Alicia's breath got caught somewhere between her throat and her lungs.

  　　She could not react. She tried… but she just could not. All she could do was to only stare back at him.

  　　A proposal from Ezekiel was the last thing she had ever expect. He had already decided to leave this world, and she fully understood that there was no other way out for him, for them. So why… what was the meaning of this? Was there even any reason why he wanted to continue with this?

  　　Her heartbeat drummed within her chest and sent the blood whooshing so hard in her ears. Despite the questions that had popped in her mind, her heart was swelling with so much joy that it was now literally threatening to burst out of her chest.

  　　The world suddenly felt like a dream as she looked up into his face, waiting silently for her answer. She could see the sparks and emotions as they flicker in his once cold and emotionless eyes. Somehow, she could tell that he seemed to be praying that she would say 'yes'.

  　　And something incredibly warm blossomed in her heart. Looking at his eagerness that he was trying to mask, Alicia felt as though her heart was a balloon that someone was inflating so much that it could no longer be held within her chest cavity. If only he knew he did not even need to ask. Even if he did not rephrase the way he had said it by changing the words from the first time, 'marry me, Alicia' to 'will you marry me?" Alicia could not have been bothered that the words had come out more like a command the first time nor when he had changed it to more of a request the second time. All that mattered to her was the intention in those words! He had popped the question!!

  　　She did not care if it was rational or not, but if he wanted to marry her, she would definitely say 'yes'. That was the only answer to that question from him anyway. Always. Without hesitation.

  　　"Yes," her soulful answer echoed out softly in the room and then, it was Zeke's turn to freeze.

  　　Alicia reached out and cupped his face and tiptoed. "Yes, I will marry you, Ezekiel." She whispered and sealed the deal with a searing kiss.

  　　He grabbed her and pulled her even tighter against himself and kissed her back. Deeply and passionately, with all that he had. Alicia barely managed to pull away before they crossed a dangerous line again. They absolutely could not do that. Not here when they were still in the twin's bedroom!!!

  　　When their lips parted, though rather unwillingly, Alicia was smiling. Her smile as radiant as the noonday sun. But she was shaking her head.

  　　"You got me again. I never thought you would ever propose. You don't seem to be the kind to propose a marriage, you know?" She teased with a lopsided grin, and he just pulled on her again and buried her into his arms. It was as though he wanted to meld her into himself and never wanted them to be separated ever again. His breathing was hard as he rested his face on her head.

  　　"Sorry that this came out of nowhere." He sounded genuinely apologetic, clearly feeling bad about it.

  　　Alicia shook her head. "Nope… Now that I think about it, this is just so Ezekiel." she chuckled soundlessly.

  　　He pulled away and clasped one of her hands in both of his.

  　　Their gazes held, as if a secret conversation were happening between them.

  　　"I'm going to give you a permanent ring, Alicia." He then broke the silence. "You can never take it off again. So, if…" he uncharacteristically broke off, not completing his sentence. But Alicia immediately responded.

  　　"I want it!" she told him with a smile, eyes gleaming as she lifted her left hand towards him. "I want this permanent ring, Ezekiel." Her head nodded at him, letting him know that she was sure about this and that she truly wanted this gift that he was giving her.

  　　He held her gaze. "You are free to ask me… questions first. I know you have…"

  　　Alicia shook her head. Her smile not fading in the least. "I do have questions, of course. But all that can wait until later. Let's settle the important matters first. I want the ring. And don't worry, nothing will ever change my mind. Please know that. Nothing, Ezekiel."

  　　Silence reigned between them for a moment as Zeke took time to savor how Alicia was so ardent right now, and Alicia took the time to appreciate how Zeke's gaze warmed up even more with the emotions that were filling his heart and spilled over into his eyes. Zeke reached out and caressed her cheek gently with his thumb without breaking their intense eye-contact.

  　　Then he bent down and kissed her.

  　　Alicia shut her eyes, welcoming his kiss like the dry earth welcomes the rain. She could feel his demonic power swirling like soft breeze around them. Something warm was moving like a small fire snake around her ring finger.

  　　The sensation was getting stronger and stronger that even Zeke's passionate kiss was not enough to distract her. It was scorching hot now.

  　　She broke away from the kiss and looked at him, eyes wide.

  　　"Painful?" he asked her softly, his eyes gleaming as his voice carried traces of pity for the pain that he needed to inflict on her for this gift.

  　　"A… a little…" she frowned a little and her eyes snapped towards their linked hands. The pain intensified. She felt like her ring finger was now on fire.

  　　Something black could be seen wrapping around her ring finger. Like a small snake that had coiled around into the shape of a ring. No… it was not a snake… it was an ink black fire.

  　　He lifted her hand and brought it to his lips. And once he kissed it, the burning sensation disappeared. The pain was gone. The demonic magic was gone as well.

  　　What was left was a tattoo on her ring finger. It was the thin black fire akin to the black fire tattoo that crept all over Zeke's body.

  　　Alicia's lips parted as she looked at it. This was her ring. Her permanent ring.

  　　___

  　　A/N: Hi hellbounders! Just want to amnounce that this book will be ending for good next month. That's final. And i will be releasing Hellbound Heart very soon. Please look forward to it and I hope you guys will support it. 

  　　Hellbound Heart will be the Book 2 of Hellbound series. But it can be read as standalone.