“I did.Trip gave me some of his things to wear and there were toiletries in the bath.I was surprised about that, actually.When they said that this place was blank, they weren’t kidding.”
He grimaced.“I was thinking that when I came in earlier on.We wanted the room to have all the basic amenities for you, but also be ready for you to just come in and make it your own.”
She tilted her head to the side.“How long has this house been here?”
“For as long as Ryan’s led the Pride.”
“How long’s that?”
“Thirty or so years.Who’s counting?”
“You’ve had this room, blank and all bare ass, for over three decades?”
“Of course.It was waiting for you.”
“More like it was waiting for me to grow up.”She blinked at him.“I was born 13th February 1988.”
Marc knew where she was going and had to huff out a little smile.“Pre-Valentine’s day baby,” he teased gently.“And I don’t remember the exact date of his inauguration but it was February.The Mother has a way of linking and binding things without our knowledge.”
“Who’s the Mother?”
“Our Goddess.”
She bit her lip.“There’s so much to learn, and I don’t understand why I’m not totally going insane right now.”
“Because things have been put into perspective for you.You had a trial by fire tonight, Maryellen.”
“I-I guess you’re right,” she whispered.“I mean, if it wasn’t for Ryan, I wouldn’t be here now.I-I don’t know where I’d be.I just know I’d be scared for my life.”
“You never have to be that ever again.”
“You can’t promise that,” she muttered crossly.“Nobody can ever promise that.”
He shook his head.“We can.You have three mates, Maryellen.That’s three men watching over you, almost all the time.You’ll get sick of it, that’s how safe you’ll be.”
“Call me El, Marc,” she whispered, then surprised him by scrabbling closer to him and pressing up against the wall so she could snuggle into his side.
“We could get into bed?”he suggested softly, and when she tensed a little, he chided, “To rest and relax, El.Nothing else.”
“I’m happy here.That bed… it’s too big.”
He frowned.“It is?It’s just a regular Queen.”They were going to get a bigger one for her, but had decided against it in the end.Apparently, wisely so.
“I have a single at home,” she admitted softly.
“Why?Don’t you miss being able to spread out?”
“I take it that’s what you like, huh?”
Her teasing had him grinning, and when she rested her head on his shoulder, his Lion felt like it could purr.Shame this half of him didn’t have the necessary equipment.He pressed his hand to her bare knee, pleased when she didn’t flinch this time, and admitted, “I do.We all do.When you’re ready, you’ll be grateful for the Queen bed.One of us will be with you every night for the rest of your life.Well, unless you send us to the dog house, which would be totally cruel considering we’re cats.”
His joke had her snickering, then, she murmured, “How did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Ryan and Trip scared the hell out of me with talk like that, and you just made me laugh?”
“I’m older than them.Maybe you can sense that.Maybe you can sense that there’s no pressure from me.You might not have an inner cat communicating with you and advising you like we do, but you still know what’s what.”He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, loving the scent of her, as well as the dahlia shampoo she’d washed her hair with earlier—the strands were still wet and clung a little to his lips.“But you can trust them with your life too.”
