Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Why do humans give each other rings?”
Selik looked up from the fishing net he was repairing to find Anya perched on the dock’s edge, her bare feet dangling over the water. She kicked lazily, sending ripples across the surface.
“Rings?” He frowned. “Do you mean for decoration?”
“I mean when they get married.” Anya traced patterns in the salt-worn wood. “My dad gave Corinne a ring. She used to wear it, but one of the Vedeckians took it.”
Married… Based on what Corinne had told him about her previous life, marriage was the human bonding custom. He set down the net and focused on his daughter. “I don’t know. Why do they?”
“I think it’s a symbol.” She picked at a splinter. “A symbol of commitment, of choosing someone forever.”
Forever. The word lodged in his chest, heavy and warm.
“My dad proposed to her at this fancy restaurant.” Her voice went soft. “He told me about it afterwards. He was really nervous and almost dropped the ring.”
He could see the grief on her face, faint but still present. She missed her father and probably always would.
“He sounds like a good man,” he said carefully.
“He was.” She looked at him then, her eyes serious. “But he didn’t love her, not really. Not the way you do.”
“Anya—”
“It’s okay.” She waved a hand. “I figured it out. They were friends, really good friends, but I think part of the reason he married her was to give me a mother—not that I thought I wanted one. They weren’t like you and Corinne. You look at her like she’s—like she’s everything.”
“She is,” he said honestly, and she gave him a small, knowing smile.
“Yeah. That’s what I mean.”
They sat in silence, the water lapping beneath them, as he thought about what she’d said.
A symbol of commitment, of forever. The Cire didn’t need symbols—the mate bond was undeniable—but his mate wasn’t Cire.
Did she know with bone-deep certainty that he’d claimed her?
That he’d never leave her? That he would die for her?
She knew he loved her, but did she know it was permanent and irrevocable? That he’d bound himself to her in every way that mattered?
“What else?” he asked abruptly. “What else do humans do when they marry?”
“Why?” She gave him a speculative look. “Do you want to marry Corinne?”
“I want to make my commitment to her clear,” he said carefully. “I want her to know that this is forever. That I am hers. That—”
“That you’re not going anywhere. Yeah, you should totally marry her.”
Anya grinned at him and he had the sudden suspicion that she’d brought up the subject on purpose. But perhaps the act represented security for her as well.
“I would be delighted to marry her, but I do not know exactly what that means. I do not know your customs or what is expected.”
She nodded and stood, brushing off her shorts. “Okay. Come on. We’re going to talk to Maeva.”
“Why?”
“Jarrek said she officiates over the bonding ceremonies here, which is about as close to marriage as we’re going to get.” She was already moving, quick and determined. “I’ll tell her what I can remember about weddings and she can fill in the rest.”
Abandoning the net, he followed her, curiosity and something deeper—something urgent—driving him forward.
They found Maeva in her garden, tending the sprawling vegetable plot that fed half the neighborhood. She looked up as they approached, her amphibian features crinkling in a smile.
“Anya! Selik! What brings you?”
“Selik wants to marry Corinne,” Anya announced. “It’s like a human bonding ceremony, but we’re not really sure what we need to do.”
Maeva’s smile widened. “Oh, how wonderful. How absolutely wonderful.”
“I want to honor her customs,” he said, feeling awkward. “I want her to know I am committed to her. That this is—”
“That this is permanent,” Maeva finished.
“Yes.” Relief flooded him. “Exactly.”
Maeva set down her tools, brushing dirt from her webbed hands. “Bonding ceremonies can be simple or elaborate, but the core is always the same—a declaration of your vows in front of witnesses.”
“Vows?” he asked.
“Promises,” Anya said. “I remember that part. You promise to love her and cherish her, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.”
“Of course. I already do those things,” he said, confused.
“But you officially say it out loud,” Maeva explained. “In front of other people, to make it public.”
To make it public. Something in him clicked into place. Yes. That was what he wanted. Not just to know Corinne was his, but for her to know. For everyone to know.
“How do I arrange this?” he asked.
Maeva and Anya exchanged a look, something bright and conspiratorial passing between them, and Maeva grinned at him.
“Leave it to us.”
Three days later, Selik stood on his boat at sunset, trying not to fidget.
The vessel rocked gently, anchored in a calm cove a short distance from shore.
Maeva and Jarrek had helped him string lights across the rigging—soft, glowing orbs that caught the fading sunlight and turned it golden.
