Chapter 6
Sugar stretched, watching candlelight dance across the exposed beams of the master bedroom in Maddox’s home. The large cabin was rustic and masculine, at least what she’d seen of the family room and the bedroom.
“We need to talk, sweetheart,” Maddox said as he propped up on one elbow and looked down at her.
His hand was flat on her stomach, and she rested hers over top of his. “Sounds serious.”
“It is. I’d love nothing more than to just stay right here with you for the rest of the night, but there’s a pride meeting at midnight at the ceremonial grounds.”
The sweet, romantic feelings she had been enjoying evaporated, and dread coursed through her. She didn’t have to ask him what the meeting was about because she was certain that she was the topic.
“I’m not a lion,” she whispered. They hadn’t talked about what her being a different kind of shifter would mean to him and to his people.
“We’re bonded, Sugar. Nothing on earth can separate us. But I can’t be alpha. It’s one of our oldest laws.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Rai’s not a lion.”
“Pride members can mate with whoever they want, whether they’re another type of shifter, supernatural creature, or even human. But the alpha female must be a lioness or the alpha forfeits his position.”
“Why? Why does it matter what I am?” She sat up and looked at her handsome mate. He’d been alpha for only a few years, and he was giving it up for her…a stranger.
“It doesn’t matter to me, but it’s a pride law.”
“Maddox,” she said, his name getting caught in her throat as her eyes stung with tears.
He sat up and cupped her face. Tears leaked from her eyes as he gazed at her fiercely. “I’d rather have you than be alpha.”
“You’re giving up so much.”
“It’s no hardship, sweetheart. I get you. In case you couldn’t tell by the way my cat’s been purring, I’m crazy about you and we’ve known each other less than half a day. Can you imagine how strong our mating will be once we really get to know each other? As if I would give up the chance to have you in my arms every night.”
She smiled and more tears leaked from her eyes. He brushed them away tenderly with his thumbs and kissed her gently.
“You’re giving me quite the ego.”
“I should hope so. My cat’s been doing backflips since we met.” He paused and linked their fingers on the bed; his thumbs caressed her hands. “I’ll be honest, Sugar. I thought that being alpha was the best thing I could ever do with my life. I planned to settle down with a lioness and focus on being alpha. But then I met you. That life I’d been contemplating is like dust to me now. Being alpha just isn’t important anymore. I’m picking you, not because it’s the right thing to do, but because I can’t make any other choice. You’re it for me.”
Awe filled her. Along with lots of sexy thoughts.
“You’re it for me, too.”
He kissed her and slipped off the bed, standing tall and rolling his shoulders. “Part of me wants to tell you that you can stay here, but most of me wants you by my side. It’s up to you.”
Sugar got off the bed and joined him. “I want to be with you.”
“Good. I’ll grab your bags from my SUV.”
“It’s probably best if I don’t shower, right? So I’ll smell like you?”
“Definitely.”
He pulled open a dresser drawer and lifted a pair of jeans from the interior, tugging them on and hurrying from the room. He returned a few minutes later with her rolling suitcase and purse, setting them both on the bed. He flipped on the overhead light, and she was finally able to see the room. The walls and ceiling were wood, and the carpet was a thick, navy pile. French doors led outside, and although it was still dark out and the curtains were drawn on the doors, she knew that the back of the house faced the lake. She imagined the daylight view was spectacular.
“The whole house is pretty manly,” he said after he tugged on a long-sleeved shirt.
“Well, it fits the owner,” she said as she stood and stretched.
He joined her, resting one hand on her bare shoulder. “You’re the owner now, too. You can decorate however you want so it feels less…man cave-ish, and more homey.”
“You’re sweet.”
“Just for you.”
“Should I wear my dress?” she asked, her gaze traveling from her sexy mate to the floor where her dress lay in a pile.
“It’s cold out, so dress warmly. It won’t take long anyway.”
She opened her suitcase and removed the clothes she’d worn to the hotel. Then she took out her toiletry bag and went into the attached bathroom. She dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a magenta sweater. After brushing her teeth, she fixed her hair, pulling it to one side and loosely braiding it to show Maddox’s mating mark.
