Lucas joined in with laughter. The sound caused my heart to race. I stared at Lucas. His entire expression changed when he laughed. It was almost as intoxicating as his laugh. I wanted to hear his happiness all the time. Was this what it meant to have a mate? Is he? I shook my head and looked away.
I was so confused. I wish there were something that just said, ‘Yes, this is your mate.’ But that wasn’t the case. I could only go off what other mated couples told me. And this wasn’t what they described. My lion rumbled within me.
“Talon,” Lucas’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I looked at him.
“Why haven’t you called? I’ve been coming by, but you haven’t been here,” Lucas asked. His tone was off. It almost sounded hurt.
I knew I had been avoiding him, but that was because I didn’t want to hurt him. “I’ve just been busy,” I lied.
A dark cloud crossed over his expression, and his soft eyes now burned. “Didn’t you want to see me? Shouldn’t we talk?”
“What about?” I asked.
“Talon, Lucas,” Walter’s deep voice stopped any reply, and I turned around.
I tilted my head in request. “Sir.”
“Mr. Doy,” Lucas said, also tilting his head.
Walter looked like an older, bigger version of Mike. He had short dark brown hair, expressive brown eyes, and a huge muscular build. Walter was among the strongest lions in the pride next to the king. Some even believed he could beat the king, but Walter was loyal to Edward and always abided by and supported the king’s rule.
“Talon, I need to borrow you for a bit. Lucas, are you okay watching the kids?” Walter asked.
“Did something happen?” I knew the king had called us for something serious and was currently in close talks with the mated couples.
Walter let out a sigh. “His Majesty wants us to confront the demon situation head-on. We need to pay him a visit.”
“Demon? What demon?” Lucas asked before I had a chance to respond.
“It’s not a huge deal,” I said, hoping to calm the panic I heard in Lucas’s voice.
Lucas leveled a glare at me and raised his brow. Apparently, that wasn’t sufficient. I exhaled loudly. “A demon by the name of Dominic has sent some threatening messages to Mike. He’s apparently not happy that Mike’s with Jake.”
Lucas’s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to respond, but Walter stopped him. “It’s really not a huge deal. Our reports indicate he’s a low-level demon. He can’t stand against the pride.” Walter straightened. “His Majesty just wants us to do a show of force and get rid of him once and for all. Otherwise, I’d just send Jeremy and Leon.”
Jeremy and Leon were other enforcers of the pride. Jeremy was a bit of a goof and loved to play the field. He had a different girl or guy every week. While Leon was the opposite, he could only be described as quiet and introverted. I liked to think of him as a gentle giant, but at the same time, I knew he could kick ass.
Lucas released a loud breath and stared at me. I didn’t understand why he was so upset. Was he my mate? I asked myself again.
“I’ve got the kids. Can we talk later?” Lucas asked me.
I wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. I didn’t have an answer to his questions or my question. “I’ll probably be late. I’ll call you.”
He cringed at my words, and my chest ached at his hurt expression. ‘I’ll call you later’ was the classic blow-off line, but I couldn’t think of anything better.
“Sure, whatever,” he said, turning toward the playing children.
I wanted to say something, to go after him, comfort him, but what would I say?
“Come on. Let’s go. Jeremy and Leon are by the car,” Walter said, touching my shoulder.
I nodded, and Walter headed for the doors. I looked back at Lucas one last time before following Walter. I needed to get this crap figured out.
“Car’s all gassed and ready to go, boss,” Jeremy said as we exited the massive estate.
Walter nodded and walked to the driver’s side. “Let’s get a move on and get this meeting over with.”
I hurried to the front seat, and Jeremy’s light blue eyes narrowed. Jeremy was handsome, with light mocha skin and long, ebony hair. I probably would have asked him out if he weren’t such a player. But I wanted a serious relationship, a partner, a mate.
