As Jinyoung fell back on the bed panting, Mark leaned in and inhaled the scent on his neck. There was never a day in their lives anymore when they didn’t smell of each other, but to Mark, it was always best when the scent was freshly renewed. It was like a lushly blooming garden, half earthy, half the heady aroma of jasmine and herbs. It was like the garden outside their home, but richer, more intoxicating. It was something only he and Jinyoung could make together, and that alone made it immeasurably precious to him, even back during the time when it hadn’t been created between them genuinely.

Jinyoung’s neck had a sheen of sweat on it, which Mark lapped up with his tongue. It had previously embarrassed Jinyoung when he’d done this, since sweat apparently didn’t taste all that appetizing to humans, but to Mark it tasted deliciously salty. He had no desire to eat Jinyoung, of course, but at the same time longed to devour every bit of him in some way. Every inch of him tasted perfect, and though he’d marked it all in some way, he never stopped hungering for it.

“If you keep doing that, you know it will just make me want to do it again,” Jinyoung said, his voice still delightfully weak. He dug his fingers into Mark’s hair, pulling it back a little roughly. “Is that what you want?”

Mark withdrew his lips from him with regret. “I do have to leave early for Calovia tomorrow.”

“Then stop teasing me. If you do anything more, you’re not going to sleep at all tonight.”

It was tempting, but Mark knew better than to be anything less than alert when summoned to King Jaebum’s court. He didn’t know what the summons was for, but Jaebum had never been the kind of person who demanded anyone’s presence unless it was important.

Though it took a great degree of willpower, he rolled off Jinyoung and instead wrapped his arms around him from behind. He’d slept in his lion form for most of his life, but now that he shared a bed with Jinyoung, he’d gotten used to sleeping in his human form and had found he really quite enjoyed it. Jinyoung always grumbled about Mark snuggling into him after they made love due to how sticky their skin was, but he also complained if Mark didn’t hold onto him when they slept. For someone who had once been so shy and hesitant when expressing his true thoughts, Jinyoung was now incredibly vocal and particular about what he wanted, which amused Mark to no end.

Tonight, Jinyoung didn’t complain. He instead wiggled comfortably into position, his head nestled underneath Mark’s chin. “Mark?” he murmured.

“Mmm?”

“Do you know what it will be a week from now?”

Mark thought for a moment. “Summer solstice?”

“Yes, and…?”

Mark pondered again. Beasts didn’t live by the calendar as strictly as humans did. They paid mind to the passing of seasons so they could hunt accordingly, but did not generally keep track of dates or days of the week in the way that humans did. Mark had done his best to accommodate many of the cultural differences Jinyoung bought to his life, but this was one he still struggled with.

“It will be a year since we’ve been married,” Jinyoung said. He tried to hide it, but his tone seemed a slight bit annoyed that Mark hadn’t figured this out without him saying.

“Already?” Mark asked, genuinely surprised. It didn’t feel all that long ago that Elder Kahana and King Jaebum had overseen the ceremonial binding between them in the Calovian royal court. “It’s gone by so quickly. I’ve been so happy, I barely noticed the time passing.”

“Me, too,” Jinyoung said, his tone much happier at hearing these words. “It’s been the best year of my life.” He paused. “I don’t suppose beasts…although I thought I heard something about King Jaebum celebrating…”

“Yes? What about King Jaebum?”

“Nothing.” Jinyoung  sighed, a note of vexation back in his voice. “It doesn’t matter.”

Those were words he rarely meant when he said them. It usually meant he was troubled about something, though Mark couldn’t imagine what he would be troubled about in regards to having been married one year. Perhaps, since he’d mentioned Jaebum, he was simply missing their friends in Calovia. Jinyoung’s parents had moved to Calofferin, as had Chungha, Ravi, Leo, Baekho, and one or two of Jinyoung’s friends from Low Lofferin, but Yugyeom, Jackson, and BamBam, and of course Jaebum and Youngjae, were still in Calovia.

I’ll have to schedule a family trip to visit everyone, Mark thought to himself. The cubs are probably missing some of their old friends, too. It’s been awhile since we’ve all been back.

For the time being, he didn’t want Jinyoung to go to sleep with a single bit of discontent in his heart. He leaned in and the underside of his ear, which was perhaps one of the most delicious parts of his body. “I love you,” he said softly. “My precious mate.” He hoped it would bring nothing but joy to Jinyoung to hear it.

Jinyoung exhaled, and to Mark’s relief, he could almost hear the smile in it. “I love you, too,” Jinyoung said, kissing the skin of his wrist. “Goodnight, Mark.”

Jinyoung was still asleep when Mark awoke early the next morning. He didn’t wish to disturb his sleep, so he gently extricated him from his arms and very softly kissed his forehead in lieu of a verbal goodbye. He also checked the room the cubs shared. All three were sleeping peacefully, and only stirred lightly when he kissed them on their cheeks.

He took a quick breakfast, then set out for Calovia. In his shifted form, he was able to cover ground as quickly as he had in the days before Jinyoung had accompanied him almost everywhere he went. It was more convenient, perhaps, but he always missed Jinyoung as a traveling companion when he went somewhere alone.

He arrived in Calovia by early evening. BamBam, who’d appointed himself one of the kingdom’s border lookouts, descended on him almost as soon as he arrived, landing on his head.

“Look who’s back,” he cawed, giving Mark a peck on the head which was presumably supposed to be affectionate. “Where’s your family?”

