Swallowing His Pride (22 page)

“Aren’t you gonna be a lady-killer,” Liam cooed. “I’ll teach you everything you need to know, buddy. Don’t you worry.”

Dylan rolled his eyes, but he’d yet to stop smiling, and she had a feeling it would take much more than Liam’s teasing to get the curve of his lips to change. “I’m just taking Samantha up to see the surprise I’ve been working on. They just brought the last of everything in last night, and it should all be set up now.”

“About time. I’m heading back to the security building to see if there’s any word on the two shifters they have in custody. I’ll give you an update tomorrow.”

“Any word on Jag yet? Has he come in?”

Liam’s whole demeanor changed in an instant. His face shut down, those playful eyes lost their liveliness, and she knew it wasn’t good. “We haven’t found him yet. Then again, we didn’t find the other shifters either. There wasn’t a whole lot of blood in the area, so for now they’re searching.”

Sam’s heart sank. It didn’t look good at the moment. “Does Lynn know?”

“I haven’t seen her, so no.”

“Don’t mention it to her until you know something,” Dylan commanded. “Right now, Dr. Lewis is explaining the differences between humans and shifters from a medical standpoint. That should hold her attention for a while. I’m pretty sure she’s teaching him a few things, too, but either way, it will only upset her.”

Samantha agreed, but still… “If she asks, tell her. Otherwise, let it ride. Hopefully he’s just busy running them off Pride land and will be back soon.”

“You got it. Goodnight, you two.”

Liam stepped back off the elevator, and Dylan pressed the button for their floor before kneeling next to her. “Don’t worry. It’s not uncommon for Jag to take off. I’ll admit, it’s not the best timing, and he certainly should have at least let us know he was safe, but let’s not worry until we have a reason to, okay?”

“I’ll try.”

* * * *

They came to a large set of double doors at one end of the short hall, and Dylan slid the key into the lock. “Now, before we go in, I wanted you to know I designed this suite for us. This is somewhere I can keep my family safe from anyone who would dare try to take you away from me.”

What would she think of their new home? He knew she’d understand staying in her place, given his position within the Pride, would leave them as an open target. Last night had taught her that. When she gave him that sleepy, sweet smile of hers, he felt his spirits lift. “We’ll have to put my house on the market soon then. I don’t see the point in paying for something we don’t use.”

“And what about Lynn?”

“What about her? She’ll come and visit here, I’m sure, or I can go to her apartment.” She looked up at him with wide, uncertain eyes. “They will let her onto Pride territory even though she’s human, right?”

“Of course, they will. She’s your friend and you’re the Prima, so it won’t be an issue at all, but do you think maybe she would be up for living in your home?” he asked.

Lynn, living in the country all by herself would no doubt be entertaining. The girl really did prefer being surrounded by other people, but he hadn’t missed the way she seemed to relax when at Samantha’s house.

“Do you think it would be safe?”

“She’s not a part of the Pride, nor is she romantically involved with any shifters. That should be enough to ensure her safety, but I’d still have a few of the others patrolling to be certain,” he promised. “I’ll see what we can do to make sure she’s comfortable if she decides to make the move. Besides, didn’t we already discuss keeping Eli’s godmother close by?”

Samantha smiled down at their son sleeping in her arms. “We certainly did.”

“Okay, let’s introduce you to our new home then you need to get some rest. Now keep in mind, we can change anything you want; just say the word.”

Dylan opened the door and wheeled her into the foyer. He’d had bamboo floors laid throughout the suite, with the exception of the bathrooms and kitchen. There he had large twelve-inch tiles put down. The walls were painted light beige with white crown molding and baseboards that helped give it a clean and crisp look.

The living room was open a roomy with a massive L-shaped, deep-red sectional and a matching plush recliner off to the side. Floor-to-ceiling windows ran along the far wall, allowing them to look out over the open land. Dylan had heard Samantha comment, on more than one occasion, how much she enjoyed watching the sunset, and now, she could enjoy it every day. There was also a feature that would let them fog the windows to give some privacy, and blackout curtains that were tied back at either side.

