The Felidae 4: Lev’s Discovery Page 2

  He needed to go home. Now.

  Chapter Two

  Lev paced on the bridge of The Shahnaz, waiting for Morgan to bring up the human male. Aaron. His mate, Aaron. He still couldn’t get over the fact that he had a mate. It was almost unheard of for a Leo to mate with a male in the ancient ways of his people.

  He grimaced, thinking of how Morgan was taking this, but they both knew he didn’t really have a choice here. Morgan was his chosen mate, but something had happened a few weeks ago. He had started dreaming about another man. A hairless man. A man he had never met before.

  He had always thought this was impossible. Laithe was the mated one in his family. When Laithe had started to dream about Rowan before sharing her eyes, seeing what she was seeing, Lev had been overjoyed. Finally, their pride leader was taking a mate. He was justified in his position to lead them. A Leo who didn’t share the mate bond wasn’t able to be a leader. It was the way of their people.

  Only the strongest men, in body, spirit and mind, were able to lead the prides. Generations ago, the Leo had realized their strongest members shared an intimate bond with their mates, a way of looking through each other’s eyes, of sharing thoughts in a way that connected them to an unbelievable degree.

  Those men had become the greatest leaders the prides had ever known, ushering them into a new world where they had to fight to make sure cubs were born each generation. They didn’t have enough females; they were declining in numbers. But as long as the prides were still led by the strongest men, they would find a way to get through this and dominate the skies once more.

  He just didn’t expect it to happen to him.

  He wasn’t quite ready to be a leader. He didn’t think he had it in him, to be honest. He was perfectly fine sitting back and letting Laithe make all the decisions. If he was right, and he became one of the pride leaders, then who knew what would happen to him.

  He turned at a sound, watching the stairs closely. In a matter of seconds, first Morgan and then Aaron appeared on the bridge. Aaron didn’t look happy to be there, but at least he was out of his room. Well, Usama’s room, but seeing as Usama was now bunking down with Rajiv, he didn’t think it mattered much.

  “Good, you came,” he said, nervous despite himself. He didn’t think Aaron liked him much, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off him. The human nodded, keeping silent.

  Aaron was smaller in form than Morgan and him, lightly muscled where they were more obvious. His body was compact, the muscles in his biceps flexing when he crossed his arms over his chest. He was wearing a loincloth, and thank the prides, he had finally stopped complaining about it. Apparently the humans covered themselves more.

  Lev shook his head, secretly amused at them. If the rest of humanity looked anything like Rowan and Aaron, he really couldn’t understand why they would want to cover themselves up. Aaron didn’t really look like his brother’s mate, but he was very similar in coloring.

  The main difference between them -- well, except for the issue of certain pieces of equipment -- was that Aaron had little metal circles around his eyes, holding two pieces of thin glass together. Glasses, he had called them glasses. He said it was to help him see better, but after Usama convinced Aaron to let him try them out, his brother had mentioned they didn’t do anything but make him dizzy.

  Strange. Humans were strange.

  Aaron’s body was hairless, except for short bristles on the very top of his head. They were a beautiful orangey-gold, the color of the sun at its highest peak. He had similar coloring to some of the Tigris they had rescued him from. Lev growled, remembering the fear that he would lose his mate before he had even gotten him.

  Morgan shook his head in exasperation, walking past him to go to the atrium. It was strangely empty. Normally it was occupied by at least one other pride member. He slunk down onto one of the benches, curling up his legs to slouch along the seat and turning his head, looking out the windows at the stars.

  Lev watched him, unable to think of a way to make things right between them. It wasn’t fair to do this to Morgan, but he didn’t know what to do. He loved him. He would do anything for him if he just asked. Anything but give up his mate. Morgan couldn’t ask that of him. He knew how rare it was to find someone to share a mate bond with.

  He glanced back at Aaron, startled to find the other man studying him carefully. Aaron tilted his head, turning to look at Morgan before returning his gaze to Lev. He would give much to know what the man was thinking. He refused to think about how easy it would be to just open his mind and enter his mate’s thoughts. He wouldn’t do that. Not without Aaron’s consent first.

