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IT WAS A BLOODY FIGHT. The sun blazed down on the living and the dead, the stench of death a haze around us all. Grunts of effort and of pain sound as we battle, relentless.

I focus all my energy on eliminating the fraying lines of their battle formation. We will be victorious.

I push them back, my soldiers regaining vigour as their numbers decline.

Suddenly a knife whizzes my way, expertly, right on target. My eyes widen as I wait for the impact that next comes.

The steel deflects itself, instead falling limply onto the ground. There is complete silence.

Enemy and Soldier alike, are frozen. We all know what that means.

I search for the person who throw that knife. It had to be a skilled warrior.

I scour the battlefield. "Show your self."

I hear his boots crunching against the grass as he approaches me. No one makes a move to help or hinder this situation.

He's tall, broad, a scar marring his stern face. His eyes glow orange, as he stalks toward me.

He's a general, like me.

It's obvious from his garb. He extends his sword in my direction, taking long strides until he's in front of me.

I don't move. He jabs the sword into my flesh. Only, it bends, unable to harm me.

He's unable to harm me. I take out my own weapon, a bone steel knife that I keep. I take one step closer, and another. I place against his chest, pressing. My knife caves.

"Mate," He whispers.

"No," I respond. "I will never be your mate."

His eyes glow. "Mate," He insists. I step back. He steps forward.

The battle is between us now. It's silent but just as intense.

"I came to finish this war," I inform him.

He smirks. "As did I." He touches my hair, eyeing me closely.

I do the same, sizing him up. His movements are curious.

"It must be fate that led you here," He rumbles. "Mate from across the Stars. Fate. Destiny."

Fate. "It wasn't fate," I correct him irritated. "Nor destiny. It was a spaceship."

He grins. "So cold. Such a fearsome warrior. You truly are my match."

The thing is, I don't exactly believe in matches. I don't believe in fate.

I don't believe in mates.

He circles around me, assessing me. I allow him to. "Strong. Fast. Intelligent. Beautiful. General, you take my breath away."

I grit my teeth. "I'm working on it. But when I do, you'll know it."

He chuckled deeply. "With a sense of humor too! Is there any flaw in you?"

His short orange hair catches the sun, as he observes me, every second more bizarre than the last.

The fearsome General, spellbound by his enemy.

"You're so tense," He notes, frowning. "Do you need something?"

I clench my jaw. "I need you to get a grip. You are my enemy. We are in the middle of a war. Kill kill. Die die. Groans of pain, that's wha we're doing now," I explain.

He just smiles, a twinkle in his eye. "Your sarcasm is so appealing."

I stamp my foot having nothing else to do.

"Someone kill him!"

No one makes a move.

He smiles. "They can't. Or have you forgotten? We've met. Our eyes have locked. If I die. So do you, General."

I gnash my teeth. "Did anyone ask you? And who's to say that's true, anyway?"

He shrugs, taking his knife from the ground.

All of my soldiers point their weapons at him.

"One way to find out," He suggests, taking the knife to his chest. His eyes bore into mine as he forced the knife into his flesh.

I feel it. Holy shit. I thought it was myth. I thought mates was just something Father's made up to keep their daughters from bonding with just anyone.

I wince slightly.

He pulls the knife from his chest, his eyes soft as looks at me.

"You're so strong. Tell me what is your name?"

Everyone knows my name. I have a planet named after me.

Still, I tell him.

"I am Kiba. General of Planet Kiba-Un. And I denounce you."