Chapter Four
Leo is Protective
Few things sparked a bigger case of nerves in a man than waiting for his lady to make her appearance. His conference calls had gone late then his tuxedo shirt hadn’t been pressed. Everyone’s attention now focused on Kalista, which brought him joy, but left him standing at an ironing board.
Earlier that day, he had an unexpected visit from one of the distant cousins who announced if Leonidas was determined to mate with a human, he would challenge his king for the throne. He expected an amount of hostility towards Fate’s chosen queen. He also expected challenges from men and more often than before, from women, for power. He had not expected it from those who had grown up here on the island.
“You understand when you lose, I’ll have to ask you to leave?” Leonidas managed to keep his voice calm. The young gardener’s challenge didn’t anger him. Challenging him was a rite of passage for a great many young lions, and each family challenged him in some way. Some sent omegas with no chance of winning, some, betas eager to prove their worth, and others who genuinely believed they could beat the prime. He, however, would not stand for hatred toward Kalista or any human.
“It is a chance I’m willing to take to make sure our line remains pure.” Anton stood firm, puffing out his chest.
“I see.” Leonidas tapped the desk in a slow cadence, one finger after another. “I don’t follow the old rules of banishment. You’ll still be allowed to maintain a relationship with your family members who remain on the island. But you’ll no longer be allowed to visit them here.”
“Next year?” As if the consequences of his actions started sinking in, the young man fidgeted from one foot to the other. “If I can’t come back to the island, it leaves me vulnerable to the slayers.”
It did, indeed. When the zodiac shifters were no longer needed to guard the gods, the gods released them from service. Some of his kind felt the humans should bow to them and, when they didn’t, whole villages were wiped out, leaving deserted towns where they once thrived.
In response, a new race had been created. Immortals set on the destruction of the shifter’s race. But even some of the Foniás balked at killing innocents and children. Dikē, the Greek goddess of fair judgment, cursed the slayers so they could only track the shifters during their sign of the zodiac’s rule. When their powers and blessings rose to their highest. Which meant the shifters had to find places to protect their people. Leos had this island, Libra, secret chambers at the Hill of Tara in Ireland. Aquarius, the lost city of Atlantis. Scorpio, temples in Egypt.
“Others have come back after their year away.” His panicked voice brought Leonidas out of his musing. “You can’t leave me out there with the slayers.”
“When a human is your queen, she can decide if you may come back to the next festival.” Leo stood. “The South American family believes like you do in the purity of our kind. I suggest you contact them for work and a pride to stay with.”
“South America?”
He ignored the other man’s inquiry and opened a ledger on his desk. “I’m facing a couple of challengers tonight but will fit you in after I deal with those who already made an appointment.”
“Tonight?” The man seemed to choke.
“Too soon? Perhaps you can tell me when you think you’ll be ready. You have the first week to initiate your challenge. Either way, you have a week to be packed and get your affairs in order. As you are concerned by Foniás, you will be permitted to stay out the Leo rule at the Isle of Proávlio tis Koláseos.” The name translated into English as Island of Limbo. The basic shacks for lodging, supplies for fishing, and a natural spring in the center of the island allowed for the rudimentary needs but no comforts. It would keep him safe but little else.
“I could win the challenge.” Anton squared his shoulders, but his voice lacked conviction.
“Yes, you could, but it would take a miracle. Of course, if you do win, I’m sure you are up to taking on the challenges written in the books.” He crossed the room and opened the door. “Gio, Anton here will need a gray armband.”
The beta smirked, no doubt amused the gardener had challenged his alpha. “I can’t remember the last time a non-beta made a true challenge.”
Heels clicking down the hallway brought him back to the present. As she appeared at the top of the stairs, in an electric-blue gown the same color as her eyes, his heart stopped. He never wanted her shoulders covered. The deep vee and high waist emphasized her full breasts. “I thought I had seen beauty. I was wrong.”
She stopped, her eyes glistening with tears. In all the cartoons Helena forced him to sit through when she was a child, when the princess met her prince, they fell madly in love. Perhaps fairy tales did come true. He moved to the third step. On the step above, in her high heels, she stood his equal.
“I would kiss you, but I do not wish to ruin your makeup.”
“It’s painted on, so kiss away,” Helena said from behind Kalista.
He glanced at his sister, his eyes tearing up. “When did you become so beautiful? You are so much like Mitéra.”
“What is Mitéra?” Kalista asked.
Helena’s voice caught on a hitch. “It’s Mother.”
“She would have been so proud of you, tonight,” he said kissing Helena’s forehead. “Come on. I would be honored to have you both on my arm tonight.”
“Well, don’t expect me to stick around too long with you old folks. I plan to dance the night away.”
“No offense, but we old people don’t need you young ’uns hanging around, anyway.” Kalista winked at his sister. She fit into their family. She understood Helena far better than he did. “Bless her heart.”
Once they arrived at the central ballroom building, Helena lasted on his arm for about two minutes before she caught site of her friends from other prides. Kalista whispered in her ear, and his sister nodded and hugged her before walking off with a great deal more self-control than he had expected.
“What did you tell her?”
“If she wants to be treated as an adult she needs to act like one.”
“You do well with her.”
“She is an amazing young woman, and we have a lot in common. We both lost our mothers when we were too young to remember.”
“Do you miss your mother?”
She bit the inside of her cheek, as if thinking about her answer. “I don’t know if you can miss a person you never knew. I miss the concept. I hate not having the memories my brothers have, and I love when they talk about her.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to talk about those we have lost.”
