"Settles what?"
"A diamond is the hardest, most resilient, most beautiful gem of all. There is no evil here. This is all pure and noble. My best guess is that you two are soul-mates, destined to be together, and you have a higher purpose."
Elisabeth and Jackson still stared at the diamond. At the exact moment they both said, "We can never tell Sarah." Then burst into laughter.
Samantha crossed her arms. "What am I missing here?" Elisabeth told her about Sarah and how they would never hear the end of it if she knew what had happened here.
Jackson asked, "So, do you think my inability to feed on Elisabeth is for her protection?"
"Yes I do. She's a werewolf and you are a vampire, natural enemies. You could have hurt her before realizing she is your one true love. Nature found a way to prevent that."
"And what about her hurting me? If we were to be together at the full moon, do you think something would prevent her from killing me?" Elisabeth arched her eyebrows in a warning to Jackson. Sam pursed her lips. "That's a good question. I'm not sure. I don't think I would test that theory, though."
Jackson picked up the diamond and held it to the light. "I think we just started a mining business."
Samantha cautioned him, "I would not mess with this. You have no idea what kind of magic it holds. This should be the first and last diamond you create."
With a grimace, he dropped it into his pocket. "Fine, but I'm keeping this one."
Elisabeth shook her head. "You can be such an ass."
He tried unsuccessfully to appear wounded. "Is that any way to talk to your soul-mate?"
Jackson felt more relief than anything. He had assumed all their problems were payback for his wayward life. Understanding they were for Elisabeth's protection comforted him. He considered the first night they met and how differently it would have played out if he had caught up to her in the parking lot. The absence of fangs and the battery acid blood probably would have saved her life.
Elisabeth asked Sam, "What kind of higher purpose are you talking about?"
"Now that is the million dollar question. You're just going to have to wait and see what develops. You two are already breaking ground. I am not aware of any coupling between a werewolf and vampire throughout history. Elisabeth, does your pack know about this hottie?"
She dropped her eyelids to avoid Jackson's gaze. "No, I plan to tell them at the Wolf Moon Festival."
Sam could see her blunder. "Oops, sorry... so handsome, you're obviously not feeding on Liz. Who are you feeding on?"