Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Zana

I'm trying not to gawk as X leads me into Ma Chérie, the most exclusive restaurant this side of the Obsidian Rift. The understated elegance of the art nouveau decor screams "you can't afford this," but I force my jaw to stay shut. How did X even get us in here? I've heard it has a six-month waitlist, minimum.

"Zana, fancy seeing you here!" a familiar gravelly voice calls out.

I turn to see Kro, my orc driver from yesterday, grinning at us from behind an ornate hostess stand. He's swapped his chauffeur's uniform for a crisp white shirt and bow tie.

"Kro? You work here too?" I ask, genuinely surprised.

He chuckles. "Nah, just filling in for my mate. Speaking of which—" He gestures to a Filipina emerging from the kitchen, her chef's whites dusted with flour. "This is Plum, pastry chef extraordinaire and the love of my life."

Plum gives a shy wave. "Nice to meet you, Zana. Kro's told me all about you."

I raise an eyebrow at Kro. "All good things, I hope?"

"Only the best," he assures me with a wink.

As we exchange pleasantries, I can't help but marvel at how small the world really is. Here I am, in the fanciest restaurant I've ever seen, chatting with my Uber driver and his mate like we're old friends.

X clears his throat, reminding me of his presence. Right, we're here on a... date? Meeting? I'm still not sure what to call this.

A lithe faun in an impeccable suit glides up to us. "Good evening. I'm Guillermo, and I'll be your server tonight. If you'll follow me?"

As we weave through the tables, I lean in close to X. "I didn't see a menu outside. Do we order when we sit down?"

X's lips quirk up in that subtle smile that makes my heart do a little flip. "You'll see," he says cryptically.

We're seated at a cozy table near a window overlooking the city. The view is breathtaking, but not as breathtaking as the way the candlelight plays across X's chiseled green features. Stop it, Zana. You're here on business. Sort of.

Guillermo appears at our table again. "Your first course will be out shortly," he announces before whisking away.

I blink in confusion. "Wait, what about menus? How do we know what to order?"

X leans back in his chair, looking annoyingly smug. "We don't. See that imposing dragonkin over there?" He nods towards a table where a massive figure in an impeccable suit is holding court. "That's Dean the Dragon. He owns this place, and he's decreed that the chef has free rein. She serves what she wants, when she wants. Don't like it? There's the door."

I snort. "And people just... go along with that? In this economy?"

"They do when the chef is Cherry Espinosa," X says, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

The name rings a bell, and suddenly it clicks. "Wait, THE Cherry Espinosa? The one who won all those awards last year?"

X nods. "The very same. She's also Dean's mate."

"Ohhhh," I breathe, understanding dawning. "I guess when you're mated to a dragon, you can pretty much do whatever you want in the kitchen."

"Or anywhere else," X adds, his voice dropping an octave.

I feel a blush creeping up my neck and quickly grab my water glass, taking a long sip to hide my flustered reaction. As I set it down, I catch X watching me, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I wonder what it would be like to have someone look at me the way Dean looks at Cherry—like I'm the most precious thing in the world.

But that's not for me. I'm just Zana, the data nerd who'd rather code than socialize. Still, as I sit here in this impossible-to-get-into restaurant with this impossible-to-ignore orc, I can't help but feel a tiny spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, there's more to this evening than I thought.

I can't help but let my gaze wander around the restaurant, taking in the diverse array of couples and groups. A pair of elven women feed each other delicate morsels with their long, graceful fingers. The taller one leans in, whispering something that makes her partner's pointed ears twitch with delight. At another table, a burly werewolf carefully cuts up a steak for his petite human partner. Even the formidable Dean the Dragon tenderly tucks an errant hair back under his mate's hat.

My chest tightens unexpectedly. I've never felt so...alone.

X's deep voice cuts through my thoughts. "Something wrong?"

I shake my head, plastering on a smile. "No, no. Everything's fine."

His brow furrows, those sea glass green eyes studying me intently. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?"

I sigh, knowing he won't let it go. "It's just... seeing all these couples. I've always been alone, and I'm usually fine with it. But sometimes, in moments like this..." I gesture vaguely at our surroundings, "I feel the loneliness hit me like a ton of bricks."

X leans back, his expression unreadable. "Surrounded by love and feeling left out, huh?"

I nod, feeling stupid for admitting it. "Pretty pathetic, right?"

To my surprise, X's large hand reaches across the table, covering mine. "Not pathetic," he says gruffly. "Human. Or, well, you know what I mean."

His touch sends an unexpected warmth through me, and I find myself fighting a smile. "Thanks, X. Who knew you could be comforting?"

