“Our mate will be kept just safe enough?”Blaine asked, cautiously.
Marrick sat up as if he couldn’t think clearly enough about such an important question while lying down.For a long time, he said nothing.Luther moved to sit on one side of Marrick and wrapped his arm around his shoulders in a subtle little effort to keep him warm.A moment later, Blaine did the same thing on the other side.
Looking up, Luther saw that Arslan and Ryland were both standing on the little patio at the back of the house, watching them.It wasn’t always easy to work out exactly what Arslan was thinking.Ryland might have been a different species, but he was far easier to read.He looked happy.
A glance back to Marrick, showed Luther that their pet looked far more serious than Arslan did.
“We should probably go inside soon.It’s getting late,” Marrick whispered.
Luther leaned down and brought their lips together.For the most part, it was a very gentle little kiss, but he couldn’t quite resist the temptation to nip a little at Marrick’s bottom lip, just for the pleasure of hearing him moan.
Blaine helped their pet to his feet.Luther slid his arm around him as they walked him back into the house.Marrick accepted it all without a word.
* * * * *
“You’re all just in time.The sacrifice will be here soon.”
When Marrick glanced up, Arslan met his gaze and held it.Marrick had a horrible feeling the leader of the pride could see right into his soul right then.Marrick wasn’t sure if he was ready to face the thoughts inside his own head, let alone accept the feeling of someone else spying on them.Looking abruptly away, he found himself studying his own fingernails as they all headed into the meeting room.
All rest of the lions in the pride were already assembled there.
“The car will be here any minute,” Arslan told Luther and Blaine, the dismissal in his voice very clear.
Each of them looked towards Marrick, and it was obvious neither of them was thrilled about leaving him behind, but after a few more seconds of hesitation, they both accepted Arslan’s command and went outside to wait for the car.
Marrick looked up and met Arslan’s eyes again.This time, he didn’t let himself flinch.“They told me what happened.”
Arslan said nothing.
“That’s what you meant when you said I should ask them why prides of lions receive sacrifices,” Marrick added.
“Before lions learnt to be careful with the humans they lay with—before prides made a point of teaching them to be careful, a great many humans were hurt.It did little to help humans accept the fact that there were lions living in their midst,” Arslan said, looking out of the window to where Luther and Blaine stood on the drive.“The tradition of human sacrifice has kept humans safe and the principle of lions living among you accepted within the human world for hundreds of years.”
Marrick followed Arslan’s gaze.It wasn’t cold for lions, but Luther and Blaine were cuddling up to each other anyway.
“Lions generally have very little to do with humans while they’re with their parents’ pride.It’s always been thought best that our young are kept entirely separate until they are old enough to understand just how fragile a human can be, despite the fact they look so much like a lion does when a lion is in their human form,” Arslan said.“Even when lions are old enough to go out among humans, most still work and socialise entirely with other lions.My choosing to work at a human university makes me something of an outlier.So, it’s not uncommon for things not to go to plan the first time a lion receives a sacrifice.”
Marrick continued to stare through the window at them.They were so affectionate with each other.It was beautiful.
“If they couldn’t be trusted not to harm you, they would never have been left alone with you.”
Marrick turned and looked up at Arslan.“I’m not afraid of them.”
For his part, Arslan remained facing the window and didn’t take his eyes off Luther and Blaine.“They may be a couple of years older than you, but it’s best that you remember that the only real knowledge they have of humans is the sacrifices and Ryland.”
“I guessed that,” Marrick said, smiling through the window at them, remembering how lost they’d looked as they faced his parents across their living room.
“Then, you may also guess that any man who intends to make a life with either or both of them cannot run away at the first hint of a misunderstanding.It may well be a habit many humans like to indulge in, but it has no place in a pride,” Arslan said, his tone of voice implying he would allow no arguing on the matter.
“A good pet always does as his masters say?”Marrick asked, his own tone cooling dramatically.
“A good man always thinks of his mate, or mates, first.If you want to play rough with them, that’s your business.Providing there are no serious injuries, the pride won’t see any reason to interfere.But, if you become their mate, you will be expected to take your rightful place in the pride—and live up to the standards the pride expects from you.”
It wasn’t him that Arslan was worried about.Marrick stopped short as he realised that.Forget the whole humans a fragile thing.Arslan was the leader of the pride, and he didn’t want either Luther or Blaine to have their feelings hurt.
A car turned into the drive before Marrick could think of a single thing to say.
Luther and Blaine had obviously exhausted their patience while they cooled their heels in the driveway.They didn’t wait for the driver to help the guy out of the car.Within seconds, a terrified looking man was standing on the hearthrug, and two pairs of strong feline hands had abandoned him and were once more wrapped around Marrick’s body instead.
