The Leopard King

by Ann Aguirre

  The old man opened the security assignment log book and perused it with complete focus. “Not necessary. I’m checking to see where you’ll fit best. I understand you’re an ocelot?”

  “That’s right.”

  “There’s a recon mission needing one more. Would you like to join that team?”

  “Please,” Pru said, ignoring her cousin’s disappointed huff.

  Caio wrote down the pertinent details and handed them over. “Good luck and congratulations. Your achievements enrich the pride—on all levels.”

  “Well, that was weighty,” Joss muttered as they left the admin office. “I thought he was about to genuflect.”

  “He’s old school. You know how seriously they take everything.”

  And then Pru noticed the crowd gathering in the square, all eyes focused on her.

  When Pru told Dom, don’t worry about an announcement, he heard, I’m not important enough, don’t bother. And fuck that.

  So between strategy sessions, he spread the word among the guards, who were the biggest gossips in the pride. He didn’t need to do much to assemble an audience, and anyone who missed out would hear the story soon enough. Pru froze on the steps of the admin building, and he had to go fetch her. She even resisted a little when he took her hand. It seemed better to go back up the stairs, high enough that everyone could see him.

  “I’m sure you’ve already heard some speculation, so I’m here to confirm. Pru has consented to be my mate and to lead Ash Valley as my partner.”

  Resulting whoops sounded from the crowd, and someone shouted, “When’s the party?”

  “That has to wait until after the conclave, but I wanted to clear up any doubts. Please congratulate us and spread the word.” Dom lifted their joined hands over his head and then carried Pru’s fingers to his lips.

  Congratulatory roars rang out in response, but one angry face leapt out at him. Slay glared from the back, simultaneously homicidal and heartbroken. After another moment, he wheeled and stalked off. Pru withstood the wave of good wishes, but she didn’t look happy, and her nails dug into his hand. After a while, he extricated them from the thinning throng and led her toward a quiet niche. On closer inspection, he saw that her face was red to the point that it looked painful, and she was trembling. Tears stood in her eyes as she jerked her hand away.

  “I can’t believe you ambushed me like that,” she snapped. “What’s wrong with you?”

  This wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. “But I did this for you.”

  “Didn’t you realize that I hate being the center of attention? It makes me want to throw up. I don’t know what you were thinking, but—”

  “Sorry. I’m so sorry. I should’ve come up with a better way. But you have to understand, I want you beside me. I didn’t want you feeling like you have to hide.” Dom tried to pull her close, and she flattened her palms on his chest, preventing him from completing the embrace.

  “That grand gesture would’ve delighted Dalena,” she said quietly. “But I’m not her.”

  “I’m sorry.” Dom didn’t know if he should push, but he had the feeling he’d stepped on a butterfly. “What should I have done, then?”

  “I told you clearly not to worry about it. I mean, I just explained to my cousin Joss, and she’ll tell everyone she knows. I don’t have to stand on a stage with you to legitimize our relationship. Honestly, it feels like showboating.”

  He dropped his hands, feeling like she’d produced a scorpion tail and stung him. “You think I arranged this to… rub us in Slay’s face or something?”

  “That’s not what I said. Or meant.”

  “It looks like I misjudged the situation,” he said.

  Pru let out a slow sigh and knuckled tears from her eyes. “Look, I don’t want to fight. You’re just used to pleasing a different kind of woman.”

  There was no way to keep from flinching; it felt like he’d given her Dalena’s clothes to wear. “I’ll work harder and figure out what makes you happy.”

  Finally, she let him draw her close. “Maybe you thought I was being a martyr when I said to focus on other issues. But I meant it.”

  “Noted. Will it bother you to attend the next session with Beren and Raff? They want to meet you, and your perspective will be helpful.”

  She shook her head. “I’m fine in a professional setting, and small groups are no problem either. The surprise today, I would’ve done better if I had a chance to brace for it. Some people thrive on attention, but for me, it’s like diving off a high board. I can do it, but it requires time and preparation.”