“I understand.” She placed a hand on his biceps. “Did you see how excited she got just having you tell her she resembles your mother? She hears about how amazing your parents were as leaders, but she doesn’t have any memories of the little things. She wants you to tell her what your mother enjoyed, what her laugh sounded like. Did she sing? Could she sing?”
“I never talk about my parents, at first because it hurt too much and I was overwhelmed with taking on the role of mother and father to two little girls. Helena had just turned two and Cosima wasn’t much older.”
“I am sure taking on the parenting role became a heavy burden.”
He nodded. “One I never wanted but loved all the same.”
“I haven’t met Cosima yet.”
“She is here somewhere with her husband and their daughter. Cosima has some memories of our parents, but she didn’t want to talk, and I never thought Helena would care to. Perhaps now that Cosima is a mother she, too, would like those reminiscences.”
“Did you take on the company when your father passed?”
“No, I had already done so.” He gripped her shoulders. “We have to go in, and I promise I’ll answer all the questions you have now and the hundreds to come later. Don’t let anyone here walk over you tonight. Show your backbone and don’t allow any insult. They are going to test your right to be at my side.”
“Even I don’t believe I should be at your side.”
“That is fine, but never doubt your right.”
“I feel like I’m about to enter the lions’ den.”
“In a manner of speaking, you are. I don’t want you blindsided, but there are a few ex-lovers of mine here tonight. Most will be pleased at your presence, but a few hope to rekindle something this weekend.”
“Thanks, I think.” She crinkled her nose and moved her hand from his arm to intertwine her fingers in his. “This is who I am.”
“I adore who you are.” The door opened, and the room went silent. His people bowed, lowered their eyes in respect, and waited. “Kalosórises spíti.”
When all eyes returned to him, he lifted her hand to his lips and placed a kiss upon the inside of her wrist. The intimacy of the gesture proclaimed her his. As they entered the room, the chatter started, and the noise rose to a loud hum. The elders approached them first, followed by a great many betas who had served his father, and some his grandfather. He greeted them with the respect their age demanded. Kalista answered questions and stood strong at his side.
“So I see a lot of gray bands. Any possible contenders?” Ichro, the eldest male from his family, asked.
“I’ll know better once I have circulated through the room.” He smiled down at Kalista as she shot him a questioning glance.
“Some never learn. How many years now has Otto’s boy made the challenge?”
“It’s a tradition. I think I would be disappointed if Joe hadn’t.” Leonidas chuckled.
“I have a feeling in my gut there will be some donning the armband who hadn’t planned to after tonight.” His Aunt Mavis clicked her teeth disapprovingly.
“It’s not right.” Agnus, the eldest of the lionesses, sat in her wheelchair drinking bourbon. “They can’t pretend to comprehend what the fates have planned. But I’ll tell you this”—she wagged a long boney finger at him—“they always have a plan. Life is cavernous and long without a mate.”
After a few more minutes, which included some heavy teasing from the elders, they stepped away and she asked under her breath, “Gray bands?”
“Challengers for my position in the family.”
“And they aren’t happy I’m on your arm.”
“Remember, it’s your right.”
“It’s where I want to be, but why are they upset? Is it because I’m an American.”
“Your nationality doesn’t help.” He squeezed her hand and moved from group to group. A few included men wearing the dark-gray bands and, to her credit, she treated not one of them with anything but respect. He suspected she won more points than he had lost when it came out his mate was human and American to boot.
“Are you the only one they challenge?”
“No, they challenge each other as well. Those fights tend to be pissing contests.”
“Have you ever challenged anyone?”
“Once.”
“Just once? Bet you won beautifully.” She beamed up at him.
Pride filled him. Every male yearned for the approval of his mate. “I did. It is why I’m in control of the family.”
“Please don’t inflate his ego any more than necessary or he’ll become even more unbearable to live with,” Cosima purred from behind them.
“You’re supposed to be helping me keep her here, not scaring her off, aderfi.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek then made quick work of the introductions.
“Fear not, brother mine. I’ve no desire to scare off the only woman who seems able to handle Helena for hours at a time.” She turned her attention to his mate. “Sorry I didn’t come over this morning to meet you. My husband has been off the island for a few weeks on business for this man.” She thumbed her brother.
“He volunteered.”
Cosima punched him in the arm. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Ouch.” He feigned pain as she rolled her eyes at him. “The damn man is besotted with you. I’m surprised he isn’t glued to your side. Where is he?”
“Perhaps I wore him out, and he couldn’t get out of bed.”
“Enough.” He threw his hands up. He had no interest in a recap of his sister’s sex life. Her human mate had already proven he could handle the lioness. “I’ll leave Kalista in your able, safe hands. Jaison is across the room being subtle in his need for my attention.”
Jaison, one of his betas, appeared anything but subtle, and as they hadn’t spoken since he’d arrived two hours ago, he couldn’t put the other man off any longer. He placed a kiss on Kalista’s temple. “You okay alone for a few minutes?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“She’s hardly alone in my able hands.” Cosima pushed off.
“Leaving her alone with you for any amount of time worries me,” he joked. As he approached his beta, Jaison turned and exited out the back doors to the courtyard. He scanned the room and found his second, Damen, who shrugged but headed their way. “Jaison.”
The beta paced, his hands fisted at his side. “Are you fucking kidding me? A human.”
A second after the sentence passed his lips, Leonidas had his hand around his trusted friend’s neck and him pinned to a tree. “Watch your mouth. If you want to challenge me, wear the band like all the others.”
