Lion Conquers All by Krystal Shannan

8

RYDER

Ava’s pocket buzzed, drawing his eyes to her curvy hips. He licked his lips, thinking about how good his mate tasted beneath that layer of thick denim. He liked jeans on her. They fit snug and showed off her legs and butt, but they were damn distracting and—

A laugh pulled him from his carnal thoughts. He met her gaze and smiled back.

“Aarav texted. They are headed to Red Tail Trailhead. We need to meet them there.”

He cocked his head and was about to ask why when it struck him like rock falling from the sky. “He’s worried about Connie.”

His mate nodded. “Yup. He said he can already see her nerves fraying and she’s only now putting shoes on.”

“Tough lady though. She’s not backing down.”

“She won’t. Not with a kid possibly hurt. She’d walk barefoot over broken glass to help someone.” Ava locked the closet where they’d stacked all the tables from Connie’s CPR class. “Doesn’t mean she’s not having an internal panic attack.”

“I wish she’d tell us who hurt her so we can eat them, I mean kill them, I mean—”

Ava’s mouth was on his, hard and aggressive. Her hand wrapped around the back of his neck. Their tongues danced for a few seconds before she pulled away. “I love you, but we can’t eat, kill, or maim anyone. At least not yet. We don’t know the whole story. And maybe the one who did…whatever it was…is already dead.”

Ryder groaned and reached for Ava, pulling her back for another kiss.

She smiled against his lips and twisted away. “We need to go.”

“Dalmeck woman, you started it.”

“That’s why I finished it.” She gave him a wicked smile that told him to mostly behave himself and headed for the back of the MCC. He loved her. Loved her so hard, it was impossible to imagine how he’d ever thought he could run from her like he did when he first saw her on that snowy mountainside.

He followed her into the back hallway. They both waved at Katherine in the office, then continued through the kitchen and out the back door where their pickup was parked.

The sky outside was clear. The air was warm at least for now, but the promise of snow hung in the atmosphere so strongly Ryder could taste it. They needed to find these kids quick. They might have a day or two before the first blizzard rolled down from the mountain.

“I’m not the only one smelling that, am I?” He climbed into the driver’s seat and started the truck.

Ava jumped in from the other side and shook her head. “No, I can too. It smells like winter. But it’s early. Even the locals have been grumbling about how early it looks like snow is coming this year.”

“At least Penny’s crew got Owen and Tara’s cabin done. I’m sure they’re happy to be moving in for real next week. They haven’t announced their news yet. Why do you think they’re waiting?”

Ava shrugged. “They’ll tell us when they are good and ready. Just because we can smell it doesn’t mean we have to ruin the announcement. Plus, she could be freaked out. The humans so far have had multiples, but Tara was bitten. She has a beast. I wonder if that will affect the number of young.”

“I remember a couple sets of twins when I was with our pack, but nothing more than that,” Ryder said, driving carefully down the main road. There were teens and people everywhere, even a few tourists. According to Kann, all of Douglas’ tourist cabins were full too.

“Our tribe had a pair once, but I can’t remember anyone every talking about three or four young at once.” Ava snapped her seatbelt into place. “Are you ready to be a father?”

Ryder’s chest tightened like someone had put a mountain on it. He’d thought about it—being a father. It terrified and excited him at the same time. He also wondered what he and his mate’s children would be. Would they be bears like Ava or wolves like him? Could they have both. He’d never known anyone personally who mated across tribes.

“I don’t know. I feel unprepared. But at the same time, I can think of nothing else I’d rather share with you, shuarra.”

The smile he was rewarded with told him his answer was the right one. Then another completely different thought crossed his mind. He slammed on the breaks and pulled over on the side of the road.

“Did I miss something? Are you pregnant?” His conscious mind ran amuck through his memories. The last few times they were together. Had Ava tasted different? Had her scent changed? He would’ve heard a heartbeat. A quick one. Babies had fast heartbeats. Was he that oblivious that he didn’t even know that they’d already made a child together?

“I heard a heartbeat last night.” Ava’s words were slow and precise. Her eyes were glistening and her smile was so wide it seemed to split her face in half.

A child.

He was going to have a child.

Theywere going to have a child.

A father. He was going to be a father.

His heart felt as though it would burst from his chest. It was beating so loud. So hard. His hands would’ve trembled had he not been gripping the steering wheel so tightly. He couldn’t breathe. His lungs were frozen.

After what seemed like an eternity, he gasped, drawing in a huge breath.

“Are you pleased?” Ava’s normally loud take-charge voice was small and worried.

He threw the truck into park and then took her face in his hands, staring her straight in the face. Her beautiful brown eyes. Her creamy smooth skin. Her silky long brown waves of hair. He loved everything about her. Her strength, her heart, the way she tried to take care of everyone around her. Now she needed to take care of herself. Now he needed to make sure he took care of her even more.

“I couldn’t be more pleased, my love. I’m so full of pride and joy and love for you I might burst from it.”

“Good. Good.” She repeated the word a few more times under her breath. A single tear rolled down her cheek and he used a thumb to wipe it away.

“Did you think I wouldn’t be?”

“I wasn’t sure. We’d not really talked about it. And then when the others’ babies came…we still didn’t talk about it. You didn’t avoid the babies. You liked them and held them as much as anyone else. I just…I don’t know what my mind was thinking.”

Ryder nodded, but never dropped Ava’s gaze. Never let go of her face. “I won’t lie. There were times last year before the tribe accepted us that I worried how having a family with you would go. Would it be safe? Would I be constantly worried about a dragon. Worried about humans figuring out we weren’t like them. I still worry about that because we live in the town and not out with the Tribe. But we’ll have to take it one step at a time, yes?”

Ava nodded.

“We need to tell Vraka.”