Samantha’s head was swiveling this way and that, but she’d yet to say a word. Didn’t she like it? “I wanted to add rugs, but I needed to make sure you were okay with everything, like the colors and furniture, before we go and—”

“It’s beautiful.” She spoke softly, her voice cracking, and Dylan was on his knees at her side in a second.

“What’s wrong?”

She sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “This is perfect, Dylan. I can’t believe you had time to do all of this.”

“I had some help. Are you sure you like it? We can change anything you want.”

“No, it’s great just the way it is.”

“Wait until you see the nursery. Now, it’s in neutral colors right now, since he wanted to be stubborn and hide from the ultrasounds, but we can change it. I’ve got a jungle theme in here, complete with a cartoon lion.”

She giggled, as was his intention. He couldn’t bear to see tears in her eyes for any reason.

They continued the tour, placing Eli in his bassinet which was located in the master bedroom. This is where Dylan insisted on being in charge. In the center of the room stood a massive four-poster bed, easily big enough to sleep four people. Nightstands were on either side with matching dressers and a chest of drawers on one wall. He’d hung a large flat-screen television on the wall facing the bed so they could relax and cuddle during movies.

He showed her the closet and dresser, which was filled with clothing for her. Then he helped her to change into a nightgown and exchanged his clothing for something clean as well, before helping her crawl into their bed. She was moving a bit slow due to the lingering pain from birth, and he pulled the blanket over her, before joining her on the other side. Now, he had to do something that had his nerves—and his lion—completely on edge. “Sam, I need to ask you something.”

“Anything.”

Damn, his palms were sweating already! Here he was, the leader of an entire Pride of shape-shifting lions, and he was terrified of how she might answer his simple question. Taking a deep breath, he continued. “You know I love you, and that we’re mated by shifter standards, but I wanted to make sure you fully understand what this means for us.”

“Okay, go on.”

“When we bond, it’s for life. There’s no divorce amongst our kind. It’s instinctual for us, our animal halves recognizing the ones who are our matches. I’m not sure exactly how it all works. All I know is that I’ve never seen a legitimate mating fail.” Taking her hand in his, Dylan looked deep into her bright blue eyes. “Hell, a hundred years wouldn’t be long enough for me where you’re concerned, and with our lives now joined through our bond, we’ll be able to enjoy a very long life together. I want an eternity full of your smiles, those sweet little giggles, and your amazing eyes looking at me just like you are now, like I’m the man of your dreams.”

“That’s because you are.”

“Sweetheart, we’re bound in the eyes of my kind, but I want my claim to carry over to yours, as well. I want my ring on your finger. I want you to take my last name as your own. I need you to be mine in every way possible.” Reaching into his bedside table, Dylan pulled out the ring he’d had for weeks now. “Will you do me the greatest honor and become my wife as well as my mate?”

It was no coincidence he’d waited to propose until they were in their new home. He wanted their new life to begin in every aspect, starting right here, in the heart of his people.

“Of course, I will!” she cried, her slender arms wrapping his neck in a fierce hug. “I love you, Dylan.”

“I love you too, Sam. So much.” He slid the ring onto her finger, a stunning carat-and-a-half diamond set in white gold with dozens of smaller diamonds trailing around the band on either side. “Now, do you think Lynn will be up for helping plan a wedding?”

There was that laugh he loved so much. He’d make it his priority to ensure he heard it every day for the rest of their lives.

“As long as I promise not to put her in a frilly pink dress, I’m sure she’ll be happy to help.” Samantha yawned, and he pulled her close.

“Sleep, Sam. I’ll get Eli if he wakes up. You’ve been through a lot and need to get some rest.”

“Are you sure? You can just wake me up when he’s ready to eat again. Besides, if you don’t, I’ll end up getting really engorged.”

“All right. He just ate, so that should buy us enough time for a short nap at least.”

Cuddling into his side, it took no time at all before her breaths evened out and he knew she slept.

Dylan felt himself drifting as well, his heart happy and his inner lion content with the fact he’d claimed his mate in every way possible. It had been a rough start for them, but who knew it would be as simple as swallowing his pride for him to achieve everything he’d ever dared dream?

Epilogue

Lynn had been given a room at the resort to relax after their ordeal with the rogue shifters, and had fallen into a restless sleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Jag was still out there somewhere. He hadn’t come back after his heroic defense against the mountain lion who’d attacked them as they raced back to the Pride clinic, and now that she’d finally reached a level of exhaustion that would allow her to rest, despite her worry, someone was banging the hell out of her door.