Jaison’s fingers pulled at the large hand at his throat. Damen’s tap on Leonidas’s shoulder helped loosen the pressure. “He can’t talk if you’re crushing his jugular.”
With a shove into the tree shaking it to its roots, he stepped away, leaving his beta gasping for air and holding up one finger. Leonidas stood on guard as ten more of his betas came out of the shadows to approach. Jaison rasped with a grin, “If you will fight your most trusted man for her honor, then it is meant to be.”
All his men stripped off their shirts and got down on one knee for their yearly oath of duty to him. Leonidas circled the group, speaking in Greek the pledge centuries old. “Do you vow to protect me and mine as if they were your own?”
“We do,” they said in unison.
“Do you vow to protect the omegas as you would your alpha?”
“We do.”
“Do you vow to protect what I hold most dear, no matter that she is human?”
“We do.”
“I accept your oaths.” At his words, the tattoo of the Leo constellation burned bright on their pecs, the black and gold brightening where only moments ago the marks had begun to fade. “Stand up and tell me what the hell your little performance was about?”
“The Cancer alpha took a human for his mate, but his people later discovered they weren’t true soul mates. He wanted her and saw no other way his people would allow it. We wanted to make sure your heart spoke, not your cock.”
“Mmmm, now this is my kind of conversation.” The sultry voice of his ex-lover Lala wafted to them from the open doorway to the courtyard. “Leo’s cock.”
Emotions rushed Kalista. First, anger. No, not anger. Fury. But it subsided to a sense of peace. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to deal with the roller coaster of irrational emotions running through her. The calm receded almost as quickly as it came on, replaced with an overwhelming urge to gouge the eyes out of half the women in the room for no reason at all. The nagging feeling of someone moving in on her territory persisted.
“What’s wrong, Kalista?” Cosima asked handing her a glass of champagne.
Rubbing her forehead, she tried to shake the irrational jealousy off. “It’s nothing.”
“Liar. Don’t lie to us even when you think we won’t understand.”
“Your brother said the same thing.”
“So tell me. I promise you, I won’t judge.”
“It’s crazy.”
“Nothing is as crazy as you might think.” Cosima touched her arm.
“I thought I could feel the emotions Leo went through. First the terrifying anger mixed with betrayal.”
“What made you think these were Leo’s experiences and not yours?”
“I just knew.” They stared out the doors he had exited ten minutes before. As the silence dragged on, Kalista asked, “What are you thinking?”
“I didn’t think it would happen this fast.”
“Fast?” She had no idea what Cosima could be talking about.
“Usually the connection takes weeks. Sometimes it never happens. My husband and I didn’t get the connection until I became pregnant with our daughter.”
She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “So you are a family of psychics?”
“Call it more of a highly tuned sixth sense. Or a heightened sense of his needs. It’s normal.”
Normal? She stared at the other woman. “Nothing about the last twenty-four hours has been normal. My uncontrollable sexual need for your brother…ah hell, did I say that out loud?”
Cosima chuckled. “Sure as hell did. But please continue.”
“No.” She pressed her lips together, determined not to open them again. Perhaps ever.
“You’re adorable.” When she didn’t rise to the bait, Cosima started rattling on about the people present and how they related to her family. A far-safer conversation, in Kalista’s opinion.
“Ah hell no,” Kalista ground out, crossing the room. She didn’t know why, but she needed to get to Leo to lay her claim.
“What happened?” Cosima asked, fast on her heels. As they reached the open double doors, she stopped, and Cosima slammed into her back. “Oh.”
“Who the hell is she?” Kalista demanded, unable to believe the long-legged blonde had the gall to have her arms around her man. And though Leo did his best to deflect her attention without being rude, Kalista became a lioness on the hunt. She paused, wondering why the image of a large cat came to mind.
“What are you going to do?” Cosima asked.
“I want to scratch her eyes out, but I’m damned well not going to make a scene.” She stepped out of view as the possessiveness increased.
“It’s your right,” Cosima whispered.
His voice echoed in her head, repeating the same phrase. “Damn it.”
Scene be dammed. If the bimbo in the gold lamé dress and spiked heels to match wouldn’t back off there would be a scene. Leo met her gaze but showed no signs of guilt.
“Get. Your. Hands. Off. My. Man.” Each word came out deliberate and slow, laden with a menace she hadn’t thought she possessed.
“Already?” the woman said with a cheeky grin, taking a step back. “I’m impressed.”
“Impressed by what? My ability to stand up to you?” She took Leonidas’s outstretched hand. “And I keep being told it is my right.”
“Yes, it is. I wanted to see if you would come running.” The other woman let her gaze move from her feet to her head and stopped when her golden eyes locked with Kalista’s.
“I did.”
The other woman threw her head back and laughed. “And far sooner than I expected.”
“Is this some sort of test?” She turned her ire on Leonidas, who put up his palms in an act of innocence.
“This man is important to all of us. He deserves a strong mate at his side. I may be the first to challenge you, but don’t think I’ll be the last. You should expect far worse.”
“Lala, enough.” Leonidas wrapped an arm around Kalista, putting her back into contact with his front.
“I approve,” Lala said before slinking off into the room.
As she moved out of sight, Kalista released a pent-up breath. “What the heck was that about?”
“I should have prepared you better,” he whispered against her ear.
“You think?” She fought a losing battle to stay aloof in his arms.
“I won’t consider you weak if you give in.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. Bad move with their lips inches apart. Breathless, she muttered, “Excuse me?”