  I should’ve remembered how she preferred being invisible to people gossiping about her Latent status. That won’t change overnight.

  “Is there anything else I should know? So I don’t hurt you again with good intentions.”

  “Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything. I appreciate that your heart was in the right place.” She put her arms around him gently. “And… I’m happy you’re proud to be with me. If I hadn’t been so upset, I would’ve said that first. I’m sorry I started out scolding you.”

  “Don’t apologize. If you don’t tell me, how will I learn?”

  Now that the first sting had faded, gratitude trickled in. She could’ve pretended everything was fine until a knot of resentment developed. Her honest anger meant she trusted him enough to work through it, together. That, more than anything, gave him hope for their future, and it shone in him like the brightest evening star.

  “You make a good point,” she admitted.

  “Am I allowed to kiss you before we go act like authoritative leaders?”

  The furious color had subsided, and she smiled, a dimple cutting into her left cheek. Her lower lip was fuller than the top one. Even her smile seemed different, a touch secret and just for him, but also delightfully crooked, as one corner of her mouth pulled higher than the other.

  “That can be arranged.”

  She went up on tiptoe; Dom met her halfway, framing her face in his hands. She tasted of salt and jam. Tears and the toast I made her. I have to do better. As he fought the urge to pull her even closer, someone cleared their throat behind him. Turning but not letting go of Pru, he recognized her cousin, Joss.

  “So this is where you disappeared to. You can’t keep your hands off each other, huh?”

  “Joss,” Pru chided.

  Dom chuckled. “That was more like a kiss of peace. Don’t ask.”

  “Wasn’t going to. Welcome to the family.”

  Joss astonished him with a warm hug and a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Laughing, he had no idea how to react. Pru had threatened him with her effusive extended family, but this was starting sooner than he’d envisioned.

  She pulled Joss away with a dark look, whispering, “I’ll deal with you later.” Pru turned to him, a blush rising, though she tried to play it cool. “Shall we go talk to Raff and Beren?”

  After checking the time, he swore. “They’re expecting me back in two minutes. I only asked for a short recess during the last meeting.”

  “Come on, then. We’ll talk more soon,” she added to her cousin.

  They rushed to the conference room, where as he’d predicted, the wolf and bear leaders were already waiting. Beren had taken a chair, but Raff paced like the generous-sized space couldn’t keep him from feeling hemmed in. The wolf lord scowled as Dom stepped in.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re trying to insult us.”

  “Your father never would have treated his allies this way.” That judgment, delivered by the stone-faced bear chief, cut deep.

  He would never have failed on other levels like I have, either.

  Before he could apologize, Pru stepped forward and bowed low to each man in turn. “This is my fault. You may not have heard, but Dom and I are recently mated. In fact, we were together at the retreat when you arrived, and just now, he held a brief assembly for my sake. So I must beg your pardon for any slight you may have suffered. I promi
se, going forward, we’ll treat you as the most honored of guests.”

  “When you put it that way, dear lady, it would be most churlish of me to deny you goodwill and my warmest wishes for your happiness.” Raff took her hand and pressed a kiss onto its back.

  Her smile quivered at the edges, but she conveyed a compelling impression of delight. Still, Dom wanted to knock the wolf’s arm away because it took him far too long to let go. When Raff finally retreated, he had a snarl lodged in his throat.

  “We didn’t know,” Beren said. “And it explains much. I’m glad to meet you. May Ash Valley prosper for your partnership.”

  I’ll be damned.

  With a bow and smile, Pru settled their raised hackles, and talks regarding the imminent negotiations resumed smoothly.

  9.

  Pru wished she could retire, but after her big talk about halving Dom’s burdens, it seemed wrong to tap out so soon.

  If Beren and Raff had brought their women, she would be entertaining them, but Beren’s mate had passed on two years ago, and Raff had yet to settle down. It was nearly midnight, and they’d eaten in the conference room. Smothering a yawn, she put on the kettle for the third time. They were currently arguing about where they needed to increase patrols, as the one thing they did agree on was that the conclave offered the perfect opportunity for the Golgoth to strike.

