Eyes of molten pyrite glared from a furious face of chiseled marble; muzzle and skull and shoulders and spine hung perfectly aligned, a quivering arrow poised for the target; talons raked into the tender earth as if digging into wounded flesh, hungry, prepared to shred; the beast’s vocal chords rested in tense silence, yet the energy-charged air around his muscular body seemed to vibrate with a snarl. He had locked on to his mission. Lush scarlet dribbled from the corners of his muzzle and seeped between his fangs. It would be so pitifully easy to finish things now, while the dusky she-wolf lay unmoving and vulnerable on her bed of grass. Not like she could stop him, even if she wanted to. Vladya was too strong. Too determined. He edged forward until his crimson-filled maw hovered directly over Kobato’s blank face, breath close enough to warm the butterfly-delicate sweep of her eyelashes—he unclenched his jaws to unleash that torrent of lurid red—

It spilled, thick over her brow and the elegant bridge of her muzzle—

And then Vladya’s self-control shattered. He sat back on his haunches and threw his head back toward the dawn sky, where threads of gold were starting to warm sleepy morning-glory blues and lavender clouds. His shoulders shook and his ragged voice boomed. Laughing.

How could she sleep through him drowning her in flower petals?!

He’d started this childish project at her paws, which had been stretched away from her body as Ko lounged in the easiness of a hopefully pleasant dream. Vlad’s heart had nearly stopped when her delicate toes twitched, ridiculously terrified that his treasured lass would suddenly awaken and question the new idiocy he’d invented. Vladya wasn’t exactly sure why the idea had hit him in the first place. His gleaming irises had opened before Kobato’s thanks to a fresh wave of agitation gnawing at his heart. The pair had been traveling hard—and smart—across the terra toward their new sanctuary, before exhaustion forced them to rest. Perhaps it was the openness of this verdant field that reminded Vladya of the heartless tundra’s overwhelming vastness. Or maybe he’d been so giddy since their heated romantic night together that sleep was no longer possible while curled close to Ko’s silken side. Regardless, this affectionate lunacy took root in his moronic mind and drove him to madness. Upon seeing splashes of rainbow blooms scattered joyously throughout the field, inspiration struck.

Kobato’s tri-hued pelt was now blanketed in a satin blanket of flowers. Every color. From the tip of her downy tail to the wet point of her nose.

And Vladya was laughing so hard he thought his ribs would break.