“He’s right. Food chain mentality and all,” Liam explained.
“Well that’s just silly since you’re all human.” She picked up Sebastian, who purred.
Liam and Ashby just stared at her.
“What?” she asked, looking back at them. Ashby just smiled widely.
“You’re right, Liam, she is special. I look forward to her being my Alpha Mother,” Ashby said, inclining his head.
Liam’s eyes widened at Ashby’s choice of words and pushed Rebecca forward.
“To acknowledge him and establish your rank over him, lean forward and lightly touch your lips to his neck,” Liam explained.
“But I’m not over anyone,” Rebecca exclaimed.
“You will be. Ashby is giving you his fealty and his respect, but he is also asking for your protection,” he explained.
“I’m doing this because you’re my friend and I would take care of you anyway,” Rebecca said and leaned forward and touched her lips to the side of his neck. He let out a blissful sigh. Rebecca felt a distinct shift in her heart.
“He’s mine,” she realized, touching her chest. She knew that this moment had changed her. She had finally found a place to call home. Liam looked at her funny. Movement toward the door had Liam turning to see a hyena shifter moving away from the entrance. His eyes narrowed. He looked down at Rebecca, who was looking at him with questioning eyes.
“Come on, kitten, let’s get you some coffee then go check on your car. I’m interested in seeing your ‘toy’ car, as Pa puts it.” He steered her toward the door.
“Bye bye, Ashby, see ya later,” she said, waving. Ashby waved, and for the first time since moving to Arkadia, felt like he could really call the shifter town home.
* * * *
“Did you talk to your Ma?” his father asked.
“Yes, Sir,” Aleks replied.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Pa asked as he stared down.
“No, Sir,” Aleks said, also staring down.
“Aleks, your mate is tiny,” Pa said, rubbing his hand over his chin.
“Yes Sir, she is.” Aleks frowned and gulped nervously, he wondered if he was going to get a lecture about sex and mating. He hoped not. That would be awkward.
“She fits in this car,” Pa said, pointing down.
“This is a real car? Wait! This is her car?” Aleks, exclaimed, looking down at the tiny vehicle in front of him. “I thought you were building something to enter into that innovative engineering contest you go to every year,” Aleks said, frowning at the death trap before him.
“Yes, I watched her drive up to the bay doors and get out. She even had room for her luggage too,” Pa said, scratching his head. “Now, I can work on it, but I can’t get in to change gears.” He looked at his son who stood taller than him by an inch.
“I could get her a new car. Like an Excursion or Hummer,” Aleks said. Pa shook his head.
“Her car is one of the only things that survived the house fire that claimed her father’s life,” he replied.
Aleks felt frustrated. It seemed like everyone knew more about his mate than he did. Of course he had only spoken three or four sentences to her. He sighed.
“It will be okay, son. Your mother didn’t talk to me the entire time I held her prisoner on the mountain before we were mated,” Pa said.
“Uh-huh, wait, what?” Aleks asked, stunned.
“She was so stubborn. She fought our mating and refused to speak to me. So I just bundled her up one night, put her in the trunk of my car, and drove her out to your grandfather’s hunting cabin. You were conceived in that cabin.” Pa smiled as he reminisced.
“I thought you said she didn’t talk to you the entire time?” Aleks asked.
“Son, as old as you are, I’m sure you know by now that talking has little to do with cubs getting made. At the end of the second week she finally said, ‘Okay, I’ll keep you.’” Pa laughed.
“I think if I tried that with Rebecca she might kill me in my sleep. She was really pissed at me,” he said, eyeing the car from a new angle.
“I could tell right off she had fire. She’ll be a perfect mate for you, boy. Don’t know why it took you so long to see it. You’re stubborn though, just like your Ma, once you get something in your head.” Pa just shook his head.