“Back home. I didn’t want to bring them all the way back here if I was going to be kept away in meetings the whole time.”

“You could have at least brought Jinyoung for us to visit with,” BamBam said reproachfully. “We’ll have nothing better to do tonight, after all.”

“What, you’re not going to be at court?”

“No. The meeting seems to be a gathering of leaders. You, Jaebum, the Sacred Prince, and King Minhyun. No one else.”

“Huh,” Mark said. “If King Minhyun’s here, too, it must really be something important. Any idea what’s going on?”

“Nope. Your guess is as good as mine. His Majesty hasn’t said anything.”

“GENERAL!” Yugyeom and Jackson had been waiting near the path leading into the court and bounded up to them eagerly. Yugyeom lunged at him in an attempt to tussle, but Mark easily dodged him, laughing as Yugyeom tumbled and then quickly recovered.

“I’m not the General anymore,” Mark reminded them. Jackson had taken over the role in his place. The peace treaty currently existing between Calovia and Lofferin was firm, but it was the policy of both kingdoms to maintain a military nonetheless. They weren’t the sole human and beast settlements on the continent, after all. The mountains kept both Calovia and Lofferin well protected, but to the far east of them there were other kingdoms that could potentially invade, one day. There were also said to be aquatic tribes of beasts in the far-off ocean, though the possibility of invasion from them seemed unlikely, since many could not survive outside the water.

“I know you’re retired as General, it’s just hard to think of you as ‘mayor,’” Yugyeom said. “It’s such a human title. I barely even know what it means.”

“It means he’s still a leader, but instead of doing fighting stuff, he’s doing peacetime stuff,” Jackson said.

“And the humans actually listen to you?” Yugyeom asked.

“Most of the time,” Mark said. “Jinyoung steps in whenever I fail to understand the human perspective on things. But I’m learning.”

“Where is Jinyoung, anyways?” Jackson asked.

“At home, with the cubs. I promise to come back with him sometime soon.”

“You’d better. We all really miss him. If I weren’t the General now, I’d almost consider moving to Calofferin so we could be a team again.”

“You’re always welcome to visit. We’re working on putting up an inn for travelers among other things now that we have more land.” A few months ago, King Jaebum and King Minhyun had agreed to cede all of the unused land either Calovia or Lofferin had laid claim to between their two kingdoms in order for Calofferin to expand. With more and more people moving there, it was growing every day and needed new infrastructure and resources to sustain its expanding population.

“As long as you don’t take a visit from the General to mean a military invasion,” Jackson said.

“Even if you try to invade, I still have more military experience than you,” Mark reminded him. “And I happen to be married to the best healer in either kingdom, so I like my chances.”

When they arrived at court, Jackson, Yugyeom, and BamBam dispersed, leaving Mark to enter alone. Jaebum was seated on his rock perch in human form, with Minhyun settled comfortably on a smoothed over boulder below. Only Youngjae seemed to be missing.

“Welcome back to Calovia, Mark,” Jaebum said with a nod. He had improved a great deal over the past two years. The haggard look he’d developed when Youngjae had been captured had disappeared, and the hair he’d lost due to stress had mostly grown back. He wasn’t as quick to anger as before, and he smiled a great deal more as well.

“I’m happy to visit again,” Mark said with a bow, first towards Jaebum, and then towards Minhyun. “Where’s His Highness, the Sacred Prince?”

“He’ll be here in just a moment. Miseon had a bit of a tumble, and he’s calming her down.”

“Miseon?”

“The daughter of my second cousin. Youngjae and I had a chat about heirs since we can’t have children, so we decided to take on a member of the gray fox branch family as a successor. We thought it would be best to choose someone younger so they could be properly raised into the role, and since Miseon’s father lost a leg in the war and is having difficulties raising her, she’s the lucky girl.” Jaebum sighed. “She’s been living with us for the past month, and let me tell you, she is a handful. You probably know from Palla and Nia.”

“Mostly Palla.” Nia was growing into a little gentlewoman, but Palla was as much of a spitfire as ever.

“They should meet. I’m sure they’d get along famously.”

“How is Jinyoung doing?” Minhyun asked. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about the medical studies from Calofferin.”

“He’s excelling as the head healer,” Mark said proudly. “He’s trained his entire staff to accommodate the treatment needs of both humans and beasts, and his methods are going to assure that neither humans nor beasts need to fear visiting outside the kingdom and not having access to appropriate care. At this point, I think he’s exceeded his own teacher a thousand times over with the extent and reach of his work.”

“And, he’s not poisoning anyone or turning them Feral, so there’s that,” Minhyun said with a smile. “If I’m not mistaken, you’ll be reaching your one year of marriage milestone coming up. What are you plans?”

“Plans…?” Mark asked.

“Yes. How will you be marking the anniversary? Surely you have some special festivities or gift planned to mark the occasion.”

Mark was silent long enough for Jaebum to suddenly burst out laughing. “You don’t, do you? After one year of marriage, how can you still not know the most basic things about humans? You’re half-human yourself, aren’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Humans celebrate anniversaries, you pea-brain! Can’t you remember how your father used to plan a special day for your mother on their anniversary? That’s where I learned about it myself. I may be a beast, but I meant to give Youngjae elaborate anniversary celebrations because I liked the idea so much. Hyun ruined that, but as soon as Youngjae came home, I celebrated the two anniversaries we missed to make up for it.”

