“Mmm,” Leonie purred against his mouth. She broke the kiss again—far too soon, in his opinion—looking up at him with a speculative air. “How do qiongqi mate?”
It took him a second to work out what she meant. He was not exactly thinking clearly. They were mates, but they weren’t yetmated. For most shifters, cementing that bondtook more than just the union of bodies. She was asking about joining their souls. Forever.
Yes, yes, yes.Every part of him yearned to claim her, but he shook his head. “Leonie, we don’t have to do that. Not tonight. You should take some time to think first. To be certain.”
“Iamcertain, you ridiculous man. And I’m not giving you a chance to have another attack of idiocy and run away.” She trailed her fingernails up his neck, mouth curving in a wicked, predatory smile. “Before this night is over, I intend to make you mine.”
His breath caught in his chest. “Please.”
Leonie laughed again, pulling him down for another kiss. When she finally pushed him away, her amber eyes were sparkling, bright with anticipation. “So, how do qiongqi form the mate bond? Is there anything specific we need to do?”
“I have no idea,” he had to admit. “Apart from my father, I’ve never met another of my kind.”
She touched his cheek gently, a world of unspoken understanding in the simple gesture. “Then we’ll just do whatever feels right. What does your animal say?”
After so long battling his qiongqi, it felt strange to reach out to it deliberately. He took a deep breath, listening.
Hunt. Catch. Claim.
He moistened his lips. “I…think I would like to chase you.”
Leonie’s eyes gleamed. Without another word, took a step back, shifting.
*Try and catch me, then,*her voice whispered in his mind.
With a last teasing glance over her shoulder, the lioness bounded away. He couldn’t havenotfollowed. He shifted as well, surging after her.
MINE. MY MATE. MINE.
He was bigger, but she was faster. She stayed ahead easily,taunting him with her tail. Snarling with need and frustration, he dropped back, spreading his wings. He sprang, struggling to gain height in the still evening air.
Too late. She reached the edge of the forest, slipping under the shadow of the trees before he had a chance to swoop.
He growled, banking over the treetops. His mate should be up here, with him. Not hiding in shadows.
But she couldn’t follow him into the sky. It went against his instincts, but he landed. Folding his wings, he followed her trail.
Oh, she was clever. He could smell her desire, but she didn’t make this easy for him. He almost missed her trail twice, where she’d doubled back or slipped through some gap too small for his broader form. She flirted with him; maddeningly close, yet never quite in sight. Drawing out the game, the hunt, until he was nothing but hunger and need.
And then, he lost her.
Her scent vanished. She seemed to have simply disappeared into thin air, fading like a ghost. No matter how he searched, he couldn’t pick up any trace of her.
Had something happened to her? Surely not. These words were safe. And anyway, she was fierce and powerful. She could take care of herself, not that she ever did.
Perhaps she had grown bored and left.
A terrible fear gripped him. He roared, calling for her, his need echoing through the night. He had failed, he was not fit to be her mate, she was gone?—
She hit him in the flank, knocking him clean off his paws. He ended up on his back, wings trapped and helpless. The lioness pinned him down, growling, amber eyes bright with glee.
The tawny shape blurred. Leonie grinned down at him, flushed with triumph.
“I win,” she said smugly.
He shifted as well, pulling her down. She giggled as he rolled, pinning her against the forest floor.
“My mate.” He covered her body with his own, claiming her mouth. “Mine.”
