Alpha Zion's breath mingled with mine, and for a heartbeat, it felt like we were the only two beings in existence. The world ceased to matter, and time seemed to stand still as our lips hovered just a whisper away from each other. The heat between us was palpable, a magnetic force that drew us inexorably closer.

But just as I thought we might actually kiss, I pulled back slightly, my voice a tremor against the tension. "If you don't think of me as your mate," I whispered, "then why are ...