Vladya had already planned his next course of action if Kobato refused his awkward attempts at affection. It was asinine, but in the battle dog’s warped concept of romance it made perfect sense: should the little princess shy away from his touch or vocally refuse his so-called “tundra skills,” then Vlad was gravely prepared to pin her down like a squirming rabbit and force her to let him be nice. If Ko thought she could pull something as adorable as nibbling his ear and get away with it consequence-free, she had another damn thing coming. No more of this one-sided kindness. No more standing by with his fool mouth hanging open while she fed the world her heart and starved her own soul. This day marked a fresh new chapter in the snow dragon’s life—one where he finally, finally learned to shed his unworthy calluses and don a gleaming suit of armor for his fair lady.

Given that the next step after subduing Kobato by brute strength was demanding that she stay with him in the cave and make love so loudly Serris would hear it in his grave, it was probably best that Ko simply smiled and endured her battered knight’s terrible effort at being a gentleman. Vladya released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been keeping captive. Splintered hackles softened and lay flat on his ruff. Mere seconds after dragging his tongue roughly over her cheek—as if daring her to question how necessary this action was for her survival—Vlad understood what a hopeless idiot he was. Of course holding her down would have been awful! Why must his default response always be aggression? And right after he’d resolved to be more tender?! Stupid, stupid, STUPID.

Despite his ever-present self loathing, Vladya found a rhythm as his tongue smoothed the silken contours of Kobato’s dusky pelt. Eventually those harsh strokes eased into softer kisses, lingering caresses that traced the elegant outline of her jaw, the velvet base of an ear, the pallid down that lay over her throat like the feathers of a bird . . . and he could taste her. There was a mellow sweetness to Ko’s fur that he had always noticed in her scent, but to taste the notes of wildflower and rain-washed earth and Kobato was an entirely new experience. He savored each precious diamond of water sprinkled across her coat as if it were a drop of sundrenched honey. Ambrosia. Vladya would recognize the soft music of her voice anywhere. He could pick out her beloved face instantly in a crowd of millions. Her perfume guarded his dreams. And now he could find her even blind, because he had her flavor in his mouth and he knew the way she felt in the dark—

“Vladya . . . ?”

He hadn’t realized that he’d been panting until she spoke and lifted him out of hypnosis. His heated breath was on her neck, stirring the fine cinnamon-mixed hairs and sending a shiver down Kobato’s spine. When Vlad moved his half-dazed gaze to meet her eyes, the nervous brilliance in those dear maple pools tugged at something deep in his guts. The dragon languidly parted his maw and ran his slick pink muscle across his fangs. His lyrics were a shadowy purr, only lightly painted with apprehension. “What is it?” Ko was still so young . . . surely she hadn’t tried the dance that Vladya had practiced the steps to over and over while running with his gang. Was he freaking her out? Was it time to stop? Oh gods, he didn’t want to, not when they were relaxed and together and alone at last.

Wait, hold up—when had cuddling innocently in a cave veered into sex fantasies, anyway?!

“It’s okay, kid. We don’t have to—FUCK!” He’d meant to say “do anything,” but right at that moment the storm unleashed its final scream of vengeance and a violent CRACK had Vladya leaping in his skin and slamming his skull on the low roof of the cave. The arctic monster growled viciously, inwardly damning nature itself for intervening. His worried pyrite stare hovered over Kobato’s face. “Are you okay? Did that scare you? Oh, shit, that was ridiculous . . .”

Yes, the boy was babbling, because suddenly he grasped just how ready he was for Kobato to tell him “yes.” “Let’s . . . let’s go deeper. In the cave, I mean. It might be more insulated against the ah, thunder.” Vladya quickly picked himself up and went to step over Kobato, leading her further into the cavern. In the tight entrance, he had to slink practically on top of her, the bone-white fur of his abdomen brushing hastily over her side and back. By the time he thought of just waiting for the girl to scoot backward herself, his flesh was on fire with embarrassment. Vlad plopped back down in the much roomier belly of the cave, black-gold portals narrowed into slits. He stretched his limbs out, tail thumping savagely against the dirt. “Come here.”