“Did you just say we should get married?” she asked, sure she’d heard him wrong.
“Uh, yeah.”
“But you don’t love me.”
Jake slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a skidding stop along the side of the highway. “Where did you get a stupid idea like that? I just died for you back there.”
Nyla sat speechless, unable to do anything but blink as she stared at his angry face.
“Well?” he prodded.
“I . . . You . . .” She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “The baby could be a shifter.”
“And? He could also be a psychotic lunatic, a male ballet dancer, or hell, he could really go bad and become a Republican. That doesn’t mean I won’t love him anyway.”
Nyla blinked, unable to wrap her mind around his sudden change of attitude. “I thought you hated me for what I am.”
“I’ve never hated you. I admit I didn’t deal well with it when I learned you were the cat I’d been pouring out my secrets to for the past sixteen years, or that you were there the night Bobby died, but that’s old news.” His eyes grew soft and warm. “I realize you couldn’t stop his death because, whether or not I like it, it was simply his time to die. You weren’t even able to save me today.”
“Jake . . .”
“No, Nyla. It’s fine. I was meant to die so I could save you.”
Nyla held back the tears burning her eyes. “You really had no idea you’d been injected with immortality serum, did you?”
“No. Now that I do, I kinda feel bad about knocking Curtis out,” he said with a laugh.
“Jake?”
“Yeah?”
“Why did you die for me? Earlier today you tried to kill me.”
He turned his body so he faced her fully. “I love you, Nyla. This morning I was too stunned, or scared, or . . . I don’t know. Whatever I was, I didn’t see things clearly because my true nature was trying to win out over what my heart was telling me. I actually prayed today, and I followed what my heart told me to do.”
“Which was?”
“If I want to fight with the good side, I need to fight at your side.”
“So you don’t think I’m a freak?”
He shook his head. “Not any more than I am. When you were captured, and before we came to save you, I was alone, and it felt awful. You’ve been my best friend for most of my life, and you’ve given yourself to me in so many ways, done everything you could to protect me. I suddenly realized what a mistake I’d made, and that I’d never love anyone as much as I love you.”
“Even though you know the truth about my past?”
“You served a queen, Nyla. You did what you had to do to survive, and that was before we met. Well, before we officially met. I understand now why you reacted the way you did after we made love in the car. You despise that part of you.”
“I never wanted to share that ugly part of me with you. Especially not the
first time.” Nyla lowered her gaze to her lap.
He tipped her chin up with his fingertips. “I understand, but you don’t have to feel ashamed. I don’t care who came before me, just as long as no one comes after me.”
“There’ll never be another man, Jake.”
“I believe you.” He smiled, the gesture reaching his eyes. “So let’s get married and give our baby a little bit less of a dysfunctional family.”
“Well, when you ask so sweetly.”
“Hey, romance isn’t one of my special skills,” he said as he pulled back out onto the highway.
“I think you’re better at it than you think,” Nyla commented, resting her head on his shoulder, love blossoming inside her chest.
“Hey, Nyla?”
“Yeah?”
“How old were you that night you saved me from Demarcus?”
“About the age you are now,” she muttered.
“So you’re like, forty-something now?”
She groaned. “Shut up, Porter.”
“Wow.”
“Shut up.”
“Why? You obviously haven’t physically aged since that night. I probably won’t age anymore now, either. Damn, when that happens, Jonah’s going to freak!”
Nyla chuckled, his amusement spreading to her. His merriment, rare that it was, had always been contagious.
“So, uh, just out of curiosity, how often does this heat thing happen?”
“More than you can handle,” she quipped, chuckling at his typical maleness.
“Dude, I’m the man!” He laughed with glee at his good fortune. “And you’re pretty hot for an old la—Ow! Why’d you hit me?”
“For the same reason I always hit you. Sometimes, you’re just the jerk I love,” she said, grinning at him.
The End
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Slayer's Prey Page 31