Anya had gathered flowers from Maeva’s garden, weaving them into garlands that she draped around the railings, their perfume sweet in the evening air
It was simple but beautiful, and he was terrified.
“She’s going to love it,” Anya said from beside him. She wore a pale blue flowing dress that Maeva had lent her, and she looked older suddenly, poised and confident.
“What if she does not?” The fear escaped before he could stop it. “What if she thinks it is too soon? What if—”
“What if you stop panicking?” Anya nudged him. “She loves you. She’s having your baby. She’s not going to say no.”
“She might—”
“She won’t.” Anya’s voice softened. “Trust me. She’s going to cry and say yes and probably kiss you in front of everyone.”
The thought made his tail twitch. He wanted that—her joy, her tears, her yes. He wanted to make this official.
“We’re coming,” Jarrek called from across the water. He’d volunteered to ferry Corinne and Mikoz out, telling her only that Selik had a surprise.
His heart beat harder than it ever had before a battle.
The small dinghy approached, cutting through the water with barely a ripple. He could see Corinne in the bow, Mikoz in her arms, her hair loose and catching the light. She was beautiful. Soft and round with pregnancy, glowing with health, smiling as she talked to Mikoz.
His mate. His family. His everything.
The dinghy pulled alongside. Jarrek secured it, then carefully helped Corinne aboard. Her eyes widened as she took in the lights, the flowers, the—
“Selik?” she asked uncertainly. “What’s all this?”
He went to her, gently taking Mikoz from her arms and passing him to Anya. His daughter smiled and moved to the side, giving them space.
“Corinne.” His voice came out rough, thick with emotion. “I need to tell you something.”
She blinked, wariness creeping in. “Okay?”
“I love you,” he said, starting with the foundation. “I love you more than I thought possible. More than I knew I could.”
“I love you too,” she said, soft and puzzled. “But—”
“But I do not think you understand what that means to me.” He took her hands, held them carefully. “I am Cire. When we bond, it is permanent and irrevocable.”
Her breath caught. “And we’re—”
“We are bonded,” he confirmed. “You are my mate. The only female I will ever want.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Selik—”
“But you are human,” he continued. “And humans need more than biology. They need symbols. Declarations. They need—”
“They need to know you’re choosing them,” she whispered. “Not just instinct. But choice.”
“Yes.” He squeezed her hands. “I am choosing you. Every day. Every moment. For the rest of my life.”
A tear spilled over, tracking down her cheek. “You’re proposing.”
“I am asking you to bond with me,” he said. “Publicly. Officially. In the way your people would understand.”
“Marry you.” Her voice broke. “You’re asking me to marry you.”
“Yes. But I do not have a ring,” he admitted reluctantly.
“I don’t need a ring.” She laughed, shaky and wet. “I just need you.”
Relief crashed through him, dizzying and complete. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes.” She threw her arms around his neck. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.”
He caught her, held her, buried his face in her hair and just breathed. She was here. She was his. She was saying yes.
“Okay, okay, you can kiss later,” Anya called. “We have a ceremony to do.”
Corinne pulled back, laughing through tears. “A ceremony?”
“Maeva helped me plan it,” he admitted. “If you would like that. We can do it now, or wait, or—”
“Now.” She gripped his hands. “Let’s do it now.”
Maeva stepped forward from where she’d been waiting near the stern. She wore formal robes, deep green and flowing, and carried a small book.
“I’ve been ordained to perform bonding ceremonies on this world,” she said, voice warm and official. “If you’re both ready, we can begin.”
Corinne nodded, breathless. He couldn’t speak, could only hold her hands and nod.
Maeva smiled. “Then let us start.” She opened the book, though he suspected she didn’t need it. “We gather here, on this vessel, on this water, under this sky, to witness the bonding of two souls.”
The words washed over him, formal and beautiful. Anya moved closer, Mikoz in her arms, standing witness. Jarrek stood at attention, smiling.
“Selik,” Maeva said. “Do you promise to love Corinne, to protect her, to stand beside her through joy and sorrow, through calm and storm?”
“I do.” The words came easily. “I promise to love her, to cherish her, and to give my life for hers if needed. I promise to be her partner, her protector, and her mate.”
Her eyes filled again, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.
“Corinne,” Maeva continued. “Do you promise to love Selik, to stand beside him, to build a life with him through whatever comes?”