Dire Wolf Mates - Chapter 23: Chapter 23

BOOK2
“Leo, come home,” George whined over the phone.
The grating sound his younger cousin had perfected at seven years old still made Leo’s Lion hiss in annoyance. His inner animal seriously did not care for George’s manners or attitude.
It’s not that he was blatantly disrespectful, but George was a bothersome prat. A pest. An annoyance. An irritation. But he was still his cousin—something Leo would very much like to forget.
His beast chuffed in response to the whining imbecile on the other end of his smart phone. If he were here, Leo would have already shifted and played a little game of cat and mouse with the much smaller male.
Grrr.
As it was, he had to count to three before replying. A little technique he’d learned in kindergarten to help him reassert his self-control. After all, it was unseemly for the future King of the Blue Valley Pride to lose his shit at a subordinate. Especially over the phone.
“I have a job, George. I cannot just come home when summoned. If you have an issue, tell the King.”
“That’s just it, Leo. The King is not seeing anyone these days,” George whined.
“What? Come on, that can’t be true. Dad is always available to the Pride. Besides, I’m on a case investigating an attack that could lead to a possible leak in our organization,” he said, alerting his cousin to the fact some humans had gotten wise to the Shifter secret.
If word spread about the existence of the supernatural world, it would be pure chaos. Every Shifter, Vampire, Witch, and whatever would be under fire. There was a reason they kept hidden. Humans did not respond well to the unknown, and paranormal creatures would suffer grave consequences if discovered.
“Officially, I am investigating the bombing at Serious Moonlight that occurred last month. Unofficially, the Council has me poking around to try to find the mole. They want me to shut this shit down, George. It’s important,” Leo said, working hard not to let his Cat override his sense of serenity.
“So is the Pride.”
“The Pride can wait,” he snapped at the younger man, his beast’s growling growing louder by the second.
Shit.
There were too many humans milling about. Leo closed his eyes and rolled his shoulders. He gazed out over the horizon outside of his small kitchen. He’d chosen this house for one reason only, and that was the view.
Magfuckingnificent.
The structure was small and cramped, but its location was sound. On the edge of town, his home was far away from the hustle and bustle of the otherwise idyllic community of Blue Valley. Sure, he missed the Pride sometimes. Conversations with his father, and the small patch of woods where he used to roam as a cub, but Leo had a different life now—a new purpose.
“Leo, please,” George whined again.
“Rroarr!”
“Eeek!”
Leo roared into the phone, unable to hold on to his patience any longer. Thank fuck he was home. His idiot cousin actually squeaked in reply, and the sound made his animal want to hunt.
No. No. NO.
“Christ, George, enough,” Leo grumbled and rubbed his hand over his face.
His Lion was a damn nuisance. Being born dominant meant always battling the beast within. His Lion was violent, bloodthirsty, volatile. He liked to growl, hiss, bite, and claw—tear into anyone who even thought to challenge him.
His list of enemies now, unfortunately, included George, his idiot cousin. The fool obviously thought it was a good idea to try to order him around. But Leo’s dominance was a real thing, even over the phone. He looked around quickly, making sure no one had heard his little slip.
Fucking hell. 1, 2, 3…
“Sorry, Leo,” George mumbled. “I mean you no disrespect, your majesty. But your father, the King, is not doing well. His illness is progressing, and the elders have called a circle—tonight, Leo.”
“Tonight?”
“Yeah. It’s serious. You really need to be here for this.”
This time, George’s whine was coming from his animal. The difference sounded distinct over the phone, and Leo knew he was agitated. His Lion growled softly. The beast was a natural born leader. He wanted to soothe the younger male, while maintaining his position as the stronger, more dominant Lion. It was all part and parcel of being born the next true King of the Blue Valley Pride.
Other Shifter groups had Alphas, Netas, and what-have-yous to guide them, but Lion Shifters were led by either a King or Primus, depending on their Pride. The Blur Valley Pride had Kings and Queens to rule them.
Leo Crowley had flouted tradition by leaving to become a cop, but it did not matter. His future had been set in stone the day he was conceived. It was easy to forget since he’d moved away from the Pride. But George was right. Leo had a duty, a responsibility to his father, and the Pride.
No, he was not particularly fond of politics. The slimy, greasy, double talk of the Pride’s circle had never sat well with him. Hence the reason he chose a profession where he kept law and order, not talked about it.
