AnnaRose (Tails Book Four)

by R. E. Butler

  “They can’t force her to mate him, right? Not like in some countries where the women have no power over that kind of thing?”

  “They won’t. Duke told her she’s free to make her own choices, and they can’t force her into anything she doesn’t want to do. So, she’s hoping to meet her heart-match soon so Benecio will take a hike.”

  “I hope she does. So, tell me about mate-matching.”

  He finished his coffee and set the mug on the table. “It’s done by a match-maker. Abbie is our pride match-maker, but she matches for prides from all over the country. She’s got a gift to arrange matings, and it’s a hereditary power. A male or female will go to her and say they’re ready to be mate-matched and she’ll set something up. There’s a contract and everything.”

  “I didn’t know shifters had arranged matings.”

  “My parents were mate-matched. A lot of the older generations were, because it was always taught that the best thing a lion could do for themselves and their pride was to get mated and start a family as soon as possible. My parents want my sister and me to go through with mate-matching and find mates that way, but she and I don’t want to and have told them we’re waiting for our heart-matches.”

  “Which is?”

  “The person our lion chooses on sight. Duke’s heart-match is human, and there are two other males in our pride who have human heart-matches as well.”

  She mused on that. “So, since your parents want to control who Demi mates, I take it they aren’t happy you want to wait?”

  “Not so much. They’re pretty traditional, very strait-laced. When Duke and Ree mated and took over the pride as the alpha couple, there were a lot of lions who didn’t like it. Some more vocal than others.” He told her about his friend Barron—a bouncer at the bar—who’d been attacked by a handful of lions.

  “He was lucky you were there to help him out,” she said. “You’re very handy.”

  Hemi laughed. “I have good timing, I guess.” He glanced at his phone and said, “It’s about time for us to head to the diner. Duke texted me earlier to say there were disposable toothbrushes in the drawer in the bathroom.”

  “Oh, great. I’ll be right back.”

  She hurried to the bathroom and brushed her teeth, then finger-combed her hair before pulling it into a low ponytail. Once Hemi was ready, they headed down to the bar and she got her phone. The screen was cracked in the corner, but it worked, and she was glad they’d found it.

  Hemi helped her into his truck and shut the door, then got behind the wheel. She texted her parents to let them know she had her phone back and was going to breakfast with Hemi before heading home.

  She set the phone in the cup holder and said, “So you never really answered me.”

  “About what, sweetheart?”

  “What you said last night. About me being your mate.”

  He said nothing for a long moment, and she wondered if he’d dodge the question as he had earlier.

  “Look, I’m not made of glass, okay? Yes, Roy was an asshole and a stalker, and he could’ve killed me last night. But he didn’t. You found me and protected me, and whatever crazy, awful things brought us to this place, I’m glad for them because I met you. Although to be honest, I wish I could’ve just met you at the store or someplace normal instead of being chased through the woods by a crazy person.”

  He chuckled and took her hand, resting it on his thigh. “I wish that too. I told you about heart-matches. That’s what I feel toward you. My lion and I are both in agreement that you’re our heart-match, but that doesn’t mean anything has to happen between us right away or at all. It’s what I meant when I said that you’re leading us. You make the choices—you set the pace for our relationship. You should feel comfortable taking the time you need to heal from what you went through. I’m not going anywhere.”

  She mulled that over. “I’d like to get to know you better before we do anything permanent.” Like him putting his fangs in her neck and marking her as his mate, which was like marriage for their kind.

  While part of her was gung-ho about jumping into a full-fledged relationship with him right away, she really did want to get to know him. They weren’t on a clock and he wasn’t being pushy, so they could take their time.

  “That’s fine with me,” he said, bringing her hand to his lips for a kiss.

  He parked in front of a diner and they got out, meeting in front of his truck. It was easy to spot his sister once they were inside. She had the same dark hair and their features were similar. She stood from the booth and said, “Hi Annie, I’m Demi, it’s nice to meet you.”

  The two embraced and then Hemi kissed Demi’s cheek and they all slid into the booth. A server appeared with menus and glasses of water and took their drink orders. Annie was starving, and everything on the menu looked good.

  “What do you like to get here?” she asked.

  “I like the French toast,” Demi said.

  “I get the meat lovers skillet,” Hemi said. “It’s got a pound of meat along with eggs and potatoes.”

  “I’m hungry, but I don’t think I’m that hungry,” Annie said with a laugh.

  The server came back with their drinks and took their orders, and Annie decided on banana walnut pancakes with scrambled eggs. Once they were alone, the three talked about the lion pride, the bar, and everything except what Annie had been through with Roy. She was glad for the break.

  “So, you’re a teacher at the lion school?” Annie asked as she dug into the fluffy stack of pancakes.

  “Yep, I teach kindergarten. Our school is really small, so some of the high-grade level teachers have two or three grades and the kids do a lot of independent study.”

  “Is it just for shifters?”

  “It’s not, but we don’t have any human kids. They all go to the public school. I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the fees we have in place. We’re basically a private school, and lions get a big discount for being part of the pride, the way a church school would give a discount for members of their congregation. We’re looking for teachers, you know.”

