Page 37 of Savage Mates
Even now, other than the females, almost every male had shifted into human form. Maybe because we had a surprise guest.
Yet I was the only one who’d put on clothes, pants found in the items left by the people who’d once inhabited the cabins where we’d found and made our home. The others were completely happy remaining naked. That did help when shifting into our lion forms was required quickly.
However, I’d felt some strange sense of feeling as if she’d accept who we were if I approached her, even half dressed. The thought was ridiculous. What did it matter? We were lions. We were beasts.
We were predators.
While I was one of three pride leaders, our circumstances were unusual enough he thought it acceptable to mouth off to me and to question my authority. I’d need to teach him a lesson at some point.
He finally looked away. “You’re right. I just don’t like this. The rogue lions attacked because she’s here.”
I glanced at Titus, who was standing against a tree with his arms crossed. Enjoying the banter.
“I don’t like it either. I have a bad feeling the woman is here under false pretenses and not of her own making.”
“You’re willing to risk the life we’ve finally been able to create because you need to get your rocks off?”
That was it. Growling, my beast ready to breach the surface, I moved in front of him, snarling as my bones began to creak, my eyes shifting to that of my lion.
I was much stronger and more powerful than he was. With little effort, I could snap his neck or drive my canines into his face. He knew it, but today he wanted nothing more than to challenge my authority.
The few seconds were tense, but he finally backed down, throwing his hands up. “Just don’t get us killed,KingThor.”
Zeus headed in my direction. The pride was edgy and they had every right to be. Since the appearance of the men the human called mercenaries, every day had been about surviving danger and reinforcing our camp.
The bastards were cagey, changing their position often. We’d do the same except this was a small island and we were still powerful predators.
Mate or not, what the three of us needed to do was to determine who she was and the reason for her arrival.
“The others in her group will be looking for her,” he said, which was true.
“They aren’t well equipped for hunting.”
He snorted. “Nevertheless, we can’t keep her.”
I knew what he was getting at. Even though she was our mate, the logistics around keeping her were dangerous. I didn’t need to know her to realize someone would eventually look for her, which meant anyone still left who was involved with Blackwell Industries would stop at nothing to silence us.
Including the gorgeous female.
“Then what do we do with her?” Titus asked as he joined the conversation. We’d combined our abilities of self-healing to heal her, which had sapped some of our strength. However, a few hours had gone by, enough so the afternoon sun was slipping behind the trees. Twilight provided protection.
I doubted there would be any further attacks and the humans she was with wouldn’t be stupid enough to attempt a rescue at night.
“Why was she armed?” Zeus asked. “She should be considered dangerous.”
“And she will be until we find out her intentions,” I assured him.
A scent caught all three of us, a moment just like before where all time stopped and nothing else mattered but the understanding that our mate was close.
She walked from the cabin where she’d been resting, her eyes opening wide the moment she caught sight of us. Her glare was exactly as I’d seen when the mercenaries had appeared.
Sharp and unforgiving.
Only this time, there was an element of surprise in seeing three men instead of the lions she’d longed to protected.
I let out a slow breath. Dealing with her was going to be interesting. Not only could I sense she was a fighter, I’d also seen in action a small, vulnerable human who acted as if she could control wild beasts.
My cravings deepened, my cock throbbing.
