Normally, at this time, he’d be asleep but sleep hadn’t been easy in coming these last few nights.
Knowledge that his mate was in his home had disturbed his beast, and the Lion had been fighting him the night through. When light had spilled across the sky, he’d decided that a run was the only thing that would calm the animal down, and so he shifted and hared off, exploring the grounds and trying to forget that his woman was in the lodge.
Impossible, maybe, but still the run did him good.
He didn’t shift enough. Too busy behind his computers to take a moment for himself. It wasn’t right, as Marcus so often informed him, and for the first time he knew his Triad brother was correct.
His Lion needed this. Needed to lope through their territory. Needed to stake his claim on their land.
Letting out a roar that reverberated around their acres of back yard, he took off at a pace that made him wish they kept gazelles for hunting. His Lion concurred but the local council wouldn’t approve.
Humans were such nitpicking fools, sometimes.
With the wind bristling through his mane, and the knowledge that he might be seeing his mate at some point that morning, he felt alive. So much so, when the lodge appeared in the horizon, he didn’t slow down. With the pool in the near distance, he leapt high, and while in the air, shifted, curled in a ball, then divebombed into the water.
Letting loose a holler as he did, he came up laughing. Spluttering too, but it was worth it.
“You nearly broke your neck.”
The words didn’t dampen his spirit. If anything, they sent shockwaves through him. For the past two days, she’d been hiding out in the bedroom they’d allotted her. Only Marc had been ‘allowed’ in for visits—even then, only for food.
He peered around the pool’s perimeter for the sight of her, and saw her huddled against a column, nearly hugging the damn thing as she watched him in the water.
Dressed in one of his shirts, and scenting strongly of Marc, he frowned at the way she was standing. Not liking that she looked scared.
“But I didn’t, did I?” he said softly, countering her dampening words with a huge grin.
Her lower lip quivered. “You scared me, and I don’t know why.”
“Because I’m yours,” he said after a few stunned seconds had passed as he processed her statement.
“Is that it?” she asked, more to herself than him he thought. “Is that why I want to cry?”
He gulped as guilt speared him right in the chest. “I’m sorry, El. I never meant to frighten you. I didn’t even know you were there.”
Which made zero sense. He should have scented her immediately.
She stepped toward him, her tread surprisingly light for a human, and took a seat at the edge of the pool. When her toes were dipped in the water, she tilted her head to the side. Knowing she was studying him, he stayed silent. Treading water in the early dawn light was a bizarre time to connect with one’s mate, but hell, stranger things had happened.
They happened every damn day.
“I’ve never felt like this before.”
Her tone was almost dreamy, and now he came to think about it, everything about her was. Was she sleepwalking or something? Humans did that, didn’t they?
They could walk around, talk and even eat, go driving, all while they were asleep.
Swimming over to her, he let the silken water slip and slide over his nakedness, unashamed to approach her in his skin.
All that he was was for her.
That was all that mattered.
He caged her with his hands, letting his fingers grip the stones either side of her thighs as he looked up at her. Her eyes were as dreamy as she was, but she was awake. Just in some kind of odd… what? Mood?
He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was strange. Kind of nice though.
It was like she was half-awake, he realized with a soft smile.
“Why are you smiling?” she asked him, a little frown puckering her brow.
“You make me happy.”
His admission had the frown hardening with confusion. “But I haven’t done anything.”
He shrugged, and the motion had the water tickling at her calves. “You don’t have to do much. Just breathe, and you make me happy.”
A grin danced about her lips. “You guys don’t seem to ask for a lot. Well, aside from the accepting of three men in my life thing.”
Trip chuckled. “Give us time. We can be as demanding as the next guy.”
“Shush,” she chided him. “Don’t spoil it.” But the teasing in her eyes had his chuckle deepening.
“I didn’t expect you to be up and around at this time,” he told her. “I thought you’d still be sleeping.”
She shrugged. “I usually am. My sleep was… eventful, I guess.”
“Is Marc still pestering you? I told him to leave you alone that first night.” He grimaced. “How couldn’t his walking into your room wake you up? But he never listens.”
“No, he didn’t and he isn’t,” she countered. “I woke up from a nightmare and saw him on the floor opposite the bed. But since then, he only comes in if there’s a light on. He isn’t bothering me. Honest.”
“And that didn’t scare the hell out of you? A strange man in your bedroom after everything that happened with… You know?”
Her lips twitched. “You think that Jamie betraying me was unusual? It’s happened more times than you can count.”
Concern plundered him. “Why, El? Why so many times?”
The dreaminess left her as she cupped her elbows and hugged herself. Seeing her need for comfort, he pressed one of his hands to her knees and squeezed gently. She surprised him by clutching at his fingers with her knees, holding him there in place. “Marc asked me that other night after I woke up. Why me? My mom’s in the press more than I am. My brothers are trying to take on the political sphere… but I get more threats than any of them.” She jerked a shoulder. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’m the only girl. Maybe it’s because…” El blew out a breath. “My trust fund is bigger than my brothers’.”
