Torak propped his left body side with his left elbow, while he tilted his head to read the word. "Of course." He raised his eyebrows with this expression that somehow saying, 'obviously' kind of look.
"There is only one Elena Lockser I've seen and know of. The daughter of George Lockser and sister to Ava and Amy. Platinum blonde hair, grey eyes and mouth that can rival a toilet." Sparkles wrinkled her nose as she portrayed her.
"It doesn't matter, Zev. I'm getting so much more. I mean… how many women get to see a crowd of Chimera display and try to… entice them?" she said, her smile mostly genuine—because it was something she wished she could have told her friends. They would have flipped. "I'm just glad that we're here together and you're safe and… it's fine, Zev. Really. It just took me a minute, that's all."
"Males," he corrected. "And yes, because it's always up to the females to choose their mates. That's just… how life works. The males display and provide, the females choose. The females are always desirable. They don't compete, the males do."
Zev shook his head and took her hands. "Look, it's just… it's going to sound weird. But our mating ritual… think of it like a wedding with lots of dancing, and a little male nudity."
He would prove himself to them again. He would. But just then he needed to Sasha out and away. He needed to smell her and touch her and hold her, remind himself that she was his, and prove himself to her. Because this was going to get harder before it got easier.
"Fuck your old ass," Leia cut him off before he could finish his words and sent him a middle finger. This is what angers her the most! This man is just too thick-skinned that he just can't stop!
"I've seen things they give people that just… remove their… I don't even know how to say it. Remove their will? They become compliant. They can be told to do something and they won't question. They can be asked a question and they'll just answer it—no matter what the truth is.
"If anyone sees him, or learns of his whereabouts, you bring that information to me, or to the humans directly. You will not be punished for delaying. The Wolf is cunning and manipulative—the truth you think you hear is not necessarily the truth when you speak with him. Give careful thought, brothers, to what kind of heart it takes to have taken our females this way!"
"I love you too, Sash," he groaned and kissed her again. Then he pressed his forehead against hers and sighed. "Which is exactly why we can't do this now."
Gripping the handle of the lantern tighter, Sasha pushed her shoulders back and forced herself to remember that her choices were bathing out here in the dark, alone, or showing up tomorrow in full daylight to bathe with who-knew-how-many men.
"That's lovely, Oska, thank you," Sasha repeated awkwardly. "I'm sure we will be very good friends. I've always loved rabbits. It was one pet we were allowed in our apartment growing up—"
He caught her looking at him then and though he didn't say anything, he dropped his chin and looked up at her from under his brows and for a moment her breath stopped because if her eyes had only passed over him, she would have sworn she was staring at Zev.