by R. E. Butler
That hadn’t remotely happened. Disappointing her parents on such an epic scale had broken something inside her; she didn’t want to really admit it. She’d considered herself a good daughter up until now. She’d followed pride traditions up until this point. How could one choice ruin her relationship with her parents?
They reached the apartment complex and Chase parked and turned off the engine. She reached for the handle, but Hunter’s voice stopped her.
“Love?” He said. She turned in her seat to face him and he cupped her chin. His thumbs gently brushed tears from her cheeks. She hadn’t even realized she’d been crying. “You’re an amazing female, Cristabel. You’re strong and independent. You love deeply, and you’re so gorgeous I feel like I’m staring into the sun when I look at you. If following your heart is what breaks the tie to your parents, if they can’t look past their traditions to see the insanely incredible female you’ve become, then that’s their loss. You shouldn’t be mourning anything today except the lack of sleep you’re going to get after we get you alone tonight.”
She smiled, causing more tears to fall from her eyes, and then she laughed. It was a short, sharp laugh that developed into a full-blown belly laugh. “How do you always know just what to say to make me feel better?”
He kissed her temple. “Because making you happy is the most important thing in my universe.”
She kissed him and smiled, turning her attention to Dylan and Chase. They both kissed her, their hands pressing lightly to her, making her feel entirely surrounded and loved. She looked at Dylan, with his green eyes bright with happiness, and Chase’s sweet smile that was both comforting and full of concern. Hunter’s strong arms were always ready to hold her tight or drive her wild. They often told her they were lucky, but she was truly the lucky one. There were females who never had even one male love them, and she had three.
Hunter was right. A new chapter of their lives waited just hours away. Her cat purred, prowling in her mind, anxious for the mating ceremony so she could mark her mates just as they’d marked her. A brand of fangs and blood that was oh-so-permanent. A testament of their commitment to one another, and their promise to always be there.
“Let’s get the cake and get back to the boarding house,” she said, reaching for the handle.
“In such a rush, love?” Chase asked with a chuckle.
“You know it. My fangs are itching to make an appearance, and my cat can’t wait for tonight.”
“We’re all yours already,” Dylan reminded her.
“I know.” She looked at him and smiled, and he wiggled his brows at her.
She pushed open the door and got out, inhaling a deep breath of the chilled air. Her cat didn’t much care for the cold, but there was part of her that liked how crisp winter air was. Her cat stirred in worry, and she felt a tickling awareness as she turned to face the parking lot and saw her father get out of his car.
Everything inside her froze as she watched her father stride to the front of his car and stop, his arms folded and an angry frown marring his face. Her mother joined him, with her hands folded in front of her and her head down, as if she couldn’t bear to even meet Cris’s eyes. There were three vehicles on either side of her dad’s sedan, and all the doors opened. Mostly males emerged, but two females who looked vaguely familiar stepped out also. And then a male she hadn’t seen since she was a child joined her dad in the center of the group of lions. Salem Gregory, only son of the king of the St. Louis pride, was joined by his mother and younger sister. Salem had been a handsome and arrogant young male, and he looked like an older version of that now – white-blond hair slicked back and trimmed perfectly, an aristocratically angular face, giving him a superior look, and his eyes a pale ice blue.
He slipped his hand into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a bracelet. Her whole world narrowed down to the golden chain dangling from his fingers.
Hunter, Chase, and Dylan joined her. She knew they didn’t understand what was going on, but they were ready to protect her against anything. She gulped in a great breath of icy air, searing her lungs, and then her cat gnashed its teeth.
“Tell me you didn’t, Dad,” she said. He was fifty feet from her, close enough that she could see the hard line of his mouth and the glare of I-dare-you-to-defy-me in the dark blue depths of his eyes. “Tell me you didn’t promise me to Salem when you know that I’m already mated.”
A male growled angrily at her, most likely because she addressed Salem by his first name. She scanned the group and didn’t see Salem’s father, which meant he was most likely haj now. Well, he was not her haj.