“Which says to me,” Youngjae said, sweeping up on the rock perch beside his mate, “that I’m the most beloved mate in the kingdoms and that you have a long way to go in appreciating Jinyoung as devotedly as my Jaebummie appreciates me.”

“Right you are,” Jaebum said, Youngjae’s cheek. “I guess it really is impossible for someone to love someone else as much as I love you.”

Mark frowned. It was obvious that Jaebum and Youngjae were trying to get a rise out of him on purpose, but it still bothered him. Being a good husband was hardly something he wanted to fall short on, and if being good and devoting and loving came so naturally to Jaebum, why shouldn’t it come just as naturally to him?

He turned to Minhyun. “What kind of things do humans do for anniversaries?” he asked. He couldn’t really remember how his father and mother celebrated. Most likely because they foisted him off on Elder Kahana so they could have some alone time.

“It depends on their tastes,” Minhyun said. “But gift giving is usually pretty standard. Some kind gestures wouldn’t hurt. Whatever you think would make him happiest. You know best.”

Mark nodded slowly, ideas immediately coming to him one by one. It wasn’t as if he was short of any desire to make Jinyoung happy, or had no idea of how to do so. During their almost one year of marriage, he’d made a thorough study of his mate. He knew Jinyoung’s likes and habits, as well as the things he missed doing from his life in Low Lofferin. There was no shortage of things they could do to mark the day of their anniversary.

“Now that I think of it,” Jaebum said suddenly, “what we were going to talk to you about today would make the perfect anniversary present. But that would just be unfair if we handed it to you without you coming up with something to give him yourself. Perhaps we should delay this meeting.”

Minhyun blinked. “Delay it? You do realize I came all the way down from the mountains to be here, yes?”

“We’ll entertain you in Calovia for a week, and we can reschedule for promptly after Mark and Jinyoung’s anniversary,” Youngjae suggested diplomatically. “You do have someone in Calovia who manages things in your stead while you’re gone, right?”

“Yes, my steward Jonghyun is taking care of things. But still…”

“Don’t worry. It’ll be fun. And the capital will survive without you for a week. Kingdoms are more self-sufficient than we give them credit for.” Jaebum turned to Mark. “As your king, I order you to return to Calofferin and properly plan and celebrate your one-year anniversary with Jinyoung.”

“I’m not opposed to celebrating with Jinyoung,” Mark grumbled. “But really, you made me come all the way out here just to send me immediately back?”

“Yes,” Jaebum said haughtily. “And I’m also ordering you to come back following the day of your anniversary. And this time, bring Jinyoung with you. He should hear what we have to say, too.”

“Don’t pretend like you’re not happy to go back to Jinyoung quicker than you expected,” Youngjae teased. “We all know how much you hate being away from him.”

Mark couldn’t deny it. Still, it vexed him to be ordered about so mercurially based on Jaebum and Youngjae’s whims. He would have much rather not wasted his time in coming to Calovia for no reason and instead enjoyed a late night with Jinyoung in his arms, taking him up on his offer of doing it again, as much as their bodies could withstand.

At least now he had the intelligence he needed to recognize what he needed to do for their impending anniversary. He’d have to put everything together in a week, so it was better that he knew now rather than at the absolute last minute.

“I suppose I’ll take my leave, then,” Mark said, bowing again only because he had to. “Thank you for the pleasure of these brief few minutes of your illustrious company, Your Majesties.”

The three of them only smirked. “I hope to hear a good report from Jinyoung next time we see you,” Jaebum said.

“You’re going to have to do something incredible to exceed Jaebummie’s efforts for me,” Youngjae added.

“It shouldn’t be too much for you to handle,” Minhyun said kindly. “With how he feels about you, making him happy should almost be as second nature, I would think.”

Mark nodded. Making Jinyoung happy was his most essential duty as a husband, after all. He’d been blessed to have had that role for a year now, but he wasn’t about to rest on his laurels. He intended to make Jinyoung even happier than he ever had with every day they were together, until it wasn’t just a second nature, but the most intrinsic part of who he was.

When Mark returned to Calofferin, he found Jinyoung playing skip rope in their little yard with the cubs. It was almost worth it to have made the pointless round trip to see the surprised and overjoyed looks on their faces when they saw him. Jinyoung quickly dropped his rope and threw his arms around Mark’s neck. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice so happy that it didn’t come across like a chastisement in the slightest.

“I missed my beautiful family too much to be away, of course,” Mark said, Jinyoung on the cheek. “And our good king decided he would rather see me next week instead. But this time, you’ve also been summoned, so we can make a family trip of it.”

“We’re going to visit Uncle Jaebum?” Tanie asked excitedly.

“Yes, we are,” Mark said, widening his embrace so his children could join it. “And not only that, but it sounds like he and Uncle Youngjae have a new friend for you to meet named Miseon. Maybe you can play with her while your papas are having their boring meeting.”

“I hope she likes hide, seek, and pounce!” Palla said eagerly. “When we play in Calofferin, we don’t get to the pounce as much because it’s not nice to pounce on humans.”

“Unless they ask you to,” Mark amended. Jinyoung elbowed him in the ribs.

It took some willpower, but Mark gently extricated himself from Jinyoung’s arms. “Jinyoung,” he said. “Would you mind going inside for a moment? I have something I need to talk to the cubs about.”

Jinyoung lifted an eyebrow. “Oh? Something I’m not allowed to hear?”

