Whatever was going on with her, it was about time it stopped.For her sake.
Where the fuck was Jessa?
Only El’s mom knew the whole story, and though he had half the police force in this state seeking her, and as a result of their connections, feelers were out across the country on the hunt for a Panther female with her markings, they’d had no news yet.
Rubbing his forehead, he sat back in the chair.It was a damn shame to let good steaks go cold the way they were doing, but he knew he could always have it seared again.It was bloody in the middle, just as he liked it, so warming through wouldn’t do much harm.
Still, now was not the time to think about his damn stomach.
Even if he didn’t want to have this conversation, as always, his mother forced his hand where she should have learned to stay back.
“Do you know how close you are to my challenging you?”
Leilani’s shoulder dropped in astonishment, but it was James, Ryan’s father, who murmured uneasily, “That’s not necessary, Ryan.Calm down.You’re getting ahead of yourself, son.”
“No, I’m not.I’m defending my mate.Just as you’re doing now, Father.I respect that, understand it, but I won’t allow it to continue.
“By the looks of it, you’ve pushed El as far as she’s willing to be pushed tonight.That means either a challenge from her is imminent, or myself, if you don’t back the hell up.
“I know you’re dissatisfied with her nature, but it’s tough shit.She’s mine.”His eyes flared at the words, because by saying them aloud, his Lion sensed them and rumbled its pleasure at the declaration.“She’ll always be mine.No matter how much you bitch and complain.The only thing that will happen if you don’t heed my advice, is a challenge.
“And if you heed my advice, but continue to beat at her confidence behind my back, you’ll no longer be welcome in my Pride.Do you hear me?”
Silence fell at the table and Leilani’s eyes glittered with fury.
“Do you hear me?”Ryan snarled.
“You’d throw me out of my family home because you don’t like the fact I disapprove of your mate?”
Her words got his back up, and Adam snarled, “For fuck’s sake, Mother, use some of the sense The Mother gave you.
“What would you have him do?The Mother chose El, not him.He didn’t have a say in her heritage.Did you have a say in dad’s?Did he have a say in yours?No.Exactly.We’re lumped with who we’re lumped with, but in this instance, Ryan actually likes his mate.”
Frost seemed to settle between them, cold lines slipping among the people still seated at the tables.
It was an odd quirk that Leilani and James were happy with one another…in bed.
Anywhere else and they rarely got on.
He had a lot of good memories of his childhood, and the good hadn’t outweighed the bad.But the fact was, unless Leilani had just been fucked, she was always in a bad mood.
She was too dissatisfied with her life, too angry over what she’d been denied because of her gender to ever really let her mate in.
“It’s time for us to leave,” Leilani murmured, getting to her feet and storming off without waiting for any of her family to follow.
Ryan watched her go, just as he’d watched his mate depart, but unlike with El, no one followed her.
He cut his father a look, then his sister and brother.When they were still there, he glanced at his mother who was looking back in astonishment at her family’s failure to stick to her side.
“She’ll have to get a taxi,” Ryan’s dad murmured.“I have the keys to the car.”
Trip snickered.“That kind of scuppers her plan.”
“Ya think?”James grinned, but it died a little as he murmured, “I’m sorry, Ryan.She’ll get used to it.”
“She’ll have to,” was his grim retort.
Hazel, his sister, asked, “Why doesn’t Mom like the fact El turns into a Panther, Dad?”
