His father was dead.
Malik was now the Leo of his people.
He was a father.
He had a mate who loved him.
And he was lost.
Soft arms slid around his waist and settled over his stomach. “You’re thinking too hard,” Eliana said from behind him. She rested her head on his back and he closed his eyes, relishing her touch.
“I can’t help it,” he said honestly.
And he couldn’t help it. In the past two weeks, he’d had to deal with countless things that he’d never had to before. With his father dead, his people needed a leader. The others had given him two weeks to gather himself and his new family before he had to truly be the Leo in all things. The two weeks were standard for any royal line. In that time, normally, he would be mourning and working on his new life.
Yet he’d also had to learn how to be a father and a mate in that time, as well as deal with his uncle and aunt, who lurked far too closely for his liking. He wasn’t sure what they would do, but he knew they weren’t going to stand by and let him be Leo at his age.
He also hadn’t mated a lioness so he knew the other shoe would drop soon.
He just had to keep going and protect his mate and child.
And Penelope, Pen for those who loved her, could break him in more ways than he could fathom, and he would revel in every moment of it. His daughter was magnificent. A proud little cub, who at this moment, was sleeping in her lion form in a bassinette near the king-sized bed in the master bedroom. She slept on as he tried to come to terms with the fact that he had no idea what he was going to do next, only that he had to do it.
“We will say goodbye to your father today,” Eliana whispered as she came to his side. He tightened his arms around her and inhaled her scent, needing her closer now than ever. She’d put her glamour on even though they weren’t in the human realm. Though anyone could scent that she wasn’t a lion, she’d told him she hadn’t wanted to add anything else to the trouble that lay at his feet. So she hid her true self while they tried to reconcile the fact that they hadn’t even had time for her to figure who or what that self was.
He was a selfish bastard, but soon he would take her to the others of her kind and help her find her place. He just had to say goodbye to his father and officially take the throne first.
“I don’t know if I’m ready to say goodbye,” he said honestly. He hadn’t known his father as he would have liked to, but he’d still loved him in his own way.
“I’m sorry Pen and I will never know him.”
He sighed and tucked her close. “Me too, beauty. Me, too. I suppose we should make sure Pen is ready to go with us.”
Eliana scrunched up her face. “I really wish she didn’t have to go.”
“She’s their princess.”
“I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t name her Nala.”
He swatted her behind and kissed her. His cat stretched, wanting more than just this touch. In these two weeks, Malik and Eliana had slept side by side as they found their rhythm, but they hadn’t made love. As a supernatural, medically speaking, Eliana didn’t have to wait, but they’d waited nonetheless. It hadn’t been the time, but he knew that time was coming soon.
He needed her to be his in truth as much as he needed to know his place in the world and how his new family fit into it.
“Let’s get on with it,” he muttered.
“Don’t wear a tie,” Eliana said as she slid her hand over his chest and to the skin peeking out at the top of his shirt. “You look more dangerous without it, and for some reason, I feel like you need to look dangerous right now.”
He kissed her, sliding his tongue along hers before pulling back with a groan. “We need to go now before I take you right where you stand.”
Her eyes darkened. “Later.”
Later.
Malik ran a hand over his face as he made his way to the large living room of his father’s home. No, he supposed it was his home now. He and Eliana had been staying in a guest room there since the baby was born, but now it was his home. The funeral had gone well, if not quietly. To his surprise, no one had spoken out against Eliana and the baby. They’d seemed…happy that he’d found his mate.
Only his aunt and uncle and their children were against him.
He’d have to deal with that, though he truly didn’t want to.
Pen was tucked in his arms, curled into his chest in her human form. Eliana had put her in a tiny grey dress that made her look adorable. With all that had been going on, he hadn’t been able to truly reconcile the fact that he was a father.
This child in his arms was his child. His blood. A creation of the love between him and Eliana. He’d never been the sentimental sort, but damned if that idea didn’t make him want to cuddle his child close and cry just a little bit.
Apparently, he was a tad stressed out over all the new changes to his life.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite as sweet as you holding Pen close to you like that.” Eliana stood in the doorway, her dark black dress hugging her new curves nicely.
His cat arched his back, wanting more of her. It didn’t care that they’d just buried his father and that he now had the actual world on his shoulders. It wanted his mate.
And frankly, Malik did, too.
“You look beautiful.”
She blushed as she ran her hands down her arms, letting the glamour fade. Her inked feathers shimmered and she smiled softly. “I’m not used to this,” she said. “It’s weird to think I’m not human because I don’t feel any different. Maybe I haven’t had time to feel differently.”
He moved toward her, rocking Pen slightly as he did so he wouldn’t wake her. “I’m sorry we haven’t made it to the phoenix realm yet. As soon as things quiet down here, we’ll go. I know you could go by yourself, but I want to go with you. That’s selfish of me, though. If you need to go with one of your friends, I’ll understand.”
