“Hi,” he whispers back, dazed.
Then I kiss him—properly this time. Slow, sweet, deliberate. The kind of kiss that saysI’m not going anywhere.The kind that saysyou don’t have to earn this.His hands curl around my waist, anchoring me in place, and I melt into him without hesitation, letting the rest of the world drift out of focus.
When I finally pull back, his eyes are soft and liquid gold, and his antennae have gone all fluttery at the tips.
I rest my forehead against his. “Flora keeps bringing up mating rituals.”
He groans. “Of course she does.”
“She said there’d be ropes.”
“Shewouldsay that.”
“And feathers.”
Garrik’s whole face is turning a shade of mortified mauve. “She’s trying to get a reaction.”
“She’s getting one,” I say, pressing another kiss to the corner of his mouth. “But you…you’ve been suspiciously quiet every time she brings it up.”
He stiffens.
“Garrik,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “Areyoukeeping something from me?”
His gaze flickers. “I’m notkeepingit from you, exactly…”
“Uh-huh.”
“I was waiting for the right time.”
My eyebrows lift. “To tell me what?”
He hums. “Well…Davrin kept telling me humans exchange rings…”
I frown as he pulls away slightly, then slips his hand into his pocket. My heart clenches because I know what’s coming next.
And I’m still not prepared for the sight of the ring.
It’s a plain wooden band, polished to perfection and inlaid with somethingsparkly—just like I told him months ago when I sat in his cottage and told him I loved him for the first time. He passes it over with a bashful smile, averting his eyes.
“I don’t know the human customs, but…Flora helped me make it?—”
“Youmade this?”
Garrik nods, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly flustered. “From one of the orchard branches. The ones that bloom early. I carved it by hand.”
My throat tightens. I lift the ring between us, studying it. It’s not perfect. The band isn’t symmetrical. The quartz glints unevenly where the resin set a little crooked.
And it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“You made this,” I repeat, my voice trembling.
He swallows. “I didn’t want to rush you. Or assume. But when you came back—when youstayed—I just…” He trails off, antennae flicking. “I needed something that said it, I guess. Something that meant you’re mine. Not just because of the bond. Not just because of fate. But because youchoseme.”
I stare at him, this big, bashful, brilliant alien who once guarded my back through ashstorms and riots and endless nights without sleep. Who now guards my heart with those same steady hands.
I slide the ring onto my finger.
It fits perfectly.
