BK 4 - Chapter 1 - Mate
**Three Years Later**
Lisa sat in the library studying for her finals. She had books spread out all around her. She had worked hard the past three years so she could get into law school early. Lisa would be accepted into the law program for the following semester if she received passing scores on her finals.
She looked at her watch and then glanced toward the door. Breanne was supposed to be there by now. They had become as close as sisters and still lived together in an apartment off campus. Alex lived with them. Breanne had fit into their family just like Lisa knew she would. She went with the siblings to Sacramento for every break and even helped at the group homes during the summer. She was still incredibly shy, but Lisa had helped her get more confidence, so she didn't always walk with her head down.
"Sorry I'm late," Breanne said, sitting down with a huff.
"I was getting worried about you," Lisa said, looking up from her books. She smiled at her friend, who looked almost nothing like the girl she had first met. Breanne had cut her hair into layers that framed her pretty face and got rid of the glasses for contacts.
"The dean asked me to meet with a transfer student and show him around. I waited for over an hour, but he never showed. He's probably one of those pricks who thinks he already knows everything." Lisa giggled at Breanne. She was still getting used to hearing her talk like that.
"Forget him. How do you feel about the finals?" She asked, returning to her books as Breanne took hers out of her bag.
"Nervous. This stuff doesn't come as naturally to me as it does you." Breanne sighed. Lisa was like a sponge with information. She retained everything that was taught and could repeat it verbatim.
"Don't sell yourself short. You get just as good grades as I do." Lisa said, flashing her a smile. Breanne rolled her eyes.
"Only because I study non-stop and have you to study with. Seriously between you and Alex, I feel like the dumb third wheel sometimes." Breanne said while opening one of her books. Lisa glared at her.
"That's enough of you putting yourself down. I won't tolerate it anymore. Now let's get busy so we can start law school together." Lisa said sternly. Breanne hid her smile. She loved getting a rise out of her friend.
They stayed in the library for three hours before their stomachs started growling. When they packed up all their books, they headed outside. Lisa saw a man walking across the courtyard that she had never seen before. He was tall, with thick black hair and tan skin. The closer he got, the more her heart rate sped up.
"Earth to Lisa," she jumped at hearing her friend's voice.
"What?" Lisa asked, still staring at the man who was getting closer. He was handsome but didn't seem cocky like the jocks.
"Geesh, what has gotten into you?" Breanne asked. She didn't notice the man Lisa was staring at until he stopped right in front of them.
"I'm sorry to bother you ladies, but can you show me where the main office is? I was supposed to meet someone to show me around, but I'm sure they've left by now." Lisa couldn't speak. She just stared into his amber eyes, which made her feel hot all over. When Breanne bumped her, she snapped out of it.
"Are you going to law school?" Lisa asked quietly, feeling her face flame. Breanne looked at her in amusement. She had never seen Lisa act this way.
"Yes, are you the student I was supposed to meet with?" He asked hopefully. Lisa felt slightly jealous when she shook her head.
"No, my friend was waiting for you." Lisa looked toward Breanne, who was still watching her with narrowed eyes. When the man turned toward her friend, Lisa frowned. Why was she acting like this?
"Hello, I'm Jayce. I'm sorry I'm late. If you're busy, can we maybe set something up another time?" He asked, looking between both women. Breanne had a feeling that Lisa liked Jayce, so she smiled.
"I'm Breanne, and this is Lisa. We have time now. We were just going to get something to eat. Would you like to come?" She asked, looking at Lisa.
"That would be great. Lead the way." Breanne purposely walked ahead while Jayce fell into step next to Lisa.
"So, I take it your pre-law too." He asked, glancing down at Lisa. Jayce tried to act calm. When he had seen the beautiful blonde girl from the other side of the courtyard, he couldn't take his eyes off her. He beelined toward her even though he didn't have a clue of what he was going to say. Something drew him to her that made him want to be near her.
"Yeah, we both are. We'll begin law school next semester. Where did you transfer from?" Lisa asked. He was walking so close to her she could feel his body heat as though he was touching her.
"North Carolina," Jayce answered quietly, looking away. Lisa looked up and saw sadness in his eyes. She wanted to ask about it but didn't know him well enough.
"We're happy to have you here. It's a great campus. What type of law do you want to get into?" She asked, glancing up at him again. Jayce was looking at her with a small smile.
"Civil rights. What about you?" He stopped and turned when Lisa stopped walking. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, I'm doing civil rights too. I haven't met anyone else here who wants to go into that field." Lisa answered, smiling at him as she began walking again. Jayce chuckled softly.
