A pup. Hers. Mine.
"The knot will release in—"
"WAIT."
I wait.
"Keer. You bit me." She pushes up on one elbow. The blood on her shoulder is drying. "You bit me, and—nope. We arenotdone here."
"...what."
"With the claiming. I'm not done with the claiming."
She lifts her chin.
"You did the wolf-thing. Cosmic receipt. Mark on my shoulder for life." She lifts her hand. Shows me her bloody fingers. "Do I get to bite you?"
I stare at her.
"What. It seems fair. You bit me, I bite you, balanced ledger. Otherwise this is a one-sided wolf-marriage and that doesn't seem—"
"Yes."
She stops.
"Yes?"
"Yes, Mel. You can bite me."
Her face lights up. Slow. Delighted.
"Excellent. Excellent. Where. I'm picking. Don't move."
"I literally cannot move, Mel."
"Right. Forgot. Stuck. Okay. Hold still."
She pushes up. Gentle. I shift my weight to hold her against me, carefully, mindful of the place where we are still joined. She braces her hand on my chest. Considers me.
"Shoulder. Symmetry."
She leans in. Sets her teeth against my shoulder. Bites down.
Nothing happens.
She bites harder.
Nothing.
She pulls back. Looks at the spot. Looks at me. Looks at the spot again.
"Why is your skin like leather?"
"Wolf."
"I am going to murder this entire species. Why is everything about you EXTRA. You run hot, you bite hard, you’re HUGE, your skin is armor, what is even—"
"Try again."
