"You did it, Sun! You actually did it! There’s no one like you!"
He grabs me, lifts me off the ground, spins us around in a wild circle.
I shriek with joy and clutch him tightly, trying to soak in his strength.
He presses a kiss to my temple and whispers, "Dear Fate! I wanted this so badly for you. I just wanted… to see you happy. I’ve never wanted anything more than that. Your happiness!"
I pull back from where I’ve buried my face in his neck and look up.
He’s staring at me like I’m his whole world. And maybe I am? And he’s mine!
His eyes are shining with so much joy and tenderness it breaks something open in me.
"I love—"
"I love—"
"—you."
"—you."
We say it at the exact same time.
Silence follows. Soft and vibrant, broken only by our breath and the sound of the vast ocean.
Steel-colored waves crash against the dark sand, and high above us, the falcon circles in the sky, calling out in wild, echoing cries:ua-uaaa-uaaa, kaaaa, kaaaa.
"It took us a bit…" I whisper, shy and smiling, fingers tracing gently along Ragnar’s neck, making him shiver.
"Well, we proved the saying right, huh? It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey," he says, winking.
We both lift our eyes to the bright shape of the gyrfalcon soaring above.
"You know," I murmur, "I used to think we’d start a gardening business together. I still want that. But… maybe I could help Moon, too?"
Ragnar’s eyebrows lift.
A lot’s changed in the past few months.
After everything that happened with the Ferros, Luca and Moon came out of hiding, and Ragnar and Summer were finally able to reunite with their lost brother. It was… emotional. A tidal wave of tears and long-overdue hugs.
Moon decided to use part of Ferro’s bloody fortune for good, building a network of animal shelters and supporting the creation of the country’s largest free veterinary clinic.
"Maybe… a gift like this shouldn’t be wasted," I whisper. "Or used selfishly. Maybe I should try to use it to help the weakest, the ones who need it most. The ones nobody sees."
Ragnar stays quiet. And then, I think I see it.
His eyes… are they shimmering?
"I… Sun, you have no idea how much that means to me. This is what I’ve always wanted too. To help. To protect the helpless. That’s why I enlisted, even if it wasn’t always bloodless…"
He trails off. Then smiles.
"We really are True Mates. Because you have that same fire, the need… to help those who can’t help themselves."
"I’m justfreshlyfinding it out in me. But I vibe with the idea so much," I whisper. "I know all too well what it is to be helpless, and without hope."
A moment of silence.
