Chapter Fifteen
Kefir sat very still on the edge of the group of lions, silently observing the other members of his pride. He’d watched the other lions and their mates, so many times, and he hadn’t really understood any of it. But he did now.
As Ellery stepped through the door, the atmosphere changed, and Kefir smiled to himself. Yes, he got it now. He really understood the way the other lions had found peace when the men they loved walked into their lives.
Ellery ran his gaze over the room in a quick but through inspection. He always did that, as if he thought every space needed to be checked for threats before he could rest easily there. But his attention soon settled on Kefir, just as it always did, and his expression lightened when their eyes met.
Bouncing up off the rug in front of the fire, Kefir went immediately to his master’s side.
“Did you have a good day, sir?”
Ellery nodded as they brushed their lips together.
His kiss didn’t taste the same as it had when Kefir had caught him speaking to Arslan.
His lips were still perfect, but that touch of something else that had lingered there that day wasn’t back.
The slight scent of leather and petrol was all present and correct though.
It clung to Ellery’s bare skin in exactly the same way it always did when he first came home to…
to his pet. Kefir smiled slightly as he applied the word to himself.
He was allowed to call himself that now and not feel like he was letting down his leader every damn time.
Kefir leaned into Ellery’s body as Ellery straightened up and took his lips out of kissing range.
Burying his face in Ellery’s shoulder, he couldn’t help but try to soak up his scent, his feel, everything about him.
“Kitten?”
Kefir managed to make a little sound in the back of his throat to let Ellery know he was listening and that he always wanted to hear whatever his master had to say, but that didn’t seem to be enough.
Ellery made him lift his head properly.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing, sir.”
He didn’t believe him. Kefir knew that without Ellery needing to say a word. A slightly different look in his eyes was all it took to make Kefir aware of Ellery’s moods now. And Ellery had developed good instincts when it came to Kefir’s disposition in return.
Kefir took a deep breath as his fingertips traced across Ellery’s skin. “You said that, if I did something wrong, you’d punish me. But, afterward, it would be forgotten about, and everything would be okay again,” he reminded him.
Ellery continued to stare down at him, his expression growing more serious by the moment. “Have you done something wrong?”
“No, sir.” Not yet.
The last few members of the pride tumbled into the room. A car crunched over the gravel in the driveway just a second later, heralding the arrival of that week’s sacrifice.
Ellery glared at the world around them as if its very existence offended him. He began to lead Kefir out of the room.
Planting his bare feet firmly on the carpet, Kefir stopped them both short. Ellery looked over his shoulder at him in askance as he seemed to realise that, just this once, Kefir was reluctant to follow politely in his wake.
“May we stay for the meeting, sir?”
Ellery looked at the lions around them. “Respecting your traditions is one thing, kitten. Letting you hide behind them is another.”
Kefir shook his head, denying any such inclination. “I’ll make sense later, sir.”
Ellery didn’t look happy about receiving the request, let alone granting it, and Kefir had to scramble for something to say that might make Ellery change his mind. “Promise?”
For all their differences, the word seemed to have the same effect on Ellery as it did on Marrick when Luther or Blaine said it to him. It was obviously an important word for humans. They took people seriously when they said it.
Ellery still didn’t seem thrilled, but he finally stopped trying to leave the room.
If a degree of tension remained in his muscles, and a little suspicion lingered in his eyes as he looked at the other members of the pride, then at least he didn’t try to stop Kefir from curling up close to him on one of the big leather sofas as the sacrifice was made welcome on the hearthrug.
Ellery let him remain snuggled up against his side, with his hands stroking idly over his skin as they watched the others play with the new sacrifice. Kefir didn’t want a new sacrifice to play with. He burrowed a little closer into his master’s side. He didn’t want a sacrifice at all, or a pet.
He could still feel the tension in Ellery’s body, but Ellery didn’t try to question him about his nervousness. His promise still seemed to be keeping Ellery’s curiosity at bay.
In what felt like mere seconds, the food was brought in and eaten. Arslan seemed to begin his talks with the lions in his pride just moments later. And Kefir knew it might only be a matter of minutes before he’d be called upon to speak.
