His exiled assassin mate

A kiss goodbye

*Raya*

I have so many fond memories from these years, sleepovers, playing games, playing in the gardens, going camping with my father. It was that age where you are still allowed to be a kid and people don’t expect you to know everything or solve the problems of the world.

But one of the strongest memories must be when I first started to notice that he was a boy and I was a girl. I think I was 12 and he had just turned 14.

"Really, you still have my old rabbit ?" I am laying on Zay's bed and just noticed that he has my old Mr Bunny sitting on a shelf above his bed. I don't know why I never noticed it before.

He is very focused on the computer game he is playing, he has never really been good at this particular one. I still notice his cheeks going slightly pink as he answers. "Yeah. I mean you gave it to me, so I couldn't bear to throw it out".

I smile, I can't believe that he has kept it all these years.

He dies and tosses me the controller. "Your turn. Watch out, it is a really hard level". He lets himself fall down beside me on the bed.

"Or maybe you are just not good enough". I say with a wink and grab the controller.

“Smart ass”. He mumbles.

He is right though, the level is hard. But I somehow manage to get through it and I can't help teasing him. "See I told you, not hard at all".

Suddenly I find myself under Zay as he tickles me mercilessly. He is already quite a lot taller than me and I have no chance against him. "Oh, you are such a bad winner".

"And you are a sore loser. Not agracious trait in an Alpha". I shoot back while trying to get out from under him. I hate getting tickled and Zay knows just exactly where I am most ticklish.

“Pulling tha Alpha card on me… oh you are going down”. He just keeps tickling me, both of us laughing and squealing.

Suddenly as I try to move his hand accidentally runs over my left breast. Not that I have much but they have just started growing and I am no longer totally flat. He gasps and I see his eyes blow wide as he freezes, his hand still on my breast.

"s**t sorry Raya, I didn't mean to". He pulls his hand away, blushing profoundly and almost falling off the bed to get away from me.

I blush too and sit up, stuttering. "No problem. I know you didn't mean to". We just sit there, both of us clearly feeling totally awkward. And I am happy when his mother announces that it is time for dinner.

The next couple of days we both acted a little awkward around each other, it was like I had suddenly realised that he was a boy and I was a girl. But we soon slid back into our normal way of being with each other.

Only a year after that my life was ripped apart. I came home from school one day, throwing my backpack in the hallway, calling out. "Mom I am going over to Zay".

"Raya, come in here a minute baby". My mother calls and I feel chills run down my spine. I just know something was wrong.

My mother tells me that she has decided to leave my father, she won’t explain why. She has already packed our things and shipped them off to our new home with the pack she was born in. And we are leaving now, before my father comes back home.

I cry and beg. I ask how she can leave her mate, someone she should love unconditionally, but she tells me that I am too young to understand. I don’t want to leave. I can’t just disappear on Zay like that. My mother tells me I have twenty minutes to run over and say goodbye to him.

Zay spots right away that something is wrong, when I enter his room with tears streaming down my face. He pulls me into a hug. "What is it, Raya ? What happened".

"We are moving, running away. My mom wants to go back to her old pack and we are leaving right now. I don't want to leave". I cling to him like a life raft.

He sits down on the edge of his bed, pulling me into his lap and I let him, snuggling into him. I can't lose him. He is much more than my best friend. He is half my world.

His voice is so filled with pain. "I don't want you to leave either. Can't you stay with your father or here with us ?"

"No, I already asked". I am sobbing into his chest and he pulls me closer. We just sit like that for 15 minutes until I lift my head. "I need to go now Zay. I'll write to you as soon as I know my new address".

"I... Raya there is something I want to do before you leave". He says softly and our eyes lock.

I feel like my breath is stuck in my throat and I kind of croak out the words. "What is that Zay ?"

"Can I kiss you ? Just one kiss before we say goodbye". I can't say anything, I just nod. His hand slides up around my neck and he slowly pulls my face to his. As our lips connect it is like the entire universe stands still.

His lips feel so soft and warm against mine, and I just never want to break this moment. But in the end we have to break apart. And I rest my head on his shoulder. His hand is stroking my hair. "Thank you, Raya".

"No thank you". I say as I get up. I draw in a deep breath, feeling how my heart seems to not beat right. "I need to leave now Zay".

"Here take Mr. Bunny, it is your time to look after him". He says, grabbing the soft bunny and handing it to me. I press it to me and stretch on my toes to press my lips quickly against his. "I promise and I promise to write as soon as possible".

And then I leave. Scared I will never see him again. I cry almost the whole drive back to my new pack, holding the old stuffed bunny in my arms. He told me it has just sat on his shelf, but it smells like him, he has been sleeping with it until now I am sure of it.