“I know.”
“Are you sure you want to push this?We can explain things tomorrow when she’s had some rest.”
“No.I want to know now.”
The voice didn’t come as a surprise.He’d scented her a few moments before, and when he looked over at her, his stomach pitched.Jesus, she was gorgeous.Her cheeks were pale, and her pallor wasn’t that great.Her color, if anything, was hectic, and she looked shocky.But that was only natural, he figured.What had just happened to her went beyond the pale.
Her gaze darted between Trip and him, and he said softly, “Maryellen, this is my partner.Trip Roorden.”
Trip, ever useless, countered with, “We’re Triad brothers.”
She blinked, corrected, “Call me El.”Frowning, she asked, “What’s a Triad brother?”
Ryan hissed.“You were the one who said to wait, Trip.”
“She said she wanted to know now.”He shrugged, looked at El over his glass.The covetous glance didn’t grate on his nerves.They were reared with the knowledge that they’d share their mate.There was no room for jealousy among the Triad.“I don’t want to lie to her.Not if she’s certain she can handle the truth.”
El gulped.“I’d like to think I could handle any kind of truth, but if I’m being honest, I had no idea men could turn into Lions, so I’m guessing that my truth and your truth are two different things.”
Trip’s lips twitched.“Would you like a drink?”
“Do you have vodka?”she asked softly, peering at the drink’s tray.
Ryan nodded.“I’ll get some from the kitchen.It’s in the freezer.”
Trip shook his head.“I’ll get it.Hold the conversation though.I think we should be together for this.”
He walked through the door that led from the sitting room to the dining room, and then onto the kitchen.As he walked, Ryan heard the squeaking hinges, but he kept his gaze on his mate.She was still shaky, and she approached the sofa with haste.When she hesitated, he realized only good manners were keeping her upright.
“Take a seat, please, El.Treat this place like your home, because to us, it already is.”
She blew out a breath as she sank into the creamy down-filled cushions.“You know how to overwhelm a girl.”
“Only you,” he replied, heading over to the sofa opposite.The sofa was large enough to seat all three of the Triad with ease, so she was drowning in the sea of down, but he thought it best to give her space.Distance.The last thing he wanted to do was crowd her.“We can discuss this tomorrow, El.I meant it when I said you’re safe here.There’s a bedroom, especially for you.You can rest in there with the same ease as you would feel in your own at your apartment.”
“A bedroom for me?”
“What he means is, it’s yours, but it’s a blank canvas,” Trip inserted, having made his return complete with a bottle of ice cold vodka in hand and a chilled glass too.“We’ve been looking for you a long time, but naturally, you’ll want to decorate the bedroom yourself.”
She blinked as he poured her a shot.“You said ‘we’ve’ been looking for me.”To Ryan, she asked, “What’s going on?”
Ryan shot Trip a nasty look.“Well done.”
Before Trip could answer, El whispered, “Please, don’t bicker.I don’t think I could take it.Just start from the beginning, okay?I-I can handle that, and then I really need you to go shower, Ryan.The blood is…” Her throat worked, and she reached for her shot glass and downed the potent liquor.Her eyes crinkled as she absorbed the hit, and he was jealous of her ability to metabolize alcohol slowly.
“I should shower now,” he replied, hating himself for not having thought of that.But this was his world.
Blood was a part of life.
She shook her head.“No.Talk to me first.”
He hovered, half-standing, half-crouched, uncertain what to do.Then, taking her at her word, he sank back again.“You’re right.Let’s talk about this.”He pursed his lips.“There’s a unique phenomenon among Lion Shifters.We bear children with ease, but every female is born singly.Every male is born in a litter of three.”
She gawked at him.“You mean there are three of you walking around the States?”
His lips twitched.“Well, yes and no.We’re never identical.We’re fraternal Triplets, I guess you’d call it.This has been a problem for…” His shoulders jostled.“It’s impossible to say.It’s just how it is.The population, however, is imbalanced.At a one to three ratio, every male can’t expect a mate, so we have Triads.”
“But there are only two of you.”
