They stopped next to the open back door of the car.It was impossible to read Ellery’s expression when only half his face was visible.Kefir had no idea how to say goodbye to him.
A brief hesitation and he rose up onto his toes on the rough gravel and pressed a gentle kiss to Ellery’s cheek.His skin was a little prickly under Kefir’s lips, rough and perfect.Swallowing down his reluctance, Kefir helped Ellery to fold his tall frame into the car.
Car door closed, Kefir backed away.Arslan stood in the doorway leading into the house.Kefir stopped next to his leader and turned to stare at the car.
The driver started the engine.The moment Ellery leaving became a real thing that was actually happening, Kefir became incapable of remaining where he was.
He rushed forward and wrenched the car door open before the chauffer had a chance to pull away.Ellery tensed as he turned his head toward Kefir, instinctively ready to defend himself.
“You’re very sure you don’t wish to be a lion’s pet?”Kefir blurted out.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Ellery said.He sounded as certain about that as he did about everything else.
Pain shot through Kefir, harsher than anything he had ever felt—unable to be understood and equally impossible to ignore.But there was nothing Kefir could do, except close the car door once more and watch the car drive away.
A hand came to rest on his shoulder, and Kefir knew Arslan was there, watching over him.But, for the first time he could remember, the fact that he was safe and the member of a good pride wasn’t enough.
Kefir wanted a pet.He wanted a mate.
He wanted Ellery.
As he turned and looked up at Arslan, Kefir knew his leader could see it all in his eyes, all the confusion, and all the pain, too.Arslan led him back into the house and closed the door behind them, destroying Kefir’s attempts to steal one more glimpse of the disappearing car.
“Tell me about him,” Arslan ordered, when everyone else had left and only he and Ryland remained there with Kefir.
Kefir gazed at the rug where Ellery had knelt such a short time ago.
“He’s…” The words still weren’t there.He was perfect.In a way Kefir hadn’t believed possible, Ellery was faultless.He’d fitted against him so effortlessly as he curled up with him on the sofa.And everything had meshed together within Kefir’s own mind while he was near him, a problem that he hadn’t even been aware of having had solved itself, but now, Ellery was gone.
Eventually, Arslan stepped in and saved Kefir from the silence that filled the room.Ruffling his fingers through Kefir’s hair, Arslan excused him from trying to find the right words.
“Don’t worry, little one.I understand.”
Kefir’s teeth nipped at his bottom lip.He understood the situation, too.Understanding it and liking it weren’t anything like the same thing.
Chapter Three
Ellery looked up as the door leading into one of the lounge rooms at the back of the club swung open.Two men stepped inside, and Ellery had to assume that they were the men who’d asked to meet him.Ellery ran his eyes over them, quickly taking stock.
They were both strangers.
The first man was roughly the same age as Ellery, tall and broad across the shoulders with a thick mane of dark brown hair tied back at his nape with a length of leather.He exuded dominance, although Ellery never recalled seeing him in any of the local clubs, and he was certainly the kind of guy who would be remembered.
The second man was smaller, younger, and no more familiar to Ellery than the first.The only thing that he could be sure about, as the men made their way toward him, was that the younger man was the first man’s sub—that was clear in every inch of body language between them.
“You wish to speak to me?”Ellery asked.
“Yes.”No apology.No small talk.The dom didn’t waste a single word.
Ellery indicated the leather armchairs set around a low table with a brief wave of the hand.“We haven’t met.”He didn’t bother to make it a question.
“Not officially.”The dom extended his hand to Ellery over the table.“Professor Joseph Arslan.”
The name sent a wave of emotions rolling through Ellery, making it harder than ever for him to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that had been growing inside him ever since he’d left the lions’ den.Pushing the memories away, he calmly shook Arslan’s hand before turning toward the sub.“That makes you Ryland.”
The sub nodded.
“I take it Kefir mentioned us by name last weekend?”Arslan said.
