Chapter 203

The stares continued, but they grew quieter.

Where before there had been whispers, now there was simply looking. Where before there had been questions, now there was simply observation. The people of the island had seen what I could do, what my mates could do, and they were still deciding how to feel about it. Some were grateful. Some were wary. Most simply watched and waited, reserving judgment for a future that had not yet arrived.

I could handle the stares. I could handle the whispers. What I could not handle was the possibility that my children would suffer for my choices.

So far, they had not. The other children still played with them, still laughed with them, still treated them as they always had. If anything, my sons had become heroes, their strength in the battle making them legends among the island’s youth. And Levy, with her fierce spirit and her bright smile, remained beloved by all who knew her.

I hoped it would last.

The weeks passed, and the months, and soon it had been two months since the invasion, two months since the black binding had been revealed, two months since the island had changed forever. And in that time, life had resumed its rhythms. The hunters still hunted. The markets opened. The children played.

And I grew heavy with child.

Two months now, my belly rounded and full, the weight of Veylan’s pups pressing down on my body with every step. Wolf pups grew faster than lion cubs, their gestation shorter by a month, and I knew that any day now, perhaps any hour, they would come. The knowledge sat in my chest like a held breath, anticipation and dread warring in equal measure.

Veylan was beside himself with attentiveness. He would not let me lift a finger if he could help it, fetching water, carrying cushions, hovering at my side with the anxious devotion of a male who had waited his whole life for this and was terrified of doing it wrong. Eryx was no better, equally at my beck and call, equally determined to anticipate my every need before I could voice it. And the other mates, Leon, Ravin, Soryn, Aureon, Caelion, all of them, they watched me with the same tender worry, the same fierce protectiveness.

They made me feel like such a burden.

But I knew, in the way they touched me, the way they looked at me, the way they fought over who got to rub my aching back, that they loved me. That this was not obligation but devotion, not duty but joy.

Still, heavy as I was, tired as I was, there was one thing I could not miss.

Theo’s birthday.

His birthday was a small affair, held in his family’s home, a celebration of his transition from boy to adult. In beast society, it was a milestone, a rite of passage, the moment when a young male could finally begin the search for a mate.

I had watched Theo grow from a shy child who was barely two years old, and perhaps fourteen when we met. Now he has turn into a tall, handsome young man, his dark eyes bright, his dark hair tousled, his smile easy and warm. He was kind and gentle, patient and loyal. He had become part of our family, in a way, a fixture at our table, a playmate for our children, a quiet, steady presence that we had all come to rely upon.

And so, despite the exhaustion, despite the heaviness, despite the knowledge that my pups could arrive at any moment, I had insisted on this celebration. I had dressed in my softest tunic, the one that stretched over my belly without binding. I had let Veylan fuss and Eryx hover. And I had celebrated, because Theo deserved it, because he was family, because the boy who had become our own deserved to be celebrated.

The celebration was small, just family and close friends, the food simple but abundant, the laughter warm and genuine. Levy was there, of course, practically glowing with excitement, her dark eyes following Theo’s every movement like a hawk tracking prey.

And then Leon, my sweet, oblivious Leon, made his fatal mistake.

"So," he said, clapping Theo on the shoulder with the casual camaraderie of a fellow male, "you are of age now. Time to find yourself a mate, eh? The females will be lining up. You will have your pick."

The effect was immediate.

Levy’s head snapped up, her eyes widening, her expression shifting from joy to shock to outrage in the space of a heartbeat. She stared at her father as though he had just announced the end of the world.

"What?" she demanded, her voice rising. "What do you mean, find a mate? He already has a future mate. He has me. We have an agreement. We promised."

Leon blinked, clearly not understanding the depth of the hole he had just dug himself into. "What mate? he’s your playmate yes, and he is of age, and perhaps he might want to... explore his options..."

"Explore his options?" Levy repeated, the words dripping with disdain. "What options? There are no options. There is only me."

She turned to Theo, her eyes blazing, her small body rigid with fury. "Tell him. Tell him you are not looking for a mate. Tell him you are waiting for me."

Theo, to his credit, looked terrified. His dark eyes darted between Levy and Leon, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.

"I, uh..." he started.

But Levy was not finished. She turned back to her father, her chin lifted, her whole body vibrating with righteous anger.

"I hate you," she declared, her voice carrying across the entire gathering. "You have ruined everything. You have ruined my life. If Theo finds another mate, I will never forgive you. Never."

