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His head snapped forward, and he gripped her throat in his jaws. His tongue stroked her neck, and she shuddered. His teeth pricked her skin, and he chuckled, then let her neck go before he licked at the pinpricks.
She shivered, and it wasn’t from the cold. He licked slowly at her neck, and Iris flicked a glance to the ladies who were staring in shock. The instructor and other student were grinning.
When Yavor stopped licking her neck, he chuckled and pulled her tight. “There is nothing like the first year with a new companion.”
Iris blurted out, “A year? Good grief.”
She clapped a hand over her mouth as his arm tightened.
“You wanted to speak, my lady?” He arced a brow at her.
“Um, no, my lord. I’m good.”
“Are you sure? You always have my ear.”
“No, my lord. I like your ear where it is.”
He laughed, and the instructor looked delighted. The instructor spoke, “It seems a good match, my lord. She is neither weeping nor cringing.”
Leena laughed. “Iris doesn’t cringe. She just gets on with things.”
Yavor looked at her, and her laughter faded. “You and the others in your group have known her through your cataclysm?”
“Yes, Lord Yavor. Well, at least until she took the horse to the mountain. She was gone for a month at that point.”
“Irith, did you abandon those in your charge?”
“Yes, Lord Yavor.” She looked at him calmly.
“Why?”
“We had no way of making a signal when the collection ships began arriving. I had to go to them before they would come to us.”
He smiled and stroked her neck. “I suspected it was something like that. You would not leave your sibling, and they made certain to state you went alone.”
“They wouldn’t let Lily come. They held her hostage against my return.” She frowned at the memory.
He kissed her softly. “You are both safe now.”
She looked at him, and laughter cascaded from her. He grinned and lifted her up for a more thorough kiss, chuckling. “Relatively safe.”
Iris ignored the eyes watching them, and she returned the kiss with as much enthusiasm as she could. It sounded distinctly wet, but when they parted, there was a hum of energy from Yavor.
He set her on her feet and kept her close. His wing curled around her.
Steffy stared. “So, you two are a couple?”
Iris nodded. “Until the end of the contract, at least.”
Leena asked, “How long is the contract? Ours is five years.”
Iris bit her lip. “More than that.”
The instructor laughed, and the other student mentioned, “Ten decades is standard.”
Leena stared. “I don’t know if anyone told you, but Terrans don’t last that long.”
Yavor chuckled. “It is a good thing that we are bonding, then. Her lifespan will be greatly expanded. The oldest companion on record has been over two hundred years, in the same condition as the day she bonded with her Hmrain. I am sure that Irith can do better.”
