AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Don’t you think you’ve disrespected our alpha enough, young lady?” Everhart snapped. “I’d be quiet if I were you.”
Sienna would have told him about himself if Toron and several other people weren’t on their feet in a heartbeat.
Her eyes widened at two men struggling to keep Toron from ripping into Everhart. The older man’s face displayed blotchy red spots, and he mopped his forehead with a damp handkerchief.
“I forgot myself for a minute there, Toron. I apologize. I just thought—”
“You have two seconds to apologize to her not me.” All of a sudden she felt sorry for the man in the face of Toron’s anger. Her lover didn’t play when it came to her, and she’d already seen it several times before. Predicting his crazy was another matter alltogether.
While Everhart blithered through insincere words, Sienna reached for Toron’s hand and laced her fingers with his. As if he knew she would seconds before she touched him, his claws receded so he wouldn’t cut her skin. Sienna gave his hand a small tug, and he stopped straining against the hold and sat down.
“She is my mate,” Toron announced and kissed her hand. A murmur spread over the room. They had all known it, but for Toron to announce the fact seemed to solidify their relationship.
“Toron, we haven’t talked about that,” she whispered.
A few of the women chuckled with good nature. One waved a hand at her. “Oh, honey, get used to it. Lions don’t ask. They tell . You figure out how to make your way in spite of.”
Sienna raised an eyebrow at Toron. He winked. If she offended him earlier, she hadn’t meant to. The understanding that touched his gaze, lightened her mood.
“Go on, baby. Tell us what else you think?” he encouraged her.
She hesitated. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” He glared at the silent man on the other side of the table. “Everhart has nothing else to add to this conversation.”
“Whoa, whoa, that’s not what I want, Toron.” She pulled her hand from his. “Everyone should have a voice, and it shouldn’t be snuffed out because we disagree. I get that you all think you’re better somehow because you were born this way, but none of us regulars are any less than you, and our struggles may be harder. Do you have any idea what hell it is to go through the first time of the month as a lion shifter?” Every male face burned, but Sienna was just warming up. “It’s a trip let me tell you. And it’s worse when you don’t know if it will get better or if you’ll kill someone for real after you’ve been threatening it every month just because you’re angry.”
“Baby doll, it’s a bitch on us naturals too!” one of the women called out from the end of the table.
“Amen,” another echoed. “But she’s right. What of the regulars who are turned by men like Sienna was? There should be support for them, and special training.”
Soon everyone spoke at once, most agreeing that changes needed to be made. Sienna hoped she hadn’t caused unrest and division. Everhart still appeared to dislike her, but when she peeked at Toron to gauge his reaction, the pride directed at her almost blew her away.
He pressed his lips to her ear and nibbled briefly before whispering, “And you want to try to convince me you are not my mate? Never!”
Toron ended dinner early, and even though his guests seemed to want to talk the night away, he excused himself and Sienna, and they walked together to Simeon’s room where he stayed when he spent the night at Toron’s house.
They stood over their son’s bed, and Sienna sighed and leaned into Toron’s arm around her waist. She realized this was the first time she’d thought of Simeon as their son and not hers alone. She leaned down and kissed their baby, and Toron brushed his blond hair from his forehead.
“Do you think you wouldn’t mind having more children with me, Sienna? After all , Simi needs playmates.”
She chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Simi, huh? You’ve been calling him Simeon all this time.”
“I can’t call my son by his nickname?”
She smirked. “Whatever. And as for more children, I don’t know. He has your head. He tried to kill me with it.”
Toron’s eyes widened, and she almost burst out laughing. “I do not have a big head.”
Sienna shrugged and turned away. “If you say so, dude.”
Toron chased her, and she tore off down the hall on tiptoe. He caught her with ease and tossed her on the bed in his room. “You’re not getting away from me that easily, woman.”
“Hm, I think I don’t ever want to get away from you.”
All laughter ceased. Toron captured her chin and turned her to face him. “Don’t play with me, Sienna. Are you sure about that?”
“I think…no, I’m sure. Toron, I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to criticize you about how you trained us and your way of doing things.”
