Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
“Alpha?”
Leo glanced up from the newspaper he was reading to see the young son of one of the men who worked for him standing nervously in the kitchen doorway. When he didn’t say anything else, Leo raised an eyebrow. “Yes, Jonathan?”
Jonathan’s eyes widened comically, and he took a step back. “I um… it’s just, there’s an… um…”
Leo stood slowly, his eyes narrowing on the boy. Jonathan was twelve years old, still just a cub, but he had a love for animals and was over almost every day to help his father take care of Leo’s. “Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know,” Jonathan said, with a shrug. “I followed the blood trail up to the hayloft, and I found her. She’s hurt, Alpha, but I’m afraid to get too close.”
“She?” What the hell was the child talking about? “She who?”
“The lioness, sir. She’s in the loft. I have no idea how she got up there. There’s blood all over her, and I can smell her pain.” He swallowed hard. “It’s horrible. She’s really scared, sir. I don’t know what to do.”
Leo stepped forward and placed a hand on Jonathan’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly. “You did the right thing coming to get me, son. Now, how about we go check on this lioness and see what we can do to help her?”
It was never a question of if Leo would help the poor animal. He was the alpha; that’s what he did. It was his duty and his honor to look after everyone in his town, whether they be humans, paranormal, or animals.
Leo moved around Jonathan and quickly made his way out of the house and to the barn, pausing when he saw not only Caiden standing at the entrance to the building staring up at the open hayloft doors, but also two of his pride enforcers, Caleb and Jensen.
He followed their gazes and found himself looking at a beautiful lioness.
She stood in the doorway staring back at them with her head held high, looking down on them regally.
She was filthy, her thick white coat covered in what looked like dried blood, and she was the most stunning female lion he’d ever seen.
“She’s one of us, Alpha,” Caiden said quietly. When Leo frowned, he muttered, “A shifter. And it looks like she’s been through hell and back.”
“And survived,” Caleb grunted. “Whoever, or whatever, she went up against, she definitely came out the winner.”
Leo looked back up at the lioness and stiffened when he saw the awareness in her eyes. Not only was she watching him and his beta, but she seemed to be listening to their conversation and following what they were saying, which could only mean that Caiden was right.
Leo tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply, taking in not only the scent of his men but that of the female above.
“Fuck me,” he ground out, as her enticing aroma under all the dirt and blood hit him, making his mouth begin to water and his cock thicken. It could only mean one thing.
She was his. His mate. The other half of his soul. The woman he would spend the rest of his life treasuring.
And someone had hurt her.
A low growl of rage built in his chest, and he opened his eyes to meet her beautiful golden-blue ones.
Someone dared to hurt his woman. He didn’t know who they were, but he did know one thing; he was going to find them, and they were going to die.
There would be no place on earth that they could hide from him.
“Leo? What is it?”
Leo didn’t bother to answer Caiden. He tore his gaze from his mate’s and stalked into the barn, going over to the ladder that led up to the loft.
He swiftly climbed it, his chest tightening at the growl of warning that came from the female when he scaled the top.
She was fierce, ready to do whatever she had to do to protect herself.
He couldn’t be prouder. She was a woman who would stand up for what she believed in.
One who would fight by his side and help protect the pride.
Leo was aware that Caiden and his men had followed him up the ladder, but he ignored them as he slowly closed the distance between himself and his mate. “Hey, sweetheart. I’ve waited a long time to meet you.”
She crouched low, her lip curled up, bearing her long, white fangs as she glared at him. Her chest rumbled, and her tail twitched, but he could both see and scent her panic. He hated it. She had nothing to fear from him or his enforcers.
“Let me help you,” Leo said quietly, stopping just a few feet from her.
He could tell she was in pain. She favored her left side, and there was a gash where blood seeped through.
Not to mention the blood and skin under her claws, and her pretty coat was covered with the same.
“Got in a fight with some vampires, did you?” Their smell was all over her, and he hated it.
The second the words were out of his mouth, Leo realized he messed up.
The lioness sprang at him, slamming into his side and putting him on his ass.
She rushed toward the ladder, but Caiden and Caleb blocked the way.
Snarling, she turned to the only other person in the loft. The weakest one: Jonathan.
“Wait!” Leo’s voice thundered throughout the area, bringing the cat to an abrupt stop. He stood and held up a hand, palm out. “Don’t hurt him. He’s part of the pride. Our pride. As my mate, it’s your job to protect him, not harm him, no matter how scared you might be right now, kitten.”
She turned on him immediately, letting out a low roar.
“I don’t think she likes to be called kitten, boss.”
She swung her head over to look at Jensen, then back to Leo. “Is that it? You don’t like kitten?”
The lioness huffed, meeting his eyes.
“I think she’s also a little miffed that you thought she would hurt a child, Leo,” Caiden said, his eyes never leaving the feline.
She huffed again, and Leo swore she was debating on taking a piece out of his hide. She was pissed.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean to offend you in any way.”
She stared at him, her lip curling up again, growling in anger.
“Damn,” Caiden muttered. “Are you sure she’s your mate, Alpha?”
“Positive.”
“She’s amazing,” Jonathan whispered, his green eyes wide with awe.
“That she is, cub.”
As Leo watched, she turned her back to him and moved closer to Jonathan.
She nudged the cub’s leg gently with the side of her head, as if in apology, then slowly walked over and lay down in the far corner of the barn.
She was obviously exhausted and in agony, but didn’t act as if she was ready to accept help from anyone.
Even him, the one person she should be able to rely on.
He had to remind himself that she had no idea who he was, mate or not.
She lowered her head onto her paws, her eyes closing.
“Why do you think she acts like she doesn’t know who you are to her?” Caiden asked quietly.
“She might not,” Caleb said, leaving his place by the ladder to come over by them. “Shit, she’s covered in so much blood, maybe that’s all she can smell right now.”
“Either that, or she doesn’t want to acknowledge the bond.” Jensen crossed his arms over his broad chest.
“Why wouldn’t she want to be our alpha-mate?”
Jonathan scowled at Jensen. “She wouldn’t reject Alpha Leo.”
“I’m just saying that she might not be ready for that yet.”
“You’re wrong!”
“Watch your mouth, cub…”
A low growl came from the corner of the barn, and Leo glanced over to see his gorgeous mate with her eyes locked on Jensen.
Jensen held his hands up in surrender, taking a step back. She stared him down for a moment longer, then closed her eyes again.
“Fuck,” Caleb whispered, shaking his head. “She kind of scares me, Alpha.”
“As she should.”