Chapter One

Apollo

Ready to blast the pride, I stalked to the front door, desperation rolling off me in waves at the idea of facing Glass and having to have this conversation. Maximus might be the pride leader, but I wasn't going to be pushed into something I didn't want.

Was I lying to myself? Absolutely. Had I been doing that for days, weeks even? Since I'd gotten Glass's scent and realized we had a connection? Yes.

Why? Just recalling how he'd dismissed me. How everyone in the room had known we were mates, and he'd acted like that wasn't important. Yeah, that stung, and I was no damn pushover.

I was a lion, for Pete's sake!

I could still hear his words and feel them cutting me right down to size. He'd been more focused on Red than me. And alright, I got that. Someone had tried to kidnap his brother, and he was going to be a little upset. Just, did he have to sound so forceful and grumpy when he'd chosen to reject me?

He didn't reject you.

You were there, Maxi, so stop acting like you didn't see it happen.

I blocked Maximus. He was driving me crazy with the ‘let's pretend it didn't happen' thing he had going. Pushing me to sit with Glass for eight long hours to watch the security feed to find out who was coming into town and trying to kidnap rhubarb stalks? Yeah, so not happening.

The doorbell peeled again and I sighed at how I'd stopped right at the door but couldn't take the next step and reach for the handle. My nose wrinkled at the delicious smell of my mate wafting around the wood, tempting my fraying self-control. My cock, which had basically gone into ‘hard mode' the second I smelled Glass, throbbed against the elastic of my too tight underwear, which I'd taken to wearing under my old baggy sweats, to keep my little—big—problem under control.

Open the goddamn door. This came from Burke. I need a nap and if Glass spends the next hour hammering on the door like he did last week, you'll upset my babies.

I most definitely didn't want to upset Burke and his babies. He'd end up in a tree somewhere knowing his unborn babies, because they liked to make him climb up anything close by. He was good at guilting me.

No one quite knew what to expect. Burke was having both a rhubarb and a cow pregnancy. Strange, but true. Nobody seemed to be thinking about how they were all gonna fit in the house. Especially when Maximus's mate, Tim, was also pregnant.

"Is there anyone there?" Glass growled on the other side of the door.

Sarcastic bastard.

I grabbed the handle and swung it open, immediately wishing I hadn't as I took in the sight before me. I had dark brown curls for days, but Glass was all dark and broody, with silky locks that framed his face, accentuating the square jaw that I really wanted to nibble my way across. Deep blue eyes framed with inky lashes stared down at me and it was all I could do not to mount him like Burke had started doing to the pole in the backyard.

His gaze flared with heat as it roamed down my body. The tight t-shirt I'd slipped on hugged me like a second skin. I felt my nipples pebble up and push against the fabric as his eyes lingered on the waistband of my sweats. Could he see the effect he had on me?

"Are you going to invite me in?" he rasped in that sexy voice that stroked my mane in all the right ways. He lifted the bulging bag he held. "I bought some things to help pass the time."

Things?

I wasn't interested in what he had in the bag unless it was sexy type things. Things that could go up my ass. Things that involved me screaming his name at the top of my lungs when I came down his throat.

Heat, the kind that wasn't ever far away with these endless thoughts of riding Glass in every way possible, spread through me, making me light up like a glo stick in the dark. I coughed when he raised a brow and met my gaze, holding it.

"Got something on your mind you'd like to…" he licked at his plump lips, "talk about?"

Talk? Who the heck wanted to talk?

I shook my head, finally getting my brain with the program. Maybe. Sort of. I finally allowed him to step inside. His enormous body brushed against mine and a tart rhubarb scent followed. I struggled to swallow a moan when I wanted to bury my nose in any place I could reach and take a good, long whiff. He smelled too good, and it was why I'd remembered nothing of the first time I'd shifted when I'd scented him. It drove my lion half-crazy with desire.

"You know where we've set up." I indicated to the stairs, sighing when I knew my human half also wanted to get a piece of the stalk action my other pride members were getting. Horny stalks in the house meant no one got any peace.

I shut the door and swung around, knowing full well why I wanted Glass heading up the four flights of stairs ahead of me. His ass was a thing of absolute beauty. Firm. Round. Hard enough to bounce a coin off. Juicy enough to sink a lion's teeth into.

"Are you coming?" he enquired, glancing over his shoulder halfway up the first flight of stairs. His tone made everything inside me go all warm.

I damn well wish I was, and all over your ass.

Did I say that? No.

"Of course," I snapped waspishly, "because why wouldn't I want to torture myself for eight hours in the company of a mate who rejected me?"

My smile was all teeth and, when he didn't answer, I headed for the stairs. Without a word, he swung around, continuing until he disappeared around the top of the stairwell.

Great, now he was back to ignoring me. This was going to be a long day! A very long day… save me now!