  “We’re coming up on Felid soon. You are free to go into the atrium and watch our descent,” he said, waiting until Aaron nodded before turning back to his console with a sigh.

  He wasn’t doing any of this right. He felt clumsy for the first time in his life, unsure of how to act around the other man. Hell, he didn’t even know if Aaron liked men, let alone if he would be willing to tie his life down to a man from an entirely different species. What if Aaron didn’t find him attractive? Hell, this was bad.

  He shifted his eyes to the side, catching sight of Aaron standing in the atrium a few feet from Morgan. The two men were ignoring each other again.

  “Relax, brother. Things will turn out all right for the three of you. Just wait,” Laithe whispered, coming up beside him.

  He turned to study his brother. Laithe always appeared as though he had everything under control. The only time he had ever seen him shaken was when Rowan had been attacked not too long ago by the men who had once abused Catan. It was a good thing they were dead. Laithe didn’t let anyone touch what belonged to him.

  It was something he should consider. Morgan was his. Aaron was going to be his. If he wanted to be with both of them it was past time for him to make a move and stick with it. He wouldn’t let anyone get in his way. Grunting, he let his lips curve up, already plotting what he would have to do.

  “That’s the spirit. Don’t give them too much time to resent the situation. You belong with both of them. Believe me, it won’t be easy for you, but just look how happy I am with my mates,” Laithe said, pitching his voice low.

  Lev leaned into his brother’s arm, running his tail along Laithe’s back. He rubbed his face against his shoulder, purring softly. He could always count on his brothers to say the right thing. “Thanks,” he said, straightening. “I know what needs to be done.”

  They both turned to watch as they drew closer to Felid. Lev inhaled, bringing the woodsy scent of his family deep into his lungs. At the edge of his awareness, he caught the scents of Morgan and Aaron in the atrium.

  He shifted, willing down his rising erection. Now was not the time to get hard over the combined scent of his mates.

  Laithe shook his head. “You never change, brother.”

  “It’s not my fault.” He chuckled ruefully. “Can you blame me?”

  Laithe was silent for a moment. “You need to tell Father what is happening to you. He needs to know.”

  “I know.”

  “A decision must be made.”

  “I know, Laithe.”

  “The other pride leaders must be called forth.”

  “I know,” he hissed.

  Laithe held up his hands, backing away. Lev huffed, shrugging his shoulders to try and ease some of the tension riding him. He didn’t know what he was going to say to his father. This whole thing had happened backward. He should have been prepared from birth to become a pride leader like Laithe had been.

  He wasn’t ready for this.

  Strong hands landed on his shoulders, kneading right where the knots were. He purred, leaning back into Morgan, letting his familiar touch soothe him.

  Morgan tilted his head, resting his cheek against Lev’s, remaining silent. Together they stood, both lost in thought.

  The familiar features of his home were becoming larger in the windows. The entire top half of The Shahnaz was open to the skies
, allowing them an undisturbed view outside. Acres of grasslands spread out before them, interspersed with small crops of trees.

  The mountains rose in the background, framing the view in front of them. Small, thin rivers ran down the sides of the mountains, winding through the valley. Abodes were set at intervals in the grass, blending in to the surrounding area. It would be hard to see unless you knew where you were looking.

  It was comforting to see his home so close. In the distance, he saw figures exiting one of the abodes. A flash of brown mane caught his attention, his father coming forward to meet them.

  “Oh, my God, that is absolutely incredible,” Aaron whispered, coming up to stand beside them. He leaned forward, pressing both hands against the window, his face inches away from the surface. His gaze was constantly moving, probably trying to soak in everything in a single glance.

  “I’ll take you exploring if you would like,” Lev rumbled, nervous to see how his offer would be taken.

