Serix returned Cassie’s smile when she agreed to his proposal. He hadn’t been sure how she would react, since he had suggested it so suddenly. The fact that she was willing to become his mate overjoyed him. It didn’t matter that they had only known each other for just over five days. If he had been mated to a Lunairan female back on the ship, he only would have known her for twice that. He wondered if humans were the same way. Maybe their courting rituals were even shorter, and that was why Cassie was so quick to accept him? Either way, she had said yes. That was all that mattered.

He leaned forward on the bed to wrap her in a one-armed embrace and leaned his forehead against her own, closing his eyes serenely, “I’m glad you think so, too. Now we just have to figure out [i]how[/i] we’re going to make this happen.” He pulled away again and opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. “I was thinking we could combine our traditions, that way we could incorporate pieces of our pasts to form something new for our future.

“Let’s see,” Serix paused to think. “In my people’s society, mating rituals are extremely important because there are so few of us left. More mated couples mean more children, which in turn mean a growing population, so it’s always a big event. Traditionally, the ceremony begins with a dance that is open to any other mated couples who want to join in. Single males and females aren’t supposed to be friendly with each other in that way, so they have to wait on the side.

“During the dance, the pair to be mated have their wrists tied together with a thin, white rope. The male’s left hand is tied to the female’s right. The bond is supposed to symbolize their unity through being mated. It’s also helpful because it marks the couple apart from everyone else. It’s not hard to lose track of them in a crowd of dancing Lunairans, so the rope helps identify them if needed.

“After the dance, the already mated couples join the single males and females around the sides of the room, leaving the celebratory pair alone in the center. They are met by a Lunairan appointed by my people’s leaders to officiate the rest of the ceremony. He delivers a speech —I don’t remember all the words— and unknots the rope that ties the couple together so their hands are free. Next, he has them recite pledges to each other and to the society as a whole. For example, the male promises to take care of his mate and children, the female promises to continue the family line, and they both promise to do everything they can for the benefit of all Lunairans. Those are just a few of the pledges they make, among other things.

“Once the pledges are done, the officiator gives them a cup filled with diluted nectar from a flower on my home planet —there’s a small, synthetic garden on the ship— and they drink it. This is supposed to bring good fortune to the couple, and the nectar is apparently good for fertility rates or something. I can’t remember exactly what it does or how it works.

“When the cup is drained, the male and female are officially mates. All of the spectating Lunairans leave, and the officiator sends the new couple to an adjoining, curtained-off room where… well… where they can have some privacy,” Serix shrugged. “So that’s how my people are mated.” He met Cassie’s gaze. “What kinds of traditions do humans have?”