“Sign here.” The officiant pointed to a line at the bottom of the document.
I took the pen—an actual pen, not a digital scanner—and signed my name. The ink glowed briefly before settling into the parchment. Solantus followed, his massive clawed hand engulfing the writing instrument. He made a single, elegant mark, more symbol than signature.
“It is done.” The officiant rolled the document and sealed it with a press of her thumb. “You may now leave Sanctuary together as bonded mates.”
No congratulations. No ceremony. Just bureaucracy completed with efficient precision.
Solantus offered his arm, surprisingly gentlemanly for a creature with claws that could likely tear through steel. I took it, feeling the searing heat of his skin through the thin ceremonial robe he wore.
We walked in silence through the corridors of the Sanctuary building, passing other potential brides still waiting for their matches. Their eyes followed us—me specifically—with a mixture of envy and fear. Not everyone received matches. Not everyone was compatible with non-human DNA. I’d been told my compatibility with hellhounds was exceptionally high, a rare biological affinity that made me particularly valuable in this post-war world.
The suite assigned to newly bonded couples was nicer than I’d expected. Plush carpets, a massive bed with silken sheets, and a balcony overlooking what remained of the city beyond Sanctuary’s walls. The sun was setting, painting the devastated landscape in hues of crimson and gold.
“So...” I started, uncertain what to say now that we were alone.
Solantus surprised me by dropping to his knees before me, his head bowed. At first, I thought he was submitting, but then he leaned forward, his nose nearly touching the crook of my neck. He inhaled deeply, a soft growl of approval vibrating through him.
He was scenting me.
The counselor had mentioned this, but experiencing it was entirely different. His hot breath against my skin sent shivers down my spine. Not unpleasant ones.
“May I?” he whispered, the first words I’d heard from him, translated perfectly through my chip. His voice was deep, gravelly, like stones tumbling down a mountainside.
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
His nose traced along my collarbone, up my neck, behind my ear. Each inhalation seemed to please him more, his body responding in a visible way—his dark skin began to glow from within, ember-like patches appearing beneath his fur as if his very blood were fire.
My body responded too, a warmth pooling between my thighs that had nothing to do with the heat he emanated. I found my fingers reaching up, hesitantly, to touch the thick ruff of fur at his neck. It was softer than I’d imagined, like touching smoke given substance.
Solantus pulled back slightly, his amber eyes now burning with internal light. “You respond to me,” he said, wonder in his voice.
“Yes.” It was all I could manage as his clawed hands—so carefully gentle—moved to the fastenings of my ceremonial robe.
He disrobed me with reverence, each newly revealed patch of skin receiving the same careful scenting as before. By the time I stood naked before him, my entire body trembled with need, and his inner glow had intensified to the point where it illuminated the room.
I reached for his robe, fumbling slightly with the unfamiliar fastenings. He helped me, shrugging the garment off to reveal a body both alien and magnificent. Muscular, covered in that same black fur, thicker in some places than others. Between his legs, his arousal stood proud—larger than a human man’s, with subtle differences in shape that made my breath catch.
He guided me to the bed, laying me down with such tenderness it brought tears to my eyes. The mattress dipped as he positioned himself above me, supporting his weight on glowing claws that pressed into the sheets on either side of my head.
“You are not afraid,” he observed, his tail swishing behind him in what I thought might be pleasure.
“Should I be?” I asked, reaching up to run my fingers through the thicker fur on his chest.
“Most are. At first.” His head dipped down, and he ran his tongue—hotter than a human’s, slightly rougher—along my neck, tasting me. “You taste of courage.”
His mouth continued its exploration, down to my breasts, where he lavished attention that drew moans from deep within me. His tongue circled each nipple, the slight roughness creating a friction that sent sparks of pleasure straight to my core. I arched into him, my fingers finding purchase in his thick black fur, holding him to me.
The glow beneath his skin intensified with each response I gave, until his entire body seemed to burn with an inner fire. His claws dimpled the mattress as he carefully positioned himself between my thighs, the heat of him almost unbearable yet addictively pleasurable.
“It will burn,” he warned, his voice strained with restraint. “But your body was made for mine.”
I spread my legs wider in silent invitation, beyond words now. He pressed forward, entering me with agonizing slowness. The burn was immediate—not pain exactly, but an intense heat that should have been uncomfortable. Instead, my body welcomedit, welcomed him, as though recognizing something my mind couldn’t yet comprehend.
He filled me completely, stretching me to my limits, and then began to move. Each thrust was controlled, deliberate, his eyes never leaving my face as he watched for signs of distress. He needn’t have worried. The pleasure building within me was unlike anything I’d experienced before, as if the heat he generated was stoking a corresponding fire within my own body.
My hands ran over his back, fingers curling into his fur as he increased his pace. The bed began to steam where his knees and hands pressed into it, the sheets actually smoking slightly from the intensity of his heat.
“Tamsin,” he growled, my name sounding primal on his lips. “You must release. Before I do.”
