Chapter three

The feeling of a cool, flat surface on my feet was the biggest relief of the night.

I slowly stepped into the biggest house I had ever seen, immediately being engulfed by the warmth of a roaring fireplace across a living room. Dark, elegant furniture decorated the house, giving it a woody yet modern feel.

I froze as the massive body of the lion drifted past me, his paws silent against the wooden floors. His ears were pointed up in alert, despite his expression being calm.

As calm as a lion could look, I suppose.

I stood by the door, unsure what to do. I was at the verge of collapsing from how tired I was, but I had no idea if stepping into a lion's den was better than dealing with a hoard of hyenas outside.

God, that sounded so ridiculous. I ran my dirty hands over my face, still clinging onto the necklace. Hyenas, lions, and wolves. What would I find out about next? A snake?

I hoped not.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" A deep voice snapped me from my thoughts. I looked where I last saw the lion, expecting to see the huge body with a dark mane, but a man was now standing in front of me.

He was tall, forcing me to slightly look up, and he had a head full of thick black hair. His skin was a nice bronze, the type my mum sprayed on herself during summer.

I watched as he slipped on a white shirt and straightened his dark pants. The only way I even knew that it was the lion was because his golden eyes remained the same. They only glowed a little less, but I couldn't miss the guarded look I had seen outside.

I looked down at myself. I was still in my robe, which was no longer white since it had survived a trip through the woods. My hair was a wild nest, and my feet were battered up by stones and twigs. I wiggled my toes, hissing in pain even when that hurt.

He looked down at my feet and nodded. "Okay, bathroom."

He stepped forward, but I held my hand out and stopped him. He paused, looking at me in what seemed like irritation.

"How do I know you won't eat me?" I asked with narrowed eyes. Although, from what those hyenas wanted to do with me, it seemed like being eaten was the merciful act.

He stepped back as if I had asked the most repulsive question ever. "Why would I eat you?"

His tone made me frown.

"What the hell is so disgusting about me?" I scoffed.

The lion once again watched me in disbelief. "So you want me to eat you?"

I paused.

"No," a sigh left my lips. I pressed my hand over my head. "Look, I'm not doing so well right now. I just had the worst night of my life."

"Where is your mother?" he asked me. "I expect she'll explain the situation clearly."

Mum.

My eyes lowered, and I felt my throat close up. I clenched my teeth, trying to stop the sobs threatening to wrack my body.

The lion looked at me for a second before he seemed to understand. "Oh." His eyes moved down as well.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Was it them? The hyenas?"

I nodded my head, failing to catch a stray tear as it fell to the floor.

His brows furrowed. "I thought they would have stopped this by now, but I suppose they can't really stop following their instincts."

Was he seriously justifying what they did?

I looked up at him, my jaw tense. "Are you saying my mother is dead because of animal instinct?"

He watched me. "Of course not. If that were the case, then most shifters would have killed humans by now. I just meant that hyenas are opportunistic and reckless. They've always been. They kill more than they eat."

I kept my eyes on the floor.

"You and your mother were unlucky that they picked you, though I do remember her mentioning a husband. Is he away? Is that why he couldn't help you?"

Right. That bastard.

I looked out the window next to me, staring at the pale moon above. "He's the reason they did this. He offered us to get extra time on his debt."

That managed to shock him, and his mouth slightly opened.

I crossed my arms over my body. "I don't know what my mum did that made you help me tonight, but I hope it'll be enough for you to let me stay the night. I'll figure out what to do in the morning."

My eyes moved from the window to him. "I can't go back out there yet. I can't."

He shook his head. "You will stay. Your mother saved my life when I was a cub. My clan had been attacked and wiped out. I ended up right at her doorstep."

I looked at him in shock. "Really? How long ago was that?"

He did the math in his head: "Seven years ago. Lion shifters reach full maturity quickly."

"I was thirteen at the time," I mumbled. Though I never saw him or heard of Mum helping a child at the time. I guess she had to keep quiet about it when she found out that he wasn't human.

"When I was old enough, I gave her my tooth as a promise to repay her. Shifters do that. When the person is repaid, they return whatever they were given."

I looked down at the necklace in my hand and held it out to him. "Here."

He looked at it warily. "Did your mother leave a message for me?"

'Tell him to take care of you with his life.'

I paused. That was a big responsibility to put on someone, no matter what she had done for him. Besides, why would he agree to such a thing? He knew her, not me. He didn't owe me anything.

He stepped forward. "Whatever she said, you need to tell me."

I spoke, still holding my hand out to him. "She said you need to take care of me with your life, but I say what you've done tonight is enough, so take your necklace back."

He stared at it, contemplating what would be the best choice. After a moment, he reached for my hand as if to take it, but he didn't.

He gently closed his fist over mine, making sure I held the necklace tight.

"I appreciate the free pass," he said, looking at me. "But I don't believe in disrespecting the deceased. She gave me my life years ago, so if she wants me to give it to her daughter, then it's a fitting way to repay her."

He pushed my hand to my chest, over my rapidly beating heart. His voice softened, and he spoke the most serious words so easily that I almost couldn't believe him.

"In a clearer sense, Wren, my life belongs to you now."