  “We’re the ones who will suffer,” Beren said, slamming a hand on the table. “We share a border, and I’ve shown you the troop movement reports that are coming daily.”

  If Dom had looked tired before, it was nothing compared to tonight’s exhaustion, and the conclave hadn’t even started yet. “I can send twenty guards to augment security in the north. Any more and I risk leaving the hold vulnerable.”

  “I’ll match that,” Raff said.

  Finally the bear leader seemed appeased. “Then let’s end things here for tonight. We can’t afford to be sleep-deprived when the enemy arrives.”

  “Assuming they have any interest in renewing the Pax Protocols,” Dom muttered.

  Raff sighed. “That attitude will make negotiations break down before they get started.”

  “You two are young,” the bear said. “And you don’t remember what it was like before, but that makes it hard as hell for me to take either of you seriously. Fucking cubs.”

  Pru put a hand on Dom’s shoulder to keep him from snapping in reply, but Raff had nobody to check him. She tipped her head toward the exit, suggesting silently that they should escape while the other two argued. This wasn’t pertinent, just wolf and bear blowing off steam. There was no reason to watch or mediate.

  Dom seemed to agree because he padded out on silent feet. In the hall, he popped his neck and groaned. “How did my father do this? I’m out of patience with our allies.”

  “Practice, I expect.”

  “I can’t shake the certainty that shit is about to go horribly wrong.”

  “Not tonight. Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow is the last day to decide how you’ll vote in response to the Golgoth and Eldritch requests for concessions.”

  “You don’t think I can persuade them to sign an identical agreement…?”

  Pru laughed. “Doubtful.”

  Because he really seemed to be dragging, she took his hand, and he managed a smile. “Thanks for going the distance. Believe it not, that’s their best behavior, so it would’ve been worse if you weren’t there.”

  “No problem.” Belatedly she realized she hadn’t shared the result of her trip to the admin office, so on the way home, she told him about the recon mission tomorrow night.

  Dom paused in entering the pin. Already he remembered without hesitation—3105—and that gave her an odd, happy flutter. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

  “Please don’t tell me you want to lock me up for my own protection, now that I can finally shift.” That would spark a bigger fight than the one they had earlier.

  “No. I’m just… worried. Not about your ability, just the timing. If that Noxblade finds you or the Golgoth snatch you—”

  “Is this because we’re recently mated, because I was Latent until a few days ago, or some combination of the two?” Pru studied his face as they went into the apartment.

  Whatever Dom might have said, he didn’t complete the thought. Instead, they found her father drinking at the table. A tall man with silver hair and deep-set eyes, he was thinner than he had been the last time she’d seen him, an echo of the way Dom mourned for Dalena. Blearily he glanced between the two of them and raised his brows.

  “It’s late for visiting,” he pointed out.

  But Dom stepped up, saving Pru the worry. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask your permission first, sir. The truth is, I’m not a guest since Pru and I have agreed to share our lives. She’s shifting now, not sure if you heard.” Dom wrapped an arm around her shoulders, adding, “Prettiest ocelot I’ve ever seen.”

  That startled her dad so much he tipped over the tumbler of amber liquid. With shaking hands, he righted the glass and then lurched toward her. “Just like your mother… Is it true?”

  “It is. Do you want to see?”

  “If you’re not too tired.”

  As she stripped, her father averted his eyes. It was weird since most Animari started changing much earlier in life, so she shouldn’t be doing this for the first time at her age, which made it a little awkward. But his reaction when she went cat made the minor discomfort worthwhile. His bloodshot eyes teared up as he knelt to pat her back.

  “You do look like her. I’m so glad you’re not a mangy lynx like me.”

  Bending down, Dom scooped up her clothes. “Do you mind if we get some rest? We have another long day tomorrow.”

  “Not at all.” Her dad was smiling, happier than she’d seen him in six months.