Things had happened so quickly between them. One moment she was waiting for her cue to walk down the aisle, and the next she was unable to stop herself from shifting. Maddox’s impact on her life was instantaneous. Already she was feeling connected to him, not only physically but emotionally. She knew she’d be head over heels for him in no time.
She left the bathroom and sat on the bed to put on her socks and boots while Maddox cleaned up. When he came out of the bathroom, he said, “Are you ready, sweetheart? We should get on our way.”
“Yeah.”
“There’s nothing to worry about,” he said, offering her his hand. She took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet, wrapping one arm around her waist and kissing her. “You’re mine and I’m yours, and everything else is just details.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“I’m going to get a complex if you keep asking me if I want to be your mate.”
“It’s a lot to give up for a stranger.”
He tapped the space over his heart. “You’re not a stranger in here, Sugar. Getting to know each other will come with time, but there isn’t anyone else I’d rather spend my life with than you.”
“There you go being all sweet again.”
“And romantic. Don’t forget that I’m incredibly romantic.”
She lifted onto her toes with a light laugh and kissed him. “I won’t forget.”
After he helped her on with her coat, he put on a coat and opened the front door for her. He shut the door and took her hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss her knuckles.
“You probably like the cold,” he said as they walked together off the front porch and down the drive.
“Yep, me and my cat love it. How do you feel about ice and snow?”
“I used to dread it, but now that I’ve got you, I think I’ll enjoy it a lot more.”
They crossed over the freshly plowed street and entered the woods, following a wide path that had been cut through the trees.
“What are the ceremonial grounds used for?” she asked.
“Changes in leadership, of course,” he said. “And ceremonies like matings and new members. We also have general pride meetings once a month, so pride members can air grievances or discuss concerns.”
“Do you hunt on the full moon?” she asked. She’d grown up with wolves who took the full moon very seriously. The entire day of the full moon was spent preparing for it. It started with a pack breakfast, then they cleaned the area set aside for gathering during the full moon. The day ended with a huge bonfire and a pack-wide hunt once the moon appeared.
“We don’t hunt as a pride, normally, except on special occasions like Christmas Eve. Whenever pride members feel like hunting, they just alert the pride and head out into the woods.”
“I’m used to hunting once a month.”
“Then that’s what you and I will do.”
“And True and Rai.”
He hummed in agreement.
They reached the clearing – a wide, circular area bordered with trees. The pride was waiting. Some wore expressions of curiosity, some of boredom. No one looked angry or upset to see her, so she counted that as a win. Scanning the crowd, she found Drylan and Phoebe, who smiled at her.
Three older males moved from the crowd and joined Maddox and Sugar. Maddox said with a low voice, “Sugar, these are the pride elders – Harlan, Anson, and Chayton.”
The elders greeted her. Anson scratched his fingers through his gray beard and said, “What would you have us do, Alpha?”
“The laws are clear,” Maddox said. “I’m not planning to fight stepping down.”
Chayton nodded. “You’ll be missed as alpha.”
Maddox turned his attention to the pride. The elders stood on his right, and Sugar held Maddox’s left hand tightly. “Thank you all for meeting tonight. I know it’s late, and a holiday, but this couldn’t wait. As many of you realized at the wedding earlier today, I found my true mate. Sugar Pierce is a snow leopard. She and I are completely mated, and, therefore, I am stepping down as alpha.”
He paused for a moment as the murmurings of the pride grew louder. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but the general tone seemed to be unhappy.
He raised his hand for silence. “As is our custom when an alpha chooses to step down without a battle, the elders will assume temporary leadership of the pride for the next seven days. On the seventh day, those interested in fighting for the position of alpha can do so. The winner will assume alpha rank immediately.”
There was a commotion behind the pride members. Three females pushed their way through the crowd and stepped out in front. Sugar vaguely remembered seeing them at the wedding, but she didn’t know who they were, and she hadn’t seen them at the reception.
Maddox growled. “What are you three doing here? You should have left with my uncle.”
The three women looked similar as if they were siblings or relatives. Tall, leggy, blonde – and they each wore an expression of haughtiness that made Sugar want to punch them square in their perfect noses.
“You asked Alpha Clay to bring unmated lionesses for you to choose from,” one said.