  “I didn’t know,” she said. “But then again, I didn’t know there was a pride school around. I applied for a job at the wolf pack’s school, but they wanted a high school teacher and I like teaching younger kids.”

  “Me too. I can’t imagine teaching teenagers.” Demi shivered and Annie laughed. “You should apply for our school,” Demi said. “With Hemi as your mate, there’s no way they’d turn you down—not to mention that we’re in need of teachers, like I said.”

  “We just met last night,” Hemi said, ending his sentence with a low snarl. “We’re taking things slow.”

  Demi rolled her eyes at her brother. “Just letting her know what her options are.”

  “Thanks,” Annie said. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

  After their meal was over and Annie was positively stuffed, she and Demi hugged in the parking lot and exchanged phone numbers. “Call me anytime, Annie,” Demi said.

  “I will. It was nice to meet you.”

  “You too. I love how docile Hemi’s being. He’s downright tamed thanks to you.”

  Annie glanced at Hemi, who was glaring at his sister with narrowed eyes. “Bye sis.”

  Demi giggled. “Bye. See you soon, Annie.”

  Annie nodded and got into the truck. When Hemi was behind the wheel, she said, “I take it you have a bit of a reputation for being gruff?”

  “That’s one way to put it.”

  She entered her address into the truck’s GPS system. “Well, I think you’re very sweet.”

  He wiggled his brows at her with a smile. “Just for you.”

  Chapter Nine

  Hemi woke the next morning with Annie pressed against his side. He’d never allowed a one-nighter to stay over, because he’d wanted to be able to tell his mate that she was the first one to share his bed all night. There were a lot of things he was going to get to do with Annie for the first time.

&nbs
p; She still had much to learn about shifters, but he was happy to share everything with her.

  He glanced at his phone and saw it was nearly six. She was still sound asleep, and he wanted to allow her to continue to rest, but she’d asked him to set an alarm so she could go to work. Deciding to let her sleep until the alarm went off, he slid from the bed and went into the kitchen to brew coffee. He found a container of salted caramel creamer in the fridge with a sticky note that read: “I thought you might like this, D.”

  Smiling, he pulled it out along with a jug of milk for Annie’s coffee and two microwaveable breakfast sandwiches from the freezer. While they heated, he thought over the previous day. After breakfast with Demi, he’d taken Annie to the garage, where Damien had shown them to her car. Judging by the damage, Hemi was amazed that she hadn’t been more hurt. Damien had given them a box to put her things into, and she’d quickly filled it. When he’d offered her a loaner, she said she’d be driving her mom’s car. Damien was going to scrap the car for parts and take it to the scrap yard. She’d end up with a check for a few hundred dollars when all was said and done.

  She’d been on edge after seeing her car, so Hemi had taken her on a drive around town and they’d stopped at the park to walk the trail. It had soothed her to be out in the fresh air, and she’d confessed to being scared to go to work or be at her house.

  “I don’t want to stay with my parents. It’s what they want because they think I’ll be safer there. But the truth is, I think he’s only going to get worse until he’s caught and imprisoned. If something happened to my parents because I was staying with them, I’d never forgive myself.”

  “I understand. So, stay with me.”

  “Are you sure?” She’d looked up at him intensely.

  “One hundred percent, sweetheart. We’re still taking things slow, but Roy would be a fool of the highest order to step foot into pride territory, and there are patrols at night. He won’t be able to get to you.”

  “I’d like that. Thank you.”

  He’d cupped her cheek. “You never have to thank me for taking care of you.”

  The smile she’d given him had lit up every part of his body. She was so beautiful. “I will anyway.”

  After a kiss that was supposed to be quick but turned into a much longer one, they’d headed to her place so she could pack a bag and he could meet her parents. They were as down to earth as he’d expected, wanting to ensure she was safe. Annie and Hemi had stayed for dinner. He liked her parents a lot. They were the opposite of his parents—kind and welcoming, not caring that he was a shifter. It was clear they were happy Hemi and Annie had found each other, and they didn’t mind that she wanted to stay with him. They just wanted her to be okay.

  Once they were back at his place, he’d spoken to Duke, who had agreed to send patrols more frequently to scout their area overnight, and then they’d gotten into bed. And with her sweet heat all snuggled up next to him, he’d never slept so well in his life.

  The alarm beeped at the same time as the microwave that signaled the sandwiches were done. He heard Annie grumble about the alarm and then turn it off. He put the sandwiches on a plate, grabbed the two mugs by the handles, and walked into the bedroom.

  “Hey beautiful.”

  “Morning,” she said, sitting up and covering a yawn. “Oh, thank you.” She took a mug from him and inhaled the steam. “Just what I need.”

  Joining her, he put the plate between them and took a drink from his own mug. “You’re welcome. Did you sleep well?”

  “Yep. You?”

  “Of course. I had my dream girl right here with me.”

  She smiled at him over the coffee mug. Once they’d finished their coffees and sandwiches, she headed to the bathroom to clean up. When she was finished, he took a shower and got dressed. He drove her to the school and walked her to the door.