“We are connected. Any strong emotion one of us has, the other can feel. You’re fighting your desires. Every moment, they grow stronger.”
“If I give in to my desires for you right now, you’ll end up on your back with me straddling you. I don’t think you had a sex show in mind for the entertainment tonight.”
He growled, a deep animalistic noise she couldn’t imagine a man could make. His palm against her stomach forced her into full contact with the growing erection pressed against her back. “Fuck, woman.”
She turned in her arms. “To hell with it.”
She kissed him, but the man took over the second her lips touched his. Butterflies didn’t churn; they collided with each other in full swarm. One second she believed she had control, the next she gave it up. Delivered all control to him and didn’t care if she ever got it back. As she pressed her breasts hard against his chest, he moaned into her mouth, and a spike of sensuality hit her hard in the solar plexus. She struggled to breathe. If he stopped kissing her, she would fall into a puddle at his feet, begging for more.
One second, she stood on the ground, the next, her world shifted and he carried her through the trees. “Another minute and I might have taken you right there.”
“I would have let you,” she admitted against his neck.
“You’re not helping.”
The trees rushed past her with speed, making her head spin. Even in the fog of passion, her brain still functioned. No way he should be moving so fast and yet he did. He kicked opened the door to a small one-room building. He didn’t bother with the lights but moved her over to the sofa in the corner.
“Where are we?”
“It’s a game room, a place to get away from the heat of the day. No one comes here at night. We won’t be disturbed.”
She had never imagined losing her virginity on the sofa of a billionaire card shark. She didn’t much care at this point, as long as he eased the ache within her. She reached up again, pulling him down with her. The contact of his hard body had moisture pooling between her legs. As she tried to lift a knee, she found them trapped in the yards of fabric.
“Stay still,” he hissed against her bare collarbone.
“But, I want you. I need you. I’ll explode if you don’t make love to me, now.” She had to have him. The fire within threatened to burn her where she lay. Frantic, she fought the jacket over his shoulders. In the end, he shook out of it. The fabric flew across the room to land in a pile.
“I feel your need. But I can’t take you here. Not on this sofa. You deserve better than this.” He gripped her hip, forcing her deeper into the cushions. “Be still.”
“Fuck me, then.” The pain from within grew, an ache she couldn’t quench, as if her entire being lived or died depending on whether or not they joined. Deep in the recesses of her brain, a voice protested the abnormality of the situation. Something else had to be at play, a wave of agony washed over her.
“Look at me,” he demanded and something compelled her to listen. The golden orbs searched hers, his jaw locked and his breathing was shallow. He reflected all the things she was. His kiss, gentle at first, built until she thought she would expire if she didn’t touch him. Hours could have passed as they lay in each other’s arms. His kiss both soothed and excited. Finally, he lifted his head. “I understand. Your needs are mine. But you can’t go into this relationship without knowing everything about me.”
Her thigh muscles started to shake. She fought to keep her legs together while desperate to rip the silk from her body so she could wrap herself around him. “I promise nothing you say will change my desire for you.”
“You’re in the midst of the mating fever. It came on far quicker than I expected.”
“Then, help me,” she begged. Her hands the only tool she had to work with. She worked the buttons of his tuxedo shirt, inflamed to find a T-shirt blocking her ability to touch him. Frantic she worked the shirts from his waistband and replaced them with her touch. He hissed as she gripped his ass, pushing his erection into closer contact with her. With one knee in the sofa and a foot on the floor, he made a move to sit up. She took the opening to grip his long, hard cock. He flexed his hips so she could touch him more.
He threw his head back with a moan. She worked the length of him from base to tip. With every move, she adjusted him the way she wanted. He would be putty in her hands. With her free hand, she worked the button and zipper until his pants released and his cock sprang free.
Desire to taste him, to show him she could hunt and make him her prey infused her. She brought her lips down to the red angry tip, glistening with precum, and sucked. She savored the salty flavor, taking as much of him as she could into her mouth. She didn’t have to be an expert to know it wasn’t much. His hands, which had been fisted at his sides, shot up and tangled into her golden locks, urging her to take more and creating a rhythm to follow.
She might not have experience, but she had an inner sense of what he desired. With every flex of his hips, she took a little more of him into her mouth. When she cupped his balls, he growled and pulled out of her mouth. His lips came down on hers, bruising and demanding.
“Please help me,” she whispered against his lips. She needed release only he could give.
“Boss, sorry to interrupt. You have a challenge,” a gruff voice interrupted through the double glass doors leading outside.
“Ten minutes. Give me ten fucking minutes,” he growled never taking his eyes off her. When the sound of footsteps retreated, he lifted the hem of her dress. “I would give anything to taste you right now. But, if I did, we would never get out of here.”
“Please,” she begged again. If he left her like this she would never forgive him.
His fingers worked under the legs’ elastic and down her mons. His thumb rubbed over her clit and to the apex of her desire. She lifted her hips, needing more. Then he inserted a finger deep within her and her breath caught. Eyes wide, she watched his expression change from sexual to surprise. As his finger came into contact with the proof of her innocence.
“Holy Hell, Kali?” he questioned.
Grabbing his shirt she demanded, “Eight minutes you have eight minutes.”
He lowered his head, kissing the hollow of her neck as his finger worked within her and thumb worked her clit. The fire built, stoked by his lips tongue and thumb. Then as if her body couldn’t contain the heat, she fractured into what had to have been a million pieces. Her thighs started shaking and only when he gripped them did she calm.
