Jude felt something stir in his chest - a hum. A rhythm.
He looked at the sanctuary. It pulsed with the same beat as his heart.
Lucy came beside him, her skin still glowing. "We're not visitors anymore."
"No," Sophie said, stepping forward and curling her fingers around his. "We're the roots."
Rose leaned into him from the other side, her voice low and certain. "And this is where we grow."
They turned together, facing the heart of the sanctuary. The golden floor beneath them shivered like liquid, then formed a bed of moss, soft and inviting.
The light dimmed.
Not into darkness.
Into intimacy.
Lucy pulled Jude down first, straddling him with a grin that softened quickly into reverence. Her lips met his, not hungry, but deep. She moved slowly, her body sinking onto his like a prayer. Her breath was a whisper against his skin. "Let me be your anchor."