Page 50 of Rainse
"It's breakfast."
"It's... still moving."
"It's fresh."
She shuddered. "I'm going to have to watch you eat raw fish regularly, aren't I?"
"I'm afraid so. Unless you'd like to try it?"
"Absolutely not."
I smiled and took a bite, enjoying the way she deliberately looked away. "You study marine life but won't eat it raw?"
"I study marine life because I respect it," she said. "Eating it raw feels like a betrayal of that respect."
"Even though you eat it cooked?"
"That's different. Cooking is... civilised."
"And we're not?"
Her gaze flicked to me, warm and knowing. "Oh, you're many things, Rainse. Civilised might not be at the top of the list."
The bond hummed with shared amusement and something deeper—affection, desire, the promise of what we'd shared in the hut. My greenskin rippled in response.
"Behave," she murmured. "We're in public."
"I am behaving."
"Your greenskin is glowing again."
"That's not something I can control."
"Convenient."
Before I could respond, Cerban's voice carried across the dining area. "Well, well. What do we have here?"
I looked up to find my clutch-brother approaching, Maelis tucked against his side. They both wore matching grins—the kind that promised teasing and embarrassment in equal measure.
"Cerban," I said warily. "Maelis."
"Rainse." Cerban pulled out a chair without invitation, settling in across from us. "I heard an interesting rumour this morning. Something about mysterious lights on the north beach?"
"We took shelter from the storm," I said.
"I'm sure you did." His grin widened. "Very thorough shelter, from what I understand."
Maelis elbowed him. "Be nice." She turned to Verity, offering a genuine smile. "Hi. I'm Maelis, and this is my insufferable mate, Cerban. Welcome to the island. And congratulations."
"Thank you," Verity said, seeming relieved by the friendly greeting. "I'm Verity. And yes, before anyone asks, we're mates. The DNA test is being processed now, but for us that is just a formality."
"Smart," Maelis said. "Get ahead of the gossip. Trust me, on an island this small, everyone knows everything within about six hours."
"Five hours," Cerban corrected. "I timed it once."
"You did not."
"I absolutely did. Remember when we-"
