Chapter 32
(One week later)
After having breakfast with the rest of the pack at the main house like they did every morning, Tyson lifted Cersi’s cold hand to his lips and huffed a breath onto it before rubbing it vigorously. “You shoulda let me bring you in the truck. It woulda been warmer.”
It was the same argument they had daily. Cersi loved how he doted on her.
“I like our morning walks to the main house and back. Gives me an excuse to hold your hand.”
He shot her a heart-stopping grin. “Beautiful, you don’t need an excuse for that.”
She grinned up at him and felt a zing of anticipation as they reached the steps that led up to their cabin. She’d moved in fully, and being here with him, and so close to Vesa too, made everything in her world feel right. No, it felt more than right. It felt perfect.
Cersi made to take the first step, but Tyson held her hand firmly, keeping her from going up. Turning, she looked up at him quizzically.
“I have something for you.”
Cersi grinned and waggled her brows. “Good, I was hoping…”
“Woman,” Tyson growled with a smile, “that ain’t it.”
“Awww,” Cersi pouted.
“And it ain’t much so don’t go getting your hopes up.” He shoved his hand in his pocket before pulling it back out. Holding his fist out to Cersi, she opened her hand beneath his and waited. Something hard yet light dropped into her palm. Looking down, it took a moment before she registered what she was holding.
“Is this…” She looked up at Tyson in awe. “Is this our penny?”
He beamed down at her. “Yeah.”
Her eyes dropped back to the coin. “But how did you…”
“As soon as you went into the bathroom at the hotel, I went back out into the hall and picked it up.”
She looked up at him quizzically. “But I thought you weren’t superstitious.”
“I’m not.”
She frowned at the penny resting in her palm. “Then why?”
“Because you called it ours.”
She lifted her eyes to his.
“Do you remember that? We were coming back down the hall after having drinks in the bar. You pointed and said ‘Our penny’s still there’. Those four words rocked me, and I had to fight real hard to hide it. The first moment that I laid eyes on you, it was like a small seed had been planted inside of me. When you called that penny ‘ours’, it was like you watered that seed and that was it. It started growing something fierce until it filled me up inside.” Lifting a hand, he gently collared her throat, stroking his thumb along her jaw. “You filled me up.” Dropping his eyes to the penny, he flashed a sad smile. “Like I said, I know it ain’t much to most people, but that penny,” he jerked his chin toward it. “It’s ours. It’s the first thing that was ever ours, and you were right. That luck was meant for us.”
Cersi’s eyes filled with tears and she had to quickly look down to hide it. Bottom lip pulled between her teeth to keep it from trembling, she nodded over and over.
“Hey.” Tyson used the crook of his finger under her chin to lift her head. “Look at me,” he commanded and when she didn’t her repeated more firmly, “Look. At. Me.”
Blinking once, Cersi slowly lifted her tear-filled eyes until they collided with his. He’s so beautiful. She thought that every single time she looked at him. Every. Single. Time.
“Do you know how beautiful you are?”
She chuffed a water laugh at how he’d mimicked her own thoughts.
Misunderstanding her laugh, Tyson growled. “I mean it. You’re the most beautiful person, inside and out, that it has ever been my privilege to know and if you let me…”
All the breath left Cersi when Tyson dropped to a knee in front of her. “I have something else for you.”
Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a little white box.
Her knees nearly buckled, but Cersi locked them up tight as her hopeful eyes stayed glued to the box. Inside of her excitement was thrashing around like a caged gorilla, and she was having a hard time hearing over her thundering heart.
“This is how humans do it. It’s important to me that you know that I don’t expect you to just conform to shifter norms.” Looking up at her, he implored. “If you don’t want to stay here at BlackLodge, Cersi, I’ll understand. I’m not asking you to abort your life for me and my ways. I am willing…” He broke off to swallow hard, his head dipping a moment before he looked up with steely resolve. “I’m willing to walk away from BlackLodge and my pack…for you.”
She didn’t have to be a shifter to know that was a lie. Yeah, Tyson may have thought he’d be able to, but it wasn’t something she’d ever expect of him. Shifters needed space, mountains, clean air. They needed pack, and the BloodMoons were theirs. Cersi knew that Tyson needed BlackLodge the way that she needed him.
“Before you answer, you need to know that I’ll never be your light, Cersi. It ain’t in me. It’s all been snuffed out. I’m never gonna shine for you cuz I don’t know how anymore, but I don’t need to. Your shine is bright enough for us both and if you let me…I’ll be your night. You can be the star. I’ll be the darkness to compliment your brilliance so that everyone can see just how radiant you are. I can make you brighter.” He hesitated a moment before lowering his eyes as if embarrassed. “If you let me.”
