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right then were him and Ryland.
Jason bloody Burrows. Money. What he had been taught about human pets. It was all just
something that happened to other people. While Ryland stared back up at him, it was almost
impossible to believe that he didn t feel the same way.
Yes, sir.
And, as simply as that, it was done.
Arslan held out his hand. Ryland took one step forward, and suddenly, he was in his
arms, holding onto him so tight, it was hard to believe all that strength came from one small
human.
One of the younger lions let out a whoop. Pandemonium descended. Arslan gave into the
temptation to grin into Ryland s hair as he held him in return, as tightly as he dared. He felt the
younger man smile into his shoulder in response.
When he finally looked up, Arslan shook his head at them all. It didn t take much to
induce the younger lions to celebrate, but this time he couldn t blame them.
Can we eat now?
Arslan met Blaine s eyes. The younger lion hesitated. Arslan made him wait before he
finally nodded his permission. It wasn t easy to resist the urge to throw them all out so he could
be alone with Ryland. Still, he somehow forced himself to let them to stay, to let them begin to
get to know the newest member of their pride properly. And he let them linger long enough to be
reassured that their leader was willing to forgive them too, provided they had learned from their
mistakes of course.
When they are gone, you and I are going to have a very long talk, Arslan whispered in
Ryland s ear. Then we re going to see what else we can find to do to pass the night.
The man who d laid on the rug with him two short weeks ago shouldn t have been able to
blush at the suggestion. Ryland managed to. I d like that, sir.
They fetched their food from the table and returned to their seats around the fireplace.
Just as he warned Ryland before, he kept the younger man well within his sight. He didn t even
let him out of arm s reach. He had the right to keep him that close now. Ryland was his. His pet.
His mate. His lips twisted into a smile at the thought.
Are you to live here now?
Arslan turned towards Luther s conversation with Ryland as the question caught his
attention. When you need to be informed of our decisions, you will be.
Ryland glanced up at him.
Yes, he was going to live there with him. No, he wasn t going to make him aware of that
fact in front of all the other members of the pride. Ryland smiled slightly and dropped his gaze,
as if he understood that, or maybe as if he hoped that would be the case.
As the evening went on, Arslan continued to listen to the rather tentative conversations
Ryland had with the other lions. The rest of the pride seemed rather curious about him, but still
somewhat unsure what they were supposed to do with him now that he was effectively one of
them.
They stared more than they spoke. It was almost as if they had never seen a human
before. No one laid a paw on him. A little bubble of clear air existed around the younger man s
body that none of the other lions dared venture into right then.
Once they provided evidence that they d learned their lesson and had been properly
forgiven for their behavior that night, he d have to nudge them in the direction of being able to
have real conversations with Ryland, but he quite liked the physical gap between Ryland and the
rest of the world. Ryland was his. The smile crept back to his lips.
He d thought that all the younger lions were staring at Ryland, studying this newcomer in
their midst, but Arslan gradually realized that at least one set of eyes was resting on him. He
looked up from his study of his new pet. Kefir politely looked down when Arslan caught his eye,
but he soon glanced back up.
When Arslan finally gave in to temptation to shepherd them all into their clothes and out
of his house an hour later, he stopped his youngest follower by the door.
He makes you happy, Kefir observed.
Yes.
Kefir nodded something like acceptance. I m glad he came back.
Arslan ruffled his hair and closed the door firmly behind him and all the others. When he
went back to the library, Ryland was still sitting in front of the fire where he had left him. Arslan
stopped in the doorway and looked him over.
The fire crackled and sent a flurry of sparks up the chimney. The light from the blaze
shone onto Ryland s face as he stared into the hearth. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a
deep breath and let it out very slowly. When he looked across to the door, he smiled when he
saw him.
Closing them in the room together, Arslan walked across to the fireside.
Ryland got to his feet. You trusted me on my own, sir, he observed with cautious
pleasure.
I was between you and the front door the entire time. You have a lot to prove before
you re left completely to your own devices. He stroked his hair to gentle his words, but Ryland
took the correction better than he expected. He took it much like one of the better-behaved cubs
who had joined his pride would if they were in his place.
I live here now, don t I, sir? Ryland said after a while.
Yes.
His pet nodded his acceptance of that too. I ll have to give notice on my room.
Arslan slid his fingers through the younger man s hair once more.
If I start packing my things tomorrow then
Ryland seemed to lose his trail of thought as Arslan guided him to tilt his head back and
brushed their lips together.
Pack your things as slowly as you like, but when you sleep, it will be in my bed in our
bed. That wasn t negotiable. He d already waited far too long to have Ryland close through the
night. He might not have been exactly sure what allowances and indulgences his pet would need
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