"I guess that means I know who my study buddy will be," He said. Jayce's heart skipped a beat when she smiled up at him. Did the world just get brighter? It felt like it when he saw her big blue eyes sparkling.
Lisa saw Breanne look over her shoulder at them with a smirk. Neither of them had dated during their first three years despite being asked multiple times. Lisa was waiting for her mate, and Breanne only wanted to focus on her studies. She had no idea Lisa was a werelion and figured she was also focusing on school. Aliyah began getting excited inside Lisa.
*"Ali, why do I feel this way? I don't get attracted to random men."* She asked her lioness.
*"I think he's our mate. You have to touch him. I believe he's human, so be careful what you say. We don't want to scare him off."* Aliyah answered her while skipping around in Lisa's head. They had been waiting three years to find their mate.
Lisa glanced at Jayce again. Was he her mate? What if he didn't want her because she was a werelion? Her footsteps started to falter as she braced herself for rejection.
"Are you okay?" Jayce asked, turning toward Lisa with concern. When she looked up at him with tears in her eyes, he wanted to hug her but didn't think that was a good idea. She may have a boyfriend who would get the wrong idea. Why did the thought of her having a boyfriend make his heart hurt? He had just met her.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry." Lisa answered as she started walking. Breanne had stopped at the diner just off campus. When she saw Lisa's face, she wondered what had happened. Lisa shook her head as they walked inside.
Lisa sat in a booth expecting Breanne to take the seat next to her, but she sat on the opposite side instead. Jayce didn't hesitate to sit next to Lisa. She pulled out her phone to text her friend.
*What are you doing?*
*I can tell you like him, and he likes you. It wouldn't hurt you to have a little fun. Besides, he's cute, and you are both interested in the same type of law. See what happens.*
Lisa blushed as she read Breanne's text. Was it that obvious that he was having an effect on her? As they looked at the menus, she tried to think of a reason to accidentally touch Jayce.
"Good afternoon. Can I get you all some drinks while you look over the menu?" An older waitress with short curly gray hair smiled at them. They all ordered milkshakes and went back to deciding what to eat.
"Is there anything you recommend?" Jayce asked, looking between the two women. Breanne pretended she didn't hear him while Lisa looked into his warm eyes.
"I like the cheeseburger and fries." She answered. His eyes lit up as he closed his menu.
"My favorite. So you're not one of those California girls I heard about that only eat lettuce with water on the side?" Lisa and Breanne looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"If someone tried to serve me lettuce and water, they'd lose a hand," Lisa said, still laughing. She could eat more than most men despite her size. The waitress brought their milkshakes over and took their order for cheeseburgers all around. While they waited for their food, Brenne pretended to be caught up in whatever she was looking at on her phone.
"What's fun to do around here?" Jayce asked, looking at Lisa while stirring his shake. He saw her doing the same and couldn't help staring at her delicate hands. He wondered what it would feel like to have her hand in his.
"Honestly, we don't get out much. We're not really the partying or clubbing type." Lisa said, looking toward Breanne, who was nodding in agreement.
"I'm sure your boyfriends like to take you out." Both women blushed.
"We don't have time for boyfriends. There's too much studying to do. How about you? Did you leave a girlfriend back in North Carolina?" Lisa asked as their food was brought over.
"Nope, no girlfriend. Most women think I'm too nerdy for them, I guess," Jayce said, looking down at his shake. The short time he'd spent with Lisa and Breanne was the most time he'd spent with any woman in a long time. He could flirt with the best of them, but the women always went home with the sports jock, not the geeky law student.
"I guess we can all be called nerds then. Here's to nerds," Lisa said, raising her glass to clink theirs. Jayce smiled at her. She really was something special.
"I'll be right back," Breanne stood up and headed to the restroom.
"Do you live on campus?" Jayce asked while eating a fry.
"No, Breanne and I live in an apartment off campus with my brother Alex. Where are you going to be staying?" She asked.
"Also, off campus. I found a nice apartment building close by that wasn't too expensive. I think it's called Bay Towers." He answered. Lisa turned to look at him with wide eyes.
"That's where we live. We love it there." They were laughing when Jayce bumped Lisa's phone, making it fall off the table. They both reached for it at the same, and their fingers became intertwined. Lisa immediately felt the sparks run up her arm, making her entire body come alive. She looked up at Jayce, who was staring at her in shock. She tried not to say it, but the word was out of her mouth before she could stop it.
"Mate."