“Cris?” Hunter asked, turning his head only slightly to look down at her from where he stood partially blocking her view of her family.
“It’s my parents and a few of my pride members, and that male with the bracelet is who my dad arranged for me to mate.” The words tumbled from her lips so quickly that she felt like she had a big case of verbal diarrhea.
“That’s too bad for him then,” Hunter said, with a snarled grunt. “You belong to us.”
“Oh shit, I…this wasn’t supposed to happen. I…where can we go?” Her lungs squeezed as she panted for breath; her skin felt clammy and her fingertips tingled.
Dylan put his arms around her and held her close. She shuddered against him when Salem and a few others growled. She wanted to cover her ears with her hands and pretend like this wasn’t happening.
Chase moved up next to Hunter and said, “I’m Chase Hall, and these are my cousins, Hunter and Dylan. We mated with Cris last weekend, and she’s ours. If you’re here to congratulate us on our mating, then thanks. If you’re here to protest, it’s too late. We’re not about to let her go for any reason.”
“I don’t recognize your mating, daughter of mine,” her dad said. “You are still my child, the pride princess, and you will do as tradition demands.”
Her entire being snapped to attention at her father’s words. He was right in a way – she was a princess, she was part of the pride, and she was required to behave a certain way. But he was also glaringly wrong. She had a new pride now, and a new future she’d mapped out with her gorgeous mates. Hunter’s body was poised and tense. Even in the thick coat he wore to brace against the cold, she could see that he was coiled and ready to strike if anyone came too close. Chase was the leader, of that much she was certain now. He would make the decisions for their family going forward – he would be the head of their house. And her sweet Dylan, who didn’t have a confrontational bone in his body, was ready to go to war for her.
She straightened her spine and took Dylan’s hand, stepping up next to Hunter and putting her other hand on his shoulder. “I don’t really care what you think. You can’t force me to mate with Salem. If my mating doesn’t agree with you, then you’re free to hate me for the rest of your life and that’s your baggage. Put the bracelet away, Salem. You’re not mating anyone today, and you’re definitely not mating me.”
* * *
Lily closed the lid on the cake box after placing the cake she’d made for her bestie inside. She’d thought about making a really feminine and lovely cake, like a white-tiered confection covered with edible pearls and lots of piping. But when Cris had told her that it wasn’t traditional to have a cake for a mating ceremony, she’d decided to go the route of making a fun and whimsical creation.
After calling her baking instructor for advice, she’d baked four dark chocolate sheet cakes, whipped a crapton of buttercream frosting, and dyed fondant a pretty tawny shade. While researching African lionesses online, Lily had printed out a dozen pictures and then got to work. The dense cake was layered with buttercream, and then covered with the golden fondant, creating a cake in the shape of a lioness. The confection slowly came to life, the lioness reminding her of the first time she’d seen Cris shift when she was a teenager. To Lily, shifters were magical and amazing. She was human, without even a tiny trace of shifter in her DNA. There wasn’t anything wrong with being huma
n, but sometimes she wished for something more. Cris’s life seemed so exciting, at least from an outsider’s perspective. She got to shift into a pretty lion and go stalking into the woods to find something to eat.
Lily made a face at that thought. Maybe being a shifter wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. She wasn’t sure she could eat a bunny. Turning her attention to the counter, she signed the card she’d bought for her bestie along with a gift card for a mani-pedi at the Ashland Day Spa & Salon. Even though this ceremony wasn’t a wedding, Lily thought it would be prudent to get Cris something as a gift.
As she slipped the card into the envelope, she heard yelling coming from the parking lot. She moved to the front window and saw Cris and her three guys facing off against a large group of people. Peering at the group, she saw Cris’s parents. Her dad looked pissed, but Lily wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him actually happy. He’d always had a permanent scowl on his face.
