Ola spent most of the afternoon with the kids, ignoring the strangers who wanted a place in this large, dysfunctional yet beautiful Pride. She loved every single one of them. She even loved Zack. How could she not?

But that didn’t matter. Nothing did now.

She’d seen it with her own eyes - before Daunte rushed to rescue her like she was a damsel in distress. A gorgeous tigress who smelled like Clari. Or rather, what Clari would have smelled of if she hadn’t been born human.

So, that was that. Zackary was a Turner.

There were reasons why Turners were killed - good ones, or no one would have condoned the slaughtering of children. It was a sacrifice for the greater good; one child in hundreds of thousands died so that their entire race may carry on living in peace, without being persecuted.

And that was what would happen to Zack. Because she’d seen war, she wouldn’t let it be the fate of her entire race out of attachment. She couldn’t.

No one paid attention to her leaving. Rye was a good Alpha, not too controlling. She was allowed to come and go as she pleased, when she wasn’t on an assignment. But they might have noticed that she was carrying a large suitcase, if they hadn’t been distracted by Zack, the potential new recruits, and the news that Clari and Daunte had mated.

Ola was lucky she got away, though. She knew there was a chance Hsu might have seen - and prevented - her departure. Not that it would make any difference. She’d already sent an email to the shifter council. She was only leaving because if she didn’t, there was no doubt that the members of the Wyvern Pride would kill her for what she’d done.

Her car just passed the borders of her territory; she breathed out in relief.

She’d made it.

Then, all of a sudden, an all too familiar silhouette appeared in the middle of the road.

Shit. Shit.

She can’t stop the car, Ola told herself. She hit the accelerator, driving at high speed.

The woman didn’t move at first; then, she started running towards the moving vehicle.

What the hell?

Before her astounded eyes, Ola saw Aisling Cross-Wayland jump up to the hood of her car, then heard her land on the roof. With a single punch, her first tore through metal, breaking the roof, and her claws sliced through it like it was made of cardboard.

The Alpha female grabbed her by the throat as she screamed.

“I’m glad it’s you. I liked you the least,” she told her, before punching through her ribcage and clawing her heart out.

Ace jumped down from the car before it swerved out of control, and disappeared into the woods.

* * *

There was no denying it, no words needed to try to justify it. Clari was his. She may not have been born his fated mate, but she’d been changed into it. Her dominance level was equal to his- which meant she’d win when she pushed, he’d win when he did; but together, they were going to be perfect. Eventually. Like, not half an hour after her first shift when she had zero clue what world she’d been launched into.

He’d claim her - or she’d claim him - soon enough. Hopefully not right now.

He undid his fly and placed his hard dick right at her entrance, before pushing it in with a grunt as the wet, hot folds took him all in. Fuck. Was it supposed to feel like this? He thrust out, and in again, hard, fast, entirely without volition. Releasing her arms, his hands found her ankles and pulled them on his shoulders to get even deeper inside, angling his body until he hit a spot that made her beg for release.

It wasn’t pretty. It didn’t last long. Hard, fast, and primal, their first mating was about relinquishing control. If they hadn’t done it, their animals would have been driven to the brink of madness. They needed it. Just like their human counterparts.

“Please,” she begged, as he pinched her clit between his fingers.

He could barely see a thing, his vision blurred, all is senses fading, leaving nothing but this. But them.

Funny how he’d told her off, and stopped her from marking him, yet now, almost over the edge, he yelled out in frustration, willing everything in him to stop himself from marking her. He knew all the reasons why he shouldn’t.

Fuck reason.

“Clarissa?”

Her eyes snapped into focus, watching him with attention, as her breasts bounced with each of his thrusts.

“Come here. Mark me now.”

She didn’t hesitate, dropping her legs to each side of him, and sitting up without breaking their insane rhythm. Both of her hands reached around his back and clawed from just above his shoulder blades, while he bit down her shoulder, hard. He fucked her right through their first orgasm, his dick never going down. And again. And again.

Eventually, he scented an intruder. Ian.

“Erm. Rye asked me to check on you. The second wave of applicants are here and-”

“Busy.”

The growl had come from Clari. His mate. And he was, indeed, busy fucking her from behind.

“I see that. Well, shall I tell him you’ll be along…”

“Get the fuck out of here, Ian,” he growled, panting hard.

Not that he cared about him seeing them. At all. Let everyone see Clari was his. Everyone.

It was nightfall when they fell on the grass. She immediately went to sleep, but he caressed her hair and licked at the mark that had long ago started healing. It would never disappear.

Discarding his soiled clothing on the ground, he gathered her in his arms and carried her home.