Chapter Ten
Drew
“Here, my arms are aching after holding this big bruiser,” Ricky said, standing, and I took the seat eagerly.
An armful of sleepy lion cub landed in my hands, and I looked at the gorgeous baby and sniffled, resisting burying my nose into the baby’s sweet, scented neck. I flicked a glance at Goliath from under my eyelashes when Tartie grabbed a seat and placed it next to the arm of the couch. My mate looked uncertain, and I refrained from sighing at how I’d caused him to feel so bad with my drama llama act. It’s alright, I’ve cooled off now. I can get a little overdramatic. I maybe should have pointed that out before.
I don’t mind as long as I have you.
The sweet words melted my heart. You have me, warts and all.
You don’t have warts, he said in all seriousness. You’re mine, and that’s all that counts.
“We’re tired, we’re off to bed,” Randy said, pulling me from my conversation. I listened to my pride ragging on each other, but I’d caught the agreement from Goliath at Red and Gordon’s sentiment about leaving the house to avoid babies crying.
The conflict for me was real. I’d never been accepted before the pride, and I wanted to repay that by always being there for them when they needed me. Blocking the pride to keep them from having to endure all the sexy antics—and, if I was honest, I didn’t want to share just how freaky I was in the bedroom—made me feel selfish.
You have never been selfish. Maximus looked at Goliath, having caught the last of my thought. You have a mate to consider now. It’s not wrong to want something that’s purely yours. I’m sure if Goliath had known this was important to you, he’d have made sure you got here.
He would. There wasn’t a hurtful bone in his body or stalk. I held back a sigh, hating that my angry outburst had gotten aimed at the wrong person. I glanced down at the tiny cub. I know. It’s just this is so monumental for our pride. I wanted to share the experience.
I missed the birth of the parcel, Maximus said sheepishly.
My head fired up to look at Maximus, eyes wide. You did? How?
I was down at the sheriff's office.
You were?
And Leonidis missed it too.
Feeling decidedly better at not being the only one, I grinned at the room before eyeing Burke. If you get any twinges, you make sure to call me… on my cell phone, so I don’t miss out.
Burke rubbed his big belly. Let’s just hope I’m on the ground when it happens.
Spread over Goliath’s wide chest, enjoying the hand stroking up and down my back as the sunlight peeked through the open curtains, I opened myself to my pride. When I’d left the night before with the bags I’d packed full of things I’d deemed necessary, I’d told Maximus, Burke and Ricky that I would reach out periodically.
I had also left my cell phone on the nightstand because I knew babies came when they wanted to, and I’d blocked the pride because I wanted to give Goliath a proper apology.
You did.
The cock that never seemed to be fully soft, ever, twitched against my thigh. I lifted my head, grinning at the sexy stalk. “Maybe I need to just make sure that you really understand how sorry I am.”
He chuckled and rolled us. I lay flat on my back with him looming over me. His arms bulged, holding most of his weight to prevent him from flattening me into the mattress. “That would be mighty nice.”
The southern drawl thickened when he became aroused. Not that I needed that to tell me when the stalk poking at me between my spread thighs was enough of a clue.
Before I could get my bearings, my well-used ass, which needed little prep, burned at how he stretched me, but it quickly became pleasure with how he rolled his hips, gliding in an inch at a time.
My breath became choppy, my cock and ass both showing their approval; they leaked all over him by the time he was fully seated inside me. He dropped his head, his mouth claiming a kiss that matched the slow, measured pace of his thrusts. Within seconds, I was soft and pliant in his arms.
He liked to fuck like this, slow and thorough until I became weak and mindless. He loved my dominant side, yet he also wanted this. Who was I to argue?
An hour later, out of the shower, dried, and dressed in jeans and a sweater, I stood at the stove with a pan of eggs, humming softly. I didn’t recognize the feeling immediately, but as I focused on it, I understood it was utter contentment.
You need to come to the house.
I started at the sudden intrusion from Burke, the spoon I had in the pan, jerked and flicked egg all over the top of the stove. What is it? Are the babies coming? I dropped the spoon, reaching to turn off the heat and gaining Goliath’s attention.
No. Butch is here, and Leonidis is losing his shit.
“Crap!” Why?
“What is it?” Goliath asked, moving swiftly for someone of his size, lifting me clear off the floor, and checking me over.
“It’s not me.” I kissed his cheek, loving the tingling feel of his bristles. “Something is wrong with Leonidis. We need to go to the pride house.”
He didn’t question me, just carried me out of the house to his truck, making my heart tremble with how much I loved it. A few seconds later we were on our way.
Burke, why? I asked again, noticing he’d not answered me.
Nothing, all I got was static. Alarm ran through me. Goliath must have got a dose as he sped up and sailed through an amber light. He didn’t offer any words that folks normally did to fill an uncomfortable silence. I was grateful for it as I kept searching for a pride member to answer me. Everyone seemed to be focused on something… or someone.
My foot tapped in the footwell, bouncing with each passing second. It took forever to get to the pride house, and Goliath hadn’t gotten the truck in park before I was out the door, rushing into the house.
The snarling came from the kitchen, so I ran in that direction. There on the floor was the sheriff and Leonidis in his lion form, claws out, on the chest of the stalk. His mane was on display, his teeth bared as he snarled down at the stalk.
Maximus paced at the side of them, talking. I could hardly hear him over the noise that Leonidis was making. Goliath swept me up and tucked me onto his hip as I went to step towards Leonidis.
Butch, his expression wasn’t of fear, more of… shock?
No, Drew. You could get hurt.
Leonidis would never hurt me.
Goliath’s gaze went to the couple on the floor, and one brow rose. This isn’t Leonidis. Something is wrong.
“What happened?” I asked Ricky, who also stood in front of Burke in a protective stance.
There was no sign of Gordon, Red, Tim or the babies, which was probably a good thing with how Leonidis was roaring.