"Tell me about the marking," Maren said from where she sat near the fire, wrapped in one of his shirts that hung to mid-thigh. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders catching the firelight.
Tristan leaned against the wall, watching her. "It's how shifters seal the mate bond. For tigers, it’s a bite. Usually at the junction of neck and shoulder where the mark will show."
"Does it hurt?"
"Some. But not the way you're thinking." He pushed off the wall, moving to crouch in front of her. "It's not about pain. It's about claiming. About telling the world and each other that we belong together."
"And the witch's mark?" Her silver eyes met his. "How do I claim you?"
"However feels right to you." His hand found her knee, thumb stroking the soft skin. "Shadow witches don't have traditional marking rituals. Your magic will know what to do when the time comes."
"You sound very certain."
"I am." He leaned closer, breathing in her scent of lilacs and shadows. "The bond's been pulling us together since the moment we met. This is just making it official."
"Official sounds very formal." Her fingers traced the line of stubble. "I was hoping for something more intimate."
"It's both." He kissed her palm. "Formal because it's permanent. Intimate because it's just us. No Council. No town. Just you and me choosing each other."
"I choose you." The words came out simple, direct. "I've been choosing you since you stood between me and that mob. Maybe before that. I don't know anymore. It just feels inevitable."
Tristan surged up, catching her mouth with his. The kiss started gentle but turned hungry fast, weeks of restrained want finally breaking free. Her hands fisted in his hair, pulling him closer. His hands found her waist, sliding under the borrowed shirt to touch bare skin.
She made a sound against his mouth aimed straight for his cock.
"Bed," he managed. "Before I take you on the floor."
"Floor works."
"Bed's better." He stood, lifting her with him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her core pressing against his stomachthrough thin fabric. He could feel her heat, smell her arousal mixing with his own.
The bedroom was dark except for moonlight filtering through the window. He laid her on the bed carefully, following her down, settling between her thighs. The shirt had ridden up, revealing the curve of her hip, the shadow of dark hair between her legs.
"Tell me if anything hurts," he said, his hand smoothing up her ribs where they'd been broken.
"I'm fine. Healed." Her hands found his shirt, tugging. "And you're wearing too many clothes."
He stripped quickly, letting her watch. Her gaze tracked over his chest, his stomach, the scars that marked years of violence and survival. When he pushed down his pants, his cock sprang free, already hard and aching.
She reached for him, fingers wrapping around his length. The touch sent fire through his veins.
He groaned, hips thrusting into her grip.
"I want to taste you first." She sat up, pushing him back until he was the one sitting on the bed. "Is that allowed in the mate-marking ritual?"
"There's no rules except we both choose this freely." His voice came out strangled as she knelt between his legs. "So yes. Definitely allowed."
She smiled, wicked and beautiful, and leaned forward. Her tongue traced the length of him from base to tip, tasting. He fisted his hands in the sheets, fighting the urge to grab her hair and guide her movements.
When her mouth closed around him, wet and hot and perfect, his head fell back with a curse.
She worked him slowly, learning what made him groan, what made his hips jerk. Her hand wrapped around the base, stroking what her mouth couldn't reach. His tiger rose to the surface,wanting to flip her over, wanting to claim and mark and make her his in every way possible.
But this was her turn to explore. Her turn to learn him. So he held still and let her take what she wanted.
"Maren, I'm going to—" He tried to warn her but she didn't pull back, just took him deeper, and his orgasm hit hard and unexpected. He spilled into her mouth with a groan that was more animal than human.
She swallowed, her eyes never leaving his, then sat back with a satisfied smile. "Good?"
