"Sam, darling, why don't you walk over here? I might just let you go, but only if Perla agrees to give you a little mate mark beforehand. How cute would that be?"
I paused, surprised. "How does that even work?"
"If his current mate is cool with it, she can totally just pass him off to another female. Seriously, you didn't know that? Back in my city, it's not uncommon for females to have their males fight it out and then just switch ownership right after. No waiting around, no messy consequences for the males. All it takes is a drop of my blood and a drop of yours on his mark at the same time, and then you just bite him, and boom, he's yours. But let me be clear: I'm not giving him to you unless you're planning to make him your mate. Otherwise, what's in it for me?"
