Destined to the Pride

by Kristen Strassel

  My legs shook when I slid off of Leo’s back at the top of the brae. “That was so unbelievably hot,” he purred into my ear as he put his clothes back on. “Having you wrapped around my body like that, feeling you pressed against me. I want you so bad right now.” He kissed me, and the look he gave me as he pulled away was smoldering. It took everything I had not to undress him and forget all about this stupid party.

  We hadn’t reached the other shifters yet, but we were close enough that we could hear the party. A band played and rowdy cheers erupted when they finished their song.

  We found Jackson and Jonah almost immediately. The brothers all hugged each other, even though Leo had told me how much things had changed between them, I didn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. They were already joking and laughing, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I noticed a girl hanging back, standing between the Deception lions. Her face brightened when I caught her eye, and she came over to me and Ari.

  “I’m Martina.” She looked back over to the guys. “I’m their mate.”

  Ari and I looked at each other with the same unspoken question. “For both of them?” Ari asked.

  Martina smiled brightly and nodded. I couldn’t even imagine. Leo was practically insatiable. I didn’t know how different Jackson and Jonah were, but if they were anything like Leo and Dylan, this girl might be a superhero instead of a shifter. “Never a dull moment, trust me.”

  Leo held my hand as we weaved through the crowd in front of the stage. I thought that he and Dylan had said there weren’t many shifters who called this mountain home, but it seemed like there were hundreds of people here. We watched the band for a few songs. They played classic rock covers and it was impossible to stay still. Soon both Leo and I were moving to the music. I realized we’d never danced together before. Our bodies knew how to move with one another, and his touch was sending shockwaves through my body, like it did in the bedroom.

  We looked around for Ari and Dylan, who’d gone off to the side of the crowd. Dylan sat on a tree stump with Ari in his lap, and they were so into their kiss that they might’ve forgotten everything that was going on around them. Leo tapped Dylan’s leg with his foot, and Ari jumped a mile and laughed.

  “Doesn’t this feel good?” Leo pulled me in before we headed back to the crowd. “To be ourselves out in the open?”

  Instead of answering him, I put my hands on either side of his face and drew him down to me for another kiss. Because that’s how good it felt.

  Once we reached the other side of the crowd, there was whole other party happening. Smoke rose from barbeque grills, and tables spilled over with food. Some people sat at picnic tables, eating, drinking, laughing, and shouting over the music to be heard. Dylan led Ari as he circled the tables, obviously looking for someone. Leo leaned down and asked someone a question, and he pointed to another small cluster of tables that was behind the stage.

  Motioning to Dylan to join us, we headed that way. The band had launched into their next song. Closer to the stage, it was harder to move through the bodies. “Who are we looking for?” I shouted to Leo as we maneuvered around people. No one even gave a second look to us, even in Woodland Park we got double takes in our human form. Maybe I would like it here.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about Martina and her two mates.

  “Traver.” Leo pressed his finger against my ear, and it was much easier to hear him. “Let him know we’re here.” I nodded, any serious questions would have to wait.

  I realized why the crowd didn’t notice us. They weren’t paying any attention to the band. Everyone circled a mat where two girls in string bikinis wrestled. Their bodies glistened with oil and they clawed at each other’s skin, the strings falling away from their clothes to the delight of the crowd. As the fight intensified, the girls began to snarl and howl, and everyone cheered when the first claws broke through skin, slashing across the bare back of her opponent, blood splattering the front row of the crowd. Soon both girls were fully cougar, and the fight intensified. Ari buried her head in Dylan’s shoulder, and it was time for us to move on.

  “This place is crazy,” I said to Leo as we walked away.

  “It is, because it’s in the middle of nowhere. But some of the Soldier Mountain parties were pretty out of control. Once we’re away from humans, we can be ourselves.”

  “I don’t think the herd ever had parties like this. We all get pregnant so fast we consider renting a bouncy house for a party wild and crazy.”

  “Think of how jealous they’re going to be when they hear your stories.” Leo kissed me on the cheek. I wasn’t so sure. Cane would think this place was heaven, but Chloe would hate it.

