Page 9 of Pleasure and Mane
The conversation haunted him as he left the hospital, stopping at three more locations—the new park where playground equipment lay waiting for assembly, the communitycenter where teenagers practiced martial arts, and finally the elementary school where cheerful voices drifted from summer program activities.
His phone buzzed again. This time, Lavinia:Dinner in twenty minutes. Don't even think about skipping it.
Caius stared at the message, his thumb hovering over the reply button. Every fiber of his being wanted to make an excuse, claim urgent business elsewhere, anything to avoid sitting across from Quinn at his dining room table. The mere thought of watching her lips curve around words, her elegant fingers wrapped around stemware, and those emerald eyes meeting his across candlelight—it made his lion strain against his control like a caged predator.
But I can't hide forever.The admission tasted bitter.She's living in my home now. Avoiding her will only make things worse.
He typed back:On my way.
The drive home took seven minutes that felt like seven hours. His mansion rose before him like a fortress against the deepening twilight, warm golden light spilling from windows that had always represented sanctuary. Now they felt like a beautiful trap, containing a woman who could destroy everything he'd built simply by existing in his space.
How am I supposed to sit through dinner without claiming her mouth in front of my family?The question burned through his thoughts as he parked his truck in the circular drive.Six months. Six months of torture.
His lion disagreed completely, purring with anticipation at the prospect of being near their mate again. The beast didn't care about pride politics or centuries of tradition—it only understood the primal call of fated connection.
She's mine,his lion insisted with feral certainty.Mine to claim, mine to protect, mine to love.
The heavy oak door closed behind Caius with a thud, sealing out the lingering chaos of Leon's bustle. The familiar scent of polish and books that had always meant home now carried an undercurrent of lavender and rain that made his lion pace frantically under his skin.
"Welcome back, Caius." Henry emerged from the shadowed alcove near the grand staircase, his silver hair perfectly groomed. His light blue eyes held their usual warmth mixed with the efficient alertness that had made him indispensable for the past twenty years. "Dinner will be served in ten minutes. Chef Roger prepared something light—apparently our guest mentioned that Lavinia's been craving citrus and avoiding anything too rich."
Our guest.The phrase twisted through Caius's chest like barbed wire. Quinn wasn't their guest—she was his mate, whether she knew it or not. Whether he wanted to admit it or not.
"Good. Lavinia's comfort is the priority." The words came out rough, and Henry's eyebrows lifted slightly in that knowing way that had always seen straight through Caius's carefully constructed facades.
"I also took the liberty of ensuring Miss Marrow's suite meets her needs," Henry continued, his tone carefully neutral. "Fresh linens, additional medical storage, and I had the staff move the antique writing desk near the windows—she mentioned appreciating natural light while working."
Of course she does.The thought of Quinn bathed in golden afternoon sunlight while she worked sent heat spiraling through his bloodstream. His lion preened at the idea of providing for their mate's comfort, even through such mundane details.
"You did well," Caius managed, fighting to keep his voice level.She deserves everything I can give her and more.Theacknowledgment burned through his thoughts like wildfire, dangerous in its intensity.
"I also had the opportunity to speak with her this afternoon." Henry's eyes sparkled with something that looked suspiciously like mischief. "Remarkable woman. Brilliant, compassionate, and utterly dedicated to her work. There's something... magnetic about her presence. Almost as if fate decided to shake things up around here."
Caius's jaw clenched hard.Fate. Of course Henry would sense it too.Lions were naturally attuned to the energy shifts that came with fated matings, even when they weren't directly involved. His uncle had probably felt the change in the air the moment Quinn crossed their threshold.
"She's here for Lavinia," Caius said curtly, the words feeling like lies on his tongue. "Nothing more."
"Of course." Henry's tone carried just enough skepticism to be irritating.
"Speaking of which, where is my sister now? In the dining room?"
And where is Quinn?The unspoken question hung in the air between them. Caius couldn't bring himself to ask directly—it felt too much like admitting the depth of his fixation on the woman who'd upended his entire world in the span of a handshake.
"Lavinia returned to her guest house for a nap before dinner. As for Miss Marrow..." Henry paused, and something in his expression shifted. "She's currently in the library."
The words hit Caius like a punch. "The library?"
His sanctuary. His private space filled with centuries of pride history and shifter lore that no human eyes had ever seen.Ancient leather-bound tomes containing mating rituals, territorial agreements, and bloodline records sat on thoseshelves—knowledge that could expose everything they'd worked to protect.
"I specifically told her she was restricted to her suite, the medical wing, the dining room, and Lavinia's guest house." His voice dropped to the dangerous rumble that made even his strongest pride members step back. "The library is off-limits."
"Her background check came through clean," Henry said, his tone becoming more placating. "Impeccable credentials, sterling references, not even a parking ticket. She's exactly what Gerri claimed—an intelligent, kind-hearted woman dedicated to her patients' welfare."
I don't care if she's Mother Teresa incarnate.The protective fury that surged through Caius had nothing to do with rational thought and everything to do with the primal need to guard his territory from potential threats. Even threats that happened to smell like heaven and have eyes that could see straight through his soul.
"Would you like me to assign someone to guard the library door from now on?" Henry asked, his voice carefully measured. "Keep our new resident contained to her approved areas?"
"No." The growl tore from Caius's throat before he could stop it. The thought of posting guards to keep Quinn away felt wrong on every level his lion could comprehend.
