Finley watched Zara sip at her huge bowl of broth and vegetables. She’d ordered vegetarian stating that she didn’t think her body was up to digesting meat at the moment. Fin ordered steak pho and tea for both of them.

He didn’t want to intrude. She had looked pretty frazzled as he had finished getting dressed in the bathroom. He’d kept his eyes on her and she seemed to be having an internal conversation running since her head kept tilting back and forth like she was arguing with someone.

She had been robotic when he’d opened the door, palmed the knife and returned it to the kitchen counter as they walked back to their table.

Zara ordered without looking at the menu or Finley. He wasn’t going to push her, not yet.

Her first few sips of soup had her eyes closing then opening to him like he was a reality that was intruding on her meal.

He ate and gave her time. His bear was itching to know what she thought. He’d wanted to touch her, or have her touch him, but Fin convinced him otherwise. They were pushing their luck as it was.

Setting down her spoon and chopsticks, she wiped her mouth and sat back in her seat.

She eyeballed him a moment and he settled in for the interrogation.

“What you did was rude,” she announced.

“Rude?”

“Yes, rude. You took it upon yourself to basically throw all my beliefs and understanding of the world and chuck them in a blender to get ripped to shreds. I like order, I like science. What I saw in there wasn’t order or science. It was magic. I don’t believe in magic. That’s for fairytales. There is no scientific way an entire animal can live inside you. It’s just not plausible.”

Finley wished he had a straightforward answer for her. He didn’t because there wasn’t much science to what he was. It was all about the magic of nature. It was about cohesion in the universe. How did you explain that to someone?

“You love your sci-fi. It’s called science fiction because those things aren’t possible yet. We can’t fly through the stars and meet new species on other planets. We can’t travel faster than the speed of light. Those are things that we can’t even begin to figure out yet. Imagine what people thought the first time they saw Star Trek on television and people were communicating through tiny boxes with no cords.” Finley held up his cell phone. “It’s only fiction until someone makes it reality.”

“That’s a hell of a lot different than being able to manipulate your appearance and change your body structure!” She whispered this even though there was only one other customer in the restaurant and he looked asleep.

“What you call magic might be explained by the manipulation of particles. You said we are all made up of the same stuff. So maybe some of us can rearrange those building blocks to be something else. I can’t say that there isn’t magic or paranormal ability involved, it’s just not what I call it. In my family and clan, we just have always been this way. As long as there have been men, there have been us. So maybe we were part of the genetic plan all along.”

“Then why don’t other people know about you? Why doesn’t everyone know about you?”

“We don’t advertise. That’s the easiest explanation. Our young ones are incredibly vulnerable. We keep the secret for their sake. The humans that know about us are emotionally invested in our continued survival. Whether they’re mates or immediate family members of mates. They are often kept in the dark if it’s possible. We live quiet so we don’t risk drawing attention to ourselves. Our mates can know about us because they feel the mating pull the same as we do. It’s not as strong, but they can tell there is something special between their partner and them. Once a shifter can prove him or herself, it’s easy for a human to want to protect their happiness.”

Finley paused, wanting her to really hear him. “You are now responsible for the lives of all of my family and all my little nieces and nephews. The responsibility is huge, I know that. But the trade off will make your sacrifice seem small in comparison.”

That brought her eyes right to his. “Having this huge secret is small?”

“In return, you get a man that will love you forever. Will do anything and everything for you. Will always put you first, will make sure you are happy and healthy, and that you are provided for. Nothing in this world is out of the realm of possibility. If there is something you need or want, I will move heaven and earth to get it for you.”

“So, I’m your animal’s mate?”

“Yes, and you are mine. We are dual souls and have found the one person that is perfect for both of us. This doesn’t mean things have to change. We have our whole lives ahead of us. You are going to be a doctor; I’m going to work with kids. This just means we get to do it together. “

Fin watched as she bit her lip.

“I don’t know. I feel something for you. It’s true. I don’t know why I find you so attractive. I mean I do, you’re hot, but it’s not that. I feel… good around you. I feel better even if I wasn’t feeling bad before. I’m calmer around you when you aren’t turning into large dangerous animals.”

“Just the one animal actually,” he corrected her with a smile.

“I’m supposed to just believe that these feelings are… supernatural and I should just go with it?”

“How awful would it be if I said yes?”

“Not as awful as me considering it.”

“Let me just say that for the first time in my life I felt like I was making life decisions for myself. I had chosen a goal and I was working my way towards it. I felt like I was going to be a productive member of my family and my clan. My future was looking bright and I was going to make my family proud of me.”

“And I ruined that?” she asked surprised.

