Prowled Darkness (Dante's Circle, #7)(12)

“Maybe just a little introduction?” She took a deep breath, and he had to brace himself, afraid of what would happen once they got past this. “I’m Eliana. I’m a welder and artist, though right now, I’m preparing to be a mom. A few years ago, the Conclave struck my friends and me with a special type of lightning, and now, one day, when I find my mate and sleep with him during our mating, I’ll change into whatever paranormal creature holds the strongest part of my DNA. I have no idea what that will be, as each of my friends before me has turned into things I never dreamt of. I’m pregnant with your child and I’m scared to death that you’re going to leave again because I don’t know how to trust people.” She licked her lips. “Your turn.”

He chuckled roughly. “I’m Malik Ward, prince of the lion realm. My father is the current Leo. He’s also dying.” Eliana let out a pained breath, and he kissed her cheek. “I had to leave the one person I knew I could fall in love with so I could care for him. I also left because I was afraid if I fell fully, I wouldn’t be able to keep her because I thought she was human. Now my father is dying and my uncle wants the throne even though I’m next in line. So I’ve spent the past few months reassuring the Pride that I am who they need me to be and that I can rule as their leader. But all the while, I’ve wanted to be with the one person I couldn’t be with. As soon as I found out about Amara and thereby you, I came here. I came to take you with me, but I know that was wrong. I should have come to tell you everything, rather than assume you’d want to be mine at all.” He paused. “And now we’re going to have a baby and I’m scared as all hell but excited.” He smiled despite himself. “We’re going to have a baby,” he repeated.

“I didn’t know about your father,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, Malik. Are you close to him?”

Malik shook his head. “Not as close as I’d like to be. I’ve spent the past few years away from the Pride, roaming. I’m not as old as Tristan, by the way. I’m only thirty-eight.” He grinned when her eyes widened. “Lions are long-lived so I’m relatively young, hence why my uncle wants the throne. The only reason my father is dying is because he was poisoned years ago in a fight to protect the Pride. It’s just now taking its full toll on him.”

“I’m so sorry, Malik.” She wrapped her arms around him as much as she could with her belly between them, and he let his shoulders relax for the first time in a long while.

He cleared his throat. “Before we talk more, though, I should probably tell you that another reason my uncle is trying to declare me unfit is that I don’t have a mate.” He winced. “So I had planned to go to the Pride and find a lioness because that was my duty.”

Eliana took a step back and he felt the coldness sweep over him at the lack of her touch. “Excuse me?”

He held out his hands. “I didn’t do it. I couldn’t. I had you in my mind, under my skin. You were it for me and I couldn’t go through with whatever plan the others might have had for me. I also don’t want you to think that you have to mate with me for me to be the Leo or anything. Because I want what happens between us to be about us not what the others want.”

Eliana closed her eyes. “That is…that is a lot.”

“I know. And I should have told you that to begin with but I f*cked it up when I first got here. I think that’s all, Eliana. I mean, there is so much more to me than what I said, and I know there is more to you, but that’s a start, isn’t it?”

He went to his knees, a future Leo in love with the woman before him. “Forgive me, Eliana. Be with me. Be my mate and let me show you my realm. I know it’s fast and I know we still have to figure out who we are, but be with me.”

Eliana tilted her head. “Will having a mate help you with your Pride?”

He frowned. “Yes, but—”

“Then I’ll help.” She raised her chin. “I’m not going to put my baby or you in danger because your uncle wants your role. I take it you want to be Leo?”

He blinked. “It’s all I’ve ever known.” He paused. “And yeah, I want to be Leo. I know I can do good for my Pride. But Eliana, I don’t want you to mate with me because you’re trying to protect me. I want you to be with me because you want to.”

She pressed her lips together. “I want you, Malik. I always have and that was the problem.” She put her hands over her belly once more. “I want this baby to come into a world where he or she knows they’re loved. I…was falling for you before, too, Malik and I think that if we stay together, if we are together, I will fall for you irrevocably.” She met his gaze. “But I want to mate with you. I want to take a chance with fate because I’ve never taken a chance like that before. Can you do that? Can you be with me? Can I trust you?”

He cupped her face. “I want to be with you, Eliana. You are my mate as I am yours. My lion chose you long ago, and I choose you, as well. But I need to hear the words. I need to know you want to be mine because of who we are, not because of a chance. You can trust me, Eliana. I didn’t have all the facts before and I left. I shouldn’t have, but I didn’t know any better. I will forever be sorry for that, but I can’t mate with you if you don’t want me like I want you.”