27. Requests

“Flirting,” Sona repeated.
“That’s what I just said, yes,” Taos said.
“With me.”
“With you.”
“Why?”
Taos slicked his hair back from his forehead, which she found glistening with sweat. It was hot inside the shop, even if the sun was falling. “Why do you think?”
Objectively it was obvious. But Sona didn’t want to admit that…that Taos… “Um, is it because—”
“Because you deserve the best.”
She blinked twice at the earnestness in his husky voice. He closed the space between them and she didn’t recoil even if she knew that he was hard for her—*really* didn’t want that fact to settle in her mind.
Dear gods above and below, Taos Redbone was beautiful, a dark force capable of terrible things. She didn’t know his true nature, and each passing hour made her doubt every story she’d been told about him.
Was he so terrible if he treated her like she really did deserve the best?
“Do I?” she murmured.
“After all you have been through, Sona,” he rasped, “I’d give you everything.”
She had to tilt her chin up to meet his burning gaze. There was sweat glistening on his temples, dampening his hair. His lips were parted ever so slightly; she pressed hers together. At his sides, his fists were clenched and they were almost trembling, as if fighting the urge to do something with them—touch her, probably. And it seemed that if he did, it would be anything but cruel.
Taos’ body was reacting to hers.
But it couldn’t be said the other way around.
The word *yet* only partially formed in Sona’s mind before she dashed it away.
“Like?” she coaxed.
“Like…” he began airily, “telling you that married Redbone females are gifted with adornments much better than a ribbon.”
It was charming bait that she took just to distract herself from him—his body so close to hers. “Let me guess. It’s something bone-related.”
“It is the male’s choice to choose with their betrothed’s interests. If she likes bracelets, he will get her a bracelet. If she likes chest pieces, he will get her a chest piece. There is the choice of bone or skull, yes. But for you…” Before reaching her eyes, his gaze roamed her body up and down, noting all her own jewelry, all dainty and gold. “For you, Sona Mai, you may request your gift. Anything you want, you will get.”
“Within reason,” Sona guessed.
His demeanor remaining soft and serious, Taos relented a low chuckle. “Within reason.”
“It has to be some sort of adornment?”
“Jewelry, clothes, a tattoo.” He paused. Sona’s spine stiffened a little. “A scar.”
She knew what kind of scar he meant. The Mark. Automatically her fingers went to her right shoulder, where Conri had bit her so deep that it did leave a scar—the only one she would be proud of. In turn, she had Marked him. It meant that they belonged to one another and no one else. It was an intimate, personal kind of thing that truly solidified their soulmate bond.
When she woke after the night that Sona destroyed Conri’s choker, it had healed completely. As if their bond never existed.
Sona hadn’t seen many tattoos in Goldwater or Moonvalley, but she’d always found them beautiful, admiring the skill and talent of the artists. Tattoos were healed scars, masked by art, unlike those created brutally by claws or teeth.
Either one was permanent. Whichever she chose, she was sacrificing a part of her body to Taos Redbone *forever*.
“Or,” he continued, “you could have jewelry tattooed and have all three.”
Sona dropped her hand and allowed a small laugh. “I do appreciate narrowing down options.”
Taos flashed his teeth. “Anything to make your life easier, trinket. Gifts are usually given on the eve of the ceremony.”
Goldwater and Moonvalley’s tradition was for the betrothed was to exchange precious belongings to the other; it proved trust between two souls. It surprised Sona how different Redbone’s customs were. 
“Does the female give a gift too?”
“Yes. Gift-giving goes both ways.”
“Well then,” Sona said carefully, “what do you want, Alpha?”
“A tattoo of your likeness.” 
Sona stumbled back in shock.* What in the moon goddess’ hell?!*
When Taos threw back his head and howled with laughter, she felt her face flush. Shoving her palm into his chest—having no real effect—she snapped, “That’s not funny!”
“Yes it was,” he said, settling down. “Your expressions are just so easy to shift, trinket. I can’t wait to see them in—”
“No innuendos,” she interrupted. “That’s my gift request.”
Taos quirked his head. Gods, he was infuriating. “Is that a final decision?”
“No.”
“Thought so. I expect something lavish.”
Sona crossed her arms. “What’s your gift request, Alpha? Keep in mind my resources are herbs and books.”
“I can start paying you,” he offered, then added before she could protest, “If you earn my complete trust, I will show you what coin can buy.”
She sucked on her teeth. “I’m not much of a spender.”
“Noted. What are you interested in purchasing if the mood took you, perhaps?”
The money she earned always went to more supplies, food, and clothes—mainly for Raff, since he was starting to go through a growth spurt. She wasn’t stingy. Just content with the bare minimum. 
However…there was something she’d been eyeing in a glass display of a certain shop for a while now. If Taos kept persisting on how much he wanted to treat her, she could use it to her advantage.
Her smile made him narrow his eyes. “Deviousness is flattering on you, trinket.”
“I’m capable of conjuring it when I feel so,” she simpered with a shrug. “I would buy a knife.”
The Redbone Alpha wasn’t so gullible. “To stab me in my sleep o our wedding night?”
“Tempting, hmm? No.” Sona’s smile turned pensive and she fiddled with her fingers. Now it seemed like an embarrassing want. But she told him anyway, “A harp.”
“A harp.”
“Yes.”
“The instrument.”
Sona sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yes.”
“Gold frame and strings and everything.”    
“If you make fun of this again I’ll ask for your cock—”
“Oh, I like the sound of that—”
She snarled and shoved him again. This time he took a step back to give her a small satisfaction.* “To be cut off,”* she finished.
Taos raised his hands in surrender. “Your threat is made clear, trinket. Is a harp your wedding gift? Or shall I simply treat you?”
Sona swallowed. If she wanted, she could get *two* gifts. She just had to be suave and compliant. “You said you’d give me everything, remember?”
His eyes sparked. “Indeed I did. A harp out of the grace of my blackened heart, and…?”
She took a deep breath. On the exhale she said, “You let me go to Goldwater to see my family.”