“Jaebum said it was a secret,” Mark said. Which wasn’t completely true, but close enough to where Mark didn’t feel terribly guilty about the white lie.

“I see. Well, I hope it’s a good one.” Jinyoung turned back and went inside the cottage. As soon as he was out of earshot, Mark knelt down to be level with the cubs and leaned in.

“Next week is going to be the one-year anniversary of your papas getting married,” he whispered to the three of them.

“We know,” Nia said. “Papa Jinyoung’s been very excited about it.”

“But we’re not allowed to tell you what he’s getting as a gift for you,” Tanie reported. “It’s a secret.”

“That’s fine,” Mark said. “I don’t mind surprises. So, did the three of you help Jinyoung with his gift?”

“I did,” Nia said.

“I helped a little,” Palla said.

“I helped…kind of,” Tanie added.

“Well, I’d love it if you could also help me with my gift.” He pulled out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Nia. He’d spent the journey to Calofferin debating how best to go about this part of his plan and had paused before reaching the village to write a quick missive to the man who ran the printing press in High Lofferin. “I need you to get this right away to the carrier pigeons at the mail office. Have them fly it to High Lofferin as soon as they can, and make sure to tell them when they get a response, it needs to go directly to me and not to Jinyoung. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” Nia saluted.

“Palla, what I need for you to do is a little bit of fishing. I know it’s harder than game hunting, but I was hoping you could catch some salmon, tuna, and mackerel for Jinyoung so I can make his favorite sashimi. Since he lives with us, I feel like we make him eat rabbit, venison, and boar too often.”

Palla nodded. “I’ll fish something good for him, I promise!”

“What about me?” Tanie asked, bouncing on his heels. “What do I get to do?”

“You have a very important job,” Mark said solemnly. “First, you need to keep Papa Jinyoung out of the house that afternoon when I’m making him dinner. Then, at just the right time, I need you to make sure he goes to the place where I’ll be waiting for him. We’ll practice beforehand. Do you think you can do that?”

Tanie nodded. “I’ll do it!”

“Perfect.” Mark ruffled his children’s hair. “I’ll need you to spend that evening with Grandmama and Grandpapa, if you don’t mind.”

“Yay!” Palla cheered. It had taken Jinyoung’s parents surprisingly little time to get used to the fact that their grandchildren were lion cubs. They’d taken up spoiling and doting on them almost as soon as they’d arrived in Calofferin, and the children knew that going to Grandmama and Grandpapa’s meant sweets and belly rubs and new toys.

“It’s going to be so romantic,” Nia sighed. “Papa’s going to be so happy.”

“I hope so,” Mark said. “That’s exactly what I want him to be.”

Mark had no intention of allowing Jinyoung to think he’d forgotten the special day even though he wanted to surprise him with the extent of his festivities, so on the morning of their anniversary, the first thing he did was wrap Jinyoung in his arms and kiss him sweetly on the lips.

“Thank you,” he murmured into his ear. “Thank you for marrying me and being with me for this past year.”

Jinyoung smiled, weaving his fingers into Mark’s hair. “Am I all you ever hoped for in a mate?”

“You are beyond everything I could have thought to hope for, my one.” He kissed him again. “I’m the most fortunate in the world to have you as my own.”

Jinyoung’s smile widened. “Well. You have your difficult moments, but here I am still loving you more than ever.” He nuzzled his nose against Mark’s cheek. “Nothing makes me happier than knowing I get to spend every year after this with you, too.”

Mark was more of a hunter than a cook, so Jinyoung was the one who made their breakfast, frying some eggs and cooking sausage links and bacon over their cook fire. The children were roused from their sleep by the smell, and stumbled into the room with visibly watering mouths.

They spent the morning together as a family, playing an impromptu game of charades in their yard until afternoon, when Tanie dutifully announced he wanted to go on a walk with Papa Jinyoung.

“A walk?” Jinyoung asked. “Ah…I love walking with you Tanie, of course, but today…since it’s our anniversary, I hoped I could spend more some time with your Papa…?”

“It’s all right, Jinyoung,” Mark said. “I’m sure we’ll have some time together this evening. Besides, I thought I’d take care of dinner tonight.”

Jinyoung frowned a little. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” He gave Jinyoung a reassuring peck on the cheek. “It’s just a little walk, right?”

“All right.” Jinyoung pulled him closer. “But you’ll owe me tonight,” he said in a low voice.

“I’ve already planned ahead to have the cubs stay with their grandparents,” Mark whispered back. “We’ll have plenty of time, don’t worry.”

As soon as Jinyoung had left with Tanie, Mark got to work in the kitchen. Preparing food didn’t come naturally to him since previously he’d mainly just killed game and ate the meat straight from the body, but during the past year with Jinyoung, he’d learned just enough to have a general idea of how to debone fish and prepare it, as well as the importance of side dishes for human meals. Palla helped him cook some rice, and together they packaged up the food so Mark could take it with him to the place he’d prepared for that evening.

When that was ready, Nia dragged him into his bedroom to change into more formal robes to suit the occasion. She picked out the white silk robes Jinyoung liked the best, then topped it off with the deep green shoulder cape Jinyoung had once worn to the pride gathering. When Mark was dressed, Palla and Nia ruthlessly combed his tangle of hair so it looked mostly presentable since Jinyoung was such a stickler about it.

“OK, Papa, are you ready?” Palla asked, placing her hands on her hips. “Do you have the letter?”

