Daughter of Lions Read online

  “They teasing you again?” he asked me with a smirk.

  I showed him my teeth and said, “Yes, and you would be smart not to.”

  He showed me his teeth back and whispered, “How would that be fun?”

  “Behave,” Sheila scolded us. “Mated couples should not act like teenagers.”

  “We are teenagers though,” I reminded her.

  She sighed. “You’re nineteen which means you are an adult and should act like one.”

  Paul plopped down in his seat beside Sheila, kissed her cheek and asked, “When do we get to eat?”

  “Dad, I’m hungry,” Anne said as she sat down at the table with us.

  “Me too,” Mike, Anne’s twin, complained as he sat beside his sister.

  “No whining at the table, kids,” I said with a pointed look at Paul.

  Sheila giggled and Paul glared at her. “Don’t encourage her,” he said as he turned the glare on me.

  Dad cleared his throat and everyone turned to face their Alpha. “Thank you for joining us on this special day. Before we start the meal I want to make an announcement.”

  The pride sat very still, waiting for what he was going to say. It wasn’t often that he made announcements to the entire pride. Brandon slipped his fingers between mine and squeezed, sensing my nervousness through our mating bond. Over two hundred pairs of werelion eyes stared at my father, waiting.

  “As of tomorrow, Sarah and I will retire from our positions as Alpha,” Dad said with a wide smile.

  The pride gasped and I felt my own eyes widen in shock. Everyone erupted into chatter, talking about this news that would change everyone’s lives, news that I had not even been prepared for.

  Sarah raised her head and the pride quieted under the Alpha Female’s stare.

  Dad continued, “Beginning tomorrow, Brandon and Victoria will take over as your Alphas. We will spend the next week assisting them, but after that we will be going on our honeymoon and leaving you in their paws.”

  I turned and found Brandon sitting with his stupid smirk on his face and held back from snarling at him only because some of the pride members were now looking at us. Obviously he had known about this and had not told me. I was going to have a talk with him later.

  “That begins tomorrow,” Dad said with a smile, “So, for tonight, let’s celebrate my new wife and your new Alphas!”

  The pride cheered and the caterers began bringing out plates of food. I turned and glared at Brandon, “You knew?!”

  He continued giving me his stupid smirk and whispered, “I promised your Dad I would let him surprise you.”

  I couldn’t be mad at them but I felt nervous. I had known Brandon was going to take over the pride someday, but I did not think it would be so soon and I did not think I was going to be the Alpha female. I thought we would be in our thirties before Brandon took over. I understood Dad and Sarah wanting time to spend together without having to worry about the pride, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to lead the pride. Would they follow a non-lion?

  I shook off the nervousness and worry and devoted myself to enjoying the night with my family. Tomorrow I would start the next chapter of my life. If only Bob had been right about being able to turn me. I sat staring at my plate of food and realized that there might be a way. If I was bitten by a werelion it might convert the rest of my DNA and then I might be able to change.

  I shook my head. What was I thinking? I was perfect how I was. I didn’t need to change just because I was different. My differences made me unique and made me who I am. I wouldn’t change that for anything and I was glad that I finally realized that I was fine exactly as I was. I was done running away from problems and hoping that if I left the problems would go away. Running away solved nothing. If the pride could not handle me as their Alpha, they would have to answer to Brandon. Besides, the pride was too busy dealing with the war between the werewolf packs and the werelion prides to worry much about me being the next Alpha. I looked at Brandon and he smiled at me. Tomorrow we would deal with everything that was now on our plates. Tonight I would enjoy the last night I only belonged to Brandon and he belonged to me. Life had just gotten more interesting and much more complicated. Then again my life had always been complicated. And I liked it that way.

  ###

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