“He won’t want us to keep living in town.”

“It won’t be safe for any of us with children. Children are unpredictable. Their beasts can emerge at different times. There’s no hard rules on that.”

“I know.” Ava grabbed his hands and pulled them from her face. She kissed each of his palms and then settled back into the seat. “We need to catch up with Connie and Aarav. They need us.”

“Of course. Right.” Ryder snapped his attention back to the truck. The road. Getting out of town and up toward the mountain.

But he couldn’t help himself, sneaking a glance at Ava’s stomach every few minutes. The overwhelming excitement at her news filled him with so much happiness. He couldn’t wait to share it. To shout it from the rooftops. Liam over at the Watering Hole where he worked. Tor and his mate, Dawn, would be thrilled too. They all would be.

It took nearly thirty minutes to get to Red Tail trailhead. Three cars were already parked there. Connie’s EMT truck was one of them. Aarav’s squad car. The third was unfamiliar and probably one of the parent’s vehicles.

Ryder parked right next to Connie’s and they both jumped out and took a deep breath. Ava walked over to Aarav’s squad car and put her hand down on the hood.

“It’s still warm. They can’t be more than a couple minutes ahead of us.”

“Good. You alright to run a bit?”

His mate made her shut-up-you’re-being-ridiculous chuffing sound. It was a bear thing. Then she took off for the trail entrance. He was a couple paces behind her.

Ten minutes down the trail he could hear voices and smell all three.

“Hey there. We thought we’d come hike it with you and help if we could.” Ava shouted down the trail.

The voices stopped for a moment. Then Connie’s carried out clear as the sky above them. “Ava?”

“Yes. Me and Ryder.” He and his mate turned a corner around some thick underbrush and finally had a line of sight on the three people ahead of them.

“I’m so glad you could help, but how did you know we were here?” Connie’s question came out with the tiniest hint of relief in her tone.

“Aarav let us know.”

“Oh.” Connie’s response was quieter this time. “But you’re here to hike to the blind with us.”

“Yep.” Ryder spoke this time. “Can’t hurt to have more eyes and ears, yeah?”

Connie nodded.

“Thank you for coming,” Aarav said.

“Our pleasure.”

“Mr. Hardisty. These are friends from town. Ryder and his wife Ava. You probably have seen them around.”

“Oh, yes. You work at the Watering Hole, don’t you?” Gaven looked at Ryder. “Your wife is there sometimes too, but you mostly help over at the MCC with Katherine. My daughter enjoys the game night she organizes.”

He and Ava both answered yes at the same time and everyone chuckled and smiled just a little. It was a good way to lighten the tension Connie’s anxiety was creating.

She seemed almost instantly better. Her heart rate was slowing. Her breathing was evening out. Ryder glanced at Ava and his mate gave him a quick peck on the cheek before leaving his side and moving to walk right next to Connie.

Ryder fell into step next to Aarav and Gaven.

“So how far to this blind?” Ryder asked, taking a deep breath of the various scents clinging to the trailhead.

“About five miles,” Gaven answered, waving a slightly crumpled piece of paper.

Ryder assumed it was direction or some type of map.

“Do you have anything of the boy’s?” Ryder said under his breath. It was loud enough for Aarav to hear, but not Gaven unless he was listening very carefully.

“Red shirt in my backpack,” Aarav said.

Ryder slowed his pace and walked behind Aarav, unzipping the pack on his back. The red shirt was right on top in a plastic bag. He glanced at Gaven. The man was still walking along, not paying any attention to the other two men. Aarav had fallen a few steps behind him. They were all walking almost single file now. Ava was in lead. Then Connie and Gaven.

He opened the plastic bag and took a deep breath of the male scent clinging to the red shirt. Definitely adolescent boy. He shoved the shirt back in the plastic bag and then into Aarav’s pack again, zipping it up for safekeeping. Ava would want to get the scent too.

But at least his nose could start working for them on the way down the trail. There wasn’t much of the boy’s scent on the trail, but it was present and it was only a few days old.

“Good?” Aarav glanced over his shoulder meeting Ryder’s gaze.

Ryder nodded his head. “He was here.”

“I thought so, but I knew you’d get a better read than me.”

“Shifting would be better, but yes. The boy was definitely on the trail within the last couple of days.”

“That’s good. Then hopefully we’ll get to the blind, yell at them a bit, and then go back home. Thank you for coming. Connie needed a companion.”

“Of course. She’s lucky to have you looking out for her. One of these days she’ll realize it.”

Aarav gave a small smile and shook his head. “I’m patient. When she’s ready, I’ll be here.”

“I don’t know how you’re reigning it in, man. I’d be losing my mind.” Ryder kept his voice low enough the others shouldn’t be able to hear. The human male hadn’t turned around and it sounded like Ava and Connie were talking.

“It’s all about her, Ryder. What she needs. And what she needs is for me to be around but not with her. She can handle me being nearby. At least it feels that way. But being out here alone with me and Gaven for hours. That was too much. I very much am in your debt for coming with us.”

“Family. You’re family. Connie is family…in a way already. Any of us would’ve come for her and you.”

“I know, but I’m still grateful.”

“The instructions say we take the left fork in the trail just over this ridge.” Gaven’s voice called out from the middle of the group.

“Got it,” Ava called over her shoulder.

“Have you seen our boys out here?” Ryder asked, taking a deep breath. There was the scent of wolf in the air, but he couldn’t tell yet if it was the three adolescents from the tribe who lived on the mountain.

“I saw them when I went up to Crooked Rock where the Tragher’s and some other boys from town are camping. So they are in the area.”

“Good to know,” Ryder answered, focusing again on the scents filtering through the air around him. The missing boy was out here.

But so were a lot of other things.