Master finally pulls back first, slow, reluctant, his nose dragging one last time along my throat. His hand releases my tail with a final squeeze. The fire roars distant now, orange glow radiating everywhere but up here it's just us, our scents tangled with ownership and joint possession.

  He shifts me in his arms, effortless with one hand under my thighs and starts the descent. No leaps this time, he picks his way down the warehouse side, boots finding crates and ledges. I cling the whole way, purring jagged against his neck until the ground is under our feet and Master finally sets me down. I sigh yet I'm molded back to his side.

  We walk. Like nothing just happened. Like we didn't cause an explosion. The walk back stretches on. Of course I stay glued with my body brushing his with every stride, claws lightly hooked in his sleeve because distance is threat itself. Through the bond, his mind hums steady with plans and observations running through constantly.

  The Sapphire guildhouse looms up ahead, banners flying. The gates are open, unusual this late and as we push through, the courtyard's lit brighter than normal, torches on every wall. My ears prick forward sharp, tail tightening around his leg just because something's off.

  The guild master waits dead center as we walk in. his flanked by six guards, blades at hips, eyes hard and waiting. They spot us instantly "You two. Inside. Now."

  Master doesn't flinch, just keeps walking, pulling me along like it's another errand. But the guards move two step forward to "escort" us, hands reaching out casual but firm. One grabs Master's arm, fingers closing around his arm.

  They touch him, touch my Master. The world snaps red. A snarl rips out of me as my tail bushes huge, ears flattening as I surge forward. My spear's in hand before I think, copper-iron tip gleaming under torchlight, shield snapping up on my forearm. I plant myself between them and him, body coiled low, lips peeled back showcasing my fangs in a grin. The guard who grabbed his arm freezes, fingers still on Master's sleeve, and that's his mistake.

  I launch, claws out, spear thrusting once to knock his hand away, then slashing the shaft across his knuckles. He yelps, staggering back, but I'm already on the other one, shield bashing his chest with a thud. "Touch him again," I hiss "and I'll carve your hands off and feed them to you finger by finger. He's mine, mine and you don't get to lay a filthy paw on what's mine."

  The guild master barks something, hold, stand down, but the other guards draw iron, circling wary. I don't care. I simply couldn't care less. My purr twists into a growl, body vibrating with rage, eyes slitted as I back up against Master, pressing flat to his front, tail snapping around his waist to anchor us. Through the bond, I feel his calm amusement, that quiet room in his head watching the play, but it only fuels me, makes me bare my teeth wider because no one touches him. No one.

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  One guard lunges, stupid, sword high and I meet him snarling, spear parrying the blade aside with a clang, then driving the butt into his gut. He doubles over, and I follow with a claw slash across his cheek, shallow, bloody and a fine warning. Another swings at my flank, I duck low on all fours, tail whipping his legs out from under him, then pounce back up to shield bash. They back off quick, breathing hard, blades trembling because yeah, they remember now, that I'm not just some pet. I'm the blade that guards her master, his wife and his shadow.

  The guild master steps forward, hands raised slow. "Enough! Stand down all of you." His eyes flick to Master, then me, calculating. "We know about the fire. Sapphire's got questions. Inside, now. No more games."

  “Funny enough,” Master then says, not even raising his voice, tone completely neutral, “we were just coming back to give you an update. Shame you had to anger a cat instead of being civil.” He lets the words hang a second, eyes flicking over the guild master. “Oh, and by the way, you owe me a single gold coin on top of our wages. Information cost from the fixer.”

  He doesn’t wait for a reply. His hand lifts, fingers finding the base of my right ear, scratching slow and firm in that perfect rhythm. The rage in my blood stutters, then melts into something hotter, needier. My snarl fades to a broken purr, ears twitching forward under his touch as I lean hard into his palm with my eyes slitting half shut.

  Then he leans in, lips brushing the soft part of my ear. “Good cat,” he whispers. “You’re such a good wife now, aren’t you.”

  The words hit like a brand. My whole body shudders. A high, fractured whine spills out of me before I can stop it. My free hand fists in his tunic, claws pricking skin through fabric, while I turn my face into his neck and rub frantically, cheek, nose, lips, marking him over and over in desperate strokes.

  Wife. He called me wife. Not pet. Not kitten. Wife. My ears flatten in overwhelmed bliss, then flick forward again, trembling. I nip the edge of his jaw, sharp, claiming, then soothe it with my tongue.

  The guild master clears his throat, loud, awkward. “Inside,” he snaps, but the edge is gone, replaced by something closer to resignation. “Both of you. And keep that damn cat leashed before she guts half my watch.”

  Master doesn’t answer him. He just keeps scratching behind my ear, slow circles that make my eyes roll back pulling me tighter to his side as we move toward the doors. The guards part fast this time, blades sheathed, eyes averted, no one dares reach for him again.

  I nuzzle harder under his chin, fangs grazing his neck, voice a cracked whisper meant only for him. “Wife,” I breathe. “Say it again later. When we’re alone.” My claws knead his side through the tunic, rhythmic, reverent. “I’ll be so good, Master. Your good wife. I’ll burn the whole city down for you if you ask.”

  He doesn’t reply out loud, just presses one more kiss to the top of my head, fingers lingering in my hair, and guides us through the doors into the warm glow of the guildhall. The manifest is still tucked against his chest, proof of the fire we lit, but right now that feels secondary.