"Levy," Leon said, trying to placate her, "I only meant..."

"You only meant to ruin my life!" she interrupted, her voice breaking slightly, tears gathering in her eyes. "You only meant to take Theo away from me! You only meant to..."

She burst into tears.

The gathering went silent, everyone watching the small, dramatic lioness as she sobbed, her heart clearly broken by the mere suggestion that Theo might find someone else.

I moved as quickly as my heavy body would allow, gathering her into my arms, pulling her away from the crowd. "Come," I said softly. "Come, my love. Let us talk."

She clung to me, her tears soaking my shoulder, her small body shaking. I held her until her sobs quieted, my back aching, my pups shifting restlessly within me.

"Mama," she hiccupped, her voice thick. "Mama, he cannot find a mate. He cannot. We promised. We promised to always be together. He said he would stay with me. He said he loved me."

"He does love you," I said, stroking her hair. "He does. But, my love, he is older than you. He is of age. And sometimes, when males reach that age, they want to..."

"I do not care what they want," Levy said fiercely. "Theo is mine."

I smiled, though she could not see it. "Theo is his own person, my love. He belongs to himself first. And you are still young. You have time. You might change. You might grow. You might..."

"I will not change," Levy declared. "I will never change. I love Theo. He is my friend. My best friend. And we promised to always be together. That means something."

I shook my head, half in amusement, half in exasperation. She was so like Leon, so stubborn, so certain, so utterly convinced of her own rightness. It was a wonder she had not yet driven us all mad.

"Alright," I said. "Alright. Then perhaps you should tell Theo how you feel. Ask him what he wants. Ask him if he meant what he said."

Levy sniffled, pulling back to look at me, her dark eyes red-rimmed but determined. "You think I should?"

"I think," I said carefully, "that you should talk to him. Find out what is in his heart. And then decide what to do with the answer."

She nodded, wiping her eyes, her jaw setting with resolve. "I will. I will talk to him. And he will tell me he is not looking for anyone else. He will tell me he is waiting for me. And then you will see. Everyone will see."

She marched off, her small body radiating determination, and I watched her go with a mixture of pride and concern.

I found Theo moments later, cornered against a wall, looking as though he had just faced a charging lion.

"Krys," he said, relief flooding his face when he saw me. "Krys, what do I do? She is angry. She is so angry. And she is right, I did promise, but I was young, and she was younger, and I did not think she would remember, and now..."

"Theo," I said, cutting off his rambling. "Do you want a mate? Do you want to find someone now that you are of age?"

He paused, his dark eyes thoughtful. "Not right now," he admitted. "I do not want to leave. I like it here. Levy and I...and the other kids; we have fun together. She is my friend. My best friend. And I like this family. Her brothers are like my brothers. Her fathers are like my fathers. You are like...my mother....I do not want to leave."

I nodded slowly, understanding, and also very happy he thinks so highly of us. "Then perhaps you should tell her that."

"She will not believe me," he said glumly.

"Perhaps not. But if it is the truth, then it is the truth. And she deserves to hear it."

He squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and nodded. "You are right. I will tell her. I will tell her the truth."

He walked toward where Levy stood, waiting, her arms crossed, her foot tapping, her expression a mixture of fury and hope. And I watched, holding my breath, as he stopped before her and spoke.

His words were too quiet for me to hear, but I saw the effect. Levy’s expression shifted, softened, melted. Her arms uncrossed. Her foot stopped tapping. And then she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.

He looked startled, his hands hovering awkwardly, then slowly coming down to rest on her back.

And I saw it, the moment his expression changed, the moment something shifted in his eyes, the moment he realized what he had promised, what he had committed to, what he had just agreed to.

I wanted to warn him. I wanted to tell him that he had just made things worse, that Levy would never forget, that he had just bound himself to a promise he might not be able to keep.

But then I saw how happy my daughter was, how bright her smile, how utterly complete her joy.

And I decided to keep my mouth shut.

Some things, after all, were better left alone.

Some promises, after all, were meant to be kept.

And if Theo and Levy were meant to be, then no warning from me would change it.

If they were not meant to be, then no warning from me would stop it.

And either way, watching my daughter hug her best friend, her potential future mate, her promise, was worth whatever chaos might come.

"Good luck, Theo," I murmured, smiling.

He had no idea what he had just gotten himself into.