“Was this your first orgasm?” he asked, short of breath.
She nodded, unable to talk through her dry mouth.
“You should have told me. What if it had been my cock and not my finger? I could have hurt you.” Though he admonished her, his voice held nothing but concern.
“Now you know.”
He kissed her nose as a knock came again. “Damn it, I have to go. If I could get out of this tonight I would.”
“Can I join you?” she asked coming up on shaky shoulders.
“Not tonight.” He brushed her swollen lower lip with the pad of his thumb. “It won’t be pretty and I need to focus on the fight.”
“Are you really going to fight someone?” She couldn’t imagine this man who just brought her to her first orgasm, could leave her to fight another man. He had the physique and muscles for days. He lifted her with ease. But she couldn’t see this cool, calculating business man fighting down and dirty.
“Yes.”
“It seems archaic.”
“It’s the way of my people.” He helped her to her feet. His tux lay in a heap on the floor, once retrieved, he removed a handkerchief and wiped his fingers. She should have been surprised when he opened the door to find Helena and Cosima standing on the other side, but by this point little would surprise her. She couldn’t even summon the energy to be embarrassed. “Good, you are both here, will you see to Kalista. I think her hair needs fixing up.”
“You missed dinner,” Helena said bringing a plate in, turning on the light when she entered. Kalista blinked at the sudden invasion of light into her senses. “I thought you might be hungry, Kali.”
“How long have we been in here?” She could have sworn fifteen to twenty minutes tops. But when he kissed her, she lost track of everything but him. A sudden need to have him kiss her again rushed over her, and she moved to go to him but Cosima stayed her.
He hesitated at the door.
Cosima nodded in approval before sitting down with her and placing a hand on her knee. “She is in good hands, you must go or they will consider you forfeit.”
He took one last kiss from her before leaving the hut without a backward glance.
Cosima sent Helena back to the main building for a bottle of wine. When alone, she asked without preamble, “Did you consummate your relationship?”
She blushed. “None of your business.”
“I ask because you are a virgin or were. My brother would have stayed, but he could not so I want to make sure you don’t need anything.” The other woman scanned the room.
“What are you looking for?”
“Signs of your mating.”
Mating? “I’m still a virgin.” She covered her eyes. “Not for lack of trying.”
“You wanted to lose your virginity on a sofa in the game room?”
“I didn’t much care about the wheres of it.”
“The fever comes upon us all fast and hot.” She offered Kalista a glass of water.
After downing the glass she asked, “Is that what it is, a fever?”
“It will grow hotter as the moon’s rising tomorrow and every night after until you accept him as yours.”
“Two days, less than forty-eight hours. Is as long as he’s been in my life.” And yet in her soul they had been part of a larger something for centuries.
“And you have never wanted anyone before this.” Not a question but a statement.
Did this woman have a script of her life? Did she answer some “This is My Life” questionnaire on social media she’d forgotten about? She had checked single, but never been in a relationship. She had said “looking” but never said “I’m a virgin please help me.” And she was pretty sure she didn’t put “on the hunt for Greek tycoon billionaire who owns his own island” as a prerequisite. “No.”
“What does that tell you?”
“It tells me I’ve lost my mind.”
“If this is what the other families have to offer as far as beta challengers I worry about our species.” Gio handed Leonidas his large water bottle and a towel. “Did you even break a sweat?”
“Don’t get cocky. A few lions are worthy contenders. Tonight’s were token challenges.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit.”
“It’s why I’m still in a position of power.” He crossed to the men who had challenged and lost. Five men, four of which were familiar choices, and the fifth a young man just coming into his own. Shaking the hands with the other men, he addressed them. “Thank you for your challenge. All five of you are welcome to remain through the month if you choose.”
“Thank you, Prime,” they replied in unison.
He didn’t have to extend the offer. It had been his right to ask them to leave immediately. But these men had all offered their challenge weeks ago, long before Kalista entered the picture. The beta from the Asian family spoke up. “I’m to offer our congratulations on the arrival of your mate.”
Leonidas detected no hostility from the other lion. “Thank you, your alpha arrived this morning, did he not?”
“He did but is in poor health, he took to bed before dinner.”
In the next few days betas would be vying for the role of alpha for the Asian family. One of the many roles Leonidas had as prime was to oversee the change in power. It was rare when an alpha stepped down, so when it happened, the lion or lioness deserved all the respect Leonidas could give him. “I’ll visit tomorrow before lunch to welcome him in person.”
“Please do, and he and Janice his mate would love to meet your mate as well.”
“I’ll ask her to come along.” He said his goodbyes and made his way to the locker room. One of the first things he had done when he took over the island had been to have the Challenge field turned into a full athletic training facility, complete with a weight room, racquetball courts, and changing rooms which included saunas and steam rooms.
The challenges weren’t exclusive to him. Other alphas had to defend their place, wanna-be betas needed to display their merits, and then those with grievances who wanted to fight it out. Rules remained strict. No fighting unless you took it to the ring on the island. So starting tomorrow, the ring would be used most of the day. One of his betas would be on hand at all times to ensure the rules of engagement were honored. The most important of all fights start in human form and can only shift into animal form when the challenger has admitted they cannot win in human form.
Taking one final glance at the mirror to ensure he played the part his people expected, he headed back to the main building. Gio waited for him outside at the now-empty ring. “She is currently with your sisters dancing.”
“Dancing?” Though his voice gave nothing away, he had assumed after their encounter two hours ago she would have retreated to her room. But she showed she could stand her ground and her backbone.
