Ellery stilled when his shin brushed against the sofa.Kefir guided him down onto the cushions as carefully as he knew how, but it wasn’t easy to direct limbs that were so much longer than his own.The landing was more sudden than Kefir would have liked, but Ellery made no complaint.
Climbing onto the sofa next to Ellery, Kefir pulled his legs up onto the cushion in front of him so he could turn and face Ellery properly.
Keeping his hands from stroking Ellery’s skin was impossible.Humans were supposed to feel ever so slightly cold to the touch—Kefir knew that much from hearing the other lions discussing both the sacrifices and their mates.But he hadn’t realised just how tactile, how addictive, stroking his fingers across a human’s skin could be.
It explained why Luther and Blaine could never keep their hands off Marrick for more than a few seconds at a time.Kefir tore his gaze away from Ellery for a moment and looked across to where all the other lions were crowded around the trestle tables full of food.
Luther and Blaine were both glaring at him and Ellery.If Marrick really had mellowed the other lions’ inclination towards brattiness the way Arslan said he had, there was little sign of it tonight.
Kefir turned back to Ellery.His shoulder was right there, barely an inch or two away from Kefir.Leaning forward, Kefir nuzzled against him, breathing in his scent, enjoying the simple feel of Ellery’s skin against his face.
There were dark hairs on Ellery’s torso, more so than on the lions, more than on either of the humans in their pride, too.Kefir let his head drop down and rubbed his temple against his chest.When he turned his head, the hair tickled against Kefir’s cheek, making him smile.
Ellery let out a half chuckle, as if the sensations pleased him, too.The sound was quiet, but it reverberated through Ellery’s chest and made Kefir’s smile widen.He glanced across at the food again as he lifted his head, but he wasn’t the least inclined to leave Ellery on his own while Luther and Blaine were still frowning angrily in their direction.He made no attempt to approach the tables.
A protective instinct he hadn’t even been aware of possessing made itself felt inside Kefir as he sat there.He closed his eyes as he snuggled a little closer to Ellery’s side, automatically trying to warm him with his own body heat.
He only opened his eyes again when someone cleared their throat, someone who was close.A plate of food appeared before Kefir.He looked up, and Ryland proffered the plate to him.
Kefir sighed his relief as he realised he wouldn’t have to leave Ellery’s side at all.“Thank you.”He took the dish and watched as Ryland made his way back to sit at Arslan’s feet.
“Kefir?”Ellery prompted.
“Are you hungry?”Kefir asked.“There’s food.Chicken and ham, and—”
“Are you going to untie my hands?”
“I’m not allowed to do that, but I could feed you,” Kefir suggested.He’d seen the other lions feeding their mates.The idea appealed to him then, in a way it never had before.Anything that involved contact with Ellery’s mouth was suddenly a truly fascinating prospect.
“No.”Ellery sounded very certain about that answer.He didn’t seem to like the suggestion at all.
Tilting his head on the side, Kefir studied Ellery for some time.
“The others were right when they said you’re not like the men who are usually thrown to us,” Kefir observed.He picked at a few of the bits of meat on the plate but found he had little appetite for eating alone.
“What were the other men like?”Ellery asked.His tone of voice was different from the other sacrifices, too.His words didn’t sound like a plea for reassurance.They were much more like a demand for information.
Kefir thought about it for a few moments, letting images of the other men flash through his mind.“They were…less…” Kefir couldn’t find the right word.
They were simply less than Ellery.Smaller than him, younger, weaker—yes, most of the other sacrifices had been those things, but not all of them.It was something else, something less physical, less visual.None of them had Ellery’s energy, his presence.
Kefir gazed up at him, completely enchanted.“Are there many humans like you?”he asked.
Ellery’s face turned toward him.His eyes remained hidden away behind the leather, but he still seemed to be looking at him in query.
“I haven’t had a great deal to do with humans,” Kefir confessed, dropping his gaze.“I didn’t even know men like you existed until…” Until Blaine and Luther had marched him into the room, and all the oxygen had disappeared from the world.
“Dominants?”Ellery suggested.
Kefir thought about the word.“Like the lions who lead the prides?”he hazarded.
“Something like that, yes,” Ellery agreed, his voice all calm certainty.
Kefir nodded, a little sadly.He might not know a great deal about humans, but his work often took him to meetings with the leaders of all the different prides in the country.They weren’t the kind of people who would wish to be anyone’s pet.
Not all the sacrifices were suited to being pets.Arslan had made that very clear to all the members of his pride.Potential pets were very rare—that was one of the many reasons they should always be cherished and treated with all possible respect.
Kefir glanced at Ellery again.He had the distinct feeling that Ellery wasn’t a man who needed to be given respect.He was more than capable of demanding it, taking it.