“Check.”

“Is the food all ready?” Nia asked.

“Check.”

“Do you know where you’re going, and will you get there on time?”

“Check and check.”

“Did you get your goodbye hugs from us?”

“No, not yet.”

Palla and Nia wrapped their arms around his waist. “Good luck, Papa,” Palla said.

“Thank you so much for marrying Papa Jinyoung,” Nia said. “We love him very, very much.”

“Me, too,” Mark said. “And I know he loves us all back more than anything.”

With all his necessities gathered, Mark took the path outside of the village towards Calovia. The land there that had once belonged to Calovia was now a part of Calofferin, though they had yet to build upon it. Mark had big plans about all the things they might one day do with it, but for now, it remained the same place he remembered from all the times he’d made the journey from High Lofferin to Calovia during the years of war. He followed the path until he reached the stream, the very same place where he and Jinyoung had first washed together, the place where he’d put his scent on Jinyoung for the first time.

He’d already set it up little by little over the week during times when Jinyoung wouldn’t notice his absence. He’d set up cushions and a low table by the waterside, and borrowed candles from Jinyoung’s mother and flowers from the local florist with which to decorate the table. Mark knew that in Lofferin, humans often went outside the home to eat, in buildings were someone else prepared the meal and served it on fancy tables such as this one. This was not a practice in Calovia, and they hadn’t yet built a formal place for eating in Calofferin, though one was planned to accommodate the human and half-blooded residents who wished for one. For now, Mark hoped his version would be enough to satisfy the custom Jinyoung missed.

He laid out the plates and prepared the sashimi and rice he had cooked earlier. He then lit the candles, and though it wasn’t dark enough to truly need them, he hoped it would be a nice touch all the same.

With everything ready, he sat down to wait. Tanie had been given a specific time to tell Jinyoung to go to the stream, and Jinyoung was due to arrive at any moment. Mark held his breath. He really hoped Jinyoung would love it. In human terms, perhaps this was just a meager thing, but Mark had put a lot of thought into the location, food, and atmosphere so it would suit Jinyoung’s tastes perfectly.

A few minutes later, Jinyoung came into sight on the path. He froze in his tracks when he saw Mark waiting for him in the distance, then slowly a smile grew on his face and he ran forward to meet him.

“What is this?” he asked, a note of joyous laughter in his voice. “I thought you were just making dinner, not planning a whole event out of it.”

“I thought you might like a new scenery on our anniversary,” Mark said.

“And you were right.” Jinyoung looked around him in wonder, first admiring the stream and the surrounding foliage, then observing the table Mark had set. “Is that…did you really make me sashimi?”

“It’s your favorite, yes?”

“Yes. But I know you don’t prefer to cook.”

“For you, I prefer to do anything you’d like. I enjoyed every moment of making it, knowing it would make you happy.”

To Mark’s surprise, Jinyoung’s eyes started watering a little. Before he knew what was happening, Jinyoung was squeezing him tight, face buried in his neck. “Anniversaries aren’t even a beast custom,” he said in a shaky voice. “I didn’t expect you to do more than you’ve already done. I would have been happy, even if you’d just cooked venison again and we ate at home, as long as I could be with you. But this…that you would do this for me…it makes me so happy I could burst.”

Mark nodded, Jinyoung’s hair. He felt just the same, like his heart would burst from Jinyoung’s reaction. He loved him so much and so powerfully that it felt like he’d never be able to properly convey it, but that he could make Jinyoung happy just with the small things put him at ease that Jinyoung still understood even in spite of his limited means in expressing something so all-encompassing and infinite.

Jinyoung kissed his neck then lifted his head, his smile returned. “What I mean to say is that I love it. Thank you. You didn’t have to, but thank you.”

The two of them sat down at the table and began eating the meal. Mark didn’t have any strong feelings about fish, but Jinyoung seemed to love it, which made Mark happy. When they finished eating, they sat and talked as the sky darkened around them. It had been a long time since they had been alone quite like this. Since they were parents, there was always a cub underfoot, and even when the cubs were in the school room with the other local children, Jinyoung was usually at the clinic and Mark in the mayoral office doing their respective work. They loved their work and their family, of course, but it was nice to have moments like this where it was just them and nothing else really mattered. Without any other obligations, Mark could just drink Jinyoung in with his eyes and lose himself in the beauty of his mate.

“I have a gift for you,” Jinyoung said suddenly. “It’s just a small thing, but…” He dug into the pockets of his robes and pulled out some cloth. “They’re gloves,” he explained. “Remember that comment you made when we were in the mountains about how your hands would get cold? Nia and I worked out a design for you to wear them with your claws. The fingertips are extended and reinforced so they won’t tear. Would you like to try them?”

Mark took them and slipped them onto his hands. They fit perfectly, and even when he curled his fingers, his claws didn’t poke through. They were soft and warm, and since Calofferin was close to the mountains and got its share of snow unlike Calovia, he was sure he’d get a lot of use out of them in the winter. More than anything, though, he was touched that Jinyoung had remembered a small comment he’d made on what had been a harrowing day. He could still remember how Jinyoung had enveloped his hands, and the look that had flashed in his eyes that Mark had never seen from him before then.

“They’re perfect,” Mark said, slipping them off so he wouldn’t risk wearing them down out-of-season. “Though I’ll miss you warming up my hands with yours.”

