Chapter 766

I tilt my head to the side at this, curious about that thought process. Where on earth had that come from? Tony as my mate? Honestly, the idea is...ridiculous to me, even though Luca was jealous of him too, so some kind of romantic connectoin was clearly on his mind as well. But Jackson catches himself mid- harangue and clears his throat, drawing in a deep breath.

"Clearly," I murmur, "you gave this some thought."

"I mean, I didn't like the idea of sharing you," Jackson murmurs, slowly shaking his head as he holds my gaze. "But if that was your destiny?" Another shrug as he looks away into space, like he hated it but he was willing to bear it.

For me.

And suddenly my heart sinks as I realize just how precisely good he is. That Jackson - he'd take a half happiness, as long as it meant having me in his life.

I groan and crawl to him, unable to stand being apart anymore and pressing myself to his side. Jackson wraps his arm around me and pulls me close, taking a deep sniff of my hair.

"I'm very sorry," I whisper, shaking my head. "I don't think the Goddess's gift was very fair to you, was it?" "Any deal that comes with you attached, Ariel," Jackson murmurs, "is the lion's share of the riches. And I'm not just some poor orphan saying that - just some kid who's never been loved taking whatever the world would give him. I'd say the same even if I were the Prince of Atalaxia, with all the world's riches at my feet. You are worth it all, Ariel Sinclair."

I sigh, thinking that it can't possibly be true, but grateful instead to be so overwhelmingly loved.

And so I tell him, finally, of the extent of the Goddess's gift. Of her command to me, that day in the magic classroom, to get all of my mates' marks. That what he was moving towards was correct anyway, even if I hoped that the three of us would have time to get there on our own. Even if, apparently, we didn't. And then I apologize, profusely, for keeping it from him. But Jackson, as he so unendingly does, understands and works hard to see my side.

I can feel him thinking through it as he holds me close for a few moments, turning over the details of what the Goddess said, the consequences of what happened.

"So, what do you think?" he asks, his deep voice rumbling and low and contemplative. The back of his fingers barely graze the bandage still over the mark on my neck. "Do you think this is enough, that you've got his mark now? Or...do you think the Goddess is going to give you a replacement mate?"

"I don't know," I whisper, shaking my head, kind of terrified at the idea. "I think we have to get Cora to call her up again and ask. I'm not sure how long I can stand not knowing."

He nods, grumbling something.

But I bite my lip and sit up and face him again, my own hand moving hesitantly to the bandage over my neck. "You know this is...all for show, right?"

Jackson raises an eyebrow at me.

know that your mother wouldn't

have let you leave that spa un net

every inch of you was fully healed, if that's what you mean."

"Yes," I say, shaking a bit. "But...I haven't looked at it yet."

"Do you think you're ready?"

"Are you?" I ask, a bit wide-eyed.

Jackson smirks a little. "I can handle it."

I turn my head a bit, my eyes narrowed at his confidence. "You aren't going to barf again?"

A little laugh huffs from him, his eyes crinkling as he shakes his head no.

"How are you so confident?"

Jackson shrugs. "I'm good with it.

—

I've made my peace. All parts of you are precisely that Ariel - parts of you. Which makes them beautiful to me, so." He shrugs. "If you're

wearing that bandage for my sake, you don't need to."

Slowly, my fingers shaking slightly, I reach up and peel away the gauze from my neck, letting the bandage fall to my lap. When Jacks doesn't even flinch, I turn my head to the side and let him see the full extent of Luca's mark, high on my neck.

"Well?" I whisper, my wolf quailing a bit with the fear that he'll change his mind. "What do you think?"noveldrama