  “Oh my God.” I grabbed Ari’s arm. “She’s here.” I pointed at Linnea, not caring anymore if she saw me or not. She didn’t belong here, and I wasn’t going to be run off of another mountain. Her eyes widened when she saw us, and strutted over to us in her bright pink heels, which were stupid for a party on the side of a mountain. They matched her equally ridiculous pink tube dress.

  “What are you two doing on my mountain?” Linnea wrinkled her nose, her fuchsia lips turning up in a smile. “The first thing I need to do is extend deer hunting season.”

  Ari got right in Linnea’s face. “You can’t keep this place. You call my sister all the time crying you can’t pay your bills and never pay her back. And after what you did to me, you don’t deserve anything. Bitch.”

  “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her away from here.” Linnea’s gaze fell to me, and I put my hands over my stomach. She narrowed her eyes in confusion.

  “Give it up.” Ari laughed at her. “Daphne’s pregnant.”

  “What?” Linnea shook her head. “That can’t be possible. Even if it is, your baby’s going to be a freak.”

  My doe began to swirl inside me, and I panicked. Shifting wasn’t going to solve anything. As much as I wanted to rip this bitch to shreds, I couldn’t. “My baby is going to be happy and loved.” I stared her down. “And you’ll still be a lonely, bitter old cougar. No one will miss you when you’re gone.”

  “Ladies, why do I keep finding you like this?” Bid stepped in between me and Linnea. “Linnea, you have no business here. The sale of the property is pending. Unless you want to pay what your grandfather owed...”

  I turned to high-five Ari, but her fingers were claws, and she fell to her knees as she turned cougar. On the other side of Bid, Linnea’s fur broke through her skin. Ari, now fully cougar, stalked around me and Bid, snarling and growling. Linnea tried to run away, but a small crowd quickly formed, and there was nowhere for her to run.

  Payback was such a beautiful bitch.

  Ari pounced on Linnea, dragging her down into the dirt. Adrenaline took over, and Ari fought hard, slashing and ripping at Linnea’s fur. The ground muddied with Linnea’s blood, but Ari didn’t stop. Linnea’s screams turned to whimpers, and Ari pressed her paw down on Linnea’s neck.

  The entire crowd gasped when it snapped.

  Ari ran over to Dylan. He was still human, and he held her as she shifted back. Two men dragged Linnea’s limp body away.

  “It’s for the best,” Bid said quietly. I’d forgotten he was even there. “Our version of justice is different here.”

  Breaking away from Leo, I crouched down next to Ari. She stared at the bloody spot she’d fought Linnea to her death in like she didn’t even see it. When I touched her arm, she jumped.

  “She’s dead,” she whispered, and Dylan pulled her in tighter. “I can’t believe I killed her.”

  “That’s what she would’ve done to me if you hadn’t stopped her.” Seeing it actually happen was even more horrifying than I’d ever imagined. Yes, I hated Linnea, but I hadn’t been prepared to watch her take her last breath. “She was never going to leave us alone.” I swallowed hard. “I would’ve done the same thing.”

  Bid wasn’t kidding. Justice was different here. The crowd had dispersed, and the band continued to play. My w
ords rang eerily true. No one was going to miss her here. And I didn’t think anything else could shock me tonight.

  “I don’t feel like partying anymore.” I looked up at Leo. His face was pale, after all, Linnea was his ex. The feelings couldn’t totally go away.

  “We have to talk to Traver before we go,” Leo said quietly. “This party is in our honor.”

  Once we calmed Ari down, we headed to find our host. The guard stepped aside and we followed the boys into the important person area. No one had to show me which one Traver was. I knew the minute I laid eyes on him. He sat at what was the head of a round table, taking a deep drag from a pipe. Everything about him looked important, from his posture, his expensive clothes, and his don’t-screw-with-me expression on his face. Two women stood on either side of Traver’s chair. One voluptuous blonde who I assumed was a cougar, and a more exotic looking woman with long dark hair that I couldn’t place at all.

