Page 73 of Avaritia
“Wilder has prepared a special meal, if you’re ready to eat now?” Mother asked, fussing with Rainy’s hair.
“We’ll meet you in the dining room,” I said firmly, wrapping an arm around my mate’s waist and guiding her through the foyer and upstairs.
Verity narrowed her eyes at me. “Don’t get any ideas about having a quickie before lunch. I can’t face your family smelling of sex pheromones again.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” I murmured, suppressing a smile.
Rather than leading her to our third-floor bedroom, I headed for the “mistress dungeon,” which had now been repurposed as a dressing room for Verity. Fester unfolded himself from a pile of cushions on the wide window ledge as we entered, and Verity crossed the candy-pink room to fuss over him.
“What are we doing here?” she asked absently, scratching between his ears while he rubbed his scent all over her. I would need to replace that later.
“I added something new to your jewelry box.”
Verity gave me an indulgent look, the new caspite orb shining from the filigree cage that hung from her necklace, as well as a few other fine silver chains that I’d made her, layered over top.
“You don’t need to keep making me things, you know. You’ve spoiled me enough as it is.”
“My love, you don’t believe those words for a second. You love when I give you gifts. You would be immensely disappointed if I ceased to.”
Verity nodded solemnly. “You’re right, I would. I was trying to seem less greedy.”
I snorted, pulling the carved box off the shelf and presenting it to her. There was a strange, fluttering sort of feeling in my chest that I refused to concede was nerves.
Theon, Duke of Lindow, did not get nervous.
Verity’s scent sweetened with excitement as she lifted the lid, before turning mellow and syrupy with the feeling I had come to associate with love.
“Is this…?” she breathed, carefully plucking the silver ring from the black velvet cushion. I had worked two thin bands of silver to twine around each other like vines, sculpting small leaves that fanned out either side. In the center, like a glowing bloom, was a pink sapphire Astrid had collected at my request, from the human realm.
“May I?” I murmured. Verity nodded, and I carefully took the ring between my claws, sliding it onto the ring finger of her left hand.
“Are you going to ask if I’ll marry you?” Verity said breathlessly, her eyes glassy with tears, though her scent was still as sweet and intoxicating as ever.
“And risk you saying no? Absolutely not.”
Verity laughed, one tear escaping as I slipped the ring onto her finger. She leaned forward, brushing a smiling kiss to my lips. “My answer is yes.”
“Good. Then let us go downstairs, Wilder has been learning how to make your pannekoek to celebrate, and he believes he’s finally got the recipe right—”
Verity was in my arms before I’d finished speaking, her legs wrapped around my hips, lips pressed to mine.
Verity was mine. My mate. My bride. And someday, the mother of my children. Being with Verity gave me more joy than I ever thought I would get to experience in my life, and I never intended on letting her go.
“What do you think?” Aderith asked, walking me through the temple that lay on the very outskirts of the estate. I’d spent the past few weeks out here myself, repairing the long-neglected building, though all of that hard work was currently hidden under dense floral arrangements. Mostly gray, though with the occasional hints of color that were now growing throughout the realm.
The pink flowers were at the front, on either side of the altar, all in order for this afternoon’s ceremony.
“Who do we know that attended Allerick’s wedding? I want to make sure we have more flowers than he did.”
“I have already verified,” Aderith said proudly, standing up a little taller. “The king made no effort for his own wedding. The temple was said to be quite dismal and uninviting.”
“Excellent. Verity deserves the very best.”
“As you say,” Aderith agreed with a nod. “I will return to the kitchens if you are satisfied. I want to supervise these new staff, ensure that they don’t make any mistakes on the most important day of your life.”
I inclined my head in agreement, though her words weren’t quite correct. The day I’d met Verity was the most important day of my life. This was just an opportunity to show the entire realm that she was mine and I was hers, if her bite didn’t do enough to broadcast that already.
Satisfied that the temple was in order, I made my way back to the main house, which was bustling with staff—some brought on permanently, others hired for the occasion.