“Yes,” Raja said, bowing his head respectfully. “Thank you for giving us space. We’ll get back to the guest house now.”
“Thank you again for your hospitality,” I said to Sotu.
Sotu hummed in acknowledgment. “No, thank you. You caught those poachers and returned them to us. Without your help, we would not have known of the crimes they were attempting to commit. You are always welcome here in Skrofa clan, Raja and the Silver Beast.”
Raja and I returned to the guest house, which seemed warmer now that the haze of tension between us had lifted. But despite that, the anxiety of what would happen when we returned to the Pardus clan weighed heavily on my mind.
“Raja,” I began, “if you’re serious about this, I think we should share a claiming bite before we go back.”
Raja tilted his head. “Oh, I’ve heard of that. It’s when the alpha bites the omega, right? And they’re bonded together for all eternity or something?”
“Sort of, but not quite. In dragon culture, we do something different. It’s not just the alpha biting the omega - it’s a mutual claim. We bite each other simultaneously.”
His brows raised. “Huh. Never heard of that before, but I like that a lot more than the usual one.”
“I think it would help to prove to your family that we’re serious about this,” I said.
“Yeah, I think so too.”
“There’s something you should know about the dragon’s claiming bite first,” I said seriously. “It will lengthen your lifespan at the cost of my own, so that I don’t outlive you, since dragons have a naturally long lifespan compared to other shifters.”
Raja absorbed this information with a slight frown. Quietly, he asked, “Are you okay with that?”
“Yes,” I said firmly. “I love you, Raja. I want to be there for you and our child. I won’t hesitate even for a moment to shorten my life to extend yours - “
His lips crashed into mine, cutting me off. The words died on my tongue. We didn’t have to speak any longer. This was enough.
The kiss was deep and passionate. Our hands roamed. We collapsed into the bed, losing track of time as the pull of physical intimacy took over us both.
I brushed his hair aside and placed my lips on the crook of his neck. At the same time, he held the soft spot of my shoulder and let his leopard fangs brush against it. We bit each other - and it was completely painless. The magic worked its way through us, numbing the pain and intertwining us for life.
The claiming bite was complete. Our bond was forged, and would never be broken.
