Rose came to him, her hair woven now with strands of silver vine that shimmered faintly. She pressed her hands to his chest, palms flat over his heart, and looked up into his eyes. "The island has accepted you."
"And you?" he asked softly.
She smiled and rose to her toes, pressing a kiss to his mouth. "I accepted you the moment I first touched you."
Her fingers slid down his sides, slow and familiar. "But this? This is more than any of us expected."
Sophie stepped into view, her body wrapped in nothing but glowing leaves and the remnants of heat. "We felt it too. When the seed pulsed. It spoke to us."
"What did it say?" he asked, curious.
"That this was only the beginning," she murmured. "That more is coming."
Susan came forward now, her fingers laced with Natalie's. "We think the island wants more. Not just pleasure. Not just light. But intention."
"It wants to grow," Natalie added. "With us."