by Kyle, Celia
He wasted a few minutes wondering what to do. He couldn’t call an ambulance. There would be too many questions and his torn clothes would only be one of them. He’d managed to salvage his pants before shifting but the rest was destroyed. He gathered Avery against his chest and stood up slowly, letting her get her legs under her.
Keeping a tight hold on her shoulders, he started walking toward the street. She stayed in her silent, frozen state even as she walked alongside him. Her eyes never moved, and he knew this was a terrible sign. If she did not improve soon, he would have to risk emergency departments and start trying to cover up the circumstances.
With Avery not knowing a damn thing about lion shifters, that was a very dangerous idea.
As they hit the curb, he hailed a cab. The guy looked shifty as Elias pulled them both into the back seat—Avery in shock and he in nothing but suit slacks. But with a wave of his gold card, the cabbie nodded and hurried to the most expensive five-star hotel in the area.
As he jumped out, Elias cradled Avery against his chest. Immediately a doorman was by his side, asking if he needed assistance. Elias stated that if his suite was prepared in the usual way, nothing more would be required.
It didn’t matter what sort of state you were in when you showed up at the most expensive places in town. So long as a person had the cash, they were treated like royalty.
In the ride up in the elevator Avery trembled a little. He couldn’t wait to get to the room, wrap her in a blanket, and get her some hot tea to drink. His lion and his manly nature forced him to do something. He couldn’t just stand by his mate and watch her suffer.
Elias pushed open the door to the suite with one foot, holding onto Avery with both hands. He saw that the usual champagne and strawberries had been put out, not that he would be needing them tonight. There was a tea cart with a selection of desserts, and he could smell the aroma of very fine coffee in addition to tea offerings.
Thank God for a concierge with instincts like a lion.
He settled Avery on the couch, putting a blanket around her shoulders. Her pupils were beginning to dilate, and color was gradually returning to her cheeks. Before checking out the cart, he hurried to the bedroom and put on a robe. She didn’t need to be distracted by a half-naked male while she recovered.
He investigated the cart, deciding to bring her some very strong, sweet tea and an enormous slice of vanilla cream cake.
Weren’t sweets good for shock? He couldn’t remember. He figured he couldn’t go wrong with cake, not with a pregnant woman anyway.
As he sat down and pressed the teacup into her hands, she started to blink. Her breaths became deep and long and she focused on his face.
“Elias.”
“Drink your tea, sweetheart. Please. You and the baby both need something.”
She looked down into the teacup and then up at him. She sipped slowly, color returning to her cheeks with every mouthful.
“That’s good,” she whispered.
“Here, I brought you some cake.”
She laughed a little. “I’m not sure I can eat a piece that big, but okay. I won’t say no to cake.”
He passed her the plate and watched her eat, full of joy at just being able to watch her as she ate. Being by her side, no matter where she was or what she was doing, brought him fierce joy.
“Avery?” She looked up, putting down her cake and taking a sip of strong tea. “I want to explain.”
She blinked. In her deep, dark eyes, he saw a hint of challenge. An edge of mystery. The old Avery. “Well, go ahead. If you think you can explain freaky ass shit like what just went down, go ahead. I can’t wait to hear it.”
He grinned, comforted by her spiky reply. Not only was she feeling better, she was acting like her old self.
Even if she didn’t remember, something was coming back to her.
“I’m waiting,” she said calmly as she sipped her tea.
“Okay.” He took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair. “Living amongst humans are shifters. Animals and humans… linked souls.”
“You don’t say.” She bent an eyebrow at him, and he smiled again.
“I run in a pride. I’m the alpha, you see.”
She put her cup down carefully to look at him, taking his hands.
“I saw it, Elias. I’m just not sure I believe it.” Her hands shook and her voice faltered. He could see her eyes going wide as the shock rose in her again.
“I know you’re probably about to tell me a bunch of history or legend, or even give me a run-down of your pride or something. Simplify it. I can’t take a long explanation right now. I’m too tired. The baby is kicking hell out of me after all that sugar and—” She stopped suddenly, putting a hand on her stomach. “It’s your baby. Isn’t it?” He couldn’t speak. All he could do was nod. “What does that mean?”
“We’re mates, Avery. Shifters mate for life. They only get one chance. One perfect match. You’re mine.”
“And I am yours,” Avery whispered, repeating the lines they had spoken to each other when they first mated.
“Will you let me show you that my mouth matches your bite? Will that help you understand?”
She looked confused for a moment, her brows coming together in a frown. Then she nodded and pulled off her jacket, exposing her bare arms.
He leaned forward, running his fingers over the scar. Long and crescent shaped, it looked like a pale red moon crossing her creamy skin.
When he put his lips above it, they both trembled. Feeling his lips above her skin sent intensity singing through them both. With tremendous self-control, Elias leaned forward and fitted his teeth into the dents of the bite. He couldn’t stop himself from putting pressure on her skin, coming close to breaking through.