  A middle-aged woman greeted them, hugging Annie tightly. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  “Thanks. Me too. This is my friend, Hemi. This is my boss, Tilly.”

  His lion rankled at the term friend, but he mentally shushed the creature. Shaking Tilly’s hand, he said, “Nice to meet you.”

  Tilly said, “Both exits are locked from the inside. In order for someone to come in, they have to be buzzed in, so we don’t need to worry about that man trying to get in here, because he can’t. And my brother, who works security at the mall, is going to hang out here for a few days, just to keep an eye on things. He had some personal time to use up and is happy to sit at the door in his uniform and just be a presence.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Hemi said. While he hated to leave her, it wasn’t like he could hang out in the parking lot all day.

  Tilly left them alone and Hemi took Annie’s hand. “Normally I’d be asleep right now since I work nights.”

  “I messed up your schedule.”

  “It’s no problem. I’m going to do some yard work and rest a bit. I’ll be back to pick you up at six.” He kissed her cheek. “Listen, sweetheart, if you feel suspicious or worried about anything, even if you think you might just be being paranoid, call me and I’ll come check it out.”

  “I will.”

  “I also wanted to ask if you’d like to go to dinner tonight.”

  “Sure. I’ll need to change first, though. We’ve got art today and I’ll for sure be covered in paint by the end of the day.”

  He smiled. “We can run home so you can clean up.”

  She nodded and he gave her a quick kiss, then waited until she was inside the building and the security door locked. With a wave, he headed to his truck and drove home.

  He didn’t like leaving her, but they couldn’t just stop their lives and hide, hoping that Roy would move on and leave her be. Eventually, Hemi knew he’d come face-to-face with the male, and he would do everything in his power to ensure Annie was safe.

  No matter what.

  * * *

  Hemi hadn’t ever really been out on a date before. He’d told Annie that lions didn’t date, and that was true. He’d gone out with groups of lions his own age as a young male, and he’d taken a female home when the mood struck him. But to ask a female out and plan a date? He was in new territory.

  His phone buzzed and he answered. “Hey, Barron. Thanks for calling me back.”

  “Sure thing. Hey, I heard you found your heart-match. Congrats.”

  “Thanks.”

  “So, what’s up?”

  “My heart-match’s name is Annie. We’ve got a date tonight, and I’m totally out of my depth. I was wondering if you had any advice for me, since you and Mercy have been dating for a while.”

  “Sure thing. I get that feeling,” he said with a chuckle. “While Mercy was learning about being with a lion, I had to learn about being with a human. There are a few tricks of the trade that I’ve picked up along the way. You should definitely have flowers for her. It’s an old-fashioned thing. I’m not sure that young human males even really do that like they used to a few decades ago, but she’ll appreciate the gesture. Traditional first dates usually involve a meal or a movie. Do you know what her favorite food is?”

  He thought back to their breakfast with Demi the day before, when she’d said how much she enjoyed burgers.

  “She likes burgers.”

  “That’ll be easy. There are tons of places to go for a good burger. Ike’s comes to mind.”

  “I know where that is. So, flowers and dinner.”

  “Yep, and you could always do a movie at your house afterward. Make sure you have soda and popcorn, and some candy too. Make it a whole movie experience.”

  Since she liked action movies, Hemi knew exactly what he wanted to watch with her. “Okay, cool. Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

  “No problem. Happy to help.”

  Hemi ended the call and got to work. He’d spent most of the cooler morning hours working in the yard, and then rested so he didn’t totally compromise his sleep habits. As they continued to get to know eac
h other and spend time together, he knew he’d have to change things up or he’d be perpetually exhausted.

  He hit up a flower shop and a market for movie night supplies, then cleaned up and dressed in slacks and a button-down shirt.

  His lion was antsy and excited to see her. Six o’clock couldn’t come fast enough.

  He waited in his truck in the preschool parking lot, watching as the parents filed into the school to pick up their kids. The little ones were cute and made his lion want something just like that for him and Annie.

  It occurred to him that he hadn’t told his parents about her yet. Probably because he knew they wouldn’t be happy. Deciding to put the call off until the next day, he focused on his sweetheart, his lion growling happily when she waved at him from the front door.

  He got out of the truck and opened the passenger door for her. He gave her a quick kiss. “Hey beautiful, how was your day?”

  “Long.”

  “And full of paint I take it.” He smiled down at her paint-splattered clothes.

  She looked down at herself and laughed. “I told you they’d get me.”

  “And they really did.”

  He shut her in the truck and drove toward his house. She headed right to the bathroom to clean up, and that was when the nerves kicked in. He wanted their first date to go well, so she’d know that he’d always do his best to make her happy. That’s all he and his lion wanted—her happiness.

  He pulled the flowers out of the fridge once he heard her moving around in the bedroom and knew she was getting dressed. When she came out, she was wearing a short jean skirt and floral tank that showed off her tanned shoulders. Her hair was up at the sides and curled on the ends.

  “You look lovely,” he said, and kissed her cheek. He handed her the flowers and she gasped.

  “Oh, thank you! I love wildflowers.”