“No, that’s just it. None of that matters. Nothing matters more than me taking care of my mate. I’ll never be prouder of the work I do than I will about how well I take care of my mate.”

“And what if this mate of yours doesn’t need to be taken care of?”

Finley gave a smile and looked down at his bowl before bringing his gaze, full of his bear, back up to her.

“Then I’ll spend my life making her happy. Whatever that means. You need me to keep house and make your life as easy as possible so you can fulfill your goals? I’d do it. If you want your feet rubbed every night and an orgasm to fall asleep to? I’d do it. Pack your lunches and help you study? Easy. There isn’t anything more important than you now in my life. And I couldn’t be happier or more proud that I have such a smart, beautiful, and accomplished mate.”

“And you’d do what? Stay home knitting?”

“No, I want to finish my degree and start the preschool. I can put that on hold if I’d be better served supporting you until you finished. We’ll eventually both end up where we’re supposed to be. I’m happy, and when I say that I mean it, I’m willing to adjust my timelines for you.”

“Finley, this is crazy. All of this is crazy. I can’t just date you knowing that you think this is forever. That would make me a very bad person when we broke up.”

“What makes you think we would break up?”

“Because people do, it happens. People change! Feelings, emotions, and needs get in the way of everything.”

“What if I tell you that can’t happen with me? That no matter how you change you’ll still be my One?”

“The odds are against that.”

“Your parents are still together aren’t they?”

“That was an arranged marriage. They never knew any different and sometimes I wonder if they stayed together just so they wouldn’t have to find a replacement.”

Finley raised his eyebrow at her, she wasn’t telling the truth.

She glared back at him. “Fine, they love each other in their own weird way. But I have the next seven years of my life mapped out. It’s going to be tough, exhausting, and grueling even and I won’t have time to take care of a relationship. That takes work and effort and all of my focus is going to be somewhere else.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a partner that only needs to know that you are happy and loved to be content? Who will make sure the time you do spend together makes up for all the time spent apart? That wants you to succeed no matter what and won’t be happy until his mate is a doctor and caring for children like she wants?”

Zara shook her head and looked down at her hands. “I can’t make any decisions right now, Fin. It’s a lot to take in. I kinda hope that when I go to sleep I’ll wake up to this being a dream. It would make more sense that way.”

“It would only be easier only in the short term. Long term, being with me and letting me love you will be the easiest thing in the world.”

Finley wanted to keep pushing, wanted her to understand how deep his feelings were. A few days, weeks, years, to him it didn’t matter. His heart wasn’t going to change. His desire and need for her would only grow. She didn’t understand that. Not yet. He needed to give her more time.

“Let’s get you home. We’ll figure this out. It’s not a bad thing, I mean that. Just listen to your heart. I’m sure your mind will try to convince you otherwise, but your heart, it knows.”

Zara didn’t respond and Finley didn’t push her.

He paid the bill and walked her outside to catch a taxi. She was so lost in her thoughts that she just gave him her home address and looked out the window.

Finley tried to walk her to her door when they arrived and she put a hand on his chest, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt.

“Here is good. My parents think I’m with Viv.”

“Can I call you?”

Zara shook her head. “I need time, Fin. I have to think.”

“Just try, for me, to feel a little more than you think. I love you, Zara. Every molecule that makes up you is my most favorite thing in this universe. I won’t ever hurt you. I’ll spend the rest of my life supporting you. I can promise that.”

Zara looked up at him, her green eyes glistening with an emotion he couldn’t name. She was feeling something, and that was all he had to cling to.

“I’ll talk to you later.”

Finley should have let her go. He should have given her the last word, but he couldn’t. Reaching for her face, he cupped her cheeks in his hands and brought his mouth to hers. He wasn’t hesitant this time. Her mouth opened under his and he kissed her hard and deep, sweeping her mouth with his tongue, soaking up all that was Zara. She kissed him back, her hands clutching at his waist. He knew that she could feel the pull between them. She liked his kisses. He just needed her to come to a place of acceptance.

She broke off the kiss and rubbed her lips together like she was keeping his taste to herself.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Zara.” It was the hardest thing he could think of saying to her. He didn’t want to say goodnight. He didn’t want to leave her upset and confused. It made him and his animal crazy.

He watched her turn on her heel and walk up to the house. He stood there for a moment after the door closed behind her, his animal raging inside him, and the sound of the waiting taxi filling his ears. He wanted to run after her, he wanted to tuck her away somewhere safe. His bear was telling him that sitting outside in her landscaping standing guard all night was perfectly reasonable.

Fin knew that would just end up with him having uncomfortable conversations with police and possibly her parents. Giving one last look at the cozy looking house, he got back into the taxi to head back to his dorm room… alone.