Page 79 of Misbehaving With Minotaurs
Catherine sinks against me, rubbing her face against my chest. “He wasn’t flirting, mate; he was just being nice.”
I don’t deign to answer that. Instead, I grab the welcome book and set it down just inside the door. After swooping Catherine into my arms, I head for the stairs.
“Let me take you back to bed, woman, and show you just how nice this big mate of yours can be.”
She presses her forehead to mine. “Forever and ever, Manorin. Forever and ever.”
“You sure about this, Sunshine?” We stare at the book of mating tattoo designs. Some are intricate bands; some are simple. They all serve the purpose of magically binding minotaurs to their mates.
Today’s trip to High Moon Ink, the shifter tattoo parlor in downtown PG, was all Catherine’s idea. I’ve been wanting to ask her, but even after everything between us, I worried it’d feel like pushing her. So I didn’t bring it up.
She woke up this morning and declared that we were going to get tatted up, and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten harder faster in my life.
But now that we’re here, I’m unexpectedly nervous. Shewasn’t ready when I asked her all those centuries ago. I probably wasn’t either, but it crushed me either way. My asking her to get the tat was the beginning of the end for us, really. I had sky-high expectations of our future, but I was brash and overconfident.
“That one.” Cath points to a thin braided design. “That’s the one.”
I stare, trying to imagine the beautiful braid around her throat. Emotion wells up in my chest as I pull her to it, burying my muzzle in her hair.
“And, yes, I’m sure.” She rests her head against my pecs and looks up at me. “I want you, Manorin Albert Longhorn.”
I laugh as I bend down and nuzzle her ear. “Don’t ruin a beautiful confession of love with my middle name, Sunshine.”
She chuckles and rubs her cheek against me. “I think it’s a cute middle name.”
I pinch her side until she squirms. “It’s awful, and that’s why you’re the only person I’ve ever told it to.”
She spins in my arms, batting her lashes. “Alarion and Walter know it, I’m sure.”
Her mention of my brother and nephew sends me spiraling. “I wonder how Alarion’s getting on back home.”
Cath smiles. “Oh, he’s plenty busy with the construction project for the new road. Betmal’s keeping an eye on him for us.”
That eases my mind a little. Alarion hasn’t caused any trouble in Ever, but I know he’s missing the monsters he used to consider friends, even if it seemed like they were using him. He’s still never been super clear with me on what went down that got him to agree to leave with me. I may never get the truth out of him.
“You two ready?” a deep voice breaks through my thoughts.
Cath and I turn as a giant shifter male enters the room carrying a tray with the ink and his tattoo gun. He’s as tall as Iam, huge for a wolf, with a shock of unruly blond waves that no amount of gel holds back. Tattoos start under his jaw and crawl all the way into his shirt.
“Ready, Cairn,” my Sunshine says, sliding onto the chair and pulling her gray waves into a claw clip.
The shifter smiles at her. “You pick a design?”
“This one.” I point to the page, and Cairn glances over. He gives me a clipped nod, then starts prepping his gun.
I cross the room to hover over Cath, but she looks unruffled by this entire thing. “You nervous, Sunshine?”
She beams up at me. “Not at all, Nor. Are you?”
I resist the urge to touch her, to remind myself that she’s here and mine, and she’s about to become mine in a very permanent fucking way. Pride and love fill me, banishing those dark, painful places that were empty when I lost her.
“No, Sunshine,” I murmur, reaching out to tuck long gray bangs back behind her ear. I stare at her creamy, delicate skin as I fantasize about what she’ll look like with a permanent Longhorn collar.
“You look pleased as punch,” she says, chuckling as Cairn leans over.
He winks at her. “If you two are done flirtin’, it’s time to get started, pretty lady.”
She never looks away from me as she replies to him, “Get goin’, sir.”
