Page 13
Story: Lucius (Were Zoo #21)
Sidney had the best time out in the paddock. She loved that it was just the two of them and that even though the paddock was a huge, open space, it still felt private. When she finished her sketch of him, she closed her book and put her things away, and then laid her head back against his chest and closed her eyes with a yawn.
“I’m laying against a lion,” she said with a snort. She opened her eyes and looked up at the impossibly blue sky and fluffy white clouds that were visible through the tree’s canopy. “I can’t believe how normal this feels.”
He purred and his body vibrated, which made her back tingle. Turning to her side, she stretched her arms over his chest and rested her head on his tawny fur. His mane was thick and the color of melted chocolate, and his eyes were a beautiful amber color.
She’d never seen a lion up close.
It was wild that she was hugging one.
Even if it was her boyfriend.
At dinner the night before, she’d told him so much about her life, but she started to share again now that it was just the two of them and she had him as a captive audience.
She told him about growing up in a home where the most important thing was the family business, and how everything got put on hold because of it.
“My dad loved my mom so much,” she said, rubbing her cheek on his fur. “He sacrificed a lot for the business so she could have her dream job. When he died, I knew my life was going to get infinitely harder because she had relied on him so much, and then she turned all that reliance on me. I don’t think she ever saw what she did as anything but appropriate, and if I ever pushed back, she’d guilt me and make me feel bad.” She mused on that for a little bit, thinking that her relationship with her mom had probably been heading toward Sidney simply taking off and going no-contact so she could get her sanity back.
“I guess I’m loyal to a fault, though. I could have left, I could have put my foot down and refused to work there. She wasn’t even paying me minimum wage, though, so I saved my money as best I could, but it was never enough for me to get a place of my own. I was screwed coming and going.”
He murmured sympathetically, and she smiled.
“We’re soulmates. It’s such a weird thing to say because it sounds like a fantasy. But I was immediately attracted to you, and I didn’t want to be anywhere but with you. It explains why I felt so drawn to you. Because we were meant to be together. The coupon was just the means to bring us to the same place.”
He growled softly in agreement.
“I think,” she said, “when you’re done being a lion for the day, that you and I need to talk about the park and your life here so that we’re on the same page. Then I’ll figure out how to deal with my mom.” She sat up and looked into his eyes. “You’ll help me, I hope?”
He nodded and pressed his cheek to hers with an answering purr.
She hugged him around his neck and buried her face in his mane, inhaling the sunshine and tall grass scent of him.
She wasn’t sure how long they’d stayed like that, but Jupiter appeared at some point and said it was time for Lucius to change back because the others were coming up for the tours.
She rose to her feet and grabbed her bag, stretching with a squeak.
“What do you think?” Jupiter asked as he walked with them back to the maintenance shed.
“About what?” she asked.
“Lucius, shifters, the park, everything.”
“Oh, I’m a smitten kitten,” she said with a laugh. “Lucius and I need to talk about a lot of stuff still, but I understand how awesome of a responsibility the secret of shifters is, and I’m honored to be part of it. It’s freaking fantastic, though. It feels like a dream.”
“Celeste said she felt the same way when we met, that she thought she was falling for me too fast but she couldn’t stop herself. Being soulmates makes us compatible on a level that isn’t the same for humans alone.”
“Thanks for sticking with us today,” she said. “Lucius is lucky to have you for a brother.”
“Hey,” he said, pulling the shed door open, “I’m lucky too. I get to be with my family at the park. There’s a lot of shifters who aren’t so lucky.”
She and Lucius walked into the shed after she picked up his clothes from outside, and Jupiter shut the door. He hurried down the steps and left them alone. She turned to watch Lucius shift. Seeing him return to human was just as amazing as seeing him turn into a lion.
She jumped into his arms and kissed him.
“You’re not scared anymore, huh?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Not even a little bit.”
He lowered her to the ground and then dressed. He gave her a quiet look as he pulled his jeans on. “Thanks for sharing so much of your life with me while I was a lion. I love hearing you talk.”
“Thanks for listening.”
He gave her his thousand-watt smile and finished dressing. He bent to lift the door in the floor when it opened and Caesar appeared.
“Hey you two, how was the time in the paddock?”
“Great,” she said.
“I heard you like to sketch?” Caesar asked.
She nodded. “I got a great sketch of Lucius.” She lifted her book from the bag, flipped to the page she’d just drawn, and handed to it Caesar.
“Holy shit, this is amazing,” he said. “It looks like it could leap off the page.”
“That’s so sweet, thank you.” Her cheeks hurt because she smiled so big.
Caesar looked like he was going to say something, but then he just smiled and handed the sketchbook back. “What’s on tap for you two today?”
“I’ve got some stuff to tell her about the park and my situation here,” Lucius said.
