More stronger now

Marku’s intense gaze cut to Coal’s and held. “She’s in no danger from me, Wolf,” he spoke slowly. Purposefully, as if to avoid spooking Coal’s Wolf, Marku knelt down and rested on one knee. Maintaining his eye contact with Coal, Marku waited for Coal’s response before he continued.

The room was silent, waiting for Coal’s Wolf’s response. I wasn’t surprised to see Coal’s eyes had shifted to obsidian black. I squeezed his fingers, trying to calm my furry mate down. While it was obscenely clear Marku was a predator of extreme caliber, I didn’t suspect he intended to harm me.

As we waited, I also found it interesting that Marku’s hesitation meant he took Coal’s threat seriously. He wanted to avoid a fight if possible.

After a long moment, Coal’s significant reluctance never went away, but he finally gave a short nod to Marku.

Marku turned to me, his expression softening. He held out the ring. “This belongs to you.”

“You don’t want it back now that she’s gone?” I asked.

One of his eyebrows