“Okay, fine,” I say. “But if you want to meet Neris, you have to cover your eyes.”
He tilts his head like he can’t understand the words I’ve just said. I know he can!
“I mean it!” I cross my arms. “Now, Draxis. Cover. Your. Eyes. I’m not shifting with you watching. Not happening.”
He lets out a dramatic huff like I’m being unreasonable, but finally lifts one of his massive paws and slaps it over his eyes.
“Thank you,” I mutter, already pulling off my clothes. Once I’m bare, I release the shift.
Muscles burn. Skin stretches. My vision fractures — then realigns. And just like that, Neris is in control.
She yips once — joyful, excited — and bolts straight at him.
“Neris! What the hell are you doing?! Be cool!”I shout from inside.
“I’m going to sniff him everywhere!”she says gleefully.“He smells like fire and death and cuddles!”
Shit. This is going to be a disaster.
The moment Draxis drops his paw and sees Neris, it’s game over.
He lunges, catching her mid-run like she weighs nothing — which, compared to him, she absolutely does — and crashes to the ground, caging her beneath his massive body. His wings curl around them both like a fortress.
Neris looks microscopic under him. But of course, my reckless wolf doesn’t care. Her tail starts wagging like she’s found her new favorite chew toy. She’s nuzzling into his fur, sniffing him aggressively and I have zero control right now. Dammit.
“Maaatttteeee,” Draxis growls, shifting slightly to the side to get a better angle. He sniffs her a few times — slowly, big puffs of air — and the little idiot freezes, like she’s just remembered he’s the size of a cottage and definitely carnivorous.
Then, out of nowhere, his massive tongue swipes across her entire face in one sloppy, gleeful motion.
Draxis growls again, playful this time — a low, rumbling challenge.
Neris bolts.
Yipping. Darting between his legs.
And now they’re playing.
Playing.
The world is on fire, we’re dealing with a cursed leash and possibly a puppet master with god-tier magic, and my wolf is out here playing ‘catch me if you can’with an ancient monster.
Draxis doesn’t let her get far. The ground shakes beneath his paws as he lunges forward and scoops her up like a squeaky toy. She’s airborne for all of two seconds before he pulls her close to his chest, nuzzling his snout into the curve of her neck with a contented huff.
And of course, they’re adorable. Absolutely adorable.
I’m just starting to relax, thinking ‘okay, let them have a moment’, when I feel it. A shift. A flicker of heat.
A nip.
Right at the base of Neris’ neck.
And the traitor — the absolute traitor — tilts her head to the side, baring her throat like an offering.
NO. NO. NOOOO!
“Neris!” I yell from inside her mind. “Absolutely not! You are not letting him mark you!”
She’s not listening. She’s floating in a cloud of dumb, mate-drunk bliss.
