I clicked my fingers at my long-suffering panther.
He snarled dramatically.
Inspecting her newly healed skin, she glanced at Whisper. “Separately, it destroys, yet together...it heals. How?”
“No idea. But Whisper is going to help prove that hypothesis right now.” Directing my voice across the room, I ordered, “Come here.”
The cat shuddered and bared his teeth.
“Don’t look at me like that. You’ve eaten far worse.”
He didn’t look convinced.
I padded toward him and scratched the ear that wasn’t singed. Dropping to his eye level, I murmured, “You’re hurtbecause of me. You’re in pain because of what I did. I won’t be able to rest until I make up for it, alright?”
He purred reluctantly as I continued scratching him, moving my fingers beneath his powerful jaw. “Just slurp this down and I’ll get you an entire cow as a reward. A very large one. I promise.”
He scowled and eyed up the teacup of blood.
I held it out to him. “Drink.”
He sniffed, glowered at me, then gave in.
It was gone in a few dainty licks.
The effect was immediate.
Leaping to his feet, his claws sank into the floorboards as his eyes widened. A whoosh of hot air rippled over his body, rustling his thick fur.
Rook came to join us, gasping as his skin healed, fur regrew, and the oozing injuries on his ears, nose, and paws reversed. He snarled as if the sensation felt odd, shivered as if regrowing his pelt left him itchy, then shrugged it off as it was nothing more than a bug bite.
Cocking his head, he gave us an inquisitive chirp then sat down and indulged in a bath—licking industriously between his now-healed claws.
Rising slowly to my feet, the bond pulsed between me and Rook.
Our eyes locked.
We hadn’t stopped since escaping Cinderkeep. We’d burned and resurrected an entire valley, and really needed to go to bed.
I couldn’t remember the last time we’d slept horizontally.
But...I suddenly needed something else more.
Cupping her cheeks, I pulled her in for a quick, hard kiss. “I’m either going to throw you onto that bed and take you again or...”
“Or...?” She shivered as our noses brushed.
“I practice self-control and torture both of us with delayed gratification.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Alcohol. Lots andlotsof alcohol.”
“Hang on. You want to drink at a time like this? But we need to talk—”
“Wrong. We need to drink.” I shrugged as if it made perfect sense. “I want to turn my mind off so we can sleep like the dead. Tomorrow is the day to figure out what the hell is going on but tonight...I plan on celebrating the fact that I’m no longer a virgin.”
Her cheeks pinked. “Hey...look at that. Neither am I.”
