A Warm Heart in Winter (Black Dagger Brotherhood 18.50)

It made Blay respect Luchas even more.

Still, it was no wonder Qhuinn was rattled. And hey, he had made the effort to come here for the first time since—

Qhuinn jumped up with such force, his chair went flying backwards. As the thing bounced off the carpet and rattled across the bare floor, everyone went shocked-silent—as Blay wrenched around on his own seat.

Reaching up, he stammered, “What, what whatwhat—”

Was his mate having an aneurysm? At least Manny and Doc Jane were across the—

Qhuinn’s chest was pumping up and down as he dropped to the carpet.

“Medic!” Blay called out as he reached toward Doc Jane. “He’s going over!”

“I don’t think that’s what’s happening here,” somebody said gently.

Which was when Blay realized Qhuinn was still very definitely conscious. And not collapsing…

… but down on one knee.

Staring up with blue and green eyes that glowed with love.

Abruptly, the room tilted and spun—and that sensation of spinning got more intense as Qhuinn took Blay’s dagger hand into his own.

In a voice that was full of emotion, Qhuinn said, “Thank you for all your support since… my brother’s passing. And thank you for all the nights and days before that. And thank you for all the nights and days that are ahead of us.”

“What are you doing?” Blay breathed.

“I love our middle, Blay. It isn’t without challenges, but with you? I believe I can get through them—I believe with you, anything is possible.” Qhuinn pressed his lips to Blay’s palm and placed it against the side of his face. “I don’t want to wait any longer. I want us to be properly mated. Luchas didn’t just give me one last way to honor him—he provided me with the example of one sure way to honor you. Let’s follow in his footsteps. His end came too soon, but our middle is here now. Mate me, my love? Mate me now, here. Let’s not waste even a moment. Please, make me yours. Please, be mine. Officially, before all of our family.”

Blay started to blink back tears. And then he was on his knees, too.

As he stammered to give his answer, he reflected that time was never a given, love was never to be taken for granted, and some gifts could not be wrapped and put under a tree.

“Yes. Yes, yes, yes…” he said over and over again as they kissed.

There was some kind of commotion around them, and when he finally returned to his body, he saw that everyone around the table had gotten to their feet and were cheering and clapping—and every single doggen in the house had flooded into the dining room and were jumping up and down.

With a laugh, Blay wondered whether their excitement was also because they were going to have to get ready for a big party.

And there was one other thing he noticed.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Lassiter standing back against the wall, a satisfied expression on his face.

“He was right,” Qhuinn murmured as he looked over at the angel as well.

“About what?”

“You said yes.”

At that moment, Lassiter bowed to them. And then blew them both a kiss.

Blay refocused on his mate and felt a wave of love come over him. “As if there could ever have been any other answer?”

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Talk about a whirlwind.

And yet even though everything came together in a matter of nights, it still felt like the preparations for the mating ceremony took too damned long.