  “What is she?” I asked Leo. Her full lips were painted red, and none of the men at the table could take their eyes off her when she bent down to whisper in Traver’s ear, her cleavage dangerously close to spilling out of the top of her dress.

  “Half mare, half jaguar.” Leo raised an eyebrow at me to silently say see? “Her name is Marilyn. I wouldn’t call her Traver’s mate, because Stephanie is very much in the mix, too, but whatever their arrangement is, it works.”

  Bid and a few other burly men filled the table. He nodded to us. A small, squirrelly looking man with only few long hairs covering his bald head dealt cards. I had no idea what kind of animal he was.

  Traver’s face brightened when he saw Leo and Dylan, and gestured for his lady friend to step back so he could stand and greet us. Traver pulled both brothers in for a half hug. Dylan gestured to Ari. I wondered if he’d heard what she did to Linnea. How he’d react. Traver took her hand in his, raising it to his mouth to kiss the back of it. He said something softly to her, and relief washed over her face. I hung back, close to Leo, but Traver stepped forward and reached for my hand. When I offered it to him, he covered it with both of his huge hands.

  “Daphne.” Traver leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “I know you had a hard time in your last place. We don’t tolerate that sort of behavior. Linnea hasn’t been welcome here for a long time. Evil like that has no home. Ari did everyone a favor. But especially you.” He looked down to my stomach. “We want you to start your family here.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “I think I’m going to like it here.”

  “You haven’t seen anything yet.” Traver smiled. “This is the beginning.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “YOU’RE NOT NERVOUS, are you?” I asked Chloe as I scooped Juliette up from the bed. She woke up from her nap and cuddling with her was the only thing that was going to calm me down. She was so beautiful, and I couldn’t get enough of this doe baby.

  I wondered what my baby was going to look like.

  No matter how Chloe was feeling, I knew I was terrified. My growing stomach strained against the fabric of my blue eyelet sundress, and with all the hugging the day was sure to bring, my baby wasn’t going to be a secret much longer.

  Juliette smiled at me. She was only a couple weeks old, and it was probably more gas than anything else, but I took it as a sign that everything was going to be okay.

  “A little. More excited.” Chloe came over to Juliette and me, smiling at her daughter. She looked around the room, and brought her hand to her throat. I laughed when she picked up a pink ribbon and tied it around her neck. As silly as it seemed, it was a pink ribbon that saved her life and brought Cane to her. “Okay. Now I’m ready.”

  Leo sat at the kitchen table with my little sisters. Dakota had the biggest crush on him, and I laughed when I saw her little body pressed against his, in a blue sundress that matched mine, showing him her pouch full of flower petals.

  Dakota was crushed when he stood up and came over to me, but she’d get plenty of Leo time later. I handed him Juliette, and he leaned in and whispered, “Stop worrying. Everything’s perfect so far.” He winked at Chloe and brought Juliette out to the yard.

  All of our friends and family stood up as my sisters went down the aisle, Dakota skipping as she let flower petals flutter down around her. The sky had turned pink, like the Gods knew it was Chloe’s favorite color. Against the sheer backdrop of the altar, with lights twinkling all around him, Cane waited for Chloe. I’d never thought of myself as much of a romantic, but looking between the two of them, minutes away from promising the rest of their lives to each other, I realized how lucky we all were. I kissed Chloe’s cheek and hooked my hand arm through hers. I was walking her down the aisle. “It’s time.”

  Leo kept one arm around my back during ceremony, he still held Juliette in the other, squeezing me tighter when Chloe and Cane shared their first bonded kiss.

  We stayed at the altar after they walked back up the aisle, hand in hand with rose petals showering down around them. Everyone filtered away from the chairs over to the tables with champagne and other favors, and the people I’d hired to rearrange the chairs and bring in tables had already gone to work. After all the times I’d teased Chloe that she a hopeless romantic, and that The Mate couldn’t possibly be as wonderful as she’d imagined, we’d both been wrong. This was amazing. I took Juliette from Leo, and sighed as I looked up with him with watery eyes.

