Serix listened quietly as Cassie recited her impromptu vows to him. Of course, her words seemed to come much more naturally than his, since she had probably heard other humans make vows at their own ceremonies when she was younger. Nevertheless, it wasn’t like they were in a competition, and Serix’s promises had even brought a smile to her face. If they were good enough for her, then they were good enough for him, too.

After Cassie finished her part, there was only one ritual left for them to complete: the closer; the final step before they were officially mates. It was obvious that they couldn’t use the Lunairan tradition of sharing the cup because they lacked the flower from which the ceremonial nectar was strained. Also, that particular tradition was focused on increasing fertility rates, and Serix wasn’t sure that was a good idea, even if they were somehow able to obtain the necessary resources. In their current situation, childrearing was an impossibility because a young child wouldn’t be able to understand what was going on and would only put them in more danger. If he and Cassie were ever to consider that possibility, it would have to be during a time when they were in a less hostile position.

With the Lunairan ritual excluded, that just left the human tradition of sharing a first kiss as ‘newlyweds.’ Cassie seemed to have already decided this as well. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her in a way that made his heart race and brought a grin to his lips. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her to himself.

“Kiss the bride?” Serix said, leaning in so close that his lips brushed against hers. “Gladly.” He pressed his mouth to Cassie’s, bringing one hand up to run his fingers through her golden hair. In the next moment, he opened a one-way telepathic connection and sent a short wave of his affections to her, much like he had when he first confessed his feelings. He kept the link brief, however, since he didn’t want to overstimulate her mind twice in one day. A few seconds was long enough.

As they kissed, Serix was struck again with awe at how perfectly impossible their relationship was. They came from two completely separate worlds, met under the worst circumstances, and fell for each other just the same. “Luck” didn’t even begin to describe it. Whatever it was that brought them together, he was glad it did. He could now look forward to spending the rest of his life mated to Cassie, and with the way things were starting out, their future together was looking like a grand one.