Epilogue
“Just what exactly is your issue, Mufasa?” Julie snapped at Hector as soon as Heidi disappeared up the stairs with her mates. “Or is this just another little ‘control issue’ rearing its ugly head?”
Okay, Julie could fully admit that it wasn’t the brightest idea taunting the lion male by waving her pinkie finger when she said the word little—but dammit, this man always seemed to bring out the sauciest version of herself.
“We’re not doing this now,” was his haughty answer, and for once it finally snapped her control.
“We’ve been not, not doing this for way too many years already, you self-righteous prick,” Even though she fought to keep her tone strong, her heart still threatened to shatter underneath it all, “But I think I’m finally done.”
They just stood there for a moment, staring at each other. She searched for some hint of emotion in his eyes, but as ever, Hector never gave anything away.
“What in the hell is going on here?” Heidi’s other brother Derek yelled as he threw his hands up in the air. “What are you two talking about? Why don’t I know about anything that’s going on here?”
Normally, Julie would have giggled at Derek’s confused outburst—she usually found his charmingly oblivious self adorable, but in this instance, she didn’t want to spend another second around any Jennings male.
“Don’t worry, Derek.” Julie looked straight back at Hector with all the disappointment she’d been holding in her heart since she was sixteen years old. “Whatever we were talking about is long over, there’s nothing left to do but move on now.”
“Like hell, this is over.” Hector took a step closer, and for a millisecond she actually thought he might kiss her, but then that superior look that she hated so very much settled on his face. “We’re going outside to finish this discussion in privacy, Julie.”
“That’s not happening,” she started, only to be rudely interrupted by the king of the jungle once again.
“Oh, it’s happening all right, little one,” his snobby façade was slowly taken over by a look of male dominance and anticipation, “or I’ll take you over my knee and show you exactly who is in charge around here…”
“Dude!” Derek’s outraged voice broke through Julie’s shock at Hector’s words. “What the hell is wrong with you? Julie’s like a sister to us, why would you say that?”
“Seriously, Hector.” Carson had been silent up until now, but he stepped up and put a hand on Hector’s shoulder. “What has gotten into you and why are you taking it out on Julie?”
“Indeed, my son,” Alpha Jennings raised one curious eyebrow at his eldest son, “what precisely are you trying to say?”
She watched as he floundered for a response. Julie knew that Hector certainly hadn’t wanted to out their dirty laundry in front of his family—after all, he’d spent the last six years proving to her over and over again that he wished fate had chosen differently for them both. But fuck him, she’d had enough of his rejections and his overbearing ‘Hector knows best’ attitude to last a lifetime.
Julie crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow at him in challenge. “Nothing to say now, Princess?”
She stifled a giggle as the vein in his forehead began to throb. Lord knows he hated that particular nickname…
“You are my mate, and you will do as I say!” Hector finally burst out, which was only matched by the shocked gasps of his brothers and the confused look from his father.
“Make me,” was all she said before turning around and storming out of their home. As soon as she hit the driveway, a slow smile spread across her face. Julie had just issued a rather large challenge to the next in line to become Alpha to the Blue Valley lion pride … things were about to become very entertaining.
The End
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