  “That was beautiful,” he said, running his thumb lightly under my eyes. “And I can’t believe Juliette hasn’t cried at all yet.”

  “She’s a happy baby.” I bounced Juliette and the smile was back. “She’s got no reason not to be.”

  “You have to tell them today.” Leo raised an eyebrow at me. “This is tearing you up inside. Our baby is going to be as happy as this one.”

  I nodded. “Not yet.” Everyone was in line to congratulate Chloe and Cane. “It’s still their time.”

  Leo lifted my chin. “And they want you to be happy, too.” He brushed a kiss across my lips, and then put his arm around me to lead me to the back of the line.

  All too aware of the eyes falling on me and Leo and the whispers that accompanied them, I kept my focus on Juliette while I waited to congratulate her parents. Cane caught me totally off guard, lifting me off my feet and swinging me and Juliette around in a huge hug. “You made everything absolutely perfect for Chloe.”

  “I wouldn’t have let it be any other way.” I blinked back those ever-present happy tears. “And I think you had a pretty big part of that, too.”

  Juliette already was a daddy’s girl, and she wanted Cane. I passed her over, feeling very exposed as I turned to Chloe. She squinted in confusion when I didn’t reach out to hug her right away, and then put her hand on my shoulder, leading me away from Cane, Juliette, and Leo. The guys probably didn’t even notice, they were already deep in conversation and laughter.

  Chloe pressed me against her body without saying anything. “Everything was exactly how you always said it would be today.” I finally broke the awkward silence.

  “I don’t know about that.” She pulled away from me so I could see her smile. “I could never make up anything this good.”

  “Stop it. I’ve been crying ever since I walked you down the aisle.” I tipped my head back because this was getting ridiculous.

  Chloe pulled me back in. I hadn’t expected it, and I jerked against her body, my belly bumping against hers. I tried to move away, but not a chance. She had me on lockdown. “So, when were you going to tell me? When you wanted me to babysit?”

  “Did Leo say something?” My voice went up an octave.

  “Nope.” She narrowed her eyes and tossed a look back to him. “It seems like everyone likes to keep secrets from me.”

  “Oh.” I laughed. “I ah...” I realized I had no excuse to not tell my best friend about this before now. “I wanted today to be about you. And I didn’t think anyone would know yet.”

  She looked down at my stomach and bit her lip. “Don’t be too sure
about that. I know a belly full of baby when I see it. What did your mother say?”

  I hated that there was even a question. She should be happy about it. “She doesn’t know yet.”

  “Come on.” Chloe put her arm around me, hooking into Leo’s arm as she dragged him midsentence away from Cane. Hands full, she turned back to Cane and jerked her head toward the house. “We’re going to find Daphne’s mom. She’s got something to tell her.”

  Cane’s mouth opened in surprise, but settled into a smile. “I think I know what it is.” If Cane could tell, then I really had to talk to my mom. Time was up. I couldn’t feel my legs right now and it was a good thing Chloe still had a death grip on me. “Can I come?”

  I nodded. I needed all the love and support I could get.

  We found my mom in the kitchen, filling a tray with melon and pineapple. A caravan of four adults and a baby caused quite a commotion, not to mention Dakota jumping on Leo the second he came in. He picked her up and encouraged her to settle down. He was going to be such an amazing dad. Crap, there were those tears again.

  Maybe it was the baby making me emotional.

  “What’s going on?” Mom asked. “Is everything okay out there?”

  “It’s great,” Chloe assured her. “Daphne has something to tell you.”

  My mom took my hands in hers, genuinely worried. I could barely breathe. If she rejected me, this baby...I needed my mom right now. “What is it?”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  Shock was the first thing that registered on her face, and I almost fell to the ground. Thank Gods both Chloe and Leo had their hands on my back. But then her eyes lit up, and she smiled. She looked me up and down before she said anything. “Of course you are. There’s been a thousand things you’ve said and I’ve noticed in the past couple weeks. But I didn’t know if...” She pulled me into her in one of those hugs that only a mother can give, the one that made all the bad stuff go away. I couldn’t wait to give them to this baby.