Trip scowled. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. My grandfather had a soft spot for me.”
“But why would that make a difference? You wouldn’t be the one paying the ransom, would you?”
“True.” She shrugged. Again.
“If something happens to you, what happens to the money, El?”
“Why do you ask?” Hurt appeared in her eyes and it lanced him with molten heat.
“Because there has to be a reason for you to be targeted so often. I know you’re not even teasing about that night not being the first time it happened, and your guards? I mean, I know you’re wealthy, sweetheart, and families like yours need security, but for you to have three? To yourself? That’s excessive, surely?”
“Not really. My brothers have eight a piece, but that’s because they have a wife and two kids between them. Three was my bartering my father down.”
“And they’re seriously never targeted?”
“No. Rarely. If they are it’s not to do with their name but their political stance.” It was her turn to grimace. “They’re making waves.”
“Are those waves having repercussions with you?”
“No. The threats have been a part of my life for a long time. It’s why I’m pretty reclusive.”
He smiled. “I’m the same.”
“You are?” Her brows rose. “I would never have said that.”
“I work late into the night and sleep late usually… today’s a definite aberration. Working and sleeping late means I have to interact with fewer people which I love. Ryan’s more sociable because he has no choice. He works at Pride House though so I can sleep without being disturbed by his place in the Pride.”
“That’s kind of him.”
“We’re Triad brothers. We look out for each other,” he said simply.
She blinked at him. “You make it sound so easy. I really didn’t think th
ree men as… Well, you’re all strong in your own right. I mean, I wouldn’t think you’d find it easy to get along as great as you do.”
He smiled. “You’d be surprised; we certainly have our moments, but that’s why the Triad bond is so special. It’s like living with yourself, but just another aspect of your character. So, I’m the recluse, but my more sociable part is Marcus. As he gets older, he’s less social, but people flock to him. He’s very kind and empathic, so that attracts a lot of our Pride.”
“As he gets older?” She cocked a brow. “Because he’s so ancient?”
Trip snorted. “He’s the same age as my parents.”
“No way! He looks so young.”
“He’s a hundred and fourteen.”
She gawked at him, then dumbly repeated, “No way.”
“Yes way,” Trip teased. “But we age differently… he’s not even middle aged yet.”
“Seriously?” she squeaked.
“Yep. When I first met him, he was, what you’d call, the life and soul of every party. But not anymore.”
“How come?”
He sighed, then dared to press his chin to the small divot her knees made where they met. She didn’t react poorly, if anything, she reached down and trailed her hand through his wet hair. He closed his eyes at the touch, tilting his head to give her better access.
“Your happy spot?” she teased, and he smiled at her but kept his eyes closed.
“A man has his secrets. You’ll know when you find them.” At her giggle, he grinned but said, “The longer we’re alone, the harder it gets. Marc’s been without a Triad for a long time.”
“How old are you and Ryan?”
“He’s sixty-four, I’m ninety-five.”
“You’re dirty old men, the lot of you,” she mocked, but he knew she was laughing as she spoke.
“Maybe,” he confessed. “Just for you though.”
“I’m sure,” she retorted. “I bet your bedroom doors were revolving before I showed up.”
“I plead the fifth,” he retorted, then opened his eyes to stare square into hers. “That’s over now, El. You know that, right?”
Her hand hesitated in its stroking, but she nodded. “Y-Yeah, I do. I don’t know how, but I do.”
He relaxed into her touch once he realized she knew that the past was the past, and the future meant everything. “Marc and I have been together for forty years, Ryan’s been with us thirty.”
“So, Marc was eighty-ish when you met?”
He nodded. “Yeah. That’s a long time to be alone. It changed him. He’s very introspective.”
“I can see that.” She sighed. “It’s strange. When I’m with you all, there’s this kind of knot of anxiety deep inside me. It’s bizarre. It’s tight and won’t unravel. It has me on edge. And then, we talk, and you touch me, and I don’t freak. Little by little, peace overcomes me. I feel so at ease, you wouldn’t believe. Like I’m with people I’ve known a lifetime… and I don’t even feel that for my family. The only two people who I’ve ever responded to like this are Shawn and my granddad. My grandmother too, at times, but I don’t see her all that much anymore.”
“How come?”
She shrugged. “My father always keeps us apart.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” She let her nails scrape along his scalp and he shuddered in delight at the touch. “Anyway, my point was… you all make me feel this kind of serenity, but Marc? He really does.”
“He has a way about him,” Trip admitted. “Like I told you, people flock to him.”
“I can believe it.” She pursed her lips. “Where do we go from here, Trip?”
“We take everything a minute at a time,” he told her, utterly at ease with the notion. “We don’t have to rush into anything, El. We have all the time in the world.”
She let out a shaky breath. “Truly?”
“I promise.” He smiled at her. “This is for keeps, sweetheart. You have to know that.”
“It feels like that, but it’s hard to believe. All of this is.”
He squeezed her knee. “I know, but it will get easier with time.”
“If you say so,” she whispered, then let her hand hold the weight of his head as she bent down and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
He sighed at the touch. “Thank you for that.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” she said softly. “I wanted to do it.”
