You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I’ve been waiting 127 years for this moment. This mythical “zing” that my sister and best friend keep yammering on about over Sunday dinners. They say imprinting is indescribable and that it’s different for everyone. Some people remember every detail as if it happened yesterday. Others only remember the feeling. Either way, it’s something you’ll never forget. And now that he’s stumbled into my life, all of their babble makes perfect sense. That, or those spiked cherry colas are starting to hit me harder than I thought they would. “Are you alright?” I ask. Bits of sand crunch between my teeth and I spit away with a confident “hawk-tua”. I must look like a disaster. Even covered in sand, this man glows with an air of authority. His purple spikes are covered in sand and I don’t hesitate to dust them off. The corners of his mouth are turned down in disgust but he doesn’t flinch away, those gray eyes unmoving. “What’s your name?” I ask. “I, um-” “Nuri! Are you alright?” A woman with green-tipped curls grips him by his shoulders, her eyes frantic with concern as she breaks our connection. Is this his mate? I feel a low growl forming in my throat and swallow it away. Calm down. No use in scaring him away. Nuri. “I, um-” “Is that all you know how to say?” I joke, untangling my legs from his. Nuri winces as his ankle hits the sand and the green woman groans in frustration. “Great. Now you’re going to blame me for this until it heals.” “I don’t live too far from here,” I blurt out. “My skills are intermediary, but I am a known healer around these parts.” She looks at me for the first time, her grip on Nuri loosening. Those bright green eyes search mine with intensity. What she’s trying to find, I have no idea. But it isn’t long before she eventually nods with a knowing smirk and pats me on the shoulder. “I think you can handle him from here.” “Elira!” Nuri protests. “You’re just going to leave me in the company of this stranger?” “This stranger happens to be the host of this party,” I laugh. “You know, the one y’all are currently crashing?” A deep blush creeps into Nuri’s tanned cheeks as I hook my arms under his legs and lift him out of the sand in one swoop. “I’ve carried sacks of chow with more weight than you,” I laugh, his blush deepening. “Will you put me down,” he mumbles. “I’m not some helpless damsel, you know.” “Whatever you say, darling.” I toss him over my shoulder and grip his waist so he can’t escape. His frame may be lean but I can tell he’s hiding strong muscles under this high-quality fibered outfit. Probably a purebred mut from the cities closer to the palace. Whatever. He’s my purebred mut now. He tries to flail out of my grasp, but I only hold on tighter. “Will you stop before ya hurt yourself?” “I can take care of myself, thank you very much.” “Look, once I heal you, I promise you can leave. It’s not like I’m holding ya hostage.” His body becomes limp in defeat and I loosen my grip on his waist a little. The dissatisfaction lingers but at least his ankle isn’t in danger anymore. Soon the din of the party fades away, the natural sounds of the forest taking over as we fall into a comfortable silence. Have I been too quick about this? Me and him? What if I’m wrong about this feeling I have? I’m not sure if I’ll be able to survive the amount of spiked drinks it would take for me to forget this man. The closer we get to my house, the more nervous I become. But soon enough the dark wooden exterior comes into view and I push open the door to my dimly lit living room. “You leave your door unlocked?” Nuri scoffs as I set him down on the sofa. “I told people they could use the bathroom here,” I flick on a few lights and wink at him. “You know, for the party you crashed.” “Quit reminding me,” he sinks further into the couch, those tan arms crossed against his chest. “What is someone like you doing out here anyway?” “It was Elira’s idea.” I busy myself with a few herbs from the cabinet, bracing myself for the inevitable. “And Elira is..” “My good-for-nothing cousin. We might as well be twins the way we were raised. Although you wouldn’t know it by how she acts in crass company.” A goofy grin spreads across my face as I mix up the paste. Maybe there’s hope after all. “How long is this healing of yours going to take anyway? Hours? Days?” “Patience,” I chuckle, glancing at him over my shoulder. “It’s almost ready.” Nuri’s gaze lingers before he scowls at the ground and I turn back to add a few final herbs before setting the pestle aside. “Sanare. Consummatum est.” I grab the wooden bowl and turn to find those grey eyes clouded with doubt. “Are you cursing me or healing me?” “It’s an AhmiLatin spell. One of the six original healing spells made of berries and herbs.” Nuri’s gaze doesn’t waver for an instant as I sit beside him and place his ankle on my knee. “I’ve never heard of AhmiLatin.” “I thought they taught the most elite Ly’Kahns the best of the best.” “They do,” he snaps. “Prove it then. Meet me tomorrow morning at the beach and we’ll race to the Peak. Winner gets bragging rights.” “I have nothing to prove to someone like you,” he scoffs. “Suit yourself,” I shrug, placing the salve on his bare skin. He winces at first but it isn’t long before the healing kicks in and the creases in his face soften. Finally. His eyelids half close and I take the moment to absorb as many details about him as possible. The tips of his fangs seem longer than they were earlier. I bet he’s a flustered fanger. It’s cute. Like a pup getting worked up over the shadows in the dark. “I’m glad that it’s working.” He opens up one eye and glances me over. “You seem to know your medicines well enough. Are you training to be a healer?” “I’m just a humble man of many trades. Wanted to learn a bit of everything since I didn’t know who I'd have to impress once I imprinted.” Nuri’s eyes shoot open at the word and he sits up like an automaton. I let his ankle fall from my lap as he limps around the coffee table towards the door. So much for not scaring him off. At least he let me heal him before he officially rejects me as his mate. “Thanks for your hospitality,” he mumbles, hand already on the door handle. “Anytime,” I swallow hard as the door swings open and Nuri hesitates at the threshold. Those grey eyes glace at me over his shoulder like an angry child too shy to say goodbye. “I will meet you tomorrow at ten to test out the extent of your healing abilities. I want to make sure that you’re not some charlatan trying to poison me. Until then.” Nuri bows my way before walking out into the night, leaving me speechless and out of breath. Maybe there’s a glimmer of hope for us after all.