*Vanessa*

“No.” I look at Shawn, blinking in surprise at his sudden outburst. His mouth is pressed in a tight line, his eyes hard.

“I understand your concern, young man, but this isn’t exactly a debatable topic,” Elder Luka says, neither offended by his brash response nor intimidated enough to refrain from calling him outside of his title. “Unless you’re not serious about making Vanessa your mate.”

From anyone else, ...