Lily scanned the group who stood in front of Cris, a wide gap between the two sets of people. Cris’s mom looked miserable, like she couldn’t even find the strength to lift her head. With Cris’s parents were men and two women Lily didn’t recognize. As her gaze flicked from stranger to stranger, one man caught her eye. Damn, he was gorgeous. Tall, hot, and hunky. Just the way she liked her men. Or, she would if she had time to date. Between the diner and school, she hardly had time to fantasize about guys, let alone actually go out on a date with one. But this guy…she’d skip classes for him.
She snorted at her teenage-worthy crush. She’d been single for a long time.
Grabbing her coat, she opened the door and headed for the parking lot and for Cris. She was worried about her friend and the friction that zinged through the air. As she approached the group, two things happened simultaneously: Cris shouted for her to get back inside, and the tall, hot, and hunky man growled at Lily with flashing golden eyes.
Well, shit.
* * *
Cris saw Lily out of the corner of her eye. She hadn’t expected her to come out of her apartment, or that she’d even realize that anyone was there.
“Go back inside, Lily!” Cris shouted.
Salem growled so loudly that everyone froze, even Lily, who was mid-step; her booted foot hung in the air as if she weren’t sure she should put it down on the ground. He moved like a missile, sweeping Lily into his arms and pushing her behind his back. He snarled and snapped his teeth. Was he…protecting her?
“What the fuck?” Hunter asked. Which was exactly what Cris had been thinking.
“Salem?” his mother asked, her voice soft with curiosity and tinged with wariness.
He growled deeply, and Cris’s eyes widened.
“No way,” Cris said under her breath.
“What? What’s going on?” Dylan asked.
“I think he’s claiming Lily.”
“Um, hello? Cris?” Lily called from behind Salem.
Hunter turned slightly, casting a wary gaze at her father and then turning his attention to her. “The male your dad brought to mate with you found his truemate in Lily?”
“It sure seems like it. Look at him,” Cris said, waving a hand in his direction. Although no one had moved much since he’d grabbed Lily, Salem still looked furious, ready to fight if anyone tried to get near her. “She’s his mate. His heart-chosen mate.”
She shook her head. Things had just gone sideways in a way she never expected. Her dad brought Salem here for her, and he ended up picking another girl. Life sure could be strange.
She hooked her arms through Dylan’s and Hunter’s and tugged. “Let’s go talk to Lily for a sec.” Chase came with them, all three of her mates with the same wtf look on their faces. They approached Salem, who looked ready to go all claw-and-fang against the world, and Lily, who peeked around his broad shoulder with her brows so high they disappeared into her hairline.
“Lily? This is Salem Gregory. He’s a lion shifter from St. Louis. Salem, this is my best friend, Lily St. James. I think you’re scaring her, which is not the right way to meet your mate, or to treat her. She’s human, and although she understands some aspects of our kind, she doesn’t understand everything.”
Salem blinked and shook his head, his eyes going back to normal and his fangs and claws receding. He pulled Lily to his side and turned to face her, cupping her face with his hands. “You’re perfect.”
Lily’s cheeks flamed crimson. “I’m definitely not. But you’re pretty damn close.”
He purred softly, and Lily’s eyes widened. “We have much to discuss, Lily. Is your home here?” He glanced past them to the apartments.
“Uh, yeah. I’m…what’s going on?”
Cris almost laughed at her friend’s confusion, but then she saw her father and the rest of the pride members coming toward them, and she could practically feel how angry he was.
“This is about to get bad,” she said to Hunter.
Chapter 14
Dylan couldn’t get a handle on how fast things had changed in the parking lot. One minute they were facing off against her pride and another male, and the next, Lily seemed to be the male’s mate. It was uncanny how swiftly the tide had turned. But it hadn’t changed her dad’s fury. His face was red, and fur had sprouted on his cheeks.
He stalked over to their small group with his people trailing behind him. His claws were out, black tipped against his skin, and his fangs flashed.