“Yes, sir, apparently she even has the elders dancing. She requested the DJ start the evening with some more classic stuff. And then somehow managed to get everyone to the floor.”
She might not understand what she did, but by bringing the multi-generations to the dance floor, a simple act, she displayed her ability to unite. Too many years had passed since a prime mate had acted as hostess to the festivities. His mother would have approved of her.
Long before they reached the banquet hall, he could hear the rhythmic beat of disco bleed into the atmosphere. He leaned his shoulder against the doorjamb, watching the tableau. Those who couldn’t dance sat and clapped, singing along, badly. He didn’t have to see her to know Kalista danced in the center of the pack. Cosima noticed him first and crossed the crowded room to his side. “Run while you can. She’ll get you on the floor, too.”
“I’ve no doubt she will.” He caught sight of her and his breath hitched. Her joy lit up the room. She had little Augie in her arms, dancing. “A bit late for the little ones, isn’t it?”
“She made a compromise. The children could stay up for a little longer and then the dance floor would be turned over to the teens, and they could play whatever music they choose.”
“How did she get the teens to agree?” Instead of standing around the room, moping until they had their way as had been his experience, they danced, acted foolish, and enjoyed the atmosphere.
“She said she would dance with them.”
“Why?”
“I think to show them she respects their tastes. I like her— A lot.” She nudged him with her shoulder.
“I like her, too— A lot.” Over the heads of the other dancers, she noticed him and smiled. She pointed in his direction and Augie waved excitedly. With a curl of her fingers she encouraged him to join her, before turning her attention to someone much shorter than she. “I’m being summoned by my queen.”
With a determined stride he made a beeline for her, the crowd parted, and he stood at her side in less than a minute. She blinked in shock. “That was quick.”
“When you call I come.” He lifted the boy from her arms. “Sorry, Augie, this dance is mine.”
After handing the boy off to his mother, he wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her close. Glaring at the DJ who picked up quick on his desire, changed the music to a slow dance. “This might prove to be an experience in frustration.”
“Mmm, but it feels damn good.” She pressed tighter up against him.
“You are in danger of losing your innocence here on the dance floor with everyone to witness it.”
“Are you threatening me?” she whispered against his ear. “You have spun a spell on me and if you kiss me I doubt I would waylay you anything.”
He gritted his teeth against the desires rushing through him. “Have some care for your situation.”
“I trust you to take care of me.”
“Speaking of taking care, where are your shoes?”
“They hurt my feet, so I took them off to dance. I don’t know how everyone here wears them all the time.”
He forced her head against his chest and kissed the top of her head. On the second spin around the dance floor, his hackles rose. He searched the room in time to witness three wineglasses shattering at their feet. He lifted her high in air and spun her, but with shards surrounding them he had nowhere to move her. Adjusting her in his arms, he placed her over his shoulder. “Stop squirming.”
He marched to one of his betas, Gio, waiting on the edge of the floor, who pulled a chair out. Leonidas lowered her to stand on the seat. “Your shoes?”
“In the corner.” She pointed but gripped his lapels as he moved to leave her. “The children?”
“I’ll make sure they are all okay,” Gio said. “On my way to get her shoes.”
“Are you hurt?” Leonidas found a small cut on her ankle, enough to raise his fury a few more degrees.
“I’m fine. Accidents happen.” She focused on the dance floor and the cleanup happening.
He debated contradicting her statement but thought better of it. He would discover who had tried to hurt her. The lack of concern for the cubs caught in the mix brought a new ferocity to his anger. Jaison came up behind him and he turned his head to talk, unwilling to move out of touch range from his mate. “What have you discovered?”
“There is broken glass covering the patio. I think the plan was to break the glass on this end and send her running outside. Or perhaps the three glasses inside were a failed attempt to harm her.” Jaison kept his voice low enough even those with shifter hearing would struggle to hear.
“I want a second beta on her at all times.” He would take no chances.
Jaison raised a brow. “Alpha?”
“Down, boy. If I’m not with her, you’ll be my second and get her to safety. But someone else will need to follow the assailant.”
He nodded. “Do you want someone outside her door tonight?”
“No, she will be with me.” He had planned on giving her more time, but not now. “I do want someone to go over her room. We’ve never had to lock a door on the island before, but it’s no secret what room I would have put her in.”
“I’ll take care of her room now. I’m assuming you aren’t letting her out of your sight tonight.”
“You would be correct.” He took the shoes Gio had dangling from his thumb.
“The children are all safe and are being escorted back to their rooms.”
“Have dessert sent to them, I don’t want them fearful because of what happened,” Kalista put in like a true queen.
Helena pushed through the crowd. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” Kalista rolled her eyes. “As soon as the floor is cleared, we can start dancing again.”
“Without Kalista.” Leonidas sent a meaningful glance at his sister. He didn’t need any argument now.
“I promised I would dance with them,” Kalista argued.
“You can dance tomorrow.” Once again, he lifted her into his arms, holding her sling-back heels with his pinky. He had no issues getting through the crowd. “Stop wriggling.”
“I have two perfectly good feet.”
“I can carry you.”
“I weigh too much.”
“You’re perfect.” As soon as they passed the patio and he felt safe enough to let her stand, he did. “Before you rail at me about being a mythical controlling caveman from the time of T-rex.”
She opened her mouth then closed it again, but glared at him.
“Those broken glasses weren’t an accident.”
“Okay. It was a Greek thing, then?”
