Chapter 24

Luke

After Kate had quickly stashed her bag in my room, she left for a quick hunting trip to keep herself full. I imagined she didn't want to take any chances, and I was okay with whatever she wanted. I seized the opportunity and decided to have a talk with my father while she was out. I pulled him aside when he was about to leave and sat him down.

"Where are you off to?" I asked conversationally.

"Fishing with the boys," he answered, eyeing me suspiciously.

I nodded, looking down at my hands pressed together.

"What's up, Luke?" my father asked. "I know something's up."

I took a deep breath, bracing myself. "Dad, Kate is staying for a while...probably longer than that," I told him. "You may not like the situation, but that doesn't stop me from loving her just as much as I did before."

There was a long silence after my outpouring of words. Dad sighed, looking at the door. "I understand. I'm listening."

I leaned forward in my seat, my heart beating faster. "I know you might not be ready for this, but I think Kate and I are."

"What is it, son?"

I rubbed my hands together. "I would like to ask Kate to marry me, Dad."

My dad sat back in his chair, running his hand over his head. "Are you sure?" he asked, his eyes scrutinizing me. "I know how appealing vampires can seem—"

"No, Dad," I said firmly. "You know very well that's not the case. I wanted to marry Kate the moment I laid eyes upon her. You of all people should understand imprinting, Dad."

He sighed, defeated. I knew he was only making excuses, and that he would someday see that my love for Kate favored neither human nor vampire.

"So, what do you want from me?" he asked.

"I think you already know," I said, then took a deep, shaky breath. "I would like to give Kate Mom's ring."

Dad scrutinized me for a moment, his eyes squinting over to me. We sat for almost a minute as he thought long and hard about this. Finally he seemed to give up on whatever he was thinking and said, "Okay."

"Dad—" I paused, expecting another argument. "Okay?"

He nodded once. "I'm no going to lie, I've seen changes in you I never thought possible. I can't deny that Kate is your soulmate and… you're right. I should accept Kate for who she is. It's true, she hasn't changed much."

I wasn't sure I was hearing my father right. Was he agreeing with me?

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He chuckled, then stood up. "The boys are going to kill me for being late." Despite his statement, he ambled down the hallway and disappeared into his bedroom. After a few opening and closing of a few drawers, he reemerged with a tiny black box in his hand. He placed it into my large palm and patted me on the shoulder.

"Good luck, son," he said, actually cracking a smile.

"I don't think I'll need it, Dad, but thanks."

He nodded and grabbed his tackle box by the door, giving me a small wave before he left.

Kate

Back at Luke's house that night, Todd went off with some friends to go fishing on the lake, so I felt better about taking a shower at his house when Todd was gone, who obviously felt uncomfortable with me there at all. I was able to scrub off all the dirt from my body and run my brush through my hair. I felt refreshed when I dressed in clean fitting clothes and joined Luke in his room. I flopped onto the bed beside him and he pulled me close for a kiss.

"Your scent is stronger when you're wet. It makes it intoxicating," he breathed.

"Should I leave?" I asked, running my nose against his jawline, having no intentions of leaving.

"Nope." He crushed me against him and kissed my shoulder, then my chest. "But there is something we need to talk about."

He pulled me up so we were sitting across from each other.

"Uh oh," I said when his tone was completely serious.

He grinned. "It's nothing to worry about."

I nodded and waited, watching as he grappled for words.

"From the moment I saw you, I knew I had to be with you for the rest of our lives. It was an instant attraction, pushed along by my werewolf genes in the form of imprinting." He gave me a small grin. "We weren't ever forced together, it was merely fate, and a little easier to find you with my werewolf genes, again."

I giggled. I could have ventured a guess to where this was going.

"But from the moment I met you, there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to marry you someday, and all I had to do was wait to convince you so. So when you told me the other day that you would have no objections to my offer, my heart swelled up with joy."

At that moment, he produced a tiny, black, velvet box from his pocket and I gasped. Cracking it open, I glimpsed the most beautiful classic diamond ring I had ever seen. It was a plain but sturdy silver band with a single, round diamond sparkling on the top. The ring was simple but perfect, and all I wanted from Luke.

"Kate, will you marry me?" he asked, his eyes burning holes into my soul, all the love he felt for me beaming through his eyes.

I was speechless, my heart was soaring. All I could do was beam at him and throw my arms around his neck. He started laughing and wrapped his arms around me. "Yes," I finally whispered.

I let go of him and held out my hand for the ring. He plucked the twinkling ring from the box and slid it into place on my left ring finger. I watched him as he smiled down at the little ring, completely exhilarated by seeing it there. I leaned in to kiss his exuberant face.

"I'm yours forever," I whispered in his ear. He pulled me down and kissed me, long and hard, and I was glad Todd had left for the evening.