The Sentinels Bravery only means something to those afraid of death.

When she sucked in a surprised breath, Dacio froze. He twitched, jerked his head to the side with full expectation of his face to be on the receiving end of Raleska's bite, but she made no move to bring him harm. Instead she reached out for him in an interesting turn of events and, despite his prior hesitation, he acknowledged the sudden realisation that he'd never been so sure of anything in his entire life.

He knew it when she touched him. She smoothed her sleek raven muzzle to his own, a gesture that roused the same pleasant flurry of butterfly wings in the pit of his abdomen that he'd experienced with Huā. Electricity sparked somewhere within him, coursed through each nerve in Dacio's system, set his skin aflame. Hooked on the sensation, he writhed forward to press his chest to hers as desperation to be in contact took hold and made void all sense of the world around him.

He rumbled, a low and crooning sound that began deep in his chest, and all suggestion of awkwardness was cast aside. Dacio traced the tufted base of a raven lobe with his lips, tested the guard hairs of her nape with preening teeth, peppered her fine shoulders with featherlight kisses. Gentle yet urgent, a new keenness in him to show her that he was worthy of her time, her trust.