“I want to fix her car, but I don’t want her driving it. The thought of her hurt gives me a heart attack. And I want to get to know everything about her. I’m tired of hearing others tell me about her and not know it myself. She’s my mate, dammit! I should know about her car and her family.” Aleks sighed. “It seems like I only know one thing about her. Did you know she has the most amazing smile?” Aleks asked of his father.
Pa nodded and then motioned with his head to the door.
“Do now,” he said slyly.
Aleks turned to see his mate standing before him clutching a bedraggled cat. She had tears in her eyes.
“Did you really mean all that?” Rebecca asked. Aleks nodded, afraid to move forward. He would let her make the first move. She bent and set the cat down. Sebastian immediately twined around Liam’s legs as the man leaned against the open bay door. She walked over and stood before him.
“We could have dinner together,” she said, looking up at him. He just nodded like a bobblehead. He was surprised when she crooked her finger at him to lower his head. He leaned down. She smiled and lightly kissed him on the lips. He jerked up then smiled widely.
“See you tonight, bear. Oh, and I’m keeping my car,” she said. “Bye, Pa.”
“Bye, baby girl,” he said, waving.
Aleks growled at Liam, who gave him a shit-eating grin before wiggling his fingers at him.
“Pa, how long before you get the car fixed?” he asked.
“A couple years,” Pa said, smiling.
“Sounds about right to me,” Aleks said before he headed back to the station to pick up his car. He was heading home to make arrangements for the most perfect date night.
* * * *
“He really cares about me,” she said for the third time. Liam just nodded.
“Of course he does, you’re his mate,” Liam said as they walked toward the town’s clothing store.
“I heard what he said to Connor. He said he wanted a shifter mate,” she said quietly.
“He wanted a shifter mate because to him it was safer. We can’t hurt shifter females the way we can human ones,” he explained.
“Liam, did I take you away from your job today? What would you normally be doing?” she asked. They finally turned off of Main Street. She could see the clothing store down on the right.
“I work from home, investments and stock management. At this point in my life I really don’t have to work much. I mostly keep my raggle-taggle group of lions from eating each other. We’re a backward bunch in that we’re a group of males. Normally in the wild it’s a group of lionesses with only one male. But females are so rare.” His voiced drifted off.
“I know Fate has someone just for you, Liam. You’re too awesome not to have a mate,” Rebecca said. Liam smiled.
“I hope you’re right, because if something doesn’t change, lion shifters will become extinct.” He sounded sad. Rebecca hugged him.
“Come on, I need to find something to wear. I only have jeans and sweaters. I want something pretty to wear.” Rebecca giggled at his rolled eyes.
“How did I get stuck clothes shopping?” Liam asked.
“Because you are my friend,” Rebecca said simply, looking up at him with affection in her eyes.
“You sure know how to hit a guy in the gut,” Liam said, ruffling her hair.
“Hey!” she said, batting at his hand.
“Come on, kitten, time to get your date outfit,” he said, grinning.
* * * *
“I can’t choose!” Rebecca yelled, dramatically falling back onto Liam’s leather couch. After shopping, he had taken her back to Leona’s to grab her overnight bag which had her makeup. Reb
ecca explained to Leona that she was heading to Liam’s house to get ready. Leona had wished her luck.
They were now at Liam’s house, currently surrounded by male lion shifters. Each one was watching the tiny woman with fascination.
“This one is simply divine, you have to wear it.” The dark haired Adonis held up the black slip dress that she had initially chosen. It was simple yet extremely sexy.
“Rian, are you blind? This one is clearly the dress to wear. It’s elegant and shows a more refined side.” The auburn-haired man held up a modest pink chiffon dress that screamed vintage elegance. Rebecca couldn’t choose between the two at the store, so in order to preserve his sanity, Liam had bought her both despite her protests about being an independent woman then marched her to his car so that he could enlist his pride’s assistance in helping to get her ready.
“Damian, that one is a little too good. She will never get him to claim her if she wears that. She could wear that later when she wants to tease him,” Rian explained, looking through the bag for the matching shoes.
