Adventures in an alternate dimension Book 2

Chapter 40 - Adventure and A Proposal

Hunter's POV

My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs as I zipped my worn old leather suitcase shut. Three months. For three excruciating months, I'd kept this little surprise a secret from Hope. A surprise that would hopefully change the course of our lives forever. New Orleans. Her vibrant, chaotic, history-steeped hometown. The city that pulsed with magic, music, and enough danger to make even my blood run cold. But it was also the city where Hope belonged, where her family – the Mikaelson's – were one of the most powerful supernatural forces in North America.

My palms slicked with nervous sweat. Hope, my beautiful, fierce Hope, deserved the world. And while this one-week trip might not be the entirety of the world, it was a start. A start that, fingers crossed, would end with her saying yes. Yes, to her spending forever with me.

We'd been together for two years and three months – a number Hope loved, finding a peculiar charm in the specific oddness of it. It had been a whirlwind romance, fueled by late-night talks under the Forks sky, shared secrets whispered in the safety of the Cullen house, and adrenaline-laced encounters with vampires, territorial werewolves and witches.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand, shattering the tense quiet. It was a text from Hope.

"Hey babe, you coming over tonight?" Her message was simple, yet laced with a playful undercurrent that always managed to twist my insides into knots.

I typed out a quick reply. "Wouldn't miss it for the world. Be there in 15."

Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into the familiar driveway of the Eldoria school of magic. Unlike my family's secluded haven in Forks, this place hummed with activity. Witches of all ages brewed potent concoctions in brightly lit kitchens, with the occasional exploding potion. It was a little chaotic, a lot loud, but undeniably home for Hope.

I found her in the library, nestled in an oversized armchair, a well-worn copy of Anne Rice's "Lestat the Vampire" propped against her knee. Her bubblegum pink curls cascaded down her shoulders, framing a face as captivating as the stories she loved.

A teasing smile played on her lips as I approached. "Took you long enough, Cullen."

"Traffic," I lied, forcing a playful grin. "The evening traffic, that is."

She snorted, a sound I found endearingly familiar. "Sure, blame the time of day."

She set the book down, and the room seemed to lose a touch of its vibrancy. "So, what's the plan for tonight?"

"Anything you want," I shrugged, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. "Movie night? Dinner downtown? Or maybe..." I paused, pulling a small velvet box from my pocket. "We could go through some old Mikaelson family photo albums. I hear they had some real gems hidden away."

Hope's smile widened, revealing a dimple I secretly worshiped. "The Mikaelson idea of a 'gem' usually involves stakes to the heart or using blood magic."

"True," I admitted with a chuckle, "But maybe there's some hidden family bonding in there somewhere."

Ignoring the box in my hand, she reached forward, intertwining her fingers with mine. "Forget spooky family history, Hunter. Tonight's about us."

My throat tightened. "Always," I whispered, the words catching in my throat.

We spent the next few hours curled up on the sofa, lost in a classic movie marathon. But despite the warmth of her touch and the comfort of being with her, my mind kept flickering back to the velvet box nestled in my pocket.

As the clock struck midnight, a plan started forming in my head. A crazy, reckless, incredibly romantic plan. One that might just blow her mind (and hopefully, not my cover).