He pulled back, gasping for breath. His lion was raging, roaring, lashing its tail and pacing. Too much had happened tonight, and it had tasted no satisfaction to soothe its primitive nature.
Then he saw Avery staring at him.
Her eyes were wide but not with fear. She was biting her lip just a little, her tongue creeping to the edge of her mouth. When her eyes traveled down, he knew he had awakened something in her with his teeth touching her skin.
He leaned forward and kissed her.
The moment was intense. His lion leapt around, caged and contained but full of fire. It leaked through him, impossible to suppress completely.
Avery returned the kiss. Her lips parted, and she invited his tongue inside. With a moan that released all his grief and longing, he grabbed her upper arms and pulled her against his chest to kiss her more deeply.
When she pulled back and stood up, he worried he had gone too far. He pulled back his hands and looked away, hurt and trying desperately to restrain himself.
Then she reached up and loosened the halter neck of the dress, letting it fall. She put her hands on his shoulders and used him for balance as she slipped off her panties.
He stared at her in wonder. He rubbed his rough palm across the tight skin of her belly, resting his cheek against it. The baby kicked him in the cheek, and he laughed, stretching his arms out to pull her tighter against him.
She stroked his hair, her nails gently digging into his scalp. He moaned again with pure need but full of contentment and something deeper, something more profound.
Relief.
She was alive. She was here. She was his.
And she carried his cub.
Slowly, he helped her sit on the couch. He shoved aside the footstool he had been sitting on as he got to his knees. He ran his hands down her smooth thighs and pressed his lips to her clit.
Her shout of pleasure drowned out his moan. He gripped her legs and explored deeper, his tongue and lips parting her folds and drawing more sweet juice as she began to cry out and writhe.
He kept going, feasting on her and letting his lion rise to take him over with its fierce passion. Her taste, her scent, her body. His. His again. Returned to him from a place beyond hope.
When she began to twist and grab at his hair, he sat up, smiling at the pleasure written all over her face. She was wide-eyed and full of lust, submitting to him and to her base urges that surged inside her. She responded to him with the same natural reflex she had that very first night.
She opened her legs, sliding forward on the couch. He put his hands over hers, resting on her knees. She gasped as he threw the robe from his shoulders, revealing his body in the dim light. Her eyes traced over him appreciatively, quickly falling to his cock.
He let her look, enjoying her attention. Before long she reached for him, tightened her fingers around the thick, hard shaft and pulled him toward her.
He thrust his hips forward slowly. He felt her soft folds opening for him, slick and wet. The lion couldn’t take it anymore, and with a furious roar, he grabbed hold of her and pushed himself into her all at once.
She responded by opening her legs further and twisting herself toward him. He grinned as he began to thrust, watching her face as passion and pleasure flowed through her.
My mate. My cub. Mine.
He was home.
Chapter Ten
The room was dark when Avery opened her eyes. She was sprawled on the couch and Elias was in the nearby armchair where he had fallen after they made love. She came out of sleep sluggishly, not wanting to move. Her limbs were heavy and lifting her belly was so difficult she gasped with exhaustion.
Her mind was tangled. Thoughts ran through her and then clashed together, twisting her perspective. In a way, she couldn’t believe what she had just done. She hadn’t felt sexual at all since she woke up from her coma. No one had touched her.
Why did I want him so much?
She felt that she had moved too fast. Her judgment had blurred, and that was the only reason she felt intimate with him. Perhaps the mugging had upset her so much that she desperately needed comfort and had gone into his arms for that reason alone.
She needed time to think this through. Obviously, she couldn’t control herself while she was around him. He distorted her judgment with his presence. It was not just the sense of safety, but his blistering hot body, magnetic eyes and electric fingers.
She smiled to herself as she mentally went over his attributes.
Yeah, girl, no problem here at all.
She sat up slowly, the bulk of her belly pressing her down. The baby kicked her very hard, and she put a hand where the movement was the strongest. It was almost as if the baby was telling her to stay.
She had felt the connection between their bodies, the power of the mate mark. She couldn’t doubt for a second that the baby was his. That made sneaking out in the early hours of the morning seem even more underhanded, but she had no choice.
Last night she had been in a fragile state, desperate for comfort and reassurance. Every moment of fear and uncertainty that had compounded in her heart since the day she woke up had come to a point and exploded within her until she didn’t know herself anymore.
Had she ever? Had there been a single moment since she woke up that she had actually known herself?
Last night fear had ruled her. Not just being attacked and seeing Elias change, but every horrible thing that had ever happened to her crowded into her heart at exactly the same time.
No, she had to get out. She needed to think for herself. It was tempting to stay with Elias, in his arms, in his bed, but she had to think about this.
Her body pulled her toward him, and she moaned softly. The baby gave another mighty kick and her moan turned into a very loud groan. The baby flipped over inside her, wriggling for her notice.
“Quiet,” she whispered. “You aren’t supposed to know what’s going on outside your little world.”