Jinyoung flushed a little. “I could only warm them up a pittance with my own freezing hands. This will work better. We can hold hands as much as we like any other time.”

“True. And we might have a reason to go to High Lofferin during the cold weather this year, too.” He pulled out the letter from his robes and handed it to Jinyoung. “Here. My gift to you.”

“This dinner was already gift enough,” Jinyoung protested.

“Perhaps. But I asked King Minhyun, and he said it was custom to also give a paper gift for a first-year anniversary.”

“Oh? I didn’t know that. It seems you learned a human tradition I didn’t even know about.” Jinyoung pulled the letter out of the envelope and began to read. When he reached the end of the letter, his mouth fell open. “Mark,” he said slowly. “How did you…?”

“I sent a letter of inquiry to the printers,” Mark said. “To see if they would be interested in publishing your information on healing methods for both humans and beasts. There’s no joint text on both, to my knowledge, so it would be invaluable as a reference to the new generation of healers who must learn to treat and operate on both. And as you can see from the printer’s letter, they’re very enthusiastic about the idea.”

“This is incredible,” Jinyoung said in an awed voice. “It really is a text universities and clinics need these days, but…written by me? Me, who only just a handful of years ago was just a student myself?”

“You’re more than equal to the task,” Mark said. “You led the movement to have clinics open to patients of both tribes. You know the needs and challenges better than anyone. You practically already have the book written in your notes. You just need to edit it a little. I’ll help you in whatever way you need.”

Jinyoung looked momentarily as if he would say something, but instead leaned in and placed his hands on Mark’s cheeks to draw him in for a kiss. The tenderness of the action conveyed even more than his words probably could have. The dinner had been important to Mark, but this had been the gift he’d most wanted to give. He was so very proud of Jinyoung’s achievements as a healer, and wanted his name to be remembered throughout history for what he had done, not only for humans, but for all the other tribes as well. It was also a bit of revenge against Hyun, that the student he’d looked down on as soft-hearted would go on to define medical history while Hyun’s name would be forgotten in a few year’s time.

Jinyoung pulled away, gently Mark’s cheek. “You’re so good at making me feel loved,” he whispered. “I feel like I have such a way to go before I can catch up to you.”

Mark shook his head. “You forgave me for that year I spent away from you. You gave your heart to me, even when I had no idea how someone like me could ever provide happiness to someone like you. I feel how deeply you must love me in everything you do, Jinyoung. And it never fails to amaze me how much you do.”

“There’s nothing to be amazed over. You’re my mate. And I’d never mate with anyone less than the one I love entirely, with all my soul.” He leaned in again, pressing his lips against Mark’s, then swiping his tongue against them in an affectionate, beast-like . “Do you want to go in?” he asked when he withdrew.

“In…where?” Jinyoung often used innuendo Mark didn’t immediately understand, and he was sometimes at a loss as to whether or not Jinyoung was saying something innocent or attempting to mate with him.

“In the stream,” Jinyoung said, laughing. “Although, if you want to go straight to being in me, I wouldn’t particularly mind.”

“The stream is fine. It shouldn’t be too cold, in this weather.”

They both started peeling off their clothes, Jinyoung sliding in first and Mark after him. The temperature of the water was comfortable, and the stream looked more beautiful than ever with the moon reflected in it. Mark dunked his head beneath the surface, then emerged again, shaking out his hair. Jinyoung laughed. “Are you a feline or a dog?” he asked.

Mark snorted, pulling Jinyoung close and purring in his ear. “Do I sound like a dog to you?”

Jinyoung teased his finger against Mark’s ears. “I’m not sure. I’ve heard dogs are quite loyal. Just like you.”

“Cats are just as loyal and loving. We’re just more artful about showing it.”

“Well. Here I am, waiting to be shown.”

Mark smiled and wrapped his arms around him, pressing their wet bodies together. It reminded him of all those times they’d bathed together in Calovia and the feeling of desire he’d been careful to rein in whenever he’d washed Jinyoung or Jinyoung had washed him. He remembered how his heart had pounded every time he’d put his scent on Jinyoung immediately after. How hard it was to touch him all over and keep it distant and methodical. How that scent on his body had tortured him to the point where it had taken all the effort he’d had to stay in control of himself when Jinyoung was nearby.

Now, he didn’t have to hold himself back anymore. There didn’t have to be distance between them. The scent between them was real and something they both wanted, and didn’t have to be a painful thing or an unwanted obligation another second of their lives.

Mark inhaled Jinyoung’s skin then kissed him soundly, reveling in the perfect feel of him. Jinyoung’s fingers trailed against his bare chest, sending water droplets trickling down him with every movement.

“Mate with me,” Jinyoung whispered when he’d pulled away. “Right here.”

“Out here in the open?” Mark asked. It wasn’t the human way to do so—they usually kept themselves to the bedroom, or at the very least, places where they could be sure they were alone. Beasts mated under the stars often, but Mark wouldn’t have thought to ask Jinyoung to do so. He was overall a very modest person, even by human standards.

“Yes,” Jinyoung repeated. “Right here. This was where you covered me in you the first time. I’d like to do it properly, this time. In the way we couldn’t back then.”

“Me, too,” Mark said. There was no point in protesting further when they both wanted it to happen. The entire world felt narrowed down to just them, and the stars were nothing but impartial observers. Only the two of them would know everything that passed between them. No matter who bore witness to their love, it was something that could only really be understood completely by them.