After flinging the covers away, she stomped over to the door then yanked it open to find a panting Liam just outside. His sandy hair was a tangled mess about his head, and his eyes were a bit wild, almost as if he was near to panicking.

Shit, they we’re not under attack again, are we?

“We need you back at the clinic, now. They’re bringing Jag in, but he’s hurt, and there’s no way he’ll let Dr. Lewis near him.”

“Why not? It’s not like I know enough about you guys to be of much help,” Lynn pointed out. Her mind whirled with questions. How badly was he hurt? Where had he been all this time?

“No time to worry about it now. I’m pretty sure you’re the only one he won’t try to kill right now.”

“Kill?” Lynn shrieked. Just what the hell was going on?

“Listen, when we’re hurt, if it’s bad enough, the animal inside takes over, shielding us from the worst of the pain. From the reports I’m getting, it’s bad.”

Lynn had heard enough. Shoving Liam out of the way, she took off down the hall, grateful her room was on the first floor. She burst through the front doors then sprinted down the street on her bare feet, heading straight for the clinic.

She heard the snarls and crashes as soon as she opened the door. Liam was right on her heels. “He’s back here,” he said, sliding past her and leading the way.

She watched as he pulled a gun from the back of his pants, and Lynn froze, icy fury rising within her. “You are
not
going to shoot him,” she growled.

“Relax, it’s a tranquilizer gun, and yes, I
will
knock his ass out if I think he might hurt you. Don’t worry, I won’t let him see it, so he shouldn’t freak out from it. I have a hunch he likes you, a
lot
. I’m counting on that to help calm him down enough for you to patch him up.”

“Uh, okay. If you say so.” With the way he stared at her, Lynn wasn’t certain if it was because he liked her, or whether it was because she was human.

Liam just gave her a nod then turned to continue down the hall. Another loud crash and the combination of a roar and a hiss had Liam kicking the door in. They found Jag, still in his jaguar form, on one side of the table with Dr. Lewis on the other holding a wicked-looking needle in his hand.

“Jag, come on, man. I’ve got Lynn here.”

At Liam’s mention of her name, Jag’s big head swung around, his icy eyes pinning her to the spot.

“Hi, Jag.” Lame, but she couldn’t think of anything else at the moment. “Um, why don’t you come over here, and let me take a look at you?”

Inching into the room, Lynn noticed another big cat on an examining table against a wall. Its fur was matted with blood, but it looked as if it was a mountain lion or possibly a puma. Yeah, if Jag had done that much damage, she was completely okay with Liam’s tranq gun now.

With Jag’s attention focused on her, Lynn noticed Dr. Lewis trying to creep up behind him, intent on injecting whatever was in that syringe of his. “I wouldn’t—”

Too late. Jag swung around, his rear flank bumping into her and pushing as he backed up. Did he think he was protecting her from the doctor? Christ, he
did
!

It all made sense now. He’d been trapped in that zoo for so many years in his animal form that, if his jaguar had taken over as Liam had said, Jag would view anybody in a lab coat as an enemy. To him, she wasn’t a threat in her pajama pants and tank.

Once he had her neatly cornered, he paced in front of her, his tail dragging over her in a most distracting manner, the tip grazing over her breasts with every swipe. It was almost like a housecat rubbing itself against someone’s leg, only he was so damned big his body was against her stomach.

“What are you doing?” She didn’t expect him to answer, with him being a cat and all, but when Liam explained, her knees almost buckled.

“He’s scent marking you.” Liam’s eyes locked with hers. “It’s his way of telling others that you’re his.”

“
Oh, shit
.”

“Pretty much. I didn’t expect this. I just figured since he was used to you, he’d let you help him.”

She saw the worry in his eyes, but when she glanced down at the large black feline before her, Lynn noted the blood now smeared all over her shirt and pants.
Jag was hurt, but while there was a threat in the room, he wasn’t likely to allow her to treat him
. “He’s bleeding pretty freely. Dr. Lewis, please lay out what I’ll need to get him sutured then I need you all to leave.”