  Aaron looked at him, shifting his gaze to where Morgan held on to his shoulders. He shrugged, lifting one hand to fiddle with the side of his glasses, sliding his fingers along the wire arm. Lev stifled a groan, grunting when Morgan pressed against his back. If he wasn’t mistaken, that definitely felt like Morgan was interested.

  “I’d like that,” Aaron said, softly.

  Lev couldn’t hide the wide smile that erupted across his face. Aaron returned his smile, tilting up one corner of his mouth in a small grin.

  Morgan shifted his hips, reminding Lev of his presence behind him. He reached back one arm, curling it around Morgan’s waist. “Great, Morgan and I can show you around whenever you want. I can’t wait for you to see our home. I think you’ll like it.”

  Aaron shrugged. “I’m sure I will, but I won’t be staying long. I’ll wait for you all to talk to the leader of your people, then Laithe said he’d take me home.”

  Lev swung his head around, finding his brother. Morgan tightened his hold, keeping him in place when all he wanted to do was stalk over and pick a fight with Laithe. How could he tell him that? Aaron was his!

  Laithe met his angry gaze, shaking his head imperceptibly. Lev relaxed, realizing that Laithe probably had to tell the man something. They couldn’t tell him the truth. That definitely wouldn’t go over well. He snorted softly. Yeah, he could picture that conversation. Hey Aaron, by the way, you won’t be returning home. I’ve decided to keep you as my mate. So I hope you like furry men because you’ll be stuck with one forever. Oh, and I come with a partner. So hope that’s okay.

  Laithe turned, stepping to the side and waiting for Fahd to lead the way to the doors outside. Asad and Catan had made their way to the bridge sometime in the last few minutes. He hadn’t even heard them approach. He sighed. Something was going to have to happen soon or he’d be a pile of wasted Leo. He was losing his touch.

  To the left of him, Usama and Rajiv huddled together, the big Tigris tenderly holding his brother close. Usama was nearly healed from his fight against Shyam, the piece of poison that had attacked them. Lev knew Usama couldn’t wait to get better, but he was so thankful his brother had survived, he didn’t care how long Usama had to wear the cast on his arm.

  A broken bone was considered lucky when one was fighting a fierce Leo. Shyam had given new meaning to the word tyrannical. He had never been entirely right in the head, but Lev’s father, Haytham, could never do anything unless Shyam stepped out of line. When he attacked the defenceless Lynx on their own homeworld, leaving only one survivor, Haytham had been infuriated.

  They were lucky the pride had been nearby and were close enough to respond to the distress call. If they had been but a few hours later, Catan wouldn’t have survived. His wounds were too grave. As it was, they were all lucky.

  Morgan released him, brushing up against him one last time before making his way to the stairs. Lev gestured for Aaron to follow. They were the last ones onboard. Everyone else had already disembarked.

  At the doorway, he squared his shoulders, preparing for what was to come. Morgan turned to smile at him, his eyes twinkling. He chuckled, grateful to have the other man’s support. Aaron stepped beside him at the door, brushing up against his arm briefly before he moved away.

  Just that one touch was enough to tighten his whole body. He grimaced, his senses overloaded from the presence of his mates. He was starting to get frustrated. Fuck, he needed release.

  Stepping out into the warm breeze, he tilted his head up briefly, letting the winds brush against his mane. His fur puffed out around him, the wind caressing his body and cooling his heated skin.

  He had no idea what he was going to tell his father. Things like this weren’t supposed to happen.

  This wasn’t going to be pretty. Looked like his fun-loving days were over. Glancing over when Aaron stepped in front of him, he studied the delectable ass of the human. With a smirk, he looked toward Morgan, licking his lips when he considered the familiar backside of his other mate. Nah, if he got his way the fun wasn’t going to end.

  He squared his shoulders, pulling his gaze away from the two men, not wanting to meet his family with the mother of all hard-ons.

  Chapter Three

  Morgan paced forward, moving toward Haytham and the others. Lev’s mother, Ariel, had Rowan in a death grip, rocking her back and forth. Both women were wrapped in silky cloths around breast and hip. Ariel’s were the color of the night sky while Rowan’s were the color of the pale waters running throughout Felid.