Mark hoisted Jinyoung into his arms, kissing his collarbones. “Thank you,” he murmured. “For choosing me.”

“Thank you for letting me,” Jinyoung said, wrapping his arms around Mark’s neck. “And for choosing me back.”

They arrived back to the village in the early hours of the morning, looking just as rumpled and tired as they felt. Their hair had dried from the water in odd directions, and even though they’d tried their best to wash off one more time in the stream, they still had pieces of foliage in their hair and on their clothes from having made love a few times on the waterside embankment before returning home.

They slept in their bed only a few hours before they needed to go to Jinyoung’s parents to wake the children so they could go to Calovia to meet their summons. Out of consideration for Jinyoung’s body, Mark called the stagecoach now operating between Calofferin and Calovia so he wouldn’t be forced to walk the distance. All the same, it meant they were in a cramped space with the well-rested cubs who were excited to hear how their celebration had went. Mark gave them a very censored explanation of the night’s events, which seemed to content Nia and Palla well enough. Tanie was at an age where romance grossed him out, so he just stuck out his tongue and yelled “ewww” at random intervals.

They made good time arriving to Calovia, and once again Mark’s three former lieutenants were waiting for him. When Mark and Jinyoung descended from the stagecoach, they made a big show of twitching their noses.

“Well, aren’t you both very pungent today,” Yugyeom joked.

Mark swatted him with his tail. Luckily the cubs immediately followed them out, and even Yugyeom wasn’t immature enough to continue that kind of discussion around the children. Instead, he and the other two submitted to the cubs’ affections, which mostly translated into a lot of tussling and nipping.

“All right, kiddos,” BamBam said. “I’m supposed to take you to the royal burrow to meet Miseon. You’ll get to see Uncle Jaebum and Uncle Youngjae after they’re done having a chat with your papas. Until then, we’re your cub-sitters for the day.”

“Which means you have to listen to whatever we say,” Jackson added.

“No way!” Tanie said. “You’re not even grown-ups!”

“Excuse me!” Jackson said indignantly. “I’m very old! I mean, not old-old, but you know…mature and all that. Grown-up. Someone you should listen to without sassing.”

Nia and Palla stuck out their tongues.

“Now, now, children, let’s not be rude,” Jinyoung said, laughing a little. “You really should listen to Uncle Jackson. As long as Uncle Jackson promises not to abuse his authority.”

“Who me?”

“I’ll keep him in check,” Yugyeom promised. “Have a nice chat with the kings and Sacred Prince! We’ll see you when you’re done!”

Mark led Jinyoung into court. Jaebum, Youngjae, and Minhyun were waiting almost exactly where Mark had left them the week before, although he got the feeling a lot of drinking and reveling had happened in the interim based on how they looked. Jaebum and Youngjae waited on them to approach the rock formation and deliver their customary bow before going in on them.

“Judging by the smell, I take it the anniversary went well,” Youngjae said, grinning.

“Jinyoung, I’d like your report,” Jaebum commanded. “Did Mark manage an exemplary celebration?”

“Very,” Jinyoung said. “He set the bar so high for next year that I’ll be amazed if he can clear it.”

“A challenge I’m currently facing for my own anniversary this winter,” Jaebum said, mussing Youngjae’s hair.

“A challenge you’d better rise to, Jaebummie. I’m not willing to surrender my title of being the most beloved mate in all the kingdoms.”

“Perhaps you’d better concede a tie,” Jinyoung said. “Because I’m sure I love Mark just as much.”

“I as well,” Mark said.

“And if you’re the most beloved mate, that means I love you more than you love me, which I hope isn’t at all true,” Jaebum reminded him.

“Of course not, Jaebummie!” Youngjae said, looking horrified. “I very much accept a two-way tie. Or a four-way tie, if Jinyoung and Mark insist.”

“Well, perhaps we can simply settle on being the happiest paired mates in all of Calovia,” Jaebum said. “Which is what we’re here to discuss.”

“We’re here for a competition on who loves who the most?” Mark asked, bewildered.

“Not that. We’re here to discuss the boundaries of ‘Calovia.’ And for that matter, the boundaries of ‘Lofferin’ and ‘Calofferin.’ Right now, we could say there’s a four-way tie for the most loved mate in Calovia, because Calofferin belongs to both Calovia and Lofferin jointly.”

“Which means I’m your king as much as Jaebum is,” Minhyun said. “A bit of a confusing detail, really. It seems the Calofferin citizens who originated from High and Low Lofferin view me as their primary sovereign, while those who originated from Calovia bow first to Jaebum and Youngjae. This has worked passably for now, but as Calofferin grows, we recognize that this could perhaps become a problem. After all, there are different laws between Calovia and Lofferin, and it’s inevitable Jaebum and I won’t agree on everything.”

“So I summoned Minhyun here to propose a solution,” Jaebum said. “At first, I was hoping he might just, you know, abdicate our joint rulership in favor of me since Calovia is easier to travel to from Calofferin than High Lofferin is. But he wasn’t sure that was the wisest course, so Youngjae stepped forward and suggested a more reasonable alternative. Youngjae, if you’d explain?”

