Chapter Sixteen

King

Ryan could never be close enough for me. I turned my back on the morning sun and pulled him in closer, trapping him in my arms.

"You're hot," he said, trying to wriggle free.

"So are you," I said, nipping at the back of his neck.

"Not like that. Like warm. Temperature."

I chuckled loudly, letting him have some space. "That beast inside raises my temperature when he's still healing me. Must be a lion thing."

"I suppose." The shift in his demeanor was immediate. He went from teasing to shy in a flat second.

"What is it?" I asked, skimming my fingertips over his naked hip.

"I…we mated."

"We did. You are marked and so am I."

He flipped around and faced me. His hand was cool to the touch as it pressed against my heated face. "It was… I was okay? I mean, after everything that was done to me, I…"

"Ryan." I breathed his name, and body heat be damned, I moved flush with his body. "You were absolutely perfect," I whispered and leaned in to kiss his lips. There was no lie in my admission. Ryan had been everything I dreamed about. He responded to every touch, every kiss. The sounds he made while I filled him were better than any fantasy. His channel tightening around me as my knot swelled…there were no words for the ecstasy.

"I never knew sex could be so loving, so caring. Before, it was…"

"You didn't deserve that. No one does. And what we did wasn't sex. We were making love. I love you. I think I told you last night, but…"

"I thought you said it by mistake."

"Oh, omega. There's no mistake about it. I'm so in love with you. I tried to deny it. Our age difference, who I am, so many silly reasons, but that's all gone. I'll love you and care for you the rest of our lives."

"I love you too, King. I always dreamed of a knight who would come and save me. Never thought he'd be a king."

"You keep calling me that," I said. "I'm not a knight or a king."

He snorted, wiggling so that our dicks rubbed against each other. "You are to me."

I didn't waste a second capturing his mouth with mine. We made love once in the bed and again when we were supposed to be showering.

"We need to eat," I said, as I backed him against the wall for another kiss. I would never be sated when it came to my mate. Never.

"We do. I smell biscuits and gravy."

"Mmm." I made a noise while nuzzling my nose into his neck. "I smell something better."

"King?" Ryan said.

"Yes?" I asked, pulling back.

"I want to introduce you to the kids. My kids. I mean, they're not my kids but…"

"They are your kids, omega. They are. You want to tell them I'm your mate? Are you sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because I'm me."

He tugged on my waist. "What did I tell you? You're good, King. You're good and you're worthy. My kids are going to love their new papa."

I groaned. "Papa?"

He nodded. "Congratulations. It's three boys and three girls!"

We both laughed until I thought of something. I pressed my palms to his stomach. "Would you want young one day? A cub of our own?"

He covered his hands with mine. "I hope there's already one in there. An omega can dream."

We ate breakfast at the warehouse then quickly drove over to the other compound. Ryan's kids all turned their heads as soon as we walked in and then sprinted for him, knocking him to the ground with their exuberance.

Once the love fest was over, Ryan got their attention. "There's something I want to tell you. Let's go outside so we can all pay attention. It's super important."

They followed us to sit at a picnic table. "Do you all know King?"

They nodded. I had been around them, of course. Not one on one but around.

"King is now my mate. Do you know what that means?"

One little boy with curly hair said, "That means you're together forever."

Ryan's cheeks turned red. Adorable omega. "That's right, but it also means something else."

One of the girls thrust her lip out in a pout. "You have to be someone else's daddy now. You're gonna have a baby, and you won't be our daddy anymore 'cause we didn't come from your tummy."

The sweet girl couldn't have been more than four but, when she spoke, she sounded like a preteen.

"No." Ryan pulled her into a hug. "That's not what it means at all. It means that all of you are going to have a second papa. King. It's going to take some time to get to know him, and that's okay." He made sure to stop and make eye contact with each one. He was a born father. It was so natural for him. "And you…" He bounced the girl on his knee. "If I have another baby, it will be your little brother or sister. No one is ever getting rid of you or giving you to other parents. You hear me? You're stuck with Papa Ryan."

There were tears all around by the time he finished. Ryan was right. It would take time for our family to congeal, but it would be worth it.

My beast was pleased as punch.

He prowled around, inspecting my little ones, his cubs. My lion had a family to protect now.