem to have something to say.

I feel like we could talk forever.” I get to my car and slip my hand under the wheel well to retrieve my car key.

The others are in my coffee cup holder, hidden under a stack of clean napkins.

“I was wondering how come you didn’t have your phone on you at first. I guess you can’t carry all your stuff when you’re in bitty bat form?”

“Nope. The only thing that works are these pants—they’re made of bat leather—don’t ask. My grandma sent them from Romania.”

“I like them.” Kelly slides into the car when I open her door, and she runs her fingers lightly over my leg. “Wow. So soft.”

I unfold my arm and slide it behind her. “Sorry. Gotta drive like this when I’ve got my wings.”

“Want me to drive and you fly?” Kelly asks, but she’s already snuggling into my arm.

“Not when I have you with me.” I smile and start the car, my eyes darting nervously to the glove compartment. There’s no reason for her to open it—not until I ask.

“It’s a short ride, anyway.”

I put the car in drive and we weave through all the parked cars in the gravel parking area, then zoom along the dark road to her apartment.

With a cough, I return to our topic, hoping I can time this just right, while also wondering if I should wait and do this much later.

“You’re grunting. Am I squishing your wing?” Kelly asks in alarm, leaning forward.

“No! I’m fine. I was just... I was just thinking about how I could talk to you forever. How I could do the boring everyday things in life with you. How we have done that for seven years, but it always feels amazing. Like an adventure and being safe at home at the same time.”

Kelly bounces in her seat as we zip along the dark road. “That’s exactly it! A safe, happy, ordinary adventure. Only when I’m talking to you or writing to you, everything feels special and important.”

“I think that’s how it is when you’re in love, and I think that’s a sign that this love is the right one.

” A few other cars are ahead of us, also leaving the party.

I’ve got the window open out of necessity, and I hear faint, distant howls that send shivers up my spine, and every now and then, I think something dark and shadowy moves along the tree line.

I’m so happy to get to Kelly’s apartment, a beacon of her light in red, boxy brick.

Kelly’s home. Maybe one day it could be ours? “Stay there. Let me get your door, my lady,” I say as gallantly as possible while trying not to combust with nerves and excitement.

“Such a gentleman,” Kelly feigns surprise and puts a hand to her chest, fluttering her fingers over the delectable line of her cleavage.

Don’t be a horny idiot, don’t be a horny idiot.

I’m not horny, I’m just admiring.

Okay, I’m horny and I’m admiring the woman I love. Be smooth. Be suave.

“My wallet is in the glove compartment.” I point to the little flap above her knees as I open the door. “Would you mind getting it for me?”

I have to time it just right.

“Sure.”

Her head turns, her hands reach for the small gray handle that blends into the compartment door, and as she pulls it open, I drop to one knee.

Kelly gasps when she sees the small red velvet box, sitting in a halo of light from the tiny bulb inside the glove compartment. “Boggie...” she whispers, hands to her cheeks.

I reach past her arms and gently retrieve it. Maybe one day I’ll be a rich doctor with a big house and a big car, a man who can afford a big ring. But that will be years from now.

Years without Kelly as my wife. I don’t want that. On bended knee, I open the box to reveal a three-hundred-dollar special, a third of a karat in a white gold band. “I know I’m not worthy of you—”

“Stop there. You can’t propose if this is about how I’m better than you,” she says firmly, wiping her eyes as happy (I hope they’re happy) tears suddenly spill over. “You can only ask if you talk about why I should marry you, not why I shouldn’t.”

She’s so smart. “You should marry me, please, because I’m so in love with you.

Because I’ll always work hard to make you happy.

Because I’ll play duets with you, and raise a family with you, and maybe we’ll always be broke, but we both know that when you have the right person, you don’t have to have much to be happy.

Please marry me because I love you, and I’ll never, ever keep another secret from you, I’ll always protect you.

... And I want to have a big, happy family with you, full of little violinists and oboists.

And maybe some cellists and trumpeters for good measure.

” I ramble myself to a stop and realize that I’m panting.

I never, ever intended to propose in this beastly form.

I wouldn’t blame Kelly for saying she needs time to think about it or that she wants me to wait until tomorrow and ask again.

But nope. She thrusts her left hand out, fingers waggling.

“Yes! The answer is yes!” She breaks into a clamor of excited Spanish and English, and I think I even hear one of the two or three Romanian words I’ve taught her as well.

Before I can even work the ring all the way onto her finger, she’s pulling me in for a bouquet of excited, giggling kisses.

It’s just before midnight, and the woman I love has agreed to be my bride, even though I’m a monster and I ruined our first date.

Take that, Family Curse.

“Let’s go inside, Boggie,” Kelly whispers.

A new day starts, and it’s going to be the best one ever.