He hated himself for it, but part of him hoped that one of his friends would be in trouble and need to ask the leader for his help and advice—anything that would delay Arslan’s attention turning toward him.
“Kefir, is there anything you wish to say?”
And, suddenly, he didn’t have any more time to worry or have doubts about what he intended to do. His heart raced faster than ever, but somehow, Kefir managed to nod, his cheek moving against his master’s shoulder with the gesture.
Ellery’s tension doubled. His scent signalled that he was less impressed with the world than ever.
When Kefir sat up and pulled away from him, he caught sight of Ellery’s expression out of the corner of his eye.
It took every scrap of courage Kefir knew he had in him, and more, to stand up and move even further away from him.
Kefir stood on the rug for a moment, his gaze on Arslan. Their eyes met. Arslan’s expression betrayed nothing. There was neither approval nor disapproval there. Very slowly, Kefir turned his back on the rest of his pride and looked toward his master.
Ellery stared up at him, his eyes full of questions. It felt wrong, standing over him that way, as if he was trying to loom the way some of the larger lions did. Kefir slowly lowered himself to his knees, just a few inches away from his master’s feet.
He doubted the move was as practiced or as perfect as some of the humans at the clubs were capable of, but it let Kefir give his master what he could of the world he was used to and fit it in to what was going to happen that night as well as he knew how.
He’d have done anything to give himself a better chance of success.
For what felt like a lifetime, their eyes remained locked, the whole room stayed silent. In that moment, he had no doubt he was making a mistake. Masters did this, not pets. The fact he was a lion was suddenly irrelevant.
“You said you have something to say?” Ellery prompted.
Kefir nodded. But he couldn’t get the words out.
If his master said no to him that night, he knew there might be another chance to ask him in the future.
Humans didn’t always say yes first time.
He’d seen evidence of that himself. But he wanted Ellery to say yes to him, so badly.
He wanted his master to accept him so desperately he could barely breathe.
Ellery moved forward in his chair. A frown grew across his forehead as he reached out and stroked his fingers along Kefir’s jaw. Turning his face toward his master’s hand, Kefir gently lapped at his skin.
The moment he tasted Ellery against his tongue, the words rose to his lips. “If you come to us willingly and of your own free will, with no thought for your own gain and only wishing to add to the pride, then you are welcome.”
He couldn’t look up at Ellery. He whispered the invitation into his hand instead.
“If you wish to belong to the pride, to take your rightful place in the pride, you are welcome.”
Another lick against Ellery’s skin and Kefir managed to lift his gaze for a moment. When he would have looked down, Ellery moved his fingers out of range of Kefir’s tongue, to tuck them beneath his chin and keep him looking up.
“If you come to us without lies or secrets, you are welcome,” Kefir whispered.
He had to swallow then, to work some moisture into his throat.
His master nodded to him, encouraging him on. It wasn’t easy, especially when Ellery’s expression was unreadable, and Kefir remained clueless as to what his answer would ultimately be.
“If you are who we believe you to be, say that you wish to take your rightful place in the pride, and you will be welcomed.”
Kefir took a deep breath and dipped his face toward his master’s body. Ellery’s hand slipped around to the back of his head. The fingers threaded through his hair, pulling him closer and holding him close and safe against his body.
Ellery’s heartbeat echoed through Kefir as his ear rested against his chest.
“Yes.”
That was all Ellery said.
Lifting his head, Kefir peeked up at him.
No questions, no hesitation, no need to ask a second time just…yes.
A smile twisted Ellery’s lips. “Did you really think there was any chance I’d say no?”
Kefir snuggled closer into Ellery’s body again. Even the memory of the possibility sent a shiver down his spine. Ellery could have said no. He could have said a pet had no right to even ask. Kefir nodded that, yes, he’d known there was a chance everything could go to hell.
“Silly little kitten.” Ellery’s gentle chuckle reverberated through his chest, making Kefir smile.
Ellery let him rest there for a while, before gently nudging him to lift his head. “Your friends are waiting to congratulate you, kitten.”
Kefir looked over his shoulder. All the commotion that usually came with such an announcement hadn’t descended on the room, but he could feel the other lions’ attention on him. He rose and turned toward the centre of the room.