“No. When we break plates, it happens at a celebration.”
“Okay so it was…”
“On purpose, to hurt you.”
“How can you know it was directed at me and not an accident?”
“Because you were the only one who took off her shoes and outside the door lay a case of broken champagne flutes. Had you run outside for any reason, you would have sliced the hell out of your feet. And possibly needed medical assistance.”
“How ridiculous.”
Jaison came running at full speed. “You need to see this. It’s Kalista’s room.”
“How pissed am I about to be?”
“On a scale of one to ten?” Jaison grunted. “Off the fucking charts.”
He cursed in Greek. “May I carry you back to the house?”
She fumbled and paled before she nodded.
Lifting her back into his arms, he moved with speed and dexterity no human could have matched. When they reached the second floor, three of his betas waited outside her door, anger radiating off them with scorching heat. Reluctant, he placed her on her feet. “Stay out here for a minute.”
“But—”
“Please don’t argue with me. Not when it comes to your safety.”
She nodded, but she didn’t release the hold she had on him.
“I’ll be right back. I trust Jaison, so you must, too.”
One hand on the door, he braced himself for what he might find. But when he stepped inside, at first glance, the bedroom appeared untouched. Knowing Jaison would never raise an alarm without reason. He noticed the light through the open en suite door and headed there. His lion roared. A large crack star burst from the center of the mirror. How it hadn’t shattered into pieces on the floor, he couldn’t imagine. Kalista’s makeup and toiletries lay strewn around the room as if someone had slammed them into the wall. “What else?”
“The closet,” Gio said.
He stormed to the walk-in closet in the bedroom. Her shoes remained on the shelves, dresses and blouses hanging, organized by color. But on the center island sat a cardboard box, reeking of the metallic scent of blood. Tipping the box, he cursed again. The limp body of an asp lay at the bottom. “You killed this in here?”
“I found it while performing a security sweep.”
“How the hell did a horn-nosed viper get on the island?”
“We don’t know—yet.”
“I want the rest of the island swept.” There might be more. They had a few non-venomous snakes on the island but no vipers. Had she been bitten, they had no anti-venom. Although unlikely to kill her, the bite would have put her in the hospital for a long stay. This had been about hurting her, getting her off the island with distance between him and her. A snake bite would have succeeded. “Where did you find the snake?”
“Under her pillow.”
“Dispose of the box before she comes in here.”
“Yes, sir.” The man grabbed the box and exited through the balcony doors.
Outside the suite, Jason stood in front of the doorway, legs apart, arms crossed. Kalista sat on the floor with her back to the wall. She scrambled to her feet when he stepped out. “Are you sure you want to see it?”
“I will imagine the worst otherwise.”
Even with the snake removed, the damage would be startling. “In your bathroom.”
She followed him into the bathroom and gasped. “Why?”
“Someone wants you gone.”
“Because you want me?”
“Yes.”
“And they think this will send me running?”
“I believe so.”
“They don’t know me very well, then.” She squared her shoulders, and her chin went up. “If they thought this would run me off, they were wrong.”
“Vasílissa mou.”
She cocked her head at him. “What did you just say?”
“I called you my queen.”
“Not princess?”
“Never princess.” He stalked around her. “You are a woman in charge of her destiny. Though I yearn to take care of you, you stand on your own and need no man. You are a queen.”
“Your queen.”
“It is ever my hope.”
“After two days?”
“When your soul finds its other half, how long does it take?”
“Five minutes,” she whispered on a soft exhale. Then, louder, she admitted, “I knew the moment you asked me not to lie to you about being hungry.”
If he touched her right now, he would make love to her, and this room was tainted. Filling his chest until his lungs could hold no more air, he asked, “Do you want to stay here tonight?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“I want to stay with you.”
“What do you need to bring with you?”
“My small bag on the high-back chair.”
His stopped her from picking up the bag. Unzipping it, he prepared for the long reach of a viper strike, but he found nothing inside but her personal items, including her passport. “Would you be opposed to us putting this in the safe?”
“No, but if the person who doesn’t want me here is smart, she isn’t likely to do anything with my passport as it would keep me here longer.”
“Good point.” He had already deduced the perpetrator was most likely a woman so he applauded her intuition. Grabbing the handle with one hand, he lifted the bag and with lightning quick reflexes, grabbed the neck of a second snake as it lunged from its hiding place underneath. Her scream bounced off the marble walls and echoed in his head. He would never forget the sound. “Get her out of here.”
At his nod, Jaison lifted her and carried her from the room. Leonidas couldn’t focus on killing the snake with her in the room, and he couldn’t get her out of the room with the snake in his hand. Gio came in with another box for the remains of the second viper. “I want this whole building searched. Then I want the island gone over with a fine-tooth comb. No bags coming to the island get onto the boats without being thoroughly searched.”
“I’ll get the trackers on this now. Your rooms, first?”
Leonidas lifted the bed and flung it over, half expecting to find a nest of vipers. “My room first because she will be in there tonight. Close this room off. Then I want it taken apart from the plumbing to the fixtures.”
“Do you think there are more?”
“No.”
“Should we be searching for nests?”
“I think both snakes are male. Even if they were female, it’s not mating season nor time for them to birth their young. But I don’t want to find out we have an infestation in August. So we need to make sure we find who brought them and how many.”
“Did they think one wasn’t enough?”
