They were greeted with no such crinkle, only a look that left her hot and buzzing, aching for more. They marveled at the ease with which Zora opened herself up to them, left herself exposed and vulnerable, revealed a side of herself that she'd never shown to any other soul. They thought about how easy it would be to wrap her jaws around those old, awful scars and squeeze. They withered from the guilt, always, at how they'd hidden theirs from her.

Their reunion felt like a lifetime ago — so much had happened since then. Champ, their date, the cave, a breathless I love you. Since then, Gladiator had vowed that nothing would take Zora from them again. No one would ever touch hide nor hair on her pretty little head. She'd give up lifetime after lifetime to hunt down and destroy any beast who dared to so much as bare their fangs at her. They—

I love you, they breathed into her fur, low and husky and dripping with desire. They rose on eager paws, tracing a hot, heavy line of barely restrained nibbles and kisses down her neck.