“Salem, I did not bring you here for you to slum it with a human. You agreed to mate with my daughter, and you will do as you swore!” He spat the words at them as he came to a stop a few feet away.
There was a long moment of silence, and then Salem roared. Judging by their white-blond hair, the two females who scooted behind the enraged male were most likely his mom and sister, and two more males moved to stand in front of Salem in a defensive position.
“You will watch your tongue!” Salem shouted.
“It’s insulting! Worse than a different breed of cat, she’s useless to breed children with,” Cris’s dad said. Her mother gasped and then bared her teeth at him.
“Gustav,” she hissed.
“Stay out of it, Leandra,” Gustav said.
“Isn’t it bad enough that you pushed like this? She said she was mated. Look at her.”
Hunter took a big step back, pushing Cris with him, moving all of them out of the line of fire. Dylan’s cat chuffed in worry. There were too many women in the parking lot. He didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Cris whimpered, biting her lip.
Dylan saw Salem tense and the dusting of fur that bristled on his cheeks. He knew exactly where the male’s fury was going to go. The last thing Dylan wanted was for Cris to watch her dad get attacked. Although, judging by his bad attitude, Dylan suspected that her dad could handle himself.
Dylan knew he could let Hunter handle things, whatever might come, but in that moment, Dylan knew that he was the one who could ease the tension.
Stepping away from Cris, Dylan moved between the two groups. Salem’s eyes were glowing a fiery, molten gold, and he sported some very serious fangs.
“Dylan!” Cris cried out. Hunter stopped her from moving forward, and Dylan was thankful for Hunter’s quick reflexes. The last thing Dylan wanted was for Cris to get in the middle of things.
Dylan looked at Gustav. “You may be the worst father I’ve ever known. Look at your daughter. She’s marked and mated, and you were trying to give her away like she’s some old piece of furniture. News flash, Dad, but she’s not for anyone but us. If you don’t like it, then haul your ass back to Kentucky and forget about her and us. If you try to mate her with someone else, I’ll figure out how to get the police to make sure you never come back into Indiana.”
Then he swung his attention to Salem, who was panting and sweating, clearly fighting his beast. “Salem. Shit, man, just settle down. You had plans to take Cris, but she’s not yours. And the good news is you’re not going home empty handed, because Lily is a great girl. So count your blessings and ge
t the hell into her apartment so I can meet my in-laws properly.”
“He insulted my mate,” Salem snarled.
“I’m fine,” Lily protested.
“Aren’t you angry?” Salem asked Dylan. “He didn’t tell me that Cristabel was mated. He told me that he’d promised my father before he died that our prides would be united in mating. He deserves to be harmed for that alone, bringing up the memory of my father for such a misdeed.”
“Well, I’m not happy, but he’s my in-law and not yours, so count yourself lucky.”
Salem took a menacing step forward, his gaze narrowed as he focused on Gustav, who stood just behind Dylan.
Dylan snarled in aggravation. “I’m not much of a fighter, but if you take another step toward my father-in-law, I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you from him. His behavior may not be honorable, but there isn’t anything honorable about you not letting this go. You’re upsetting Lily. A good mate does everything he can not to upset his woman.”
Salem inhaled deeply and straightened. “You’re right.” He turned toward his people and whispered something to Lily, and then they moved swiftly as a group to her apartment.
“Why did you do that?” Gustav asked.
Dylan turned to face him. “It was upsetting Cris.”
Cris, Hunter, and Chase joined him.
“I think you should go. I see now where you stand on my choices, and I don’t want to expose my mates to your bias,” Cris said.
Her mother moved to her dad’s side and put her hand on his shoulder. For the first time since they had arrived, Cris’s mother lifted her head and looked at them. She had dark circles under her blood-shot eyes, and her nose was red from crying. She held a balled-up tissue in her other hand and blotted at her eyes with it.
Leandra looked at Gustav in silence. She said nothing to him out loud, but she mouthed, “Please.”