“I’m not. I never wanted to be a part of all of that. You just give me the perfect excuse.” He smiles and kisses me again.
I whine against him and pull back. “You told me not to tease!”
“You’re right. We should probably get cleaned up and go see Nicholas. I’m sure he has lots to tell us.” We kiss one more time before cleaning up and heading out.
We have to take the motorcycle down to the valley since the jeep is still there but at least when we leave we can take the jeep. Nicholas meets us in the main square where we had lunch earlier. The two of them begin talking and I hang back, trying to take in all the sights of the Valley. If this is to be my new home, I might want to figure out what I want to do.
There are lots of different stores, some I remember from earlier. I see Daisy’s bakery and wave as she peeks her head out of the door. I run over to her and get hit with a wonderful scent. The sweet smell of cookies mixed with the fresh tangy scent of bread. It smells heavenly.
“Hey you! I need to talk to you.” She smiles and pulls me into a hug.
“Oh?” I ask, embracing her and following her into the bakery. There are people dotted around the seats and tables inside. A large countertop is filled with different goodies. A large bread rack sits on one side with warm bread covered by plastic in the front. A couple young teenagers are behind the counter, helping customers ring up their purchases. I see cookies, brownies, rolls, buns, focaccia, cupcakes and even eclairs. I look over at Daisy who takes my hand and pulls me into the back.
The back smells even better than the front. Fresh raspberries are being mashed up by one worker. Another is whipping up some buttercream and the sweet scent fills the air. Daisy finally pulls me over to the side and lets out a soft breath.
“So. Are you guys coming to live in the Valley? Nicholas said he thought maybe you would.” She seems so happy, her smile plastered on her face as she pushes some stray hairs behind her ear.
“I mean we are thinking about it. But nothing is set in stone. Why?” I put my hands on my hips, trying to focus on her but the busy bakery has my attention. She takes a step closer to me and puts her hands on my shoulders, redirecting my focus to her.
“I need help here. Will you come work for me?” She begs.
“Daisy, I don’t know anything about baking.” I let out a little huff and watch as she moves her hand down to her stomach. My eyes widen. “Daisy?”
“I only have a few months to get it ready. I just opened so I can’t just disappear. I trust you. You can come tell me all about the drama at the end of the day.” She smiles and I give her a quick hug.
“Congratulations! Of course. If that is what you want. Are you sure? Surely there are people who are better at this than me?” I pull back and look at her.
“Nope. Malik told me how you like to stay busy and how you are great at everything. You will pick it up in no time. We just have to get it set in stone but at least then you can have a job that you choose. And if you hate it, once the baby is old enough you can babysit instead.” She laughs and I give her another hug.
“Thank you so much, Daisy. Let me go tell Malik. Don’t overwork yourself!”
She laughs and it rings out in the bakery. She would make an amazing mother and I was so happy for her. I leave thebakery and find Malik waiting for me, leaning against the door frame. My cheeks blush seeing him there. He really was stunning and all mine.
“All yours, Princess.” He smirks and I roll my eyes. “So it sounds like we have plans for the Valley. Nicholas wants me to help him out. I hear Daisy wants you to help too? What do you think?” He steps toward me, wrapping an arm around my waist. I can’t help but hold my breath, looking up at him. His black hair is still askew but his face looks more relaxed. He looks happy. I clutch his shirt and pull him close.
“I think it sounds perfect. What do you think?” I whisper.
“Anything with you sounds perfect.” He smiles. