A Lion’s Mate by Eve Langlais
Chapter Eighteen
Aweek of being in her childhood home only exacerbated the urge to leave. Every day, Arleen had to fight from jumping that fence and running until she found Zach or the box, depending on her mood.
She knew he was out there. Watching. He and some other lions. Her family had spotted them the moment they started spying. But Zach never tried to get close enough to talk. Could be the thing she felt between them wasn’t as real as she’d thought.
She’d been looking for that missing something in her life for a while now. Went to Russia thinking her past held the solution to what was lacking. She found the answer. It just wasn’t what she expected.
She wanted love.
Companionship.
Excitement.
Knowing Zach was out there, protecting, comforted her. It made her imagine the impossible.
Her family thought it was hilarious. “As if we can’t handle ourselves,” Klara kept declaring.
“I wish they’d stop pissing on all the fence posts,” her mum grumbled.
Pamela pouted. “The lions are ruining all our fun.” She enjoyed hunting for sport, not food.
To which Aunt Francine replied, “Better they get caught killing humans than us.”
Killing. Humans. They were still coming after Arleen because of the box. A box that neared, which helped her not run screaming down the driveway.
Life fell back into a familiar routine with her mum being tragic, and Aunt Francine—not really her aunt but the name kind of adopted after she became her mum’s lover—trying to appease Mum by making all kinds of romantic gestures. Klara was a bitch. Pamela was a dumb bitch. Everyone screamed and fought. It never stopped.
Every time Arleen walked outside, Mum lost her shit. How long before she was allowed to go into town?
Arleen tried to remind herself that Mum did it out of love. After all, the last time, Arleen spent years talking about the day when she’d go looking for the box. Her mum had dragged her to a therapist for countless sessions before Arleen realized that she should keep the box feelings to herself.
Took more than a decade before she finally caved to the urge and went searching for it.
In a sense, Mum was right. Her obsession had almost killed her. But it also let her meet the one man who made her want to abandon the compound even more than a cursed box did.
She missed Zach. His scowls. His growl. His body. His presence.
“Are you moping again?” Pamela complained, joining her outside. “That’s all you do.”
“What would you prefer? That I sleep until noon and repaint my nails daily?” she snapped.
“You really should do something about those,” Klara joined in to gang up on her.
“My nails are fine.” Slightly rounded and kept short.
“How long before you run away again?” Klara asked.
“Why?”
“So I can book my next vacation. Between your mum and mine, it was a fucking nightmare when you disappeared.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Well, maybe you should,” Klara declared.
“Meaning what?”
“Even I know what she means,” Pamela stated with a roll of her eyes. “Stop hiding what you’re doing. Just tell her when you’re going and where.”
“She’ll tell me not to go.”
“Go. And then a text to say you arrived alive. A text each day to say you’re there and where there is.”
“It won’t work.” Arleen shook her head.
“You’ve never tried. You always lie to her and make it worse.”
Arleen wanted to deny it, only to realize that Klara might have a point. When she’d scored tickets to go see a concert, she knew her mum would say no. So, Arleen had told Mum she was going to the theatre and then getting ice cream. Only her mom decided to go see the same movie, didn’t find her there, and then turned the town upside down looking for her.
“Why are you trying to help me?” Because since her cousins had arrived in her life, it had been nonstop snark as they tried to adjust to a blended family that was like oil and water.
“Because your mum is crazy, but we still like her.” Klara shrugged. “And when she’s not losing her shit over you, she can be lots of fun.”
“If you like making jam or playing Scrabble.” Her nose wrinkled.
“Which we do,” Klara stated.
“Speak for yourself. My favorite game is still Tourist.” Pamela never tired of it. The game involved showing themselves discreetly to humans camping in the mountains without getting caught on camera or in person. There was much arguing still about the video of a silhouette caught in 2007. They all agreed it was real, but no one would take the blame for having been photographed.
“Aren’t we too old for that?” Arleen reminded.
“You are so boring.”
Arleen would take boring over the things she recalled having to do to stay alive. She’d never take anything for granted, especially the ability to buy food at the store.
Her cousins wandered off, leaving her to think about the suggestion of not hiding her movements from Mum nor asking for permission. Just do it. And keep doing it. Could it work?
She lifted her face to the sun and had her eyes shut when she heard a vehicle arrive. It had no sooner parked than she tingled.
Could it be?
She whirled to see Zach getting out of the car.
“Zach?” She smiled upon seeing him and ran, only to slow at the sight of his face.
For a moment, his lips curved in reply, only to turn down again. “Don’t look so happy.”
“Why not?”
“Because I have shit news. Svetlana and the box are possibly headed this way.”