Cersi didn’t bother trying to hold back the tears that slipped free, and when she hiccupped on a sob, Tyson’s head jerked up.
“Cersi?”
He shoved off his knee and wrapped an arm around her, his free hand cupping her cheek. “What’s wrong?” His brow furrowed. “I fucked it up, didn’t I?” Quickly releasing her, he stepped back and fisted his hair. “Ffffuck! I knew was gonna do this wrong.” Dropping his hand, he gripped her elbow. “I’m sorry.” He jammed the ring box back in his pocket. “Don’t cry.”
He looked around like he was searching for something to stop her tears and Cersi huffed a watery laugh that had his head whipping back to her.
“Cersi?”
“Where…where’s my ring?”
Brows dipping, Tyson stuffed his hand in his pocket and pulled the box back out.
“Open it,” Cersi demanded.
He did, and Cersi beamed at the white gold band that housed a single heart-shaped diamond. It was perfect.
Lifting her hand, she held it out to him and prompted. “Ask me.”
Tyson looked from her to her hand and back before slowly taking a knee and pulling the ring from the box. Dropping the box, he grabbed Cersi’s hand and held it.
Adam’s apple dipping low in his throat, he began, “Cersi Doe, I can’t promise you the world, but I can promise to make you my world. And I can promise you a name. A name that comes from somewhere. A name that links you to family. A name that means everything to me… a name that means almost as much to me as you do.
You settle Monster. You make me whole. I’m asking you to make yourself mine. I’m asking to be yours. Will you honor me by becoming my mate?”
Wiping the tears from her cheeks, Cersi drew in a fortifying breath before she nodded, her eyes staying locked on him. “Yes, Tyson BloodMoon. I want to belong with you. I want to stay with Monster. I want to be a BloodMoon. I want a family and a place to belong. I want…you.”
Still on his knees, Tyson lowered his head. He pulled Cersi’s hand to his forehead and stayed that way a minute longer than made Cersi comfortable.
“T-Tyson?”
She felt the cool band slip onto her ring finger and then Tyson shoved to his full height. His eyes were bright and fierce. His incisors had elongated too and were peeking out from his lips.
“Tyson?”
He gave her a wooden smile and nodded once before he turned away, but she caught his arm. When he wouldn’t turn to face her, she walked around until she was planted in front of him. Lifting a hand, she settled it on his jaw and ran her thumb across his bottom lip. Her finger brushed against the point of one of his sharp teeth.
Brows furrowing, Cersi commanded, “Don’t hide my Monster from me. Ever!” Her eyes softened when she asked, “I’m glad he’s here right now. My Monster has something to give me too.”
Tyson, who’d been avoiding her gaze, jerked his bright green gaze to hers. His lips parted as he watched Cersi lower her hand and grip the neck of her shirt. It was thin material, so it ripped easily when she grabbed it with both hands and jerked. Shimming her shoulder out, she pulled her hair off her neck and tilted her head to the side exposing her claiming mark. “Tell my Monster I’m waiting.” She grinned when Tyson’s looked at her in disbelief.
“You were forced to mark me the first time,” she said. “You did it because I begged you to. But I don’t want you like that, Tyson.” Her expression turned serious. “I want you to choose me because you want to. I want to belong here. I want to belong with you. Make me belong.”
***
Her request had pure possessiveness nearly blinding Tyson. He could feel Monster slamming around inside him wanting him to sink his teeth into Cersi now! He wanted to scold his beast for being impatient, but it wasn’t fair. Monster had been as patient as he knew how to be and then some. Monster deserved a break.
Scooping Cersi up into his arms, he reveled in her squeal of delight even as his feet pounded up the front steps of his cabin and kicked the front door open. Yeah, he was gonna sink his teeth into her and his dick too because she was it. She was all he’d ever hoped and dreamed for. His beautiful little badass had come along and stolen his heart. She’d tamed his Monster too, and for the rest of his days, he’d do everything he could to prove to her that she’d been wrong when she’d called herself unlovable. Sure her parents had walked away from her. That was their fucking mistake. But Tyson, no, he’d never leave his woman. She was his heart, his soul, his air. Without her, he couldn’t live, and without her, he wouldn’t want to. It wasn’t just about him showing her that she was loveable, it was also about showing her that she’d saved him too. For years, he’d felt unworthy and overlooked, but she saw him. She loved him, and he was going to love her right back because together, they’d both finally learned how.