Page 6 of Elusive Mate

She turned to face him. “And I am to be first lady. Considering that Lucian has always made it clear he plans to rut with me several times a day, I’m not thinking he’ll take kindly to you upsetting me.”

Zaiden managed to look a little bit shamefaced and extended her purse to her. “Here, take your bag.”

“You keep it. I’m sure I won’t have any need for it this evening or in Alaska.”

Helping her into the limo, he climbed in behind her. “It doesn’t need to be like this, Zenya. You’re my little sister, and I love you. You are Lucian’s fated mate, and he cares for you. He wants you to be happy.”

“If he wanted me to be happy, he would let me live my life as I see fit. But you and your precious alpha believe his wants and needs are secondary to none, so I am condemned to live the life the two of you want for me instead of the one I want for myself.”

“Perhaps we know better.”

“Just keep telling yourself that, Zaiden. Maybe someday you’ll believe it.”

“Lucian is our alpha. Any other woman would be proud to be his mate.”

“In case you missed it, I’m not any other woman and never had any desire to be.”

Zenya had a momentary pang as she observed the pain and conflict flash in Zaiden’s eyes. They had been close as children—united in their dislike of their sire—and Zaiden had taken more than one beating intended for her. But that didn’t mean she was going to sacrifice her life to give him or Lucian what they wanted. Perhaps if she had believed Lucian might kill or banish him, Zenya would have thought twice, but she didn’t. Oh, Lucian would be pissed, but he’d be pissed at her, not his trusted friend and beta.

“With you at Lucian’s side,” said Zaiden taking her hand, “he will be an even greater alpha, and your offspring will secure the line and his dynasty. We all have our part to play in the greater good of the clan. You will be happy; Lucian will see to that. You will want for nothing.”

“Nothing except my freedom.”

“You will not be a slave,” said Zaiden, hotly.

“Says the man who means to lock the yoke of servitude around my neck,” she seethed, pulling her hand away from his and staring out the window. Her words might not be as circumspect as the Shadow Sisters had wanted, but Zenya knew her brother well enough to know that she would make him suspicious if she appeared too accepting and demure.

CHAPTER 3

ZENYA

“At this afternoon’s commencement ceremony, the students have asked summa cum laude graduate in veterinary medicine, Zenya Hale, to speak. Zenya…”

Zenya took the stage and addressed the guest speaker as well as the university’s chancellor and other officers before turning to her fellow students.

“I have lived my life clinging to one adage and an old Chinese curse. The adage says that the only consistent thing in life is change. I believe that with all of my heart. How many of you today are graduating with the degree for which you had first enrolled? Not many, would be my guess. But with change comes opportunities: a new start, a new way of viewing the world, a whole new life that you had never even dreamed of. I believe that opportunity is here for all of us. Today.

“Today is the day when most of us turn our backs away from formal education and the freedom of our youth and look forward to a future of learning and adult responsibilities. With each new day, we choose to live our best lives…or not. For some, that will lead to an exciting future. For others it will merely be an acceptance of the inevitable, but even so, we can choose to make life more than tolerable. We can choose to commit ourselves wholeheartedly not just to the mundane, but to creating beauty wherever we can.

“For most of us, our time here at UC Davis will be a high point in our lives. Our time, and the lessons we learned here, will remain a part of us regardless of what happens or where our path might take us. It will be our solid ground. The place from which we look to the heavens and find our North Star to lead us onward.

“Thank you all for being part of my journey, and as the Chinese curse says, ‘may you live in interesting times.’”

Most of the students laughed, their families and the faculty twittered a bit nervously, but then a rousing round of applause sounded as the students took to their feet and in spite of being told not to do so, tossed their graduation caps into the air. Zenya walked past the outraged chancellor and other distinguished guests and climbed down the steps from the stage where her brother was waiting for her.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he growled.

“I was thinking that might be the last time I ever got to think for myself, much less speak my own mind. I don’t think your buddy is going to want me to do that.”

“You think to rabble rouse our females?”

“I think to see them free, even if I am not. Mark my words, Zaiden, there are those who will give shelter to women needing it—human or shifter. Colby Reynolds at Windsong is one of them.”

“Shows what little you know. Colby is making plans to leave Windsong and make a new home for himself and some of his resistance fighters in Cornwall.”

She did know. Caye had told her. “And has Lucian decided to get off the fence and support the Resistance?”

“He sees no benefit in us doing so. The Baihu Clan will keep to itself, as we have always done.”

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