The very idea gave her a chill. “Here?”
“Maybe. She was recently spotted about two hours out. Someone on Twitter posted a picture of her sharing a burger with a tiger.”
“But why come here? She has the box.”
“No idea. But this is our chance to destroy it.”
“Destroy it?” The idea filled her with equal parts relief and horror.
“Yeah. Seems the king and your grand poo-bah chatted about it and don’t think it’s the kind of thing we should have around.”
Destroying it would end the curse.
“Let’s go.” If it was coming for her, she wanted it to be far away from her family.
“Go where?” Mum snarled.
Annoyance filled Arleen as the air shimmered, and out of nowhere, too many family members appeared. Not just Mum and Francine. There was uncle Frank and his wife. More cousins, blood relations this time. An army watching the compound and now taking too much interest in Zach.
They stared at him, but none more intently than her mum.
Standing closest, with her brilliant red mane only slightly gray with age held in a braid, she looked ready to wrestle. “Leave.” She might be short at only six feet, but Mum had a voice that carried.
Zach didn’t bend. “I will go when I’m done talking to Arleen.”
“You mean done filling her head with nonsense about the damned box,” her mum sneered. “You aren’t taking my daughter anywhere.”
“I’d say that’s her choice to make, ma’am.” Zach sounded cool and confident.
The oooh came from everyone watching.
Her mum arched a brow. “We all know she doesn’t make good choices. She almost died. Again.”
“But didn’t. I’ll bet she does a lot of things that she could almost die doing but doesn’t. Like crossing the road.”
Mum’s lips pressed tight. “She’s not safe out there.”
“Not all danger is physical. Some of the things that hurt most are done with the best intentions,” was his soft reply.
Mum reeled.
Arleen felt sorry, but not enough to say anything.
“She’s staying here.” Mum wouldn’t back down.
Neither would Zach. “Only if Fluffs says she wants to.”
“I’m going with him,” she said. Never mind he didn’t show up with a declaration of love, she couldn’t stay.
Mum went furry in seconds and roared. She lunged for Zach.
Having seen what those hands could do to coconuts, Arleen threw herself in front of him. “Don’t you dare touch him.”
“I will dare.” The words might be guttural, but she understood.
“No, you won’t. You can’t keep me in a prison forever.”
“This is your home.”
“Not for me, it isn’t. Not anymore. I have to go.”
“What if you don’t come back?”
She grabbed her mum’s hands. “I’ll always come back. And I’ll be good about calling and texting. You know what they say about the bird and the cage?”
“Keep it locked?” Pamela offered.
“Set it free.” Mum’s lips trembled. “But—but—”
Aunt Francine barked. “For God’s sake, Maureen. Let the girl go. You’re stifling her. And frankly, I’m tired of hearing it.”
“Don’t tell me how to parent,” Mum screamed back.
Once more, Pamela showed her annoying side. “If she goes, can I have her room?”
Whereas Klara raised her hand. “I’ll take her clothes.”
“Don’t touch my room. Or my stuff,” Arleen declared.
“Quiet!” Zach bellowed. Being the loudest voice, it quieted the chattering. And little Asmodeus, a young boy, sitting on their mother’s hip, eyed him with sudden hero worship. “You all heard Arleen. Respect her wishes.”
“Don’t talk to me about respect, lecher. I know you seduced my baby!” Mum wagged a finger.
“Actually, Mum,” Arleen admitted with some pride, “I was the one who seduced him.”
“Nice!” exclaimed Klara, only to get glared at by Francine.
“She can’t just leave. She hasn’t packed.” Mum tossed out a few tacks in the road to delay her departure.
Zach snorted. “I know about her bottomless stomach. I’ve got food in the back.”
“Ah, isn’t that sweet?” Klara sighed.
Pamela gagged. “I smell meat.”
“Well, duh,” he muttered. “We all know Fluffs is a carnivore.”
She leaned close. “They’re vegan.”
“But you’re not.”
“Not since my first trip to the cave. Although, I prefer my meat cooked.” Remembering herself scarfing it raw made her sick now.
As Mum consoled herself in Francine’s arms, little Asmodeus mused aloud, “I’ve always wanted a cat. Is Arleen gonna keep it? Can I pet it?”
“Maybe when we get back,” Arleen promised. She grabbed Zach’s arm and glanced at his face. Hard and grumpy as he faced off against her family, but when his gaze met hers, she saw the softening.
Just for her.
She smiled. His lips did something that took the sting out of his sharp, “Are you done reminiscing about the good ol’ days with your family, Fluffs? We’ve got a job to finish.”
Was the box the only reason he’d come?
