It was crazy and awesome all at once. She and Theo might have been thrust together and accidentally mated, yet there was something right about him stepping up, wanting to fight for their future together.
Of course, her mother didn’t see it that way. She was the first one to call out a wager against him. “All-paid vacation to Tahiti to the first person who takes out the human quarterback.”
To Melly’s surprise, Auntie was the one to offer a counter. “I’m going to wager my Colorado chalet against your Bahamas condo that not only will the lions win this game but that we do it by at least two touchdowns.”
With the stakes so high, a flurry of betting began, which Theo appeared to ignore. Once he’d offered to join the team, he’d only had a half-second to voice a protest as hands tore his shirt from him—which almost resulted in some biatches getting their faces torn off. Then his pants were ripped away—which did get the ass-pinching Natalya tossed into the sidelines—leaving him clad in boxers. One of the players with thicker thighs loaned him her spare pair of shorts. The tank top fit him nicely, and more than one of the biatches eyed his upper body with admiration. Enough Melly had to snarl at them to back off.
Mine.
All mine.
But in order to keep him, they had to win this game.
It took a few plays before he lost some of his stiffness. It had to be daunting knowing he was the only fragile human amidst bloodthirsty shifters, yet he kept his cool, pulling a first down on their third play, surprising everyone by darting into an opening and running eleven yards. Smart man knew to throw himself to the ground before he could get tackled.
A few downs later, he threw a pass, a beautiful long one that got batted down. But knowing what he was capable of, Melly ensured she put herself into the right spot and caught the next one. She got tackled right away, but it didn’t matter. They’d gained thirty yards. After that, all she had to do was catch his eye a moment before the snap. Depending on the tilt of his head, she chose a direction to sprint.
Run. Run. Leap. Grab. Her lioness told her what to do, and she listened, hands reaching up blindly and gripping the ball when it would have passed through them.
She hit the ground with a grin and ran for a touchdown. By the middle of the last quarter, they were only down by three points. They stuffed the bears quick when it was their turn then marched themselves to a field goal.
The game was tied.
She really hoped mother was sweating. She couldn’t help sending a smirk at her, to which her mother replied with an arched brow and a mouthed, “It’s not over yet.”
It was as if their exchange tweaked fate’s tail. The next play she could only watch in horror as Percy barreled through the biatches, aiming for Theo, who threw the ball at the bear’s head. It bounced just as those ham-sized fists swung.
Theo ducked but lost his glasses in the process.
Crunch. Percy ground his foot onto them as he offered a non-apologetic, “Oops.”
If anything, it only firmed Theo’s resolve. On their next huddle, he eyed them all, serious as he said, “Melly and Joan, run long. Natalya and Bethany, I want you both to weave.”
“What about me?” asked Meena.
“How do you feel about making a grown man cry?”
As it turned out, Meena felt quite good about it, which led to a sobbing Percy being led from the field, holding his brutalized nut sac. More than one male in the crowd winced in sympathy. But it served as a warning—touch Theo and pay the price.
Melly cast a peek over at her mother and aunt. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but she could have sworn her mother’s lips held the hint of a smile. Surely not. She’d made it clear she wanted Theo gone. Melly couldn’t worry about her mother’s thoughts. The game still needed to be won.
As with all games of import, it came down to the last play. Ten seconds left on the clock. They were still tied and had marched that ball to within fifteen yards of the goal line. They could have kicked for a field goal, but Theo shook his head.
“We need to make this a decisive win.”
“We just need to win,” Melly grumbled.
He eyed her. “We do this my way.”
The biatches oohed at his commanding tone, which caused him to blush.
Melly nodded. “Fine.”
Everyone took their spot. The ball snapped, and Theo backed up, looking for a clear pass. Only Melly was covered, as was everyone else in the end zone.
So what did her stupid geek do? Ran into the end zone, scored a touchdown, then converted it into two points.
The lions went wild until Percy, having recovered, bellowed, “Don’t get so excited. There’s still three seconds left on the clock.”
Seriously?
They could have grounded the ball to run out the clock, but honor said they had to give the bears their last miserable chance. She saw her aunt whisper something to Theo, who then had a chat with their kicker. She should have expected what came next. An onside kick. And her dumbass mate was the one to get his hands on it.
