Maybe that was harsh, but she was their leader’s fucking mate, and her security depended on them.
That might have sounded bigheaded, but like it or not, she was the Pride’s future.Any children she gave Ryan could be in line for the leadership after him.
If Ryan’s bloodline held strong as it had done for the previous three generations as his grandfather had also been an incredibly strong Alpha, then any child they had together—unless she weakened their blood—would be exactly as he was… incredibly powerful.
“El?Sweetheart, go to your room, and we’ll be up there as soon as the officers have gone.”Marc’s voice was gentle, and she could sense how he cringed at telling her to go to her room like she was fifteen years old and being reprimanded for not doing the dishes by her parents.
Shawn’s eyes widened at his words, then flared in astonishment as she got to her feet and complied with his request.
“Be quick about it,” she snapped.“I want answers.”
If she sounded like a brat, El really didn’t give a fuck.
She stormed off and Shawn joined her.The minute they were out of the reach of the intercom, he grabbed a hold of her arm and dragged her to a halt.She didn’t let him stop her, however.Instead, murmured, “Not now.We need to go upstairs.”
“What the fuck’s going on?”Shawn demanded, shaking his head in confusion but releasing his grip on her to head upstairs at her side.
“Apparently, I’ve gone into heat,” she said grimly.
Shawn froze on the steps, meaning she was four steps ahead by the time she made it onto the landing.
Turning back to glower at him, she hissed, “Yes.I know.It’s just fucking hilarious.”
His laughter had her glowering harder at him.
“Shut up, Shawn.”
He curled his lips inwards, like rolling them between his teeth could stem his laughter.“I’m trying,” he said hoarsely.
After glaring harder at him, she started to stride off to her quarters but her ears pricked at the sounds of the men’s footsteps clicking against the marble floor.
“They’re almost gone,” she said, leaving him to giggle like a child on the staircase.
Striding into her room, she headed for the balcony and lay in wait for the cops to go.
The minute she saw them head out, their heads nearly swerving off their necks as they sought her out upstairs while they walked off, she waited for her mates to join her and started a mental countdown.
Thankfully, for their sakes, they didn’t piss around.
Within two minutes, all four of her mates were trundling in, and Shawn was the only normal one among them.
The three Shifters stayed close to the door, on the opposite side of the room.Shawn strode deeper into the suite, taking a seat on the sofa she’d picked to complement the bare half of her bedroom.
When he sat down, he swiveled his attention between both sides of the room like he was watching a goddamn tennis match.
“Someone explain what the hell’s going on, please?”he asked gruffly when the men made no move to step deeper into the suite.
Marc cleared his throat.“She’s in estrus.”
“Yeah.She told me.Why does that mean you’re stuck over on that side of the room and she’s on the other?We started the War of the Roses or something?”
Trip grunted.“If we get any closer, we’ll all want to fuck her brains out.”
Ryan scratched his temple.“This isn’t supposed to happen,” he grumbled, sounding confused and horny.“This is why we tend to find human mates.The Mother had sense when she forged the bonds.”
Shawn frowned.“What do you mean?”
“We can’t share her,” Trip stated bluntly.