“Of course,” Youngjae said. “For now, Calofferin is small, and our current arrangement remains effective, so long as Mark holds the position of mayor and can intermediate differences and serve as the people’s voice to Jaebum and Minhyun. But at the end of the five-year plan Mark and his council drafted to propose their expansion plans, Calofferin will no longer be small at all. It will be roughly the size of Avia, the former bird tribe kingdom that existed before Jaebum and I brought them back to Calovia. It may even be bigger than Avia was, if more beasts, birds, and humans choose to immigrate there over the years. And if it becomes as big and as self-sufficient as it has every potential of becoming, I wondered if it would not be more appropriate for it to become its own kingdom, separate from Calovia and Lofferin. And if it did, I thought who better than the two of you, Mark and Jinyoung, to become the monarchs. A blended nation of citizens ruled by a blended couple—a human and a beast-manifesting half-blood—who are beloved and respected by every tribe there is.”

“This would be several years into the future, of course,” Minhyun explained. “Jaebum and I are thinking the transition can be made when the population of Calofferin hits a certain point. By then, your people will have developed their own customs and way-of-life different from that of Calovia and Lofferin. They’ll want to be ruled by someone who understands them, rather than far off rulers living completely different lives.”

“And you want me to be king?” Mark echoed blankly.

“You’ll be co-ruler with Jinyoung,” Jaebum said. “Perhaps having two kings might be confusing, so you can choose whichever titles suit you, just like how we call Youngjae the ‘Sacred Prince.’ Though I won’t let you use that title. That’s exclusively for Youngjae. Neither of you are Sacred in the slightest.”

“But we’re just regular people,” Jinyoung protested. “Mark is mayor, yes, but I’m just a medic, not a politician. We weren’t raised for it, like you were.”

“I wasn’t raised to be king either,” Minhyun reminded him. “Lofferin’s main royal line died off, and I was elected from some distant branch family that had never ruled a single thing for centuries. I had very limited experience, when I started. Just a desire to do good and keep my people from regressing further. I won’t give myself full marks considering I spent two years of my reign in prison, but I like to think I’ve made up for it with my efforts to establish and maintain peace. Efforts, I might add, you both were an integral part of.”

“If you insist, we could have a democratic election in Calofferin when the time comes,” Youngjae said. “But if we did that, it would still end in you two. You’re the only sensible choice. Embrace it.”

“Being a king isn’t about being illustrious and important,” Jaebum reminded them. “I know I make it look like that, but most of my job is turning that perceived importance into ways to make things better. That’s what you’ll be doing. You’ll be taking the world you have, and finding ways to make it better for the people in it. And don’t you already do that? Isn’t that the majority of what you’re known for, Jinyoung? Isn’t that why you became Calovia’s General in the first place, Mark? Not just for the beasts, but for the humans as well?”

Mark swallowed, remembering the day he first submitted himself for military leadership to Jaebum’s father, and how he’d never cared about the power or the prestige of the position. He’d only wanted to fix the broken way of the world using whatever means and talents he had. Wasn’t that exactly what Jaebum was saying? Couldn’t he continue to do just that, if he tried?

He turned to look at Jinyoung, who seemed to be pondering the same issue beside him. He knew without question that Jinyoung would be a fair and diligent ruler. Under his leadership, everyone would be taken care of and kept safe. And better than anyone, he understood the journey of reaching acceptance between people. He’d lived it first hand, and though Mark had taught him in ways, he’d also taught Mark in return. Which was why, Mark realized, it would only work if they did it together. Together, they’d fill in the gaps of what the other couldn’t do, and utilize their different skills and experiences to make their new homeland stronger.

“I’m willing to do anything,” Mark said quietly to Jinyoung, “if you’re with me.”

“Do you think we’re strong enough for this?” Jinyoung asked. “It’s a great responsibility. It will demand much of us.”

“It will. But when have you or I ever shirked away from stepping forward when something difficult was asked of us? If I remember correctly, you went right into a cave with a Feral beast within. And I took a human I barely knew as my mate to save his life.”

“Both very risky and undeniably foolish actions, if you think about it.”

“Yes. But we made them. And the world remains a better place because of it. Someone needs to do these kinds of hard things. Why not us?”

“Yes…why not us?” Jinyoung echoed slowly. He reached out, taking Mark’s hand. “Would it be all right with you? To have me by your side as a ruler?”

“I couldn’t think of a single person I’d rather have with me then you.”

“Then…after we see how our land continues to grow…if you still feel the same…then I will accept whatever role is offered to us.” He turned to Jaebum, eyes glittering. “We both will.”

Jaebum smiled. “I thought you might. My father always used to warn me about the lion tribes. ‘They’re on top of the animal kingdom, so who’s to say they won’t try for the beast kingdom one day?’ Better to have a kingdom of your own, I think. I’m certainly not willing to hand over mine.”

“Until then, let’s just see what the next few years will bring,” Youngjae said. “I have a feeling the end of the war will continue to bring great changes to all of us. It will be interesting to see where our little corner of the world will go.”

“It gives me peace to know we’ll at least be moving forward together this time,” Minhyun said. “Human, beasts, birds, half-bloods…with Calofferin as the bridge connecting us, there’s so much more we’ll be able to do.”

Mark nodded in agreement. He knew how weighty the responsibility of serving as that bridge would be. But at the same time, he knew he could face up to it. It was what he’d wanted to do, before he’d even laid eyes on Jinyoung. But now that he had Jinyoung, he knew he finally had the strength to do it. What had been unreachable alone was now obtainable together, through everything they’d learned and experienced in knowing and loving each other.

And this, after just one year of being married, Mark thought in amazement. I wonder what more we’ll be capable of after two years? Five years? The rest of our lives together?