“I am, too. However, I learned how to fight with one leg—or three if I’m in my animal form. I’m still a good soldier, and I can still protect Penelope.”
Poppy shot up to her feet. “Penelope. Shouldn’t you be there? Protecting her? We need to go. Or you can go, and I can stay right here for you, but you need to get back to the realm, don’t you?”
“I do.” He held out his hand, and she looked down at it, swallowing hard. We can both sit down, Poppy.”
She did.
“I’ve been texting with Malik, Penelope is fine. She’s with her mother and her guards.”
“How many? Doesn’t she need like a battalion to keep her safe?”
“It’s good that you’re worried for her, it means you’re a protector just like I am. There are seven guards with her right now.”
The way he said it made her think. “How many guards when it’s just you?”
“There is no need for other guards when I’m there.” He looked smug, yet still serious.
“I see. Full of yourself, aren’t you?”
Jonah smiled, and she did, as well. “Sometimes, others are around, but it’s mostly just me and Penelope and her mother and father. Right now, we’re on high alert because of the gorgons after you.”
“I don’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me.”
“I said it was the gorgons after you, not you who was the issue. We will figure this out, and Penelope is safe in her bed in the lion realm.”
She wanted to ask him why it was the lion realm, why it wasn’t anywhere else. But she didn’t. She didn’t want to ask about him being a jaguar yet. Instead, she tried to change the subject just a little.
“Will you show me what you look like as a jaguar?” she asked, her voice soft. “After all, you’ve seen me in my full Medusa form. You’ve seen me turn someone to stone. I’ve always wanted to know what a jaguar looks like.”
“I can do that.” He paused. “I’m going to have to get naked to shift, though. I don’t have a change of clothes here, so I can’t shred these, and it’s not that easy to shift while still attached to my prosthesis.”
“Oh, could you do it on the other side of the couch or something?” She knew she blushed, and he laughed.
“Yes, that would probably be a good thing. Getting naked in front of you is one thing, getting naked in front of you and not being able to touch you? That’s going to be a little difficult.”
“We hardly even know each other, Jonah.”
“Exactly. But the mating urge is riding us: your Medusa, my jaguar. We can hold it off. We’re strong enough. But I’ll still show you my cat.”
He pulled off his shirt then, and Poppy swallowed her tongue. He was all muscle, every ridge of his eight-pack defined, every hard line of his chest. He had that V that went down below the waistband of his jeans, and she swallowed hard, trying to catch her breath.
“Wow.”
“Thanks,” Jonah said, winking. And then he stood up, and she watched his back as he moved, each muscle perfect, strong. A warrior’s form.
She wanted to learn to fight like him. Didn’t want to have to rely on anyone else.
But somewhere deep down inside, she knew she could rely on him.
And that should worry her, but the magical aspects of her nature told her that she didn’t need to be concerned.
He crouched down behind the couch, and she heard some rustling, and then there was the sound of skin against skin, and then fur against fur, and then a jaguar walked around the side of the sofa. She stood up, her eyes wide, her hand over her mouth.
“You’re beautiful,” she whispered. And he was.
He was a golden yellow with dark black and brown spots all over him. He was muscular, his head large, his ears twitching.
He had a long tail that helped him with balance, and she could tell that he used it differently than many jaguars might. It helped offset the fact that he didn’t have a back leg. He walked with a regality that spoke of royalty, rather than a soldier as he’d called himself.
She didn’t know his story, but she hoped one day he would tell her. She swore Jonah preened.
“Am I allowed to touch you? Pet you? Would that be weird?”
This time, she knew the jaguar rolled his eyes. In answer to her question, he butted her palm with his head. She sank her fingers into the soft fur and smiled. “You’re so soft.”
She slid her hand down his body and over his tail, even as it coiled around her wrist, the same as her snake did.
As if knowing that she was thinking about them, they undid her glamour and hissed.
She knelt in front of Jonah so her snakes could look at the jaguar in front of them, and she swore she could feel them purr right along with the big cat.
It was so odd, so different. Gorgons and Medusas were usually stuck in their own realm, not able to mix amongst the humans, other than when she was younger, and her parents let her go to school in the human realm for college.
It had been a mistake, she had killed Alex, but she had learned so much, too. And now, she was learning even more.
She let her hand slide over his body again, but then he tensed, a little growl sliding from his throat.
He was in front of her in an instant, and she whirled towards the front door. A man didn’t walk in. Instead, a majestic lion prowled through, its mane thick and wonderful. He stalked proudly into the room, two guards having opened the door for him.
She knew who this was without even having to ask.
This was Malik. Alpha, king.
And Jonah’s best friend and boss.
“Wow,” she whispered. Jonah narrowed his eyes at her before turning back to Malik.
Jonah let out a rumble, and then Malik did the same, except Malik’s seemed to shake the whole house.
Jonah once again narrowed his eyes at her as if he knew what she was thinking, and then he padded behind the couch again. She saw him stride to the back of the house, clothes tucked neatly into his mouth. One of the other lions followed with Jonah’s prosthesis.
She looked back at Malik, who she had a feeling was laughing at her. One of the guards slid clothes into his mouth, and Malik padded off right behind Jonah.
Well, this was an interesting way to spend the evening.
The guys came out together, both tugging their shirts over their heads as they walked in, jeans undone, bare feet slapping on the hardwood.
She had known that Malik was gorgeous, but damn, seeing him standing next to Jonah?
It was a feast for the eyes.
And she was suddenly very hungry.
Jonah’s brows rose, as Malik’s eyes filled with laughter. She wanted to bury her face in her hands. Instead, she double-checked that her glamour had been put back into place as soon as the door opened.
She didn’t want to turn anyone to stone, especially not people Jonah loved. Particularly not the king.
“Poppy, this is Malik, my Alpha.”
“And friend,” Malik said. “I would reach out to shake your hand, but in the throes of the mating urge, Jonah would probably bite my arm off.”
Really? She shouldn’t feel delighted at that. “Hi, I’m Poppy.”
“It’s good to finally meet you.”
“Did you get to the house?” Jonah asked, coming to Poppy’s side.