“I’ve found my true mate,” Maddox said.
“Promises were made,” another female said. “We’ve come to collect.”
“I made no promises. There is nothing here for you,” Maddox said, his voice growing louder and angrier.
“You should choose one of us to be alpha female so you can stay in power. Stepping down from a position of high rank and tainting your family line with an inferior cat species is deplorable,” the third female said.
Sugar’s cat rose to the surface, furious at the females and their behavior. She was not inferior.
Maddox’s mom moved from the crowd and came to stand by Sugar. “There is nothing inferior about my new daughter.”
One by one, the other female pride members followed suit and joined Phoebe by Sugar’s side. She was nearly moved to tears by the gesture.
Jamie, who had been an usher at the wedding, said, “Why are we even thinking about letting Maddox step down as alpha?”
Anton cleared his throat. “It’s our law.”
“Well, it’s a shitty law,” Paul said. “Maddox is a great alpha. And besides that, Sugar and Maddox were basically born for each other. It’s impressive as hell, and we shouldn’t be trying to exclude her from being alpha female because she’s a snow leopard.”
Maddox shook his head. “I can’t change the law.”
Maddox’s dad said, “Why not? If the pride votes unanimously to change the law, then that should make it an option.”
“I won’t vote yes,” a male voice said from the back of the crowd.
Maddox growled as a male moved through the crowd and stepped out into the center of the clearing. Sugar recognized him as Josef, one of the pride males. He was tall and lanky, with dark eyes and a scar that bisected one eyebrow.
“I’ll take over the pride and mate one of the lionesses,” Josef said. “It’s not our way to change a law simply because it’s convenient.”
The three females looked from Maddox to Josef.
“He’s mated, females,” Josef said, his voice filled with annoyance. “He’s wearing her marks, and she’s wearing his, so there’s no going back for him. There is still a chance to be alpha female. With me.”
“What the hell?” Phoebe said under her breath.
Harlan stepped forward. “This is not how an alpha is chosen, Josef. You cannot simply elect yourself into the position. The battles will be held in seven days. Until then, the elders are in charge.”
A smile – filled with such malevolence that it made Sugar’s skin crawl – spread across Josef’s face. “Maddox hasn’t officially abdicated his position. I know the laws. He’s still alpha until the elders perform the abdication ceremony, which hasn’t happened. According to our laws, I can challenge for the position of alpha as long as there’s a current alpha and the pride is in attendance. I’ve come to win.”
Maddox roared loudly, and all the people in the clearing fell to their knees except for Josef and the elders. Sugar stayed on her feet next to him, her ears ringing with the sound of his roar.
Anson said, “You don’t have to acknowledge him, Maddox. We can still perform the abdication ceremony.”
Maddox shook his head slowly. “If we follow the letter of the law, Josef is right. I haven’t abdicated my position yet, so I’m still alpha.”
“What’s happening?” Sugar asked, looking up at Maddox.
“The last good deed I can do for my pride is to take Josef out.”
“But your dad suggested –” she said, but Maddox cut her off.
“If the pride were willing to vote on a change to the laws, we’d need total agreement. Right now, Josef will vote against the change, and that means it can’t happen. I have no choice but to put him down, sweetheart.”
One of the females said, “I’m not sticking around for this. Maddox is hot, but this guy is all kinds of creepy. I’m out.”
As she rose to her feet, the second female stood and followed suit. The two left the clearing, leaving one female staring at Josef.
“I’ll make you my alpha female if you’ll stay,” Josef said.
The female looked at Sugar smugly. “I’ll stay.”
Maddox shrugged out of his coat. “Enough talk. You challenged me, and I accept. When I win, I’ll banish you from the pride so you’ll never be alpha here.”
“Bring it on,” Josef said, pulling off his coat and handing it to the female.
Sugar pulled Maddox’s coat over her shoulders. Wolves were rough and tumble creatures. They solved a lot of differences with fighting. But she knew in her heart that this wasn’t just a solve-our-differences kind of fight…it was very real.
Phoebe put her arm around Sugar and said, “He’s a great fighter. He’ll be victorious.”
She hoped to hell that Phoebe was right.