  Pru followed her mate into the bedroom and shifted back with an audible groan. “I shouldn’t have done that. Feel like passing out.”

  “You were right about his reaction. I think you could’ve brought a Golgoth home and he’d have only seen an ocelot.”

  “Told you. I know people and I pay attention.”

  Muscles sore, head fuzzy, she brushed her teeth and crawled into bed, not waiting for Dom to finish his routine. By the time he joined her, Pru was already half-asleep. It surprised her when he spooned up behind her; he’d done it on the mountain, but this time he was awake and presumably knew what he was doing.

  “This okay?” he whispered.

  “Mhm. But… can you sleep?”

  He hesitated before replying, “It’s the only way I can. When I’m touching you, I don’t dream, or at least, I don’t remember any nightmares.”

  Nobody had ever said anything like that to her before. The flutter she’d felt earlier twisted into a shimmering bluefish, and it felt like it was leaping against a line tied directly to her heart. Pru put her hand over his where it rested on her stomach, quietly delighted by the heat of his skin. He answered the touch by kissing her temple, not the sex signal, thankfully, because with her dad in the next room crying into his liquor, she wanted to sleep more than fuck.

  “Night, Dom.”

  “Sweet dreams.”

  In the morning, she got up early enough to fix a good breakfast. Her dad hadn’t passed out on the couch last night at least, so maybe her shifting milestone would help him turn the corner on his grief. He came out bleary-eyed when he smelled hot coffee and frying meat. She didn’t have the heart to scold him when he plucked a slice off the platter and nearly swallowed it whole. From the look of him, he hadn’t hunted enough to stay healthy as a lynx.

  “When did you decide on Dominic? I thought you were holding out for the other one. That hothead jaguar.” After their failed pairing, her father always pretended he couldn’t remember Slay’s name.

  There was no point in telling the story like she had with Joss. Her dad wanted to hear one thing only. “It happened pretty fast, but I’m happy.”

  “That’s all I care about.”<
br />
  Impulsively she hugged him and then wrinkled her nose. “You reek. How long has it been since you washed up?”

  “I don’t remember.”

  “No breakfast unless you shower.”

  Dom sauntered out of the bedroom with wet hair in time to catch that. “Looks like I’m in luck. Okay for me to go ahead?”

  “Of course. You only have twenty minutes.”

  “We,” he corrected. “Unless you plan to leave me hanging today?”

  “No, but I may not be able to stay as long. Recon mission,” she reminded him, bracing for him to list the reasons why it was dangerous.

  But as Dom tucked into the food, he said, “I’ve been thinking about that, and you have my support. You can’t live in a cage, just to ease my mind.”

  Much as I wish you could.

  But if Dom limited Pru because of his own fear, that would make him a shitty excuse for a leader. Not to mention, Dalena had been “safe” at home when she died. So avoiding potential danger wouldn’t guarantee Pru’s safety. What Slay had said gnawed at him, and sometimes he wondered, What makes you think you can keep her safe? Especially now. But she was the first person to break through and make him care again—about her, the pride, and himself.

  Her reaction was everything he could’ve hoped. She stilled for a second, her eyes brightened, and she threw herself at him, locking on to his neck in a fervent hug. Laughing, he caught her and then wouldn’t let her up when she realized she was sitting on his lap. As Dom tried to get her to feed him—just one bite—her father came out of the bathroom. Deep eyes took in the scene, and then he smiled.

  “That takes me back.” Without telling Dom to unhand his daughter, he helped himself to a generous portion of breakfast.

  Pru startled him by stuffing bacon in his mouth, then she squirmed away to scarf her own food quickly. She still needed to wash up, and things were pleasantly chaotic as they got ready. As they tussled over who would clean the kitchen, her dad laughed.

  “I’ll do it. There are no important meetings on my schedule today.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” She kissed his cheek and grabbed Dom’s arm. “Hurry, we only have four minutes now, and we promised not to keep them waiting again.”