“You may have a point. She does want him to be out of his mind with lust. The claiming is always better that way.” Damian nodded.
“Hair up or down?” Rian asked holding up a pair of three inch black heels.
“Definitely a half-’n’-half. Half up to show sophistication and half down to look tousled.” Damian nodded his approval at her shoes.
Rebecca watched in rapt fascination as the two men plotted her outfit as if they were commanders on a battlefield. When she voiced that observation, all the men stopped and laughed.
“Honey, it is a battle, and we’re going to make sure you are the victor. Now what is your objective for the night?” Rian asked and pulled her over to sit between himself and Damian. Rebecca looked up in search of Liam. When she met his eyes, he smiled then nodded.
“They may appear to be crazy, but these men represent the most reliable group when it comes to dating advice,” Liam said.
“Except you forgot me!” Kate exclaimed from the foyer shutting the door behind her.
“Kate! Katie Belle! Kate!” The group exploded in welcomes.
“How dare you sequester her away planning a date night and not call me, Liam. I am hurt! I had to hear about this pre-dating party from Leona, after I went to the bed and breakfast looking for you after I heard about the dating shopping spree from Miranda who was gloating that you were shopping in her store,” Kate said with a mock growl, then unable to keep up the angry façade collapsed into laughter on the sofa across from Rebecca.
“Besides, I come with the best components. Rich red wine, rich dark chocolate, and rich vanilla cheesecake,” she said, grinning when the men erupted into cheers. Rebecca laughed.
“My objective is to make him regret rejecting me, make him pant after me, and make him realize I could be a good mate even though I’m not special like you all,” she said.
Kate frowned and sat up.
“You are special, Rebecca,” she said. Liam made his way to the couch, moving Rian over to sit next to her.
“Not like you all. You are freaking awesome. You can shift into these amazing animals. I’m just a boring old human,” she said, looking down at her hands.
“I bet wherever you worked you were well liked,” Kate said. Rebecca nodded.
“A lot of people are well liked at their jobs,” she said.
“I bet you knew everyone on your block where you lived,” Liam said.
“A lot of neighborhoods are close,” she replied.
“I bet a lot of people smile at you for no reason,” Damian added.
Rebecca looked at them in confusion.
“But that’s normal stuff,” she said. Everyone smiled at her.
“One, maybe two of those, but all of them? Kitten, you have a way of bringing people together. Ma is a wonderful Alpha Mother because we know that she will protect us and she runs a tight ship. But you, kitten, will be a perfect Alpha Mother because you will love everyone in this town, and for the first time, make this feel like a real community. Not bears, and wolves or lions, but families and friends. That is why Ashby has already given you his allegiance. He sees in you what I do. Someone who will not just protect us, but love us and help us grow,” Liam said softly, watching the expressions race across her face.
“He’s right, baby girl. Ma has our loyalty and respect, but I could see us giving you our love. Even though we haven’t known each other very long I could see you putting the people of this town first. I honestly believe that Fate delivered you to us when we needed you the most. We may be a safe haven for shifters, but it doesn’t feel like home. You could do that for us.” She handed Rebecca a slice of cheesecake.
“I don’t think I can do all that,” she said, suddenly feeling very small.
“That’s the thing, kitten, you already are. Kate and I are normally at each other’s throats, bickering, you know the whole cat, dog thing. But we have instinctively put that aside to help you. Aleks may be the one enforcing the laws, but you will be the heart. Our leader. Kate was right when she said we need you now more than ever. We need someone who can unite not just the town but also different species outside of Arkadia.” Liam reached over and grabbed her fork, stealing a bite of cheesecake.
“Is it too late to join the party?” a soft voice asked timidly from the foyer.
Everyone looked up to see two men standing in the foyer waiting for permission to come in.
“Ashby!” Rebecca launched off of the sofa. She ran over and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug. “The guys are helping me pick my outfit for tonight. I have a date with Aleks,” she said, smiling.
