Page 17 of Blood of the Damned: Thorn (Vaughn Winery #1)

With a quick glance about, he plucked a bunch of grapes from the closest vine, mindful no one was near to catch him. The last time he’d done that he’d gotten caught and reamed a new asshole for it by Asher, who was very precious over his grapes.

Ledger didn’t worry about needing to wash them, especially now he was pregnant, because they didn’t use pesticides. He pulled a plump, juicy grape off the bunch and popped it into his mouth, groaning at the sweet burst of flavor.

“It’s a good job Aster didn’t catch you stealing his babies,” a voice said from behind him.

Ledger dropped the grapes, choking on the one he was eating, swallowing it down the wrong hole as he spun towards where the quiet voice had frightened the crap out of him. “Thorn! Don’t do that! You damn near gave me a heart attack.”

Thorn chuckled and came closer, bending to pick up the now bruised grapes.

“Let’s get rid of the evidence.” He tugged one off the bunch and popped it into his mouth, his eyes lighting with delight as he took another and brought it to Ledger’s mouth.

Their gazes held as Ledger parted his lips, witnessing Thorn’s flare of desire as he licked the tip of his thumb before sucking the grape in between his lips.

“Yummy,” Ledger murmured throatily.

“Most definitely,” Thorn replied with a wicked grin that said he wasn’t talking about the grapes.

Ledger shook his head at the playful side of Thorn, which was nigh on impossible to resist. But, instead of initiating more, Thorn encouraged him to walk with him, occasionally feeding him grapes in a companionable silence.

In the months they’d been together, Ledger had learned a lot about Thorn.

Quiet times like this were rare and Ledger got a sense of anticipation.

He just couldn’t fathom why as they came to the small terraced area that gave a spectacular view of the valley stretched out below them.

Ledger stopped, like he always did, and took the time to admire the vista.

Whatever Ledger had hoped for when he’d taken this job, it wasn’t the sense of peace that came from looking out at what Thorn and his brothers had created.

Standing next to Thorn, admiring their hard work, came with a sense of pride at their accomplishments.

The knowledge that he played a small part in promoting the beauty added a layer of accomplishment he’d never had with any other job.

The peacefulness of the place spoke to his soul. Whether it was the vampire, the land, or both, Ledger didn’t question it. He couldn’t remember a time feeling like this, even as a small child, before discovering he was divergent.

“This view…” he sighed wistfully. “I can understand why folks love it here and want to be here for longer than a few hours.”

“It’s beautiful.” Something in Thorn’s tone got him glancing at the vampire, who was staring at him.

There, in his expression, was a longing that caused an odd feeling in the center of Ledger’s chest and made his breath catch in his lungs.

“I never considered how discovering I have a dhampir would make me feel. Couldn’t imagine the all-encompassing feelings.

The depth of them. The enormity of them.

How they consume my every waking moment.

The way they changed me. I want forever with you and still I don’t think it will be enough for me to get my fill of you, Sweetling.

” He gracefully lowered himself to the ground on one knee and a hand slipped into his slacks before appearing with a small ring box.

Ledger released a noise that, to his embarrassment, sounded decidedly like a sob as his vision blurred on the box. Oh heavens! Is he…

“Will you marry me?”

His lips parted, but no sound came out as a huge ball of emotion lodged in his throat, blocking his airway. A shudder ran through him as his head bobbed frantically, causing a tear to roll down his cheek.

Thorn wants to marry me .

Us, he wants to marry us, his animal pointed out delightedly. His squirrel squealed giddily when Thorn reached for their hand.

Thorn clasped Ledger’s very clammy hand, something he didn’t seem to care about, and flicked open the box.

The sun caught a myriad of stones in all different colors, set in a thick silvery-gray looking band.

It was like no metal Ledger had seen before.

It was stunning and Ledger’s fingers trembled as Thorn slipped his pinkie into the band and allowed the box to drop to the ground.

Thorn touched the tip of his pinkie to Ledger’s ring finger, meeting his gaze as he let go of Ledger’s other hand. Slowly and deliberately, he slid the ring from his own finger and settled it into place at the base of Ledger’s. The weight of the warm metal caused Ledger’s pulse to kick.

“I love you. Be mine for all infinity.”

“Yes,” Ledger hiccup-sobbed, bending to kiss Thorn hard on the mouth. Before his excitement could get the better of him, he eased out of the kiss to admire the sparkling ring and how perfectly it fit.

“Did you have this made for me?” he blurted out at the reality of its perfection.

“I already had the stones, platinum, and rhodium, so I took them to a friend who made it special for me.” He stroked a finger over the stones. “I wanted something unique for you.”

He glanced from the ring to Ledger, and he felt something akin to embarrassment coming from Thorn. “I asked the jeweller to create sunshine in a ring. That’s what you are to me.”

“Ohhhh,” Ledger warbled, sniffing back the next sob, while blinking furiously at the ache at the back of his eyes. His heart pounded fast enough to make it hard to breathe once more.

“When shall we have the wedding? Next month?”

“Huh?” Ledger gave Thorn a look of confusion at what he said. They couldn’t possibly organize a wedding in four weeks! Is Thorn insane?

“No, Sweetling, just eager to be married to you. And if I could make it happen tomorrow, it wouldn’t be soon enough.”

Ledger gawped at the seriousness. “Tomorrow… heaven’s I feel faint.”

Thorn scooped him off his feet while standing, holding him to his chest, making Ledger’s pulse skitter about at the romantic picture they would make with the view at his back.

“I’ve got you.” The words, said with such possessiveness, would have weakened his knees as something else registered.

The ring on his finger gave him a unique feeling far different from the mate mark he bore.

This was a choice. Marriage was a commitment they made for the world to acknowledge their pairing.

Not all mates choose to marry. They didn’t feel the need, but to wear Thorn’s ring so everyone would see it where they couldn’t always see the claim mark on his skin was something Ledger didn’t know he wanted until now.

He laid his head on Thorn’s shoulder, a smile forming. “Four weeks, we’ll make it work.”

The soft brush of lips over his forehead and the whispered words, “thank you Sweetling,” affirmed, more than anything, that Ledger would move heaven and earth to give Thorn what he wanted. And hell mind anyone that got in his way.