“We’d love to have a pride dinner tonight if you’re not going anywhere.”
Lucius looked at her, and she said, “Sure, that sounds great.”
“Good, my house at six. See you guys then.”
Lucius took Sidney’s hand and led her down the steps. They passed the other lions on the way up and greeted them. “Dad said we’re having dinner with the pride, are you guys coming?” Amadeus asked.
“We’ll be there,” Lucius said.
“Cool, he put ribs in the oven to slow roast during the tours. I can’t wait.”
“Awesome,” Lucius said.
As they continued down into the private living area, she said, “I take it the ribs are good?”
“Yeah, he makes his own barbecue sauce too. Jenni makes kickass cheesy potatoes, and Rhomi will probably make strawberry shortcake because that’s Mercer’s favorite dessert.”
“I can’t wait to get to know everyone,” she said.
They walked into his house and shut the door.
“Can I see the drawing?” he asked. “I only got a glimpse of it when you showed my dad.”
“Sure.” She pulled it out and flipped to the page.
“Oh wow, he’s right. It’s awesome. So detailed. I look pretty damn regal.”
“I think so too.”
She put her things on the counter and turned to face him.
“Before we do anything fun like strip and do wicked things to each other,” he said, “we need to talk.”
She nodded. He sat on the couch and she joined him, tucking one leg under the other and leaning against the back of the couch to face him.
“So there’s just a couple things I need to tell you and then we can talk about stuff with your mom and I can help you come up with a plan to deal with all that.”
“I’m all ears,” she said.
“I can’t live anywhere but the park,” he said. “It’s a rule that everyone abides by. There’s safety here, and it helps the alphas ensure that we’re all accounted for. I can’t go buy a house somewhere and make a life with you, my life is here. It has to be.”
She stared at him quietly because she was sure he wasn’t done yet.
He cleared his throat. “I want you to stay with me. I want to pack up your things at your mom’s place and move into my house, so we can start our lives together. I want to mark you as my mate and join with you in front of the pride in the ways of my people. And mostly, I want to make you the happiest female on the planet, because I’m the happiest male.”
“I’m okay with all that,” she said. “But I’m worried about just walking away from my mom. I don’t want to ruin our relationship, but I don’t know if even giving her two weeks’ notice will do anything.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that she may not even try to find someone to take my place so she can try to guilt me into staying. She wouldn’t know that I have no choice but to be with you.”
“Well, you do have a choice.”
“I thought I couldn’t leave?”
“Uh, yes, for right now, but if you wanted to stay at the apartment while we get to know each other and not live together, I could arrange that for you.”
She leaned back a bit. “You don’t want to live with me? You just said a whole bunch of really nice stuff about starting a life with me.”
His brows rose. “No! I mean, yes, I do want to live with you. I don’t want to go a night without you in my arms. But if you want time to get to know me before we move in together, we can do that.”
“I don’t want to be anywhere but with you, Lucius.”
“Good, I don’t want to be anywhere but with you too. So what do you want to do about your mom?”
“I don’t know, honestly.”
He hummed and pursed his lips. Then he said, “What about a temp agency?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if she hired someone to fill in so you don’t have to give notice? You could spend a couple hours training someone.”
“That would probably cost a lot of money.”
“I can cover the cost for a few weeks. You could create a job listing and post it online too. If your mom won’t take the initiative, then you can on her behalf.”
“That sounds like a great idea. If she won’t go for it?”
“Sidney,” he said, his voice dropping to a low purr. “You have the right to make your own life choices. I’m not just saying that because I want you to choose me, but because it’s only right. You’ve put yourself on the back burner for such a long time. You can put yourself first.”
She tapped the side of her head. “It makes me feel like a bad person to do what my heart is telling me.”
He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I think that’s your mom’s voice in your head. You’re not a bad person for following your dreams. She’ll come to terms with it because you’re not going to give her a choice in the matter.”
She inhaled and exhaled slowly until all the air was out of her lungs and they burned for a moment. As she filled her lungs again, she said, “Can you take me there in a little while? So I can pack and tell her everything?”
“I’d be happy to. What time?”
She pushed off the couch and rose to her feet. Grabbing the hem of her shirt, she said, “I don’t know, how long do you think it’ll take for you to make me scream your name in pleasure?”
His eyes darkened and he rose slowly to his feet. “What’s the number you’re thinking?”
“As many times as you want.”
“As many times as you want, sweetheart.” He ducked his shoulder and hauled her over it until she was hanging upside down and staring at his butt. She gave it a pat with a giggle.
“You’ve got an hour, I think. After packing up, we have to be back for dinner at six,” she said.
He prowled to the bedroom, his hand on her thigh and his lion purring loudly. “Challenge accepted.”