There was another reason he wasn’t feeling particularly gracious at the moment. Everyone knew the best Kings had Queens by their sides. Fate often played a hand at bringing Shifters together, but Leo’s own potential mate had found some pretty unique and off-putting ways to turn him down.
Telling him no was a favorite pastime of Sheila Rand’s. One of her favorite methods was, of course, the one-fingered salute she waved whenever he even walked into the bar her Pack owned and operated, which was daily, since—stupid fuck that he was—Leo couldn’t seem to stay the hell away from the ornery female.
Sassy, sexy, fiery-tempered woman.
Leo’s beast chuffed whenever he pictured the voluptuous Miss Rand. The Lion grunted, baring his teeth where he rested inside the metaphysical plane where all Shifter beasts existed till called. Leo had a special connection with his Lion, and he could see and hear him quite clearly inside his mind’s eye. The Lion was annoyed at his human side’s fretting, but whatever. Leo had plenty of things weighing on his great leonine mind.
Curvy, redheaded, sweet-smelling things.
“Well? Leo, will you come?” George interrupted.
He’d forgotten he was still on the phone with the annoying male. Leo sighed heavily. The younger Lion had a point about the elders calling for a circle on such short notice. It was unusual and suspect. But he had no desire to be sucked into Pride politics. Not at the moment.
His Lion wavered. The primal need to take care of those weaker than him was strong. Right up there with his need to crush anyone who dared challenge him. Instinct won out. His Lion was riding him hard, urging his human side to offer comfort to his Pride and kin.
Years of practice pushing his dominance aside in order to get things done, Leo tapped the countertop and exhaled slowly. Working with one foot in the human world and one in the supernatural world required balance. But if he was any sort of son to his father, the King, keeping tabs on the Pride was a matter of familial obligation and duty. What other options did he have?
“A circle, you said. And it is taking place on Pride territory tonight?”
“Yes. It’s not good, there’s been talk of a coup,” George replied quickly.
“A coup?” growled Leo.
Bad enough they were calling a circle, but if this was a plot to overthrow the King without a direct challenge, heads were going to roll. A circle usually just meant the elders were getting ready to announce something. His guess was it was something big, and possibly annoying.
These things did not occur for no reason. Leo’s experiences on the force and his heightened supernatural senses made him superb at finding out people’s motivations. Leo was his father’s heir. Whether or not he wanted to rule, Leo would have to accept formal challenges for the title once he ascended the throne.
Anyone trying to flout that law would be dealt with. Lion laws were complex and intricate, dating back to ancient times. The elders knew this. If they were plotting a coup, what did they have to gain by trying to circumvent their own traditions? That was the real question.
“I’ll find someone at work to cover for me.”
“You mean, you’ll come?”
The younger man’s excitement made Leo wince, and he growled into the phone loudly before he stifled the sound.
“Yes. I will be there, George,” he returned.
Feelings of duty, honor, and loyalty welled up inside Leo as he tapped the end call button on the small screen. They were strong character traits of any Lion of worth, in his opinion—any person, really. He had a strict view of his responsibilities, and the Pride was both duty and obligation at the very least.
With over sixty adult members, the Blue Valley Pride was one of the largest Big Cat groups in the northeast. And that was not luck. No way. Leo’s father, the current King, was a total badass with a reputation for being strong and decisive, while maintaining a gentle paw on the pulse of his Pride mates. Happy Lions meant a happy Pride, and a happy Pride was a fruitful one. The Blue Valley Pride was extremely productive in that respect.
Eat Well Live Proud, their import and export business, worked with the finest organic meat products in the world. The business was profitable and kept the Pride’s coffers healthy. They had business dealings with top sheep, goat, bison, and of course, cattle ranches around the world, including but not limited to Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Brazil, China, Australia, and of course, Argentina. Not to mention their fish and poultry connections.
EWLP products were shipped to all the top supermarkets, specialty stores, hotel chains, and restaurants. They even had a ranch to table delivery service where families could order top quality meat in bulk. He knew the importance of this business and its connection to the Pride, and Leo was proud of his father’s success in making it all happen.
The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service had been a constant figure in young Leo’s life. He still kept tabs on new regulations and requirements and made sure his father and his advisors were aware of any new laws and rules that crept up on them.