My plan for tonight's date was working. The idea to impress Samantha by simply bringing her to a place I loved was fucking working.

I had had my doubts despite Dean messaging me earlier today to say our mate shared his interests. It wasn't like I had taken a female out on a real date since... I couldn't even remember. With one-night stands you didn't want to let the other person in your world and gain access to theirs.

Samantha could currently be using the flimsy menu as a shield, but she had already given me a glimpse into her world. If I played my cards right, there would be no barriers left standing between us by the end of our date.

"Finding it too hard to choose?" I prompted when three minutes later she was yet to emerge from behind the menu.

"Yep," came from back there.

"Then don't. Just like you don't have to choose between Dean and I. You can have everything on the menu."

My tease got her to peak at me over the sheet of paper. "If that were so, I could have Eric as well, no?"

Sassy female. "Does that mean you've decided to accept us as your fated mates?"

She lowered the menu a bit further. "You're one persistent tiger, you know that?"

"Persistent and crazy about sushi, just like you, darlin'. So, if everything on the menu is to your liking, we'll order one portion of everything."

Her eyes rounded and she dropped the menu altogether. "With these prices? You're crazy, all right."

Ah. So that was what her long study of the menu had been about. "Don't concern yourself with the prices. I'm paying."

"No, you're not," she said firmly. "Just like I told Dean at brunch, we're splitting the bill."

I grunted in displeasure. Dividing expenses was for humans. A shifter male who couldn't provide for his mate was a fucking disgrace.

"Dean and I are going to take care of you, Samantha. Whether you prefer to work or not, you will lack for nothing. Big purchases will have to be planned in advance, of course. Like your new car, for instance."

She shook her head, displeasure written on her face. "We might both originate from a conservative shifter group, Sebastian, but I've long outgrown their outdated concepts. I'm feeding and clothing myself with my own money. I won't be financially dependent on a male. Never again!"

'Never again'? What had happened to her, to make her react so ardently to my words? "Who is this male you speak–"

"And what's this thing about a new car?" she kept going, "I've got an absolutely reliable old one that I've worked my butt off to buy."

Samantha was trying to change the topic. Despite my tiger insisting on learning all about the fucker who had obviously hurt her – especially his address, I was going to leave the matter to rest for now.

"Your so-called car," I told her, "is going to turn you into roadkill after a single light hit."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Touch my car and it's you who is going to end up roadkill. Under its tires."

I shrugged. "Go ahead. Watch your 'car' turn into a flattened tin can upon meeting with my body."

That made her gaze automatically slide down to my chest and arms. She gulped.

I would have grinned, did I not suspect that would push her to argue more. As much as I enjoyed the sight of her all fired up, cheeks red, chest rising and falling with her rapid breaths, I wanted her to open up to me. And right now she appeared to be bringing her walls up again.

Jin-soo chose that moment to appear. She placed two cups of green tea and a plate of edamame and kimchi on the table then prepared to take our order.

"Bring us a selection of everything, please," I told her. Before Samantha could open her mouth to protest, I specified, "On the sushi menu only. I'd have five pieces of each type and my mate... Darlin'? How many?"

She looked shocked but whether because of the amount of food I planned to eat or because I had made a compromise with the order, I did not know.

"One piece per type, please," she eventually said.

Jin-soo wrote that down lightning-quick and immediately turned to me. "You're mated, Bas? As in you have found your fated mate?" I nodded, and she grinned from ear to ear. "How wonderful! Congratulations, both of you!"

"Uh... thanks," Samantha mumbled.

"See you in a bit with your sushi, Bas and lucky, lucky lady," Jin-soo said and left us once more.

With her parents' restaurant being frequented by shifters only, Jin-soo was well familiar with my kind's lore. So she knew what a cause for celebration finding one's fated mate was.

If only Samantha saw things that way, too...

"Why did you tell Jin-soo I'm your mate?" she hissed as soon as we were alone.

I sighed. This again. "Because you are my mate."

"Not officially I'm not."

"Not yet."

"Not ever! And if you try to force the mark on me, I will kill you."

Mmm, that was new. "Good. I'd deserve it. But you won't need to, because I would never do that to you. My mating mark will be accepted willingly and worn proudly. Just like Dean's."

She growled at me.

Cute.

"How many times do I have to say it, Sebastian? I am not accepting anyone's mating mark. The dates, the big and small gestures, the efforts – it's all wasted on me. I'm here only because you're not letting me leave."

I growled in frustration myself. I was going to get to the bottom of this. Now.

"Why do you insist on leaving, Samantha? You faced a group of thieving humans and hyenas but you want to run from us? The ones who wish to see you happy and loved? Explain."

"I..." She sighed and covered her face with her hands. "It's bad past experience, okay? I learned my lesson and am not going to repeat my mistakes."

"That's not okay. You will tell me what happened so that I can understand."

"Bas."

"Tell me, Samantha." I was pressuring her, but we needed to have this conservation. Otherwise there could be no moving forward. And I could sense she wanted to get the story out. Needed to. "Get it off your chest. Then you can run, if you truly believe that's the best solution."

She looked at me over her hands.

"Yes. Your sasquatch is still here and not budging, darlin'."

She grabbed a tea cup and downed its content in one go. Then she met my gaze again, determination in her beautiful brown eyes.

She was determined to prove to me running was for the best - my challenge had worked.

Let's hope it didn't backfire.