ever had. She frolicked in the snow, scratching at trees and generally acting like he had at the age of twelve, all brand-new in leopard skin.
It was…
Fucking adorable.
For her sake, he even regretted it a little when they crested the final rise and Ash Valley lay before them like a jewel. An ache started in his chest. How did I stay gone so long? How? His grandfather had designed the town, and that fact only increased his pride in its beauty. The pale, perfectly mortared stones of the wall gleamed in the late-afternoon sun, nearly blinding him when it reflected on the snow. Beren from Burnt Amber always called this the city of bone because of that ivory gleam, but there were no dead hidden beneath their streets.
Dom greeted the guards on the intercom, ignoring their amazement as they opened the gates. Pru wouldn’t know how to go about this; it was her first time. Inside, he took her to the changing room, applicable in more ways than one. Since it wasn’t always possible to bring back the clothes you had on when you left, they kept the shelves stocked with basic attire in varying sizes. He slid back into human form and slipped into a tunic and trousers, wondering if he’d have to shift-whisper her again. But no, she only seemed to have a hard time with going cat. She’d worn human skin for twenty-seven years, after all.
“I never even knew this was here,” she said in a marveling tone.
This stone chamber wasn’t anything special, but until now, she’d had no cause to use it. For that reason, it must seem magical. He could almost hear her thinking, I lost my clothes, so I need this place. Just like everyone else. That wonder kindled in her eyes and illuminated her smile, so radiant that it drew an answering look from him, irresistible as breathing.
The moment shimmered between them, fragile as spun glass.
“The fuck is going on here?” Slay snarled.
6.
T he timing couldn’t be worse.
In contrast to Dom, Slay was burnished and strong with a mane of dark hair that tumbled past his shoulders. Sharp features, high cheekbones, a divot in his chin, and thick-lashed golden eyes. Always, always, it was his eyes that seduced her, time and again. A storm was building in them as he stared at her naked body.
It wasn’t like Slay had never seen her this way, but everything was different now. A muscle ticked in his jaw when Dom stepped between them to shield her. Looking ready to kill, Slay strode forward, but Dom didn’t give ground. To diffuse the tension, she went ocelot and darted around Dom’s legs. Her tail high, she showed off a little, and Slay stilled.
Slay murmured, “Beautiful. You’re so beautiful.”
His eyes glinted, as if he might be on the verge of tears. Then he knelt and reached for her with a shaking hand, a smile brightening his face like sunrise. Pru only let him graze one of her ears before backing off. Wearily, she returned to human form. Dom was right. It’s easier. The pain no longer dizzied her, at least, but she wasn’t looking forward to this exchange.
Slay beamed at her, all sparkling joy that she was about to crush. “So that’s why you’re naked. For a minute, I thought…” He laughed and shook his head.
When he reached for her, Dom blocked him again as she dressed. “We should talk.”
It would be easier to let Dom take all the heat, but that would imply they weren’t equal partners and she needed him to sort her issues. Plus, she owed Slay one last conversation and a proper good-bye. Of course she’d still see him, but things could never be the same. Their failing relationship had been on life support for years, but it shuddered and died the day he decided she was expendable. For all he’d known, Dom might’ve turned into a killing machine, left alone for so long, and she’d lacked both claws and fangs.
So she tapped Dom’s arm lightly and shook her head. “Go greet our guests. I need to take care of things here.”
“You sure?” Dom brushed her
It was…
Fucking adorable.
For her sake, he even regretted it a little when they crested the final rise and Ash Valley lay before them like a jewel. An ache started in his chest. How did I stay gone so long? How? His grandfather had designed the town, and that fact only increased his pride in its beauty. The pale, perfectly mortared stones of the wall gleamed in the late-afternoon sun, nearly blinding him when it reflected on the snow. Beren from Burnt Amber always called this the city of bone because of that ivory gleam, but there were no dead hidden beneath their streets.
Dom greeted the guards on the intercom, ignoring their amazement as they opened the gates. Pru wouldn’t know how to go about this; it was her first time. Inside, he took her to the changing room, applicable in more ways than one. Since it wasn’t always possible to bring back the clothes you had on when you left, they kept the shelves stocked with basic attire in varying sizes. He slid back into human form and slipped into a tunic and trousers, wondering if he’d have to shift-whisper her again. But no, she only seemed to have a hard time with going cat. She’d worn human skin for twenty-seven years, after all.
“I never even knew this was here,” she said in a marveling tone.
This stone chamber wasn’t anything special, but until now, she’d had no cause to use it. For that reason, it must seem magical. He could almost hear her thinking, I lost my clothes, so I need this place. Just like everyone else. That wonder kindled in her eyes and illuminated her smile, so radiant that it drew an answering look from him, irresistible as breathing.
The moment shimmered between them, fragile as spun glass.
“The fuck is going on here?” Slay snarled.
6.
T he timing couldn’t be worse.
In contrast to Dom, Slay was burnished and strong with a mane of dark hair that tumbled past his shoulders. Sharp features, high cheekbones, a divot in his chin, and thick-lashed golden eyes. Always, always, it was his eyes that seduced her, time and again. A storm was building in them as he stared at her naked body.
It wasn’t like Slay had never seen her this way, but everything was different now. A muscle ticked in his jaw when Dom stepped between them to shield her. Looking ready to kill, Slay strode forward, but Dom didn’t give ground. To diffuse the tension, she went ocelot and darted around Dom’s legs. Her tail high, she showed off a little, and Slay stilled.
Slay murmured, “Beautiful. You’re so beautiful.”
His eyes glinted, as if he might be on the verge of tears. Then he knelt and reached for her with a shaking hand, a smile brightening his face like sunrise. Pru only let him graze one of her ears before backing off. Wearily, she returned to human form. Dom was right. It’s easier. The pain no longer dizzied her, at least, but she wasn’t looking forward to this exchange.
Slay beamed at her, all sparkling joy that she was about to crush. “So that’s why you’re naked. For a minute, I thought…” He laughed and shook his head.
When he reached for her, Dom blocked him again as she dressed. “We should talk.”
It would be easier to let Dom take all the heat, but that would imply they weren’t equal partners and she needed him to sort her issues. Plus, she owed Slay one last conversation and a proper good-bye. Of course she’d still see him, but things could never be the same. Their failing relationship had been on life support for years, but it shuddered and died the day he decided she was expendable. For all he’d known, Dom might’ve turned into a killing machine, left alone for so long, and she’d lacked both claws and fangs.
So she tapped Dom’s arm lightly and shook her head. “Go greet our guests. I need to take care of things here.”
“You sure?” Dom brushed her
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