Page 22 of Make Me

She nodded without looking at him. She let out a soft yelp when his arms wrapped around her waist and yanked her into his lap. He buried his face in her neck, and her lioness rose in her center with a soft purr. She hesitated for only a second before snuggling into him.

“I know we have to figure some things out,” Cody whispered in her ear, clearly sharing some of her same concerns. “But can I just hold you tonight?”

Bethany relaxed further into him and nodded. He was right. But it was a problem for tomorrow. Her eyelids were heavy, and she closed them, snuggling into his arms and breathing in his familiar pine scent. How could something the Realm deemed wrong feel so right? Would they be able to make this work with everything stacked against them? Was it worth it to try when Bethany knew other intermixed mates lived in exile?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CODY

Age 20

Beginning of second year at the Academy.

The familiar flash of gold hair in the distance had Cody’s wolf raising his head. Cody narrowed his eyes. Bethany was marching across the courtyard like she was on a mission to save the Realm. Her tall lean frame was rigid, and even from a distance, he could see her green eyes flashing brighter. Someone had pissed off his little lioness.

Without thinking about it, Cody started in her direction as his mind raced with what it could be. It had to be something on campus because he would have known if it was something at the pride. Cody had taken to going home with Bethany any time she had a pride event. He made excuses about the pack every time, but the truth was his father had it well in hand and didn’t need him. No, he went home because he hadn’t liked what he’d heard over the summer coming across the border from the pride lands.

Bethany’s mother was pushing her daughter harder and harder whenever she was home. Not just to lead the pride but to also take a consort. Sadara had a very specific list that she wanted Bethany to choose from, and Cody didn’t like a single male lion on that list.

Not just because Bethany was his mate and his wolf threatened to burst from under his skin at the thought of her with another male besides Zack but because he knew what male lions were like. He’d grown up next to the pride. Where male wolves were hot-headed and brash, they settled their differences quickly and moved on. Male lions held a grudge and would smile at your face while stabbing you in the back. None of them wanted to be with Bethany because she was an incredible woman; they only wanted to be with her for the power and prestige being her consort would afford them. They would fully try to control her the second they became consorts.

Power. The damned currency of the Realm.

Bethany’s quick steps took her to the dining hall, and Cody broke into a light jog to catch her at the stairs, touching her elbow lightly.

“Hey, where’s the fire?” he asked.

She shot him a heated glare over her shoulder. “What are you doing here?” Her voice was venomous, but he didn’t let that deter him. Her anger wasn’t directed at him. At least, he was pretty sure it wasn’t.

“Well, I saw you marching across the courtyard like the Realm was on fire, so I came to investigate. Did you murder someone?” he asked lightly with a laugh, but if she had, he would help her hide the body. Or maybe they could just get Zack to incinerate it and blow the ashes into the wind.

He was shaken out of that mental imagery by her scoff as she turned on her heel and headed up the steps. He expected her to go to their table, but she bypassed it, weaving through the mostly empty tables until she got to the back of the room. The large dining hall barely had any people in it as classes had just ended and dinner wouldn’t start for another half hour at least, but Bethany slipped through the back door into the kitchen, and Cody hurried after her.

“Bethany, darling, how are you?” Nita, the friendly witch who worked as the head chef at the Academy greeted her. “And Cody too.”

Bethany scowled over her shoulder at him when he followed her into the kitchen but put a smile back on her face as she turned back to face Nita.

“Hey, Nita, I was wondering if I could get some food to go tonight?”

“Everything okay?” Calen, a cougar shifter who helped with the grounds, came up behind her and placed his hands on Nita’s shoulders. The witch leaned back into him, tipping her smiling face up to his. Cody fought to keep his eyebrows from raising at the familiar gesture.

Cody had met Calen on a run around the grounds one morning and had helped him plant a few trees on the weekend. He liked the man, but always wondered why he was working here when he moved with the grace of a warrior.

“Everything’s fine,” Bethany said. “Just having a girl’s night.”

“Of course,” Nita said. “Would you grab me some containers out of the back, mate?” she asked Calen, who nodded and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

Mate? This time Cody’s eyebrows did shoot up. It was rare to find an intermixed mating couple. Especially a cat with a witch. Cats were snobs. Did Calen and Nita have a leader’s blessing? He knew the Academy offered sanctuary to those who needed it. Was that why they were here? He risked a glance at Bethany.

Bethany stared at them with something like wistful longing on her face before she masked it. She dug around in her bag for something while Nita started preparing the food.

Calen returned with the containers, and the pair worked seamlessly together to fill them. Before Bethany could reach out and take them, Cody took them from Calen, balancing over three-quarters of them in his arms.

Bethany shot him a glare, but it lacked heat. Her eyes turned sad when she swiveled back to Calen and Nita. She held out a folded piece of paper to Calen.

“She gave me this for you,” she said softly.

Calen’s eyes darkened as he took the paper from Bethany, treating it reverently, like it was a precious artifact. Nita rubbed his back, her own eyes sad. “Thank you, Alpha Heir.” He addressed Bethany with her formal title.

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