“Jaison found the first one under the pillow and assumed the room safe. Their plan worked to that extent. I need to check on my mate, and then I need to let my lion out.” He stormed from the room. Entering his bedchamber, he found Kalista sitting in the center of his very large bed, in the pool of the skirt of her blue dress. As he got close, she threw herself at him, checking him over for marks. “It didn’t bite me.”
“How did you move so quickly?” she asked
“When you are in danger, I act. Are you okay?”
“Yes, but he isn’t.” Jaison stood in the doorway with his back to them. “I tried to tell him it wasn’t his fault.”
“Shhhh. Don’t worry about Jaison. I’ll deal with him. I want you to make a list of things you need for the evening.”
“If I can borrow a T-shirt to sleep in, I don’t need anything else until morning. Oh, and a toothbrush. Mine is floating in the toilet.”
“A toothbrush it is, but you won’t need a T-shirt.” He winked and headed for the door. “Jaison.”
His strongest beta turned, head bowed. “Alpha, I failed her.”
Gripping the other man’s arm, he squeezed. “You didn’t fail her. You protected her.”
“I shouldn’t have laid hands on her.”
He indicated with a jerk of his head that they leave the room. Casting one last glance at Kalista, who sat motionless on the bed, he closed the door and moved the conversation into the hallway. “You had to get her out of this room. If it comes to touching my mate or having her in danger, I will put her in your hands any day.”
“The trackers have swept your room. They smell and sense nothing in here. No one who isn’t supposed to be in here has been.”
A female lion strolled by and gruffed. “The trackers didn’t enter my room in lion form, did they?”
“Yes, but I took Kali out on the balcony before they came in, and I told her they needed the room empty while they checked it over,” Jaison said. “I banked on the fact she wouldn’t want to see another snake.”
“At this point, Kalista is so worried about you, she would have done anything you asked.”
“Me?” Jaison’s brow furrowed.
“Empathy is a great trait in a queen.” Leonidas focused on the closed door. “And your protectiveness is a great trait to guard my mate.”
“You still trust me?”
“With her life. Which means mine.”
The lionesses exited and shifted, Malaya stood before them naked in her tanned perfection. “If the lioness is shifted, I could track her. She masked her human form with perfume.”
“You’re sure it’s female?” he asked, walking into the room.
“Completely. There are no other animals present in her room or yours. Two trackers are going through other rooms, but I only smell the vipers in this room. We will start from the house outwards for any signs of more snakes and for this bitch.”
If his top tracker couldn’t sense anything else, nothing would be found. He did one last scan of the Marble Room. Someone had righted the bed, but the rest lay in chaos. Trackers never seemed to leave a space the way they found it. On the dresser, her bag emptied of its contents, presented a silent monument to the mess of an evening.
Putting everything back, he grabbed the purse and the romance paperback opened to page ninety-eight on the side table. Howling with her Lover. The cover featured a half-naked man, with a woman in his embrace; in the corner a wolf silhouetted by a full moon.
When he returned to his room, he found her where he had left her cross-legged in the center of his bed. His cock jumped. “Your room is cleared. It’s safe if you want…”
“Can I stay in here with you?”
“Yes.” He placed her purse on the side table. “I grabbed your book, too.”
“Oh.” The blush started at her cheeks and spread across her face and down her neck. “I picked it up in the airport.”
“Interesting reading?”
“It’s okay.”
“The book says it’s third in the series. So, you didn’t read the first two, just dove into book three?”
She gaped then bit her lip before throwing her arms up in defeat. “Okay. I read the first two in the series as well. I’m a sucker for paranormal romance with shifters and vampires.”
“Shifters and vampires?”
“Can we talk about something else?”
Absolutely not. “What kind of shifters?”
“You can’t really care.”
“Oh, I do.” He climbed onto the bed and lay on his side beside her. “Tell me what animal would you want as your hero?”
“A big cat.”
“A good choice. Why?”
“I have never been a wolf person, I guess, and bears are too hairy.”
“You have put some thought into this.” He kissed her bare shoulder. “Any cat in particular?”
“A tiger.”
“What?” He paused.
She giggled. “This is the Island of Lions. I would be a fool to say I choose a tiger when my very own Leo lies beside me.”
“Tease me at your own peril, vasílissa mou.” Brushing his knuckle down her arm, he pushed himself up. “I hate this but I have to deal with something before I can turn in for the night. Will you be okay in here on your own?”
“I think so.”
“Jaison will be right outside, but I can ask Helena to come sit with you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter. Besides, I have my book.”
He pulled the second to the bottom drawer out, removing a T-shirt with his favorite football team’s logo on it. A gift from his sister he had never worn. “This might be more comfortable.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be back as soon as possible.” Brushing his lips against hers, he groaned. When he opened the door, Jaison stepped to the side, but he paused beside him. “Let only the direct circle in, you and Gio. If she requests something to eat, I want it to come from the cousins and only from them. I don’t trust the staff from the other prides, not with her life.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I believe this is directed at her. No one else.”
“Me, too.”
“Thank you.”
“With my life, Alpha.”
Leonidas sprinted down the stairs and outdoors, stared up at his bedroom window, stripped, and shifted. His lion stretched and wanted to roar, but venting his anger would have to wait. By now, word would have reached to the village about an incident at the villa, but techno electric beats and flashing lights in the ballroom offered evidence the events earlier hadn’t dampened the teens’ party.
Positioning himself at a point on the island where those in the village and in the safe shifting area could hear, he roared his displeasure. The island went silent. He centered all the anger sitting in his gut and roared again. His betas responded first, followed by the roars of others. Hell would be paid, and the pride took notice.