Her eyes widened, those red lips falling open. “I… I’m not… I…” She bit her lower lip and looked away. The moonlight highlighted her smooth skin, unblemished and soft-looking.

“Will you look at me?”

She raised her eyes. I ran my thumb over her fingers to the ring, and she shivered slightly. “This ring makes you mine.”

She tensed, and I realized I should have chosen different wording, something that didn’t sound like I was a Neanderthal about to claim her, not that it wasn’t true. I would claim her tonight, if only to follow traditions we both couldn’t evade, and she was mine, but that wasn’t what I meant...