He ran down the field, the bears taking a moment to regroup and converge. As they neared, Theo jumped and soared and, as he was midair, caught her eye and winked.
He bloody well winked before tossing her the ball. Instinct had her catching it and running it in for a touchdown. With Melly busy getting her back slapped, it took a moment to realize she couldn’t see Theo. Not under the pile of bodies that had pounced him.
“Get off him!” she hollered, not caring about the game anymore.
She and the biatches began pitching bodies left and right until she found a very still body at the bottom.
“Theo.” She murmured his name as she sank to her knees beside him, afraid to touch him. What if she caused more damage? He wasn’t made of the same stern stuff lions were.
“Is he dead?” her mother asked, having left her seat to join them staring at Melly’s unconscious mate.
Melly shot her a dark look. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Not really. The boy’s got good genes for a human. Did you know he scored almost perfectly on his SATs and was top of his class in the military? They discharged him over bad eyesight. Idiots. They should have given him laser surgery.”
Melly stared at her mother. “You researched him?”
“Please. I have all the men you sleep with researched. Can’t have you consorting with the wrong type.”
“Like a human.”
“Actually, I meant wrong as in morally. I can’t abide a liar and a cheat. I don’t think you’ll have that problem with him. He’s so straight he makes even rulers look crooked.”
“Are you actually giving me your blessing?”
“I better if you’re ever going to give me any grandchildren.”
“Once you have babies, you are more than welcome to vacation at my new condo in the Bahamas,” Auntie declared. “Such a good boy.”
Melly glared. “This is your fault, isn’t it?”
“Can I help it if your man likes to win?”
“What did you promise him?”
“Passes to the front of the line at the new Disney Star Wars land.”
“He could have died.”
“But didn’t and, in the process, proved himself tough enough to belong to this family.”
A groan from the ground drew her attention as Theo stirred.
Melly still feared touching him. “Theo, talk to me. Tell me where you’re hurt.”
He rolled to his back with his eyes closed. “Everywhere.”
“I’ll carry you to the house so we can check you over and bandage you.”
He pried one eye open. “Don’t you dare. I will walk on my own two feet, thank you.”
“Nice to see there’s a bit of cocky male in there,” her mother retorted before standing. “If you’ll excuse me, I see a bear holding my place in line for those ribs.”
And by holding she meant she grabbed the bulky male, tossed him to the side, and took his place. No one argued. Mother’s reputation wasn’t often tested, but apparently, she could still surprise.
Melly murmured, “I can’t believe she’s okay with us being together.”
“She didn’t have a choice given we won the bet,” he declared, moving to a seated position.
“We only won because she allowed it.”
“Allowed it how? She couldn’t know I was going to step in to help.”
“Don’t be so sure of that.” With mother doing a background check, she would have known about his past football career and tested to see what kind of man he was.
The kind a lioness could love.
“What do you say we skip dinner and go straight to dessert?” she asked.
Silly man thought she meant sex. When she actually meant dessert. Only when she’d filled two large plates with one of everything did they escape to the attic. She ate one plate on the way, meaning she was ready to strip once the hatch to her room shut.
In her cramped shower, he allowed her to inspect every inch of his fine body. Kiss every bruise. Lick every scratch. Then suck on the part of him that needed easing.
Then it was her turn. He licked every sensitive inch. Sucked on her nipples and the spot between her legs. Thrust his fingers into her as he swirled his tongue around her puckered nubs. Then finally slid into her, inches of glorious hardness filling her to perfection, and when she came so hard her toes curled and she uttered a tiny roar, he said, “I love you.”
“Me, too, but FYI, touch the pecan pie on the nightstand and I will tear out your guts.”
Then she proceeded to show him how much she enjoyed said pie by licking it off his dick.
When they emerged a few hours later, looking for food, there was a cheer from the drunken lions and bears under the patio lanterns strung all around.
“Theo, you straight-laced bastard! Come drink with us!”
She lost him for a while as he was feted and given beer and other alcoholic beverages. When it was time for bed, she hunted down her lightweight mate, who sat leaning on a tree, almost passed out
He smiled and slurred, “I finally see why people love cats. Come close so I can pet your pussy.”
He sobered right quick when he felt the fur under his fingers, and when he fell asleep wrapped around her, it was better than a warm patch of sun.