Shadewood We are in the war.

He’d considered throwing the meal at her face, as was custom — but he remembered Masque’s injury and so refrained.

She snatched the frog and in a single gulp it was wolfed down — Riley’s tail wagged as she brushed her nose along his lips and gave a teasing thanks.

I can think of a few ways. Riley planned to fish more, but seeing the way the water held down Masque’s fur and outlined her seductive silhouette, he was suddenly seized by a different kind of hunger.

He stepped around where Masque was laying and made to step over her, his teeth grooming the back of her neck suggestively. Pulling Masque close, he breathed in rhythm with her, waiting for the bend of her back to press against him before he moved further.

Meanwhile, the rest of the frogs looked on horrified as Riley and Masquerade pursued a different species of appetite in the shallows.