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Farro helps me into the traditional outfit the next afternoon. It was specially made to deal with the pesky fact that I have two arms too few. But, she’s assured me that it won’t make any difference. Others have worn it with tentacles or wings, with five arms and none.

Unlike the tradition I’m used to, it’s not a white dress. It’s the gray green color of their planet’s most precious metal. And unlike the traditions I’m used to, Farro delivers me to Lochdon at the base of a path, and leaves us all alone.

He kisses me so sweetly, I feel like I’m floating.

“Ready?” he asks, squeezing my hand.

“More than.”

He warned me about this part when I told him I wanted to perform the ceremony here.

Climbing to the top of the waterfall together had seemed like fun. And—with the exception of a few trickier parts where Lochdon had to pull me up—it is. But the top of the waterfall…

His description was inadequate.

A river balloons out into another clear blue pool that gently swirls until it splits on either side of a flat rock.

That juts out over the edge where the water tumbles back toward the garden below.

I don’t let go of his hand as we wade through the water to stand on that flat rock in the middle of the air.

The sun has begun to set and the shimmer of an aurora creeps into the sky.

It doesn’t feel real.

Clothes dripping, Lochdon takes my other hand and turns me until we’re facing each other.

This is the only part that actually matters. This is what we would have done wherever we chose to do this.

It’s private. These words are for us. It’s why the witnesses are gathered far below us where distance and the roar of the waterfall keep our words for us alone.

“We’ve come here to promise our lives to each other,” Lochdon says, lifting one of my hands to his lips. “I promise you that: my life, all of my days and nights. I will share every happiness and, if you let me, I will share every concern that we face as well.”

His thumb toys with the ring. “I love you Maggie, my Peach. I think I was a fool to hope that you would fall for me, but I think, too, that fools are the only ones that hope works for, too.”

We are both fools and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love you too. And I promise my life, my days and nights, good and bad, though I promise to try to ensure they are more good than bad.”

He laughs with me and I take a deep breath. “I did not know that the booth would lead me here, but I am immeasurably grateful that it did. I want to be your mate, Lochdon. I want you to be mine, in every way that matters… and some of the ways that don’t, too.”

He smiles and I smile too and then I pull something from my pocket that I was very careful to keep hidden until now. “You wanted to keep the Earth tradition of exchanging rings, and every day I wore this ring, I realized how important it was to me. So… With a little help, I had this made for you too.”

The ring is enormous, but when I put it on Lochodon’s finger, it fits just right.

I kiss him to seal our promises and when our lips part, he whispers one last time. “Can I make you mine, Maggie?”

I watch him lick his fangs and my pussy tightens.

I know what’s about to happen, but I don’t know what’s about to happen. His description of it though…

His fangs have elongated. One set is already dripping. He’ll bite me now… he’ll bite me later, too.

“Yes.” I nod. “Make me yours.”

His teeth graze my neck and then a sharp and piercing pain makes me cry out, but it only lasts for a second.

His venom makes me dizzy and my knees buckle, but he catches me, holding me to him in an embrace that feels… perfect.

Everything feels perfect. Him, this place, his venom coursing through me.

A second piercing sensation, but this one doesn’t hurt… it brings a sort of clarity and I blink away the fuzzy warmth from before.

A new heat flows through me, like he’s slipped under my skin, holding me tight in a molecular hug.

The second, neutralizing venom floods my veins, carried straight to my heart.

He’d warned me about this too… that some people said it felt like the other’s soul had slipped into their veins.

And maybe that’s what this is. Maybe I’m more his than I’d ever expected.

I love it.

I don’t need to bite him to know he’s mine.

That’s been true for too long to deny.

He pulls back from me with a shivering sigh and I shiver too when his lips brush over the bite.

When he stands fully upright again, it’s with reluctance. “You won’t need to kiss me to understand me or the clan anymore.”

Gaze dropping to his lips I screw mine up in a little scowl. “I’m going to pretend I don’t know that.”

He smiles and then his gaze darts to my neck. Brows pinched he reaches up and trails his fingertips along my neck.

“What is it?” I twist my head, trying to look at the place on my skin he’s brushed his fingers across, even though I know I won’t be able to see it.

“You have spots.”

“What?” I laugh and reach up to touch where he has, but he catches my hand.

His hand trails down the back of my arm and when he lifts it up, there’s nothing there. “I don’t see anything.”

He looks a little disappointed, but he keeps my hand anyway and presses a kiss to the inside of my wrist. “I’ll show you later. Once we’re alone again.”

There’s one last part of this ceremony left.

If we’d done this on MiNo, we would not have had to help each other to the top of this precipice. And we wouldn’t have been able to take a symbolic leap…

Squeezing my hand, Lochdon asks. “Ready?”

“As long as you’re with me? Always.”

Even though I’ve said it, a little tremor of fear slices through me as we turn to the edge of the rock, waterfall thundering beneath us.

But that’s the thing about fear and love… you just have to hold on tight and take the leap together.

We jump, and I go weightless. Lochdon is the only thing in the entire universe I’m connected to, and that drives away every sensation of fear or insecurity.

The drop ends with a sharp splash.

We hit the water below, crashing through the surface and when we come up, gasping in deep breaths, I know that my world—my universe—has completely changed.

Farro and Bloche help us out of the pool and are the first to officially welcome me to the clan.

Lochdon’s mother holds my hands out to my side and she draws her hand over my arm, keeping her hand an inch above my skin. “Well, that settles that, then.”

“What settles what?” I ask, not sure if I should be concerned.

She smiles at me and places my hands back in Lochdon’s. “Fate meant for you to become ours, Maggie. We do not always take our mate’s colors, but you have.”

“I can’t see them.”

“We can. Every Glantanian in the universe will be able to. They’ll know one of us belongs to you, even if he’s not around at the time.”

I look up at Lochdon and wish I could see what they do. “I like that.”

We’re passed through the others like items on a conveyor belt running through an inspection line. It feels rushed, but I don’t hate it.

There are still a few whose words are unintelligible, because not all of Lochdon’s friends are clan. And I have to translate as well. Feather and Coral came to be witnesses.

“I didn’t realize you were coming!”

“Phantom may be breaking some intergalactic travel laws,” Coral presses a finger to her lips “So, don’t tell.”

Feather elbows her and jiggles as she throws her arms around me. “Congratulations! We’re so happy for you.”

But I don’t get to stay with them long. Bloche clears away a path, cowing people out of the way and ushering us toward the gardens.

“Go.” He tells us quickly and quietly. “There will be every chance to get to know each other later. Tonight is for you.”

“And tomorrow.” Lochdon reminds him.

“Of course.” Bloche looks offended, but anyone within hearing laughs.

Lochdon leads me away to the sound of that strange hand movement, cheers, and a few jeers… at least, that’s what the tone makes me think they are.

We only make it out of sight before Lochdon pulls me to the side, pressing me against a leafy wall and kisses me.

I’d tease him for that, but I don’t want to wait to get back to the house either.

“Mine,” he whispers against my lips as his arms pull me more tightly against him. “You’re stuck with me now, Peach.”

I can’t help but smile at the name he first knew me as. “There’s no one I’d rather be stuck with.”

“Good.”

We both look to the side at the sound of voices and, impatient as I am, I’m glad when Lochdon picks me up and hurries down the path.

Fucking him in front of strangers is great.

Fucking him in front of family, absolutely not.