“That’s why I’m thanking you.”
Her lips twitched a little, then she asked, “I know you say we have all the time in the world but won’t your Pride want to meet me? Aren’t there formalities we have to address?”
“Yes,” he conceded, “but those can be handled without anything being rushed on our side.” He stared at her earnestly. “Don’t misunderstand me here, El. All three of us would claim you as soon as look at you. We’re all holding back because it’s more important to us that you know who and what you are… you’re not a quick roll in the hay. You’re everything. You can’t know that by being with us a day. This isn’t instant love, or even instant lust, even though I would love to pull you into the water and take you against the damn wall…” He grinned at her blush, but he saw the sparkle in her eyes and knew she liked what he had to say. “Our connection will deepen with time, and there’s no need to rush that to address the Pride’s needs.”
She sighed. “I still don’t understand how Ryan even recognized I was his mate.”
“Didn’t you feel it too?”
“I-I guess. He made me horny,” she admitted wryly. “Like, really horny. I’ve never felt that so quickly.” She bit her lip. “You’ve all made me feel that way.”
His nostrils flared at the scent of her arousal. “That’s good to know, sweetie,” he said gruffly, feeling her need down in his bones. “But what about more than that? A knowing? Did you have that?”
She tilted her head to the side in contemplation. “I guess so. I felt that peace I told you about before. Even though I was nervous and feeling a little lusty, I also felt calm and safe.”
“Would you say those are normal feelings for someone who’s on a first date?”
She snickered. “Nope.”
“Well, then…”
“I guess.” She pondered that a second. “I should ask Ryan how he knew I was his mate. How he knew to show me that golden link thing.”
Trip snorted. “Understatement of the year, honey. That golden link thing is very important.”
“I can imagine. Can he only do that because he’s the leader of the Pride?”
Trip nodded. “It’s a very unique gift.”
“He seems to have a lot of them,” she retorted dryly.
“It’s why he’s the leader at such a young age. You get used to him being an overachiever,” he confided with a grin. “But ask him, he’ll tell you how he knew.”
“How did you know?”
“Scent.”
“I smell good?”
“Yup, but more than that, it’s visceral. My Lion responded to your scent. He’s usually very disinterested in who we fuck.”
“We haven’t fucked yet,” came the coy retort.
“Yet being the operative word, I hope,” he said ruefully.
She just smirked at him.
“I was in the back office at Feral when you and Ryan were on your date. I might have had the CCTV trained on you.”
“Were you spying on us?” she demanded, but she sounded more amused than aghast.
“Maybe.” He peered up at her, then grinned. “I was curious.”
“It would seem so.” She shook her head. “Don’t spy on me in future. I don’t like it. I have enough people watching me without you doing it too.”
“I understand,” he said softly. “But you have to realize, we don’t take many dates from Pride in Love. The requests are there, but we don’t accept them all. We have to get the feeling, you know?”
“The feeling?”
He nodded. “It’s just
a good vibe. Instinct, you’d call it, but our Lion’s involved. When Ryan said he was responding to you, we all read your profile and felt the same. So, that’s why I was watching. I saw him do his spider web trick and knew you had to be our mate, otherwise he wouldn’t have shown you.”
“But what about when you met me the other night?” she asked, sounding a little disappointed by his answer.
“Couldn’t you tell? I was nervous as hell,” he admitted wryly. “My palms were sweating so badly, I nearly dropped the vodka twice on the way back from the kitchen. It’s a wonder there was any frost left on the bottle.”
She giggled. “But that doesn’t tell me how you knew… or was it just a secondhand response from knowing Ryan realized we were mated?”
“No. My Lion sat up and sprung to attention the moment you were close.” He closed his eyes, a reminiscent smile on his face as he explained, “You have to understand something else, El. We’re essentially alone from birth, with the huge weight on our shoulders of knowing that unless we’re a Triad, we won’t ever have a woman of our own.”
“Ever? You don’t have girlfriends and stuff?”
He shook his head. “Not really. Not once you meet your Triad brothers.”
“Why?”
“Why take the risk of falling in love with someone when they mean nothing to your Triad?”
“So, you did fall in love at some point?”
She didn’t sound on edge, so he nodded. Warily, though. “I’ve seen ninety years, El. What do you think?”
“Should I be jealous?”
“No. There’s no need. They were… they kept me sane. They kept us all sane. They were entertaining, and for a while, they made us happy, I guess. But like I said, once Marc and I met Ryan, that kind of thing stopped. With the three-pronged bond in place, we knew we could meet our mate.”
“It’s all very complicated,” she said on a huff.
“Trust me, it is,” was his comeback. “You think we don’t know that? But how else do you address a population that’s so overrun with males there’s no hope of ever addressing a balance?”
“I don’t know, but you’ve all gone about it in a very convoluted way.”
He chuckled at her exasperated huff. “I’ll be sure to tell the Mother that when I meet her one day.”
Finding Luna: A Lion Shifter Reverse Harem Romance (PRIDE Book 1) Page 9