She shook her head and ran her finger down Pen’s cheek. “I want you with me. As much as I know my friends would understand and be with me, this is something I know you have to be a part of. I said yes to being your mate, and that means I said yes to all that comes with it. We can wait to see what happens to me and where I come from and who I will be. I’m also not leaving you alone while you’re going through all of this. I never thought my life would end up this way, and I feel like I’m taking one leap after another, but that’s okay. It’s not what I would have expected, but I’m…well, I’m happy.” She frowned up at him despite her words. “Is it wrong to be happy today of all days.”
He leaned forward and kissed her, keeping Pen safely between them. “No. You can be happy today. My father would have wanted that. He might not have been the man I wanted him to be, the man I needed him to be, but he was my father. I mourned him for all those months I was away from you because I knew the end was coming. The fact that he passed only two weeks ago is only a number. I’m yours, Eliana. I’m Pen’s, as well.”
“And you belong to your people,” Eliana added. “You can’t forget that.”
“I don’t. Won’t. Not ever. I’ve been raised to know that one day I would lead, but you didn’t know that when you met me, when we conceived Pen.” He patted Pen’s diapered bottom, but she stayed asleep.
“I signed up for it when I said I would be your mate. I might not have known all the details, but I’m not some flower that will wilt at the first sign of challenge. I didn’t know what my place was or where I would be going in a world where my friends would grow into their powers and I would be forced to stay behind, but now I don’t have to deal with that. They all took the hits as they came and found they were far stronger than they’d thought they were. I want to be like that, and I’ll find a way to be at your side.”
“You’re a queen you know,” he added. “Even if you aren’t a lioness, you’re still my Queen, my people’s Queen.”
She smiled wryly. “I wonder if the Conclave knew they’
d be adding so many lightning-truck to the ranks of royalty when they changed our destinies.”
Malik snorted. “Knowing which members were actually part of it, probably not. But I think this is a way of fate balancing things out if you ask me. You’re all important, all part of more than one world. I think we can do this. Hell, I know I can be Leo with you by my side.”
“Even if some oppose it.”
Malik let out a growl. “The only assholes who oppose it are the ones that wanted my throne to begin with.”
“Language,” she said with a laugh.
He looked down at Pen. “She can’t really understand anything, can she?”
“She’s our child, so I wouldn’t put anything past her.”
“Then I guess we should keep Faith away from her because that woman curses a he—ck of a lot more than I do.”
Eliana shook her head before going to her toes and kissing him softly. “I think we should put Pen to bed in her room and set up the monitor. That way I can put you to bed and take care of you.”
Her eyes darkened, and Malik had to hold back another growl. “Are you sure?”
“I have been sure since I said yes to the bite,” she said with an honest conviction. “I want to celebrate life and be with you in all ways, Malik.” She leaned forward to whisper in his ear, her breath warm against his neck. “I want to make love to you, Malik. Let me love you.”
“Always,” he gritted out, his voice hoarse.
In a heated fog, he followed her upstairs and set Pen up in her crib with the monitors set. The baby didn’t even hiccup a cry the entire time, and he sent a thank you to the goddess for that.
As soon as he closed their bedroom door behind them, Malik was on his mate, his hands on her ass and his mouth to her ear.
“I had planned on going soft and sweet this first time, but I don’t know if I can wait. So this time will be hard and fast and fucking hot. Then I’ll go slow until you’re writhing under me in heat.”
Her body glowed and she wrapped one leg around his waist. “Fuck me, then, Malik. Because I need you and I’m tired of waiting.”
He let his claws slide out of his fingertips and he sliced open her clothes. She let out a gasp, but soon he had her naked and on her back. Since he’d put her on the edge of the bed, he knelt in front of her and threw one of her legs over his shoulder.
“I’m going to eat you until you scream. I remember how sweet this pussy is, beauty, but I want to make sure it’s as good as my dream. Do you think you can come on my tongue? Make me so hard that when I fuck you we’re both calling out in need?”
In answer, she reached between them and put her hand on his head. “Have at it,” she purred like a damn cat. “Taste me.”
It had always been like this between them, hot and hard and fucking perfect. But now it was different, as well; all of that heat mixed with emotions he could finally feel. The mating bond between them sizzled, and he knew she loved him, felt it. The fact that he’d almost lost this killed him, and he knew he’d spend the rest of his life making up for it.
He lowered his head and licked her clit before feasting some more. She writhed under him, tangling her fingers in his hair. He looked up to see her use her other hand on her breasts, slowly working herself up. He’d never made love to someone who was breastfeeding before, but he knew her breasts had to be sensitive. He’d fuck her hard like he’d said, but he’d also be gentle.
This was his mate, his future, his everything.
He savored her taste, wanting more. When he worked a single finger in and out of her, her back arched and she came by that touch alone.
“Trigger happy, I see,” he growled before biting down on her inner thigh. She called out his name and he quickly shucked off his clothes, needing to be inside her. There was one thing they had to cover first, though. “We always used condoms before, beauty, and I can go find some if needed.” He paused. “Well, we used condoms, but it seems one of them didn’t work, did it?”
She shook her head. “If it happens, it happens. I don’t want anything between us.”
