Page 18 of The Teddy Bear’s Prize (A Date with a Demon #1)

Tobias

Six Months Later

“Fish wearing roller skates!” Erika calls out.

Paolo and I share a look, then he lowers his gaze and shakes his head. If I squint and tilt my head, Mia’s scribble on the large pad of paper does look a lot like a fish wearing roller skates. Though it might be the wine, making my brain a little fuzzy.

Mia grabs the side of the easel, putting the blue marker to paper again. She adds arrows pointing towards the drawing. One after another. She wears the same look, working on a new string of code for her company’s website, a similar level of tension in her shoulders while the tiny hourglass on the table counts down.

Erika claps her hands, pointing, “Magic School Bus!”

“Yes.” Mia hisses out, crossing the living room and high fives her best friend before bending over and grabbing her glass of wine and downing the rest of it.

I reach over and grab the card, “Are many of your school buses magical? ”

Beside me Paolo snorts, and Erika is smiling at her partner like a cat.

“No, babe, it’s a children’s cartoon. There isn’t an actual magic school bus.” Mia glances at Erika, “Right?”

“Right.” Erika nods.

“I’m not sure how this is fair,” Paolo grabs a chip, holding it before popping it into his mouth, “Tobias isn’t familiar with most of these references.”

“It’s fair because Tobias is an amazing artist and he can draw pretty much anything. Plus, with the teams split like this, we actually have a chance at winning.” Erika leans back against the couch.

I wouldn't say I can draw anything, in my mind, I am still a novice, but I do enjoy it out of all the hobbies I have tried over the last few months.

Mia lifts her glass to her lips again, frowning, “I’m going to open another bottle of wine. Anyone else want some?”

Erika and Paolo echo their approval while I watch my little doe as she slips off towards the kitchen.

“Now?” I ask, looking between the two of them.

“Yes, go,” Erika hisses, nudging me.

I stand, following Mia into the kitchen, with my palms sweating. The small ring has been burning a hole in my pocket since the moment I bought it a month ago under Erika’s guidance. It took everything in me not to drop to my knees and present it to Mia that very night and every night following, but I felt her birthday would be more appropriate.

“You better not be fraternizing with the enemy in there,” Erika calls from the living room.

“My house, my rules.” Mia replies. “Hey,” she glances over her shoulder, “do me a favor and grab the cheese plate from the fridge. ”

“Alright.” I reply, doing as she says and placing the wooden tray filled with several types of cheese on the countertop beside her. Taking a deep breath, I step back and lower myself onto one knee, reaching into my pocket, I pull out the ring, white gold and distressed, designed to look like gnarled branches surrounding a blood red ruby.

“Do you want to keep drinking white or should I break out the merlot?” She asks, turning around, searching before her eyes fall to mine. She clasps her hand over her mouth, her eyes already shining with unshed tears, “Tobias?”

The fear wells up in my chest and I can feel my form shifting; the shadows gathering at my crown, my vision sharp from my demonic senses.

“I know I cannot offer you the same things that a mortal could, in terms of traditions, but I feel this one is way too important to ignore.” I look down at the ring, “Mia, my heart, my little doe, will you take this ring as a symbol of my love for you?”

She smiles and holds out her hand, biting her bottom lip, “Yes,” she laughs, “Of course I will, Tobias.”

A sharp breath escapes my lips as I slide the ring onto her finger. Mia just about throws herself at me, firmly pressing her lips against mine. I nuzzle against her, softening and wrapping my hand around her throat, tipping her head back until I can brush my tongue against hers, pulling a soft whimper from her lips.

She pulls away, looking up at me, her eyes glazed over. “I love you,” she whispers against my lips.

“I love you too,” I grab hold of her as I stand, her feet dangling in the air while I pepper kisses on her neck and shoulder before gently setting her down. “Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful,” she smiles down at the ring, twisting it on her finger, the ruby almost glowing as it swallows the light.

“I will say this is much better than the demon tradition of marking one’s partner.”

“You were going to mark me?” She looks up at me, blinking, her cheeks pink. “You can still mark me—I mean, if it’s tradition.”

“Enough of the cute stuff. Get back in here so we can finish kicking your butt,” Erika says.

Mia shakes her head and smiles up at me, “You know, I could let you two win.”

“It doesn’t matter to me,” I tuck her hair behind her ear, “I already have the greatest prize of them all.”