With shaking hands, I cup her face, pulling her away from her task. “Thank you. This is the greatest gift anyone’s ever given me—aside from when you agreed to stay my mate.”

“So are you up for another adventure?”

“Do you even have to ask? What do you think the tat was of?”

“My first impression—the Arctic Circle.”

“It would make sense for Ithaqua to move as far north as possible to avoid humans, but soyam, it will be far too cold for you.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“Stop speaking in riddles, wench. What do you know that I don’t?”

“Aisyth told me to keep Ulyen’s fur and Ekana’s tear if we weren’t going to dissolve the bond. She said to combine the two to keep me warm for our next journey.”

“And what does that mean?”

“No idea. Wait here.”

Zhuliya sprints out of the room and into her office. A few seconds later, she returns with the two items.

Pulling the stopper on the vial, my mate tips Ekana’s tear over Ulyen’s fur. Instantly, her body is covered in a thick, black pelt.

She shrieks, tugging on it, but the fur doesn’t budge. “Ugh, Ilian, I think I just became part Ithaqua.”

“If it makes you feel better, I think you look stunning. It blends with your hair perfectly, even if it’s the shade of my depraved god.”

“Erm, thank you, but how do I remove it?”

“Aisyth will know. We’ll just have to ask her when we find my tribe.”

Excitement bubbles within me at the prospect.

“I’m going to be a fur queen until we find your family?!”

“Don’t worry. We’ll get it fixed. Let’s do some research on the ink and plan our journey.”

“Fine…but you better hope Aisyth fixes this.”

“She will, my mate.”

“Ugh, and what will the other Ithaqua think when they see me?”

“That I’m the luckiest monster in the world because you’re my mate.”

I tip her face up and kiss her deeply. She squirms under my touch when I snake my tongue out to dance with hers.

“Ilian, your ink—”

“It’ll be fine.”

“But what about researching—”

“It can wait until after.”

From this point on, we stop talking. I caress the lovely, black fur now covering her limbs, marveling how silky it feels.

I know human women shave—and I adore my mate’s satiny skin—but I also love seeing Zhuliya in an Ithaquan pelt.

For some reason, it makes me think of what our children might look like, and I want to breed her until my mate is full of my seed.

Letting Zhuliya go, I snarl, “Run.”

She stares up at me, her velvety gaze twinkling with mischief. “Make me.”

The little minx is helping me recreate the first time we mated, and I chase after her through the house.

“Don’t you dare break any of the furniture!” Zhuliya bellows, dashing down a hall and away from me.

“Brat! Get back here!”

Her merry laughter filters back to me until I finally catch her just outside of our bedroom. She pouts, her cherry red lips driving me crazy.

“Boo, you caught me.”

“You wanted me to.”

“What are you going to do with me now?”

“Teach you a lesson.”

“Ooooo,” she taunts.

I smack her ass through her jeans shorts before cupping her pussy. Even through the denim, her heat scorches my hand.

Popping the bottom and pulling down the zipper, I yank her shorts off and bury my face between her legs.

She yelps as I drive her back into the bed, her legs hooking around my horns. The broken one is now fully healed and gives Zhuliya something to anchor herself to as I make her come over and over.

Finally, my mate begs for mercy, and I flip her into her stomach, thrusting into her sopping pussy. My spur pushes into her ass, and Zhuliya convulses as another orgasm builds.

The beautiful expanse of her back is covered with fur, and I run a hand up and down it, wishing I could see her ink—the very thing that bonds us together.

“Do.” Thrust. “You.” Thrust. “Know.” Thrust. “Howfuckingperfectyouare?”

My words are a jumbled slur as pleasure washes over me. I’m so close, but not until my mate comes again.

Zhuliya holds back, and I growl. It’s a game we play where I get her off as many times as possible before finding my own release.