“Why I do say. You there, you need to shift so I can get you clean. We cannot be traveling across states with you looking like something the...well I was going to say cat drug in, but that would just be gauche. I will have you know I am anything but that. Come on, shift.” Mr. Bixley stomped his front hoof.
“When did that happen?” Ridge asked, one brow raised.
“Today.”
She wasn’t sure how she was going to get an upgrade in rigs, until like before in the middle of the battle, a light flashed. Only instead of the huge pink dragon, a tiny female with long pink hair appeared. Torrance stared at the gorgeous creature, feeling as though she was inferior on so many levels. Jeezus, please let this not be a female who her mate had been with in the biblical sense because Torrance was pretty sure she was powerful, more so even than the crazy that was Zelda and Baba Yaga put together.
“Easy, my lioitch. Nope, that doesn’t sound right.” She tapped her lips, walking up to Torrance, circling her and Thadd, brushing her hand over Yaro, the blood on his fur disappearing. “How about wition? Nope, not right either, darn it. Well, shoot.”
“Um, I’m not a lion.” Torrance thought she’d help the pink haired fairy looking female.
“What? Not a lion? Well scratch my belly and call me a dragon. By the way, I’m Lula and I’m a dragon.” She held her hand out, wiggling her fingers.
Torrance took the proffered hand, gasping when the other woman pulled her in for a hug. “Alright, here’s the dealio. I’m going to get you all set up for your trippidy doo da with my bestie beastie lion. Ps. That’s your mate. I have lots of besties, so don’t worry your witchy little head. Um, if you’re not a lion, what kind of pretty kitty are you?”
Torrance blinked. The dragon was a little hard to keep up with. Oh, she wanted to know what she was. “I’m a panther and a witch.”
“Oh, a red panther? Can I see?” Lula clapped.
“Err, no, I’m a black panther.”
Lula looked Torrance up and down. “But you have red hair. Glorious red hair, but it’s red. How are you a black panther?”
“He has black hair, but he has a red mane as a lion. It’s just the way it is.”
The female did a sniff that had a little smoke coming from her nostrils. The action had the Mayhem Pride taking a collective step backward.
“Lula, you said you were going to help us?” Thadd asked.
“Oh, right.” She snapped her fingers, making Torrance’s truck disappear. A huge four-door Ford F-250 stood in its place.
“What did you do with my baby?” Torrance growled, taking a step toward Lula.
“Easy witchyanther. Yes, I like that. Anyhoo, your precious is waiting for you in Texas. Ps. You’re welcome. Sadly, I must go. I know, you’ll miss me terribly, but don’t cry. I’ll see you again However, I’m running from bears. Bears I tell you. You’d think they’d be all lumbering and slow. But nope, not my bears. They’re cunning and fast, and soo sexy they set my...oh never mind. Toodles.” She waved two fingers, moved in front of Yaro. “You have no reason to fear anymore, my sweet beautiful lion. Be free.” She waved her hand over him.
Torrance gasped as the young male shifted into human, his form changing fast and easy. He stood before them in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with a pair of cowboy boots and a cowboy hat on his head. She couldn’t see what he looked like since he had his head bent and the large brim of the hat covered his face. His hands balled into fists, relaxed, then balled up again.
“What you said about mama. It was truth, yes?”
His question brought tears to her eyes. No matter how Thadd answered it would crush the kid.
“Yes. I would never lie about that day. Yaro, I vow to you, I will never lie to you. If you have questions, you ask, and I’ll tell you. But, be very sure you want the answers.”
Yaro lifted his face, a startling resemblance to Thadd stared back at them. “Can I stay with you?”
Her mate took a deep breath. “It would be an honor if you stayed with me and my mate.”
A tear fell from Yaro’s cheek. “You didn’t leave because of me, did you?”
Thadd shook his head. “No.”
“Everything I was ever told was a lie.”
“Probably,” Thadd agreed.
“What do we do now?”
Torrance looked at the lost boy and then her mate. “We begin.”
Thadd wrapped one arm around Torrance; the other he pulled his brother in with. “Yes, we begin. In life, we are dealt a set of cards. Some people fold and toss them in when they think they’ve lost, but you and I, we’re gamblers. We know when to hold ‘em and how to look our opponents in the eye and see their weakness. I see the monster beast inside you, just like mine. We may have been dealt a shitty hand, but we don’t fold. We hold those cards until the others fold, then we swoop in and take the pot back. We rise up, and we begin again. One day, you will be King of all Lions, Yaro. That is your destiny. I am the Iron Lion. My destiny was to protect the King, I didn’t know who that was, but my beast wouldn’t bow to Kiplagat. I searched for the true king, not knowing it was my brother until I saw your white lion. When the day comes for you to claim your place, I will be by your side, making sure you and our Pride are safe.”
The Mayhem Pride gasped. Ridge stepped forward. They’d all heard of the prophecy of the Great White Lion and the Iron Lion. Most had thought it was a kid’s fable.
Ridge brought his fist
