"Anyways, little bunny." His mouth found the curve of her ear, lips brushing the sensitive fur there until both ears flattened in embarrassment. "There are no courts left, no divorce lawyers and no appeals process." His arm tightened around her middle, dragging her flush against him until his heartbeat thumped steadily and possessively against her shoulder blade. "You’re stuck with me and everyone else."

The deep chuckle that rolled through him vibrated into her bones.

She pressed her face into the furs beneath them, but her traitorous tail was actually wagging, like some lovesick kit who’d been handed her favourite meal.

outside their "tent"—and Felicity used the word only at its most charitable—night reigned, wind hissing beneath the patchwork of hides and sticks that passed for shelter. The thin walls did nothing to buffer the world; a symphony of male groans echoed, low and hungry. A rumbling moan, thunderous, raw and unmistakably carnal, the sound of men clearly surrendering to their most primal desires.

A ragged moan, guttural and unashamed, echoed so close that Felicity’s blush deepened, heat crawling from her cheeks down her throat to burn beneath her skin.

"Oops." Lucan didn’t sound remotely sorry; his grin pressed against the nape of her neck, teeth grazing skin. "Looks like we woke the camp up."

The heat in her face intensified. "Lucaaaaan." She meant it to be a protest, but the sound came out soft, barely a complaint.

"Mm?" He sounded entirely too innocent, nuzzling deeper into her hair, inhaling like she was the only source of oxygen in a dying world. "What? Sarge was already going at it before we even started. Tent walls are basically decorative at this point." His hand, still circling her waist, slipped lower, thumb tracing slow, infuriating spirals over the sensitive skin just below her navel.

She was going to combust. "You are the worst," she managed, but her voice wobbled on the words.

"Incorrect." His mouth worked its way up her jaw, teeth grazing her earlobe before he delivered his verdict in a low, smug growl. "I’m your worst, legally binding, no take-backs in the apocalypse."

From outside, a breathy groan built to a rasping cry, punctuated by the sharp slap of hands on flesh. A bass rumble followed, slow and rhythmic, culminating in a deep, guttural roar. Farther off, a rapid panting escalated into a high, desperate growl, tapering to a whimper.

Felicity was fully blushing and just hiding in Lucas ’ chest.

Lucan’s hand slid up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, an oddly gentle gesture from someone so overwhelming. "You know," he murmured, "if you keep hiding, I’m going to have to start looking for you."

"I’m not hiding," she said, not quite convincing either of them.

Lucan’s laughter came low and predatory, a wicked vibration against her back. "Good, because I’d find you anyway. Oh, and by the way, one of them tried to steal one of your used panties last night." His delivery was so casual, so offhand, that it almost slipped right past her, except the words detonated in her brain like some kind of social grenade.

Felicity jerked upright, so suddenly she nearly headbutted him under the chin. "What?"

He grinned, a knifelike flash of teeth in the lantern-dappled darkness. "Don’t shoot the messenger, bunny. I have it on very good authority that there was a panty heist in the works."

She stared, genuinely shocked. "You are not being serious."

He rolled onto his side, propped his head in one hand and draped the other arm possessively across her waist, pressing her firmly into the pile of furs. "Oh, I am absolutely serious. Marx swears it wasn’t him, but that’s exactly what Marx would say."

"Lucan, my panties?" She was mortified, her voice climbing nearly an octave, but Lucan only seemed to find it more entertaining.

He waggled his eyebrows. "What can I say? Your scent drives us all crazy. It’s practically a performance-enhancing drug around here. Did you not notice Marx sniffing around?"

She hadn’t specifically, but now that he’d said it, she remembered Marx making a suspicious lap around her area.

She groaned and buried her face in her hands, the humiliation now so radioactive it felt like steam should be pouring out of her ears. "I’m going to kill him."

"Nah, leave that to Exile, he’s got dibs. He nearly had an aneurysm when he caught Marx with your..." Lucan coughed pointedly. "Things... like a used blanket after sex."

Felicity dared a peek between her fingers. "You are all insane."

"We’re beastmen, bunny." Lucan nudged her with a conspiratorial smirk. "Insanity is tradition, and don’t worry, exile might even eat him."

"And you let them just..." she waved her hands helplessly, searching for words. "Steal my underwear?"

"Technically only attempted theft," Lucan said, suddenly legalistic. "Because Marx failed the stealth check, and now your panties are locked down in Exile’s top-secret inventory box." He paused. "Unless you want to press charges?"

She let out a strangled laugh, half hysteria and half actual amusement. "I want a restraining order."

Lucan snorted. "If it was someone who wasn’t in our team, then maybe I’d do something, but... you never know who will end up where these days." as he scanned her up and down with his eyes.

Felicity flopped back onto the furs, equal parts bewildered and resigned.

Lucan nuzzled into her shoulder, voice softer this time, almost tender. "If you really want, I can claw out Marx’s eyes after this and leave them on your pillow."

She sighed, the sound mingling embarrassment and something dangerously close to pride. "Please don’t."

"See, you do care." Lucan’s hand trailed lightly up her ribs, playful again. "I knew it."

She squirmed but didn’t push him away. "You are a menace, Lucan."

He kissed her shoulder, a soft reward for her mock outrage, and then whispered, "But you like me anyway."

She made a show of considering. "Jury’s out."

He laughed, a sound that seemed to warm the whole miserable little tent. "Liar, you’re stuck with me, remember? forever and ever and ever."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stop a reluctant smile. "Yeah, I remember."