  Ariel released Rowan, crying out and rushing toward him. He grinned, holding out his arms and hugging her tightly when she burrowed her small frame into his own.

  “I’ve missed you, my heart son.”

  “We were only gone for a few days,” he replied, his heart warming from both her statement and her obvious joy at seeing him.

  “Any time you are away from me is too long, Morgan.” She stepped back, placing both her hands against his cheeks. Holding him steady, she stared intently into his gaze. “I think we need to talk.” She sighed. “What did my son do now?”

  “I didn’t do anything, Mother. Why do I always get blamed for everything?” Lev complained, coming up and enfolding her from behind. He rocked her back and forth, rubbing his cheek along the top of her head, locking eyes with Morgan.

  He nodded his head. He wouldn’t say anything until Lev had explained.

  Ariel was so different from the men around her. Smaller than her mates, her body was compact and sinewy. Her face was elegantly sculpted, the fur covering her body a very light tan. She looked like a cross between Lev and Usama in coloring. Lacking the full mane of the Leo men, she appeared more delicate, although anyone who knew her realized how appearances could be deceiving.

  She wasn’t exactly the delicate creature she appeared to be. She was probably a better hunter than her mates, and like most of the Leo women, she spoke her mind whenever and wherever she pleased. Her mates loved her for it and the five men kept her busy.

  Lev’s uncles appeared behind them, the three men standing together. Ariel had to be strong. She was mated to men who were born to be the rulers of a vast number of people. Lev was born into one of the great prides. His father was the Appaliunas, the King of the Leos and the undisputed ruler of the entire Felidae.

  Laithe, as the eldest and the only son to show signs of following in his footsteps, was the heir to the Felidae leadership. It was common knowledge that he would take over when Haytham felt he was ready.

  Turning his head at a flash of black, Morgan gazed at the fifth man who made up the ruling family. Pantheras was Fahd’s father, Haytham’s personal guard, and his lover. It was normal to assume that things would have been difficult for Ariel when Haytham brought him into their relationship, but she loved him as much as Haytham did.

  Ariel had so much love inside of her. She had no problem sharing herself between the five men. He shook his head. His own mother would have been rolling over in her grave at the thought. She had hated his father
. Actually she had hated all men. Including him.

  “Welcome back home, my sons,” Haytham spoke, his voice deep, reverberating through the clearing. “We should get you settled. Lev, I need a word with you.”

  Morgan glanced back at Lev. He looked worried, but Morgan was sure everything would sort itself out. Lev stepped forward, following his father back to the abode he had emerged from before. No one followed them.

  The rest of the pride dispersed, walking in different directions. He was left with Ariel and Aaron, the two of them watching him intently.

  “You should introduce me to your new friend, heart son,” Ariel said, smiling.

  “Ariel, meet Aaron Coleman. He is from the same planet as your new daughter.”

  Aaron nodded his head, walking forward and holding out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

  Ariel studied his hand, widening her eyes when she looked back at Morgan for guidance.

  “You clasp it in your own, Ariel,” he said, trying to stifle his grin. It had caught him by surprise the first time Aaron had done it to him, but he still found the humor in it when others didn’t know how to react around the humans.

  Ariel gingerly placed her fingers in Aaron’s grasp. “You’ve been cooped up in the ship for too long. Why don’t you two head over to the trees and I’ll bring you out refreshments.” Without giving them a chance to say anything, she turned and left them standing beside each other.

  “Well, umm, you don’t --” Aaron started.

  “Don’t think --” Morgan said at the same time.

  “You first,” Aaron laughed.

  “Don’t think you have to stay with me. If you’d rather go find Rowan or Catan, I can show you where they are.”

  “Nah, I don’t want to bother them. They seemed like they all wanted private time with their mates anyway. But if you want to take off on your own, I don’t mind,” Aaron said, twisting his glasses again.