The beach is quiet tonight. The moon hangs gravid in the sky, full and bright, casting an iridescent glow on their bodies as they lay on the wet part of the sand. The tide rushes up, almost touching their toes but retreating just before.

Rayna splays her hand against Toraf’s bare chest, then draws circles on it with her finger. “We should go inside,” she tells him, though that’s the last thing she wants to do. In fact, she wouldn’t mind kissing some more, but Toraf has grown pensive—something that doesn’t happen often. She wonders if it has to do with their bungee jump today. What if it traumatized him, or something?

Regret mingles with worry as she hoists herself up and looks down at him. “Galen will be looking for us,” she says, willing him with her eyes to respond. Her brother doesn’t like to sleep alone in the house any more now that Rachel’s gone. It’s not that he’s afraid, she knows. It’s that he feels empty. As empty as the house is when he comes home to it.

“He’ll be fine for a few more minutes,” Toraf says. Then he looks at her. The emotion in his eyes nearly takes her breath away.

“What?” she says. “Is something wrong?”

Slowly, he shakes his head. “Everything is right. I wouldn’t change anything at all. I was just thinking . . . Now would be a good time to give you this.” He sits up then, forcing her to do so as well. Then he reaches into the pocket of his swimming trunks. He produces a small plastic bag the size of his palm.

Rayna meets his gaze. He removes the ring from it—the ring with the big lavender gem from the flea market—and slides it onto her finger. “Now we’re married,” he says. “Married and mated. So no matter what, you’re mine.”

“How did you—?”

“I asked Galen to track that woman down before we left. He was able to negotiate with her. You might be surprised to know that most human females actually like your brother.”

“I know. It’s gross.” But she says it without force, because after all, her gross brother is part of the reason she’s wearing this ring. The other part stares at her now, probably hoping for a reaction. She gives him one.

She leans in, kissing him hard, harder than she’s ever kissed him, his words echoing in her head. No matter what, you’re mine. She wants him to know that he belongs to her, too. With one hand he pulls her by the hip, closer and closer; the other he uses to lightly caress the back of her neck—the sensation threatens to drive her mad.

She decides to use her own hands against him, drawing a line with her thumb from his chin to his navel. He pulls away, his eyes hungry. “I’m afraid you’ve started something we can’t finish here, princess.”

She nods knowingly. “Galen won’t miss us for a few more hours will he?”

Toraf stands, pulling her with him. Then he motions for her to hop on his back. She complies, eager for more of his touch. He wades into the tide then, but before he dives, before he takes them to their island, he tilts his head back. “I love you, Rayna. More than I could ever show you.”

Together, they disappear into the waves.