He withdraws his hand, looking almost embarrassed. "Don't go spreading that around. I have a reputation to maintain."

I chuckle, feeling the heaviness in my chest lighten a bit. X clears his throat, his gaze meeting mine with an intensity that makes my heart skip.

"Isn't there somewhere you can go for... companionship?" he asks, his deep voice surprisingly gentle.

I shrug, tracing patterns on the tablecloth with my finger. "I crash at my friend Caro's place sometimes, babysit her kids. They're little terrors, but I love them. I volunteer at shelters too." I pause, realizing how pathetic that sounds. "But it's not the same, you know?"

X nods, his expression thoughtful. I suddenly feel exposed, like I've revealed too much of my lonely little world. Time for a subject change.

"Enough about my pity party," I say, forcing a smile. "Tell me about you, big guy. What's your story?"

X's lips quirk in what might be a smirk. "Not so different from yours, actually." He leans back, his massive frame dwarfing the chair. "Been alone most of my life too. Parents gone early."

I blink, surprised by the admission. "I'm sorry," I murmur.

He shrugs, a gesture that looks oddly graceful on his hulking green form. "It was a long time ago. My aunt took me in – Urul's mother. Saint of a woman, putting up with me and her own boys."

"Sounds like you found a family after all," I say, genuinely curious now.

X's eyes soften almost imperceptibly. "Those cousins? They're my brothers in every way that matters."

I find myself smiling, picturing a younger X surrounded by rowdy orc boys. "So you're not the lone wolf you pretend to be, huh?"

He snorts, but there's amusement in his eyes. "Don't go ruining my image now, Zana. I have a fearsome reputation to uphold."

I chuckle, realizing we have more in common than I'd thought. A spark of curiosity ignites, and before I can stop myself, I blurt out, "So what brings you to this side of the Obsidian Rift anyway? Business expansion?"

X's lips curl into a smile that makes my heart do a little tap dance. His golden eyes lock onto mine, intense and... something else I can't quite name.

"You," he says simply.

I blink, certain I've misheard. "Come again?"

He chuckles, a low rumble that I feel in my chest. "Well, the idea of you. Vormugh Enterprises isn't just about expansion and territory. It's about the promise of finding our mates, starting our families."

My cheeks flush hot. "Oh," I manage, eloquent as ever. "I've, uh, heard about that before. Otherkin mates seem pretty intense."

X nods, his expression suddenly serious. "They are. It's different from a marriage agreement on paper. Sure, there's loyalty and partnership when you marry someone. But mates?" He leans in, his voice dropping low. "We're bonded down to our blood and bone. Forever."

I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry. "That's... wow. Heavy stuff."

"It is," X agrees, his eyes never leaving mine. "But when you find the right one, it's worth everything."

I take a long swallow of wine, hoping it'll calm my racing heart and stop me from blurting out something embarrassingly stupid. X's words echo in my head, and I can't shake the feeling that he's talking about... us? Me and him? But that's crazy, right? We just met. I'm just a data nerd who prefers algorithms to actual human interaction. He's a freaking orc businessman who probably eats CEOs for breakfast.

"So," I start, trying for casual and probably failing spectacularly, "this whole mate thing. How does it, um, work exactly? Is there like, a magical spark? A big neon sign that says ‘Congratulations! You've found your soulmate!'?"

X chuckles, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. "Not quite so dramatic," he says, his golden eyes twinkling with amusement. "It's more of a feeling. A pull. Like everything in your life has been leading you to this moment, to this person."

I fidget with my napkin, suddenly feeling very warm. "And you've... felt that? Recently?"

He leans in, close enough that I can smell a hint of pine and something distinctly... him. "What do you think, Zana?"

My brain short-circuits. "I think..." I start, then pause, desperately trying to formulate a coherent thought. "I think I need more wine."

X's laugh is rich and genuine. "Allow me," he says, reaching for the bottle. As he pours, his fingers brush mine, and I swear I feel a jolt of electricity.

"Thanks," I mumble, lifting the glass to my lips. "So, uh, how about them sports teams?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Sports teams?"

I groan internally. "Sorry, I'm terrible at this. Small talk, I mean. People in general, really. Give me a complex dataset and I'm in my element. But this..." I gesture vaguely between us, "is way out of my comfort zone."

X's expression softens. "You're doing just fine, Zana. Better than fine, actually. You're... refreshing."

I snort. "That's a new one. Usually, I get ‘awkward' or ‘hermit-like'."

"Well," he says, his voice low and warm, "I happen to find awkward hermits quite charming."