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Aliya had picked a cafe about a 10-minute walk from campus. It was quaint and decorated in whites and greys with green accents. All modern with pale wood and marble floors that gave the place a very earthy feel. Alia liked the atmosphere.
It was a good choice, Sampson thought, though he couldn't sense the same gentle motes of energy swirling through the air as Aliya could. Regardless, something about the atmosphere felt genuine, peaceful. His animal rumbled approvingly at him.
‘Mate has chosen well,’ it seemed to be saying.
Though it was slightly later for dinner, close to 8, the early autumn sun still shone dedicatedly through the windows of the booth they’d chosen.
The walk there had been silent, Aliya lost in thought the entire way. Sampson would have pressed her, he wanted to know what she was thinking, but figured he would give her privacy before the conversation they were about to have.
Besides, he was basking in the feeling of her being so close, of the way that she seemed to gravitate towards him. Every time she would shuffle away, or move to separate from him she inevitably drifted back or shuffled closer. Aliya had given up about five minutes into the walk, and had simply snagged his arm and dared him with her eyes to raise an objection.
So now they sat, side by side, facing the window together, waiting for the food they’d ordered to be delivered.
And they sat, and sat... and sat. Aliya tracking the auras and energy patterns in the air that were somehow less overwhelming with Sampson beside her. Samson and his animal basking in the feel of their mate so close.
By the time their food had arrived, a steak sandwich for Samson with a double steak salad on the side, and a tomato soup and a side salad for Aliya, Aliya finally felt ready to ask questions.
“So, Captain Sampson Gale. Care to explain what the hell this is?”
“This?” Sampson asked.
“Mh,” she hummed. “This energy, this pull.”
“Put plainly, Ms. Aliya…”
“Sera. Aliya Sera.”
“Put plainly Ms. Aliya Sera. This feeling is a by-product of a mating pull,” Sampson said.
Aliya choked on her soup, inhaling it, and feeling the sting of the tomato in the back of her throat and nose as she coughed. She felt the study weight of Sampson’s hand on her back as she tried to catch her breath.
Samson sat silently, waiting for Aliya's reaction. Aliya sat equally silent, going through how she felt about that monumental revelation in her head. After what seemed like entirely too long to Sampson, Aliya turned to face him.
“Just to clarify,” Aliya said, looking out into the middle distance. It was the most serious Simpson had ever heard her sound. “You're saying that we are, what, soulmates?”
Sampson searched her face as she squinted at the milling crowd outside the window.
“Just to clarify, yes. That's what I'm saying. To be more precise, my magic has recognized yours as… a perfect fit, so to speak.”
“By your magic, you mean your animal. Your shifter side? That's where therian magic comes from? Right?”
“How did you know…?” Sampson asked.
“What? That you’re a shifter? Dude, it's in your aura.” She said, gesturing all around at his everything. “Also, the piles of meat you have sitting on your plates.” She smiled. “So, your animal what, thinks I'm a fit?”
“You can see auras? Magical energy? My word, in the room. You could see it.”
“Yep,” Aliya said, popping her P. “The question, Sampson… that I'm your mate?”
“There is no question. My animal, my magic. It knows,” Sampson clarified.
“How?” Aliya asked. But Sampson just shook his head and shrugged.
“The process is automagical.”
Aliya nodded slowly, she thought as she ate, her bangles clacking with the methodical movements.
After a moment of silence, Aliya turned to look at Sampson and said “OK.”
Sampson blinked.
“OK?” Sampson asked. “Just, OK.”
“Yeah, captain.” Aliya looked at him and smiled. “OK. So, we're mates. Obviously, we're not bonded yet, I feel like I probably would have been aware of that, but you said there was this pull? I'm assuming that's what I'm feeling this urge to want to touch you, be near you,” her words became breathier as they went on. “The desire to feel your aura, to push at your magic with mine to see what they feel like merged together.”
“Yes,” Sampson said in a low whisper. Aliya watched as something intelligent and predatory flashed gold behind his eyes. With his bronze skin, and his sunshine aura, Aliya felt like she was a dragon, being seduced by the allure of gold and power.
She wasn’t sure she cared.
They were facing each other fully now, knees to knees, eyes locked, food forgotten on the table in front of them.
“I don't know how this works, you know. The whole mate thing. I'm not sure what happens next.” Aliya admitted.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what are our next steps? I know for vampires it's a biting thing, witches and magic and arcana users have rituals. Is it the same for therians? Am I going to turn into a werewolf?” Aliya asked, only half-joking. The off the cuff question had Sampson barking out a laugh, breaking the strange tension that had built up between the two.
“Nothing so big, at least not like that. And either way, a mating bond is a serious consideration. It doesn't go away, there is no divorce, there is no separation. There is no till-death-do-you-part because you go together. It's all or nothing.”
Aliya looked at him. “Does the magic make mistakes? Can the bond be forced? Can the pull be reversed?” Alia asked.
“No. To all of it.”
“Then I'm not sure what else to say, except okay.” Aliya shrugged. “And where do we go from here?”
“You must have questions.” Sampson looked deeply into Aliya’s eyes.
“Yes, many. But honestly, I think they can wait until tomorrow. I need sleep” Aliya said, tucking back into her meal. Sampson looked at his watch, then the just fading sunlight casting a burning glow over the city.
“Are you well? Is this a polite way of dismissing me? Is this about what happened earlier today” He asked, his expression darkening at the memory of Aliya collapsing in his arms. Aliya laughed.
“I have had a long day, but I’m fine. You’re fine. Were… Well, we’re whatever we are. I just need my rest.” When Sampson just gave her a concerned look Aliya smiled. “Tomorrow we go ghost hunting, Golden.”251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOCR74Hc2Q
Sampson liked the nickname, and he liked the strange creature who’d given it to him not knowing how accurate it was. His animal and himself commended each other on a mate well found. Now, how to make her stay.
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