He nodded then covered her body, needing to feel her lips on his. She kissed him with as much fervor as he did her. Their hands slid over each other’s bodies, touching, learning, exploring. He loved this woman and everything she held, and he was damned proud that she was his mate.
“Will I hurt your breasts if I play with them?” he asked.
She bit her lip. “They are really sensitive right now.”
He nodded then kissed the top of one globe. “Next time, then,” he said softly before going back to her neck and licking over the mating mark. She pressed her body close to his and he worked a hand between them to hold the base of his dick.
“Ready, beauty?”
“I’ve been ready for a lifetime,” she answered.
He let out a breath before keeping his gaze on hers and slowly entering her. They both gasped at the feel of her surrounding him, but he didn’t stop moving. He slowly worked his way in and out, going deeper each time until they were both sweaty and aching.
“I thought you were going to go fast this time,” she panted.
“Give me a minute,” he said through gritted teeth. “Apparently, I’m a little trigger happy right now, too.”
She laughed before letting out another gasp as he moved. He kept his gaze on her, pumping in and out, increasing the pace until they worked together to crest the peak and crash down as one. The mating bond flared, and Malik let out a roar before rolling to his back, taking Eliana with him.
“We need to do that again,” Eliana said, breathless.
“We will,” he promised, equally breathless. “We will.” Because damn it, that had been pure bliss. He’d thought it was perfection with Eliana before, but he’d been wrong. Between the fact that he could be himself and be as strong as he could with her now, and that he could feel the mating bond, what had just happened between them was literal ecstasy.
And he’d do anything to protect the woman in his arms and the child in the next room.
Anything.
Chapter Eight
Eliana was a new woman. Maybe. She sure didn’t feel like it most days, even with the inked feathers on her arms and the extra glow to her skin. Sometimes, it felt as if she’d wake up from this dream and everything would be as it was when she’d been in Dante’s Circle feeling alone.
Of course, then Pen would make a little cry and Eliana would know that this was her life now. She was a mom, a mate, apparently a queen, and a phoenix.
And frankly, she didn’t know what to do with any of those things when it came to her future. She hated self-doubt, and normally would be able to squash it down in order to get on with the next step of her plans, but this was a little different. Her life had been completely uprooted, and yet it was mostly her doing. She’d been the one to ask for the mating mark from Malik, knowing it would change everything. She’d been the one so angry that he’d left, that she’d have done anything to keep him.
That might not have been the best motivation, but it wasn’t the only one. She wanted him, and now that she could feel the mating bond pulsate between the two of them, she wanted him even more.
Things had just moved a little too fast for her, and now her mind was trying to catch up with the decisions she’d made and the ramifications of those choices.
She ran a hand down her ink and sighed. If she were honest with herself, it wasn’t the mating or Pen that worried her. In fact, those two parts of her life were the most…steady. Even the idea that she would need to learn how to aid Malik in ruling the lions wasn’t as daunting as it should be. Maybe that was because she’d watched her friends rise to the occasion and she knew she wasn’t alone. It wouldn’t be easy, but Malik knew what he was doing, and she had to trust in that.
No, the thing that worried her lay on her skin as a brand of unknowing and fate. Malik had told her each feather represented a part of her past, her line’s history, her present, and perhaps even her futu
re. Yet part of the brightly colored ink held her curse.
It told her how she could die and not rise from the ashes—not that she knew if she’d literally rise from the ashes like the phoenixes she’d read about in textbooks years ago. Malik didn’t know much about what blood ran in her veins because her kind were not only rare, but apparently so secretive it made them sound almost like myths to a group of people who were myths to humans.
It boggled her mind that she could be killed and yet come back again. Only something could end her life for all eternity. She just didn’t know what it was. She swallowed hard and tried to push back thoughts of death and fate, though now that she was a phoenix, she wasn’t sure she could ever untangle her thoughts from that.
“Are you ready to go, beauty?” Malik asked. She turned toward him at the sound of his voice and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him with Pen in his arms. He was such a big man, all muscles and strength, and yet he held their daughter as if she were a precious and fragile bundle of joy and hope.
Honestly, Penelope was all of that and more.
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” she answered honestly. She moved toward them to run her finger over Pen’s cheek. Her baby blinked up at her and smiled. It was probably just gas, but Eliana didn’t care. Pen was her baby, her and Malik’s baby, and that meant she was the most perfect baby in all of the realms.
Not that she was biased or anything.
“We can wait, Eliana,” Malik said. “We don’t have to go today if you don’t want to. I’m sure we can find something to do here or even in the human realm instead of meeting the phoenixes.”
She shook her head. “We already gave word that we’d be going to their realm.” It was customary to do so, and frankly, she didn’t want to end up like some of the other lightning-struck and inadvertently start a war because she didn’t know any better. Some realms were a little…trickier than others. “Plus, there’s no point in hiding from who I am any longer. We only took as much time as we did because of the baby and your new duties. It took forever to arrange for you to leave as it is. Let’s just go, find out what can kill me, and come back so we can cuddle.”
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