Surrender up my heart, and swap it for yours.

As usual, Shadow could not help himself from bumping against her and showering her with affectionate gestures as they walked. Paarthurnax smiled inwardly, leading her tail against her beau's chest, before gracefully keeping out of reach before he could retaliate.

"My parents were leaders of a pack called Samarkand," she started, "although my mother was not my father's only mate. So far south, in the deserts, it's common for a Shah to gather a harem of females. They often use their daughters as gifts or trades, but my mother's daughters were special. It was planned that we would choose our own path when the time was right, but when my parents retired and moved on, my older brother inherited the crown. First on his agenda was to mend a rift with a rival pack, and I was to be presented to it's leader as a new addition to his collection of wives. " Paarthurnax swallowed then, looking up briefly to seek her beloved's frosty gaze. "So I ran away. And I haven't seen hide nor hair of any relatives since."