“Guess it’s just us tonight, huh?” Rhys looped his arm around her waist and led her back toward their den.
“I have a hard time being upset with that,” she murmured in response. She placed her hand on her stomach as she mounted the steps. She wasn’t even far along, but the seemingly overnight emergence of her bump threw off her balance. She’d get used to it, Hailey said, then feel even worse towards the end. She both dreaded and looked forward to the experience.
Three hundred and sixty-five days.
Not since she found her way to the Crowley pride. She was done keeping track of her failures. Doing so hadn’t solved one problem or made her life any easier.
Three hundred and sixty-five days since she claimed her mate.
They’d moved in together, obviously. Rhys had been kind enough to ask if she wanted to keep the bed in the living room, but there wasn’t any reason to keep her unusual sleeping arrangements when all the monsters had been vanquished.
There wasn’t any reason, either, when she took steps to joining the dance studio in the middle of Bearden. When one of the instructors needed time off for maternity leave, she took a deep, calming breath and offered to be her replacement so none of the classes needed to disband. She did such a good job that the owner offered her a position permanently.
They’d celebrated Christmas, rung in the New Year, and gave each other cheesy, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate for Valentine’s Day. Her birthday passed, and his, too, with parties and shenanigans the pride cooked up, which meant laughing until her sides hurt and ending the night sprawled in each other’s arms.
After the calving season, Rhys took her to his home. She saw his father in his environment, and it really was no wonder where Rhys got his sense of good or his fighting spirit.
He’d also taken her to the ridge where he’d scattered Hannah’s ashes. The moment had been solemn, sad, and still somehow, a little beautiful. She’d held him while he shed tears, then offered her own promises to make sure he lived up to the man he’d been before he lost everything.
“To our first year,” Sage sighed happily as she sank into the couch.
Rhys bent and planted a kiss on her growing stomach. “And our last one alone,” he said warmly.
Sage kicked her feet up on the coffee table and ran her fingers through his hair. “Never alone. Not ever again.”
Love existed.
There was the love of her friends, like Kyla and the rest of the mates. They’d shown her how it felt to belong. With enchiladas, manicures, and silly movies, they put a smile on her face and fixed the mistakes made by the backstabbing and betrayal of the consortium lions.
There was the love of brothers and sisters. Lots of laughs, lots of irritation, and an overwhelming amount of care. Lindley was every bit the annoying, protective brother she grudgingly put up with in high school, as well as the incredibly capable second of the Crowley pride. She absolutely wouldn’t be where she was without him.
There was the love of her mate. Sage smiled again at the man whispering to their cub. He’d been there to tend her every need even before new life sparked inside her. He was still a devil with the other males, throwing punches and insults as often as he did actual work, but he was gentle and tender when it came to her. There was no doubt in her mind that he’d give their little girl or boy the same sort of devotion.
And there was the love of her future cub. Sage glanced at the mantle. Spooky black and orange garland twisted like a snake between picture frames and other decor. The pieces at the very center were her favorite. A crouching lioness and an intimidating lion stood over two wrestling cubs. She’d experienced the wrong sort of love at the hands of her father. Never, ever would she treat her little one so horribly. Roland’s mistakes ended with her.
That was her future. There’d be tough days, sleepless nights, fights over little things and important matters. There would also be more smiles, more laughs, waking up next to the man who stood with her no matter what, and caring for the little lives they brought into the world.
They had friends, and they’d made a family.
Love existed, and she had it in spades.
* * *
Thank you for reading Savage Exile! I hope you enjoyed the savage lions of the Crowley pride!
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About the Author
Cecilia Lane grew up in a what most call paradise, but she insists is humid hell. She escaped the heat with weekly journeys to the library, where she learned the basics of slaying dragons, magical abilities, and grand adventures.
When it became apparent she wouldn’t be able to travel the high seas with princes or party with rock star vampires, Cecilia hunkered down to create her own worlds filled with sexy people in complicated situations. She now writes with the support of her own sexy man and many interruptions from her goofy dog.
Connect with Cecilia online!
www.cecilialane.com
Also by Cecilia Lane
Lion Hearts
Savage Pride
Savage Claim
Savage Chase
Savage Craving
Savage Exile
Shifters of Bear’s Den
Forbidden Mate
Dangerous Mate
Hunted Mate
Runaway Mate
Stolen Mate
Untamed Mate
Black Claw Ranch
Wrangled Fate
Spurred Fate
Breaking Fate
Wild Fate
Bucking Fate
Shifters and Sins (BAD Alpha Dads)
Whiskey and
