Mya is stillmine. My mate. My queen. My everything. And I’ll be damned if I let this pretentious ass take her away from me.
Mya doesn’t say anything. She’s still staring at Lionel uncertainly, but he steps toward her and holds out a hand. “Come now, daughter. Let me take you home where you belong, what I should have done all those years ago, whether you could shift or not.”
I growl menacingly as I step back in front of Mya protectively, positioning myself between her and her father.
Lionel’s eyes light with fire, and a growl rumbles up out of his throat as well. I don’t give a fuck. “You’re not taking her anywhere. Mya is my mate.”
Lionel’s eyes go wild at the word “mate,” and then he’s launching himself at me with a roar, his body shifting midair.
I immediately shift as well and jump forward to meet him.
We’re snarling and roaring and growling and tearing at each other with our paws. I howl as he lands a scratch on my shoulder, but I get it right across the face, causing him to screech and stumble back. He shakes his head before tearing into me again.
I can feel the pulsing energy from my streak. They want to jump in and intervene, but I mentally tell them no, that this fight is mine. There is no honor in an entire streak ganging up on one lion. No, I will fight Lionel into submission on my own and prove myself worthy of his daughter.
Mya screams. Her sound of distress distracts me and sends fear racing through me. I instinctively glance over at her to make sure she’s okay, and that’s when I feel it. Lionel tackles me to the ground and holds my neck down. He’ll be going in for the kill any minute now, and all I can think about is what’s going to happen to Mya without me there to protect her.
“No!” I hear Mya scream, and then suddenly another furry body crashes into us, knocking Lionel off me.
I hear a collective gasp go up from the crowd, and when I look up to see what happened, my breath catches in my throat.
The most beautiful tigress I’ve ever seen positions herself between Lionel and me. Her fur is a beautiful white striped with black, but her mane is a glorious red. I suppose “tigress” might not be the right term for her. She’s a beautiful mix between a tiger and a lion. A liger.
She’s standing with her back to me, snarling at Lionel. She’sprotectingme, and my heart swells as I jump to my feet and stand next to her, positioning myself slightly in front of her, protecting her back.
I see the shock in Lionel’s eyes as she stares at Mya. I look at her too, seeing that it’s indeed her beautiful blue eyes staring stubbornly at her father as she stands between him and me, siding withme, choosingme.
Knowing that my mate is willing to risk her own life for me is doing funny things to me. I’m horny as hell, and it takes everything in me not to mount her here and now in front of everyone.
The three of us continue to stare one another down until Lionel finally shifts back to his human form in resignation. Only when he does do Mya and I do likewise.
Mya has a shocked look on her face as she holds her hands up and looks at them with a furrow in her brow.
“I take it that’s the first time you’ve ever shifted, kitten?” I ask her gently.
She looks up at me dazedly and nods.
I pull her close to me and kiss her forehead tenderly. “It took thinking your mate was in danger to pull it out of you.”
She opens up her mouth as if to argue, but then she closes it and buries her head in my chest. I wrap my arms around her possessively, aware that the entire streak is still watching this entire exchange with bated breath—as is her father.
“Well, I…I never—” Lionel sputters.
I interrupt him with, “As you can clearly see, Mya is my one true mate.” I cast eyes out over my streak as well, speaking to them just as much as I am to her father. I heard the murmurings among my streak that Mya wouldn’t be fit to rule them since she was merely human. Well, now they see that’s she’s a shifter too. They also see the lengths she’ll go to in order to protect one of her own.
I see several of my men nod, and many of the females are holding their hands over their mouths with tears glistening in their eyes. Mya’s selfless actions have earned their respect, and pride for my mate wells up within me. “If you’ll excuse us, though, the events of tonight have taxed her, so I’m going to see her to bed.”
I bend and lift Mya into my arms, cradling her against my chest. She keeps her head buried against me. Whether she’s seeking comfort from me or just hiding her face out of embarrassment, I don’t know, but I revel in the feeling of her burrowed into me.
My subjects bow their heads to me as I pass by. I turn back when I reach the doors and tell Lionel. “I expect to see you here in the morning. We have much to discuss.”
The lion king merely nods his head in deference, looking shocked and defeated.
I don’t worry about all of that now. I’ll deal with him tomorrow. Right now, claiming my mate is the only thing on my mind.
ChapterSeven
Mya