The Billionaire Lion’s Prey

by T. S. Ryder

  “You go back to your boss and you tell them that Kristen is dead. She froze to death in the abandoned office building where she was staying. She’s dead. There’s no use in hunting for her.”

  “Proof, they want proof,” The Butcher said. He looked less terrifying now. He was drooling a little, his eyes were crossed and he was swaying on his feet. There was a large goose egg forming on the back of his head.

  “I can get proof. It’ll be in the paper. You’re right, I do have money, but I also have connections and a power you could not imagine. You will return to your masters and tell them that Kristen is dead. There will be a death certificate for proof. I’ll see to that. And trust me when I tell you that if you ever tell anyone Kristen is alive or anything about what you saw here today, I will find you and I will kill you. No one will ever find your body. This is not only possible but easy. You know this as well as I do.”

  Still holding onto The Butcher’s shirt, Anton pushed him to the door and then out into the snow. I still had the gun trained on him. He stood dazed in the blinding white of the day. This had obviously not gone as he planned.

  “I’m going to call the police and tell them I was attacked. I’m going to give them your description and any fingerprints that might be on the gun. I suggest you start running.”

  The Butcher stared at us, his mouth hanging open. He looked from me to Anton and then back again. Finally, he nodded and turned, stumbling down the snow-lined lane.

  Anton slammed the door, locked it and then set the security alarm.

  “Death certificate?” I asked him.

  “Your father isn’t the only one with connections. Now you get to a pick a new name. You can be whomever you want. I can get everything together. You can start a whole new life.”

  He walked over to me and gently took the gun. “It’s okay,” he said. “I told you. I’ll always keep you safe. You, and our baby.”

  “Anton...” I breathed, stunned at his words.

  He smiled. “Did you think I could think of this child any other way?” he asked, but for all the seriousness in his tone, the look in his eyes told me he was teasing.

  “There aren’t a lot of men who would,” I noted, and he scoffed.

  “There aren’t a lot of men who can shapeshift into a lion, either,” he said, a crooked grin dancing on his lips.

  Well. He did have a point there.

  “I love you, Kristen, and that means I could feel nothing less for the child you carry... or any child you bring into this world. To me, they would all be our children, and the one you’re having now would be my firstborn. Family’s about more than DNA... and your baby deserves to be loved just as much as any other child in this world... so how could I not?”

  The things this man said... no wonder he made my heart do cartwheels for him.

  Epilogue

  “See, Michael?” Anton said to the baby boy swaddled in a fluffy blue blanket, whom he rocked in his arms, as they entered the bridal suite. “The most beautiful bride in the world.” I smiled at the sight the two of them made – Anton in his fitted silk tuxedo, and Michael in his pristine white baby clothes and favorite blankie.

  It was enough to make a woman’s heart swell with love and joy.

  “You two are not supposed to be here,” I chided them, but they knew too well I was happy they came by. “Especially you,” I looked to Anton, “Don’t you know it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?”

  “I make my own luck,” he stated matter-of-factly, but couldn’t keep his mock-hauteur for long and was quick to smile again. “Besides, Michael was getting a little cranky without you.”

  “Oh, sweetie,” I cooed, standing up from the vanity table and walking over to take Michael in my arms. “Did you miss Mommy?”

  Michael let out a few happy blurbs, flapping his little arms up and down, and cuddled up against my chest, his simple joy making me giggle.

  “Look at him,” I sighed happily, and lifted my eyes to Anton, “Look at us! Who knew we could ever end up like this?”

  “I did,” my husband-to-be stated proudly, almost as leonine now as he was in his animal form, “I’d always known we were meant to be together. All of us.”

  The smile on my face grew into a full-blown grin.

  And he was right. It felt impossible sometimes, how easily things fell into place with them, the fantastic hand in hand with the mundane. It was almost like a dream... one I would never want to wake up from.

  “You know what, Anton Lev?” I said, all the love I had for him clear in my eyes, “You really do say the loveliest things.”

  Without words, Anton lowered his head, and planted one of those heady kisses of his on my lips.

  Mm... my favorite.

  “What on earth do you think you’re doing here?!” Sarah exclaimed as she came in from the hallway. “Shoo! Shoo! There’ll be plenty of time for this lovey-dovey stuff after the wedding!” Like a force of nature, she swooped in, took Michael into her caring arms, and then all but kicked out Anton, who couldn’t stop laughing.

  And I laughed too.

  How could I not?

  This was the happiest day of my life so far, and a promise for even happier days to come... and, for once, I did not fear it would all come crumbling down.

  There were no more monsters under my bed.

  The lion ate them all up.

  *****

  THE END

  Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading “The Billionaire Lion's Prey” as much as I liked writing it. Please consider leaving an honest review here; it means a lot to me to hear from you.

  T.S. Ryder

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