~ SASHA ~

Zev stood at her shoulder, his fingers tight on hers, the muscles on his arm hard as steel. She could feel it against her own.

Take a mate.

She hadn't followed everything that passed between the two of them, but that part she understood.

This Alpha King whatever, was telling her she had to take a mate. She swallowed. It would be Zev, of course. But… but what did they mean by take a mate?

Visions of two of her father's dogs mating in the backyard while the rest of the dogs watched bloomed in her head, and her cheeks went up in flames.

"What do you mean… mate?" she asked, working hard to keep her voice calm.

"He means you have to pick a male to spend your life with," Zev said quietly, his eyes still on the older man. "Think of it like… getting married."

Marry Zev? It was only what she'd dreamed about for five years.

"Oh, okay. I can… I mean… with some time—"

"There is no time," the King snapped, turning his attention to her. The light in his eyes made her mouth go dry—and not in the good way. "You have until your next bleed. Choose a clan, then choose a mate. The rest you can learn as you go."

"But—"

"No one will take you against your will," he said as if it wasn't even something to be concerned about. "But if you do not name your mate on the day of your next bleed, if you do not accept his display and take him to den, one will be chosen for you. It will be between you, then, to establish the mating."

The ears of every male in the village perked at that.

Sasha swallowed and clung to Zev's hand.

Zev. He was the answer here. This wasn't home. This wasn't her world. This was the home of these Chimera people. And their culture was different. That was okay. She could deal with that. She would just name Zev and they could be together and get to know each other again and if it worked out, great. And if it didn't… he wouldn't force her. She knew that.

Zev was opening his mouth, his face thunderous like he was going to step in to save her, but Sasha nodded quickly. "Okay. I can do that."

Zev's head snapped around and he stared at her, wide-eyed and… hopeful?

She gave him a hesitant smile. His fingers tightened on hers. Watching those ice-blue eyes widen, sparking on hers… it was like the last five years hadn't happened. Something in the center of her chest pulled for him—always had since the day she'd met him. And now it was like she could feel him pulling towards her.

They stared at each other and everything else faded. She forgot about the crowd watching, the strange King looking on. All she could see was Zev's full lips, his strong jaw, those startling eyes, and all she could feel was the warmth that came off his skin that wanted to wrap her up and hold her close.

She was tumbling into a memory then, down, down, down…

She was eighteen and almost finished her senior year. Zev, too, though he was a year older. He told her his parents had held him back a year when he was little, to let him mature.

She'd stroked his chest and whispered to him that he got an A+ in growing up.

They both laughed.

It was one of the happiest times of her life. School had been easy that semester because she'd worked hard earlier and only had three classes. She spent most of her time at school in the cafeteria, or on the bleachers, hanging out with her friends, discussing colleges, or summer plans, and planning parties for the end of the year.

Even though it was still spring, it was warm and that afternoon she'd decided to sit outside under one of the trees on the lawn next to the Athletic Center while she waited for Zev to finish his last class.

She'd been curled up at the base of a tree, a book on her knees, and dozing off, when warm fingers appeared at her ankle and began to slide up her calf.

She gasped and sat bolt upright to find Zev crouched next to her feet, his eyes bright and dancing, and his breath coming faster than usual.

Their eyes locked and the pounding of her heart that had started from the adrenalin rush pushed higher at the look in his eyes.

She'd had to swallow before she could speak. "Are you done with class already?"

He nodded his head but didn't speak. His throat bobbed like he was nervous. She was going to ask, but then he dropped to his knees between her feet, groaned her name, and took her face in his hands and kissed her.

Really kissed her.

Kissed her like he was going to make love to her.

She'd sucked in a breath and dropped the book as her hands clapped to his shoulders. Then her so-careful Zev, her always-thoughtful, never pushy boyfriend moaned in her mouth and sucked on her tongue.

"Fuck, Sash," he croaked when she arched into him.

Her skin pebbled all over—and her heart raced so fast she got lightheaded. She tilted her head to deepen the kiss and a weird noise broke in her throat when one of his hands slid down her back, to her waist and pulled her closer.

This was crazy.

They were at the back of the school, but there were classrooms on the other side of the bushes, and parking lot beyond the fence that would be filling with students on their way home soon.

As Zev cupped her neck in one large hand, and her wiast in the other, she curled her legs around his waist and pulled him down onto her so they laid in the grass together, kissing.

Both of their breaths were heavy and it struck her, suddenly, where they were and what they were doing.

"Zev!" she gasped, dropping her head back onto the grass. "What are you doing?"

He didn't stop, though. He kissed his way down her jaw, to her neck, then growled against her skin, "Promise me, Sash."

"Promise you what?"

He nipped at her throat and she felt the shudder rock through him. "If any other man ever asks for your heart, you say no. Promise me."

"I promise," she whispered, taking his mouth again, then murmuring against his lips. "I promise."

*****

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