The temple opened to them, its interior a swirling garden of color and light. Vines hung like curtains. Pools bubbled with golden waters. A long bed of moss stretched across the center, large enough for all of them.
Alara gestured to it. "Here, you will sleep when you wish. Love when you wish. Dream when the island calls you. It is yours now."
They stepped inside.
The moment they entered, the air embraced them. The moss lifted slightly, as if welcoming their weight. They lay down slowly, touching, kissing, wrapping around one another - not out of urgency but out of sheer joy. Jude kissed Lucy first, slow and deep. Then turned to Rose. Then to Zoey. Hands reached for him from every side. Every mouth tasted him. Every body touched him.
But this time, it wasn't a ritual.
It was celebration.