“We know. Nicholas and I were closing down the coffee shop when Miranda came in to tell us how Liam had you out shopping. I’m afraid you are the only source of gossip right now.” Ashby looked over at the room full of lions nervously.
“We brought coffee,” Nicholas said shyly. Rebecca had met Nicholas when Liam had taken her to get coffee. She was just as taken with him as she was with Ashby. Where Ashby was blond and ethereal, Nicholas felt like an old friend. He had brown shaggy curls that fell carelessly perfect about his face, creamy skin, and warm, rich brown eyes.
“Thank god!” Rebecca stood on tip toes to kiss Nicholas on the cheek. He blushed furiously.
Everyone sat down and started to talk at once. Rebecca noticed that Ashby and Nicholas stayed close by her side, and Kate and Liam seemed to take the roles of hall monitors. Rebecca smiled as Ashby and Nicholas seemed to open up.
“It’s like you guys never hung out before,” she said and everyone looked at her.
“We haven’t,” Ashby said, looking into his coffee cup.
“If you weren’t here, we wouldn’t feel safe enough to surround ourselves with predators. But we know you would keep us safe,” Nicholas said.
Rebecca swallowed hard. She didn’t feel comfortable with the level of absolute trust they all seemed to have in her.
“We wouldn’t hurt you,” Damian said, pouting.
“You wouldn’t intend to, but we have seen the aggressive natures of predator animals take over. It’s never pretty,” Ashby said.
“Now you know they won’t hurt you, right? Because we’re all friends now,” Rebecca said assuredly.
Everyone just stared at her.
“Right?” she asked.
“You wouldn’t hurt Ashby or Nicholas because you all are amazing men and wouldn’t hurt anyone that was smaller than you. I trust you all,” she beamed at the room.
“Not everyone believes as you do. We get judged because we’re male lions, but, we’re really not aggressive, or we would never be able to live together like this. Normally a pride is a group of females and one or two males. We’re a group of misfit males,” Rian said, wrapping an arm around Damian.
“We are left out of town decisions and are picked on because we’re small,” Nicholas said, mirroring Rian’s action by wrapping an arm around Ashby.
“E
veryone thinks that I have a say in the pack, but we have a faction that is close to going rogue and that doesn’t listen to me. I know that Bran would object to me discussing pack business but it’s true. None of us seem to know each other or what is really going on in this town because we’ve never just sat down and talked to one another,” Kate said, hugging a pillow to her chest.
“You knew you could come to me, we may bicker but you had to know I’d be there for you,” Liam said, moving to sit on the sofa. “I would have helped.”
“You would have, but would your pride have helped?” she said and saw the conflicted looks on the faces of the pride members around her.
“But all that is in the past, because from now on we’re going to help one another, just like you’re helping me for my date,” Rebecca said happily. When her words sunk in, she looked at everyone in panic. “My date! It’s in less than two hours and I haven’t even showered!” She stood up and started moving toward the stairs but realized she didn’t know where a shower was. She looked down and realized she didn’t know which dress she was going to wear. She started to hyperventilate.
Immediately everyone sprang into action. Kate grabbed her by the hand and started to drag her towards the stairs.
“Liam, get the guys to decide on a dress. Ashby, Nic, I’ll call you in a few minutes to do her hair and makeup. Someone call Aleks so he knows to pick her up here. Uh, Liam, not to be funny, but it should be you. And don’t torture him too much when you call.” Kate got Rebecca up the stairs and into Liam’s room and shut the door.
Liam looked around at the men staring at him.
“Well, you heard her,” he said and everyone started to move.
* * * *
“Aleks, hey, buddy,” Liam said lazily.
“Hey, asshole,” Aleks replied sounding distracted.
“I just wanted to call and let you know that you’ll be picking up Rebecca at my house for your date.” Liam waited. Three, two, one and…He held the phone away from his ear at the roar.