The baby kicked hard. She sat down and tried to find her shoes. The dress was in a puddle on the floor and she picked it up. She was so intent on getting dressed that when the rustling sound came from beside her, she jumped a mile high.
She looked over quickly to see Elias’ eyes open, glowing in the dark.
“Avery.”
She gulped, tears threatening to start.
“Where are you going?”
“Home. I just need some time to think.”
“I can’t let you… I mean, I don’t want you to go.”
She held her dress to her chest, sighing. The baby seemed to have heard Elias’ voice and was squirming happily. Soon she’d be hungry again.
Are you always this hungry when you’re pregnant, or is it because I’m carrying a lion cub?
“Avery.” He leaned forward, his hands clasped before him. His eyes looked so serious in the dark, as if he was so troubled nothing could break the cloud that hung over him. “How could you leave me, Avery? After last night, now that you know—”
“I don’t know anything, Elias,” she snapped, sharper than she meant. “What we just shared… It was wonderful. I’m not denying that. But I don’t remember you. I don’t remember anything. I know there is plenty of evidence we were together before the accident, but I still don’t know what the accident even was.”
“I told you.”
“I know you did, but I don’t know. Don’t you understand?”
He shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Then just let me go. I need time. Surely you can understand that.”
He shook his head again and she got the sense that he really did not understand. They had come together. She admitted they were a couple and he was most likely the father of her child. What more did she need to know?
He was a fucking lion.
She had leapt into his arms without care. Ever since the accident she had to be so careful. So innocent, so trusting, so easy to take advantage of. She had to watch herself carefully to keep her baby safe.
You are safe with Elias.
The voice came from deep within her, an undeniable truth. She knew it was true.
But she still could not think straight with him around. She wanted to think. Those glimpses of her past self were haunting her, and as much as she wanted that woman back, she wanted to make every choice in her life on her own terms.
She would not do anything to satisfy his expectation. She was not an actor playing a role. Her feelings mattered and she would enforce her will.
“Elias, I’m going.”
“No, you aren’t.”
They stared at each other through the darkness. The city lights outside lent some glow, but mostly the shadows ruled.
Avery didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to leave anymore, but she definitely needed time to think before she committed herself to Elias. She had built a life for herself and she couldn’t give it up for someone she didn’t even remember.
“I’m not sure why you are resisting me on this, Elias. I won’t be far away. You can see me every day. I just need space.”
He sighed, leaning forward and clasping his hands. “You were attacked. Tonight. You were in danger and I almost didn’t make it. You could have been killed.”
“The mugger?” She was genuinely confused. “Muggings happen every day. It was just bad luck.”
“No, it wasn’t.” He spoke firmly and she saw his lion rising in the shimmer of his eyes. “I am convinced it was a rival lion, and they were trying to steal you away from me. Again.”
Terrible fear shocked through her. Partly because she was afraid for herself, helpless in this strange new world she had been thrust into without any knowledge of how it worked. Partly because her instincts told her it was just random crime and she didn’t know if she fully believed Elias.
Looking into his eyes, the idea of questioning him seemed absurd. He would never lie to her. Part of her brain simply rebelled against the idea that she was wrong about the mugging.
“I don’t know what to say,” she admitted softly.
“You don’t need to say anything,” he answered. “Just stay with me. Let me keep you safe.”
She s
hook her head. “I don’t understand. Why would other lions attack me?”
“For the same reason they did the first time. To get to me.”
“Can’t you, like, track them or something?” She wanted him to prove that he was right and banish doubt from her mind.
He sighed, shaking his head. “They were using some kind of suppressant. I couldn’t pin down an exact scent signature. It would have curbed their abilities, so they must be pretty determined to hide from me.”
Avery felt more frightened and confused than ever. The baby shifted and kicked her again. When she put her hand on her belly, Elias’ eyes followed her hand and his expression softened.
“If you won’t do it for me, do it for the baby. Please, stay here and let me keep you safe.”
“And what if it was just a mugging? Ordinary, everyday bad luck?”
“Then what do you lose by staying? This suite is huge. You can stay away from me if you like. There are at least six rooms in here. Twenty-four-hour rom service. Professional masseuse. Although, I volunteer to rub your feet any time you like.”
She smiled in spite of herself and he smiled back. He was winning her over and he knew it.
She still wasn’t sure. It was like being in car on a slippery road and the brakes just grabbed again. For a moment, the feeling of sliding out of control had passed. It was right there waiting, though, ready to shove her into panic the second she lost the wheel.
“So, you’ll stay?” She couldn’t ignore the plea in his voice. It turned her heart.
“Yes, Elias. I’ll stay.”
His sense of relief was so great she could feel it across the room. He got up slowly and came to her, kneeling in front of her and taking her hands. Looking into his eyes and feeling the warmth of his love, she knew she could never leave him. Everything else was just bravado and confusion. Her heart knew. It had always known.
She just had to accept it.
Chapter Eleven
Having her so close and not being able to touch her drove Elias out of his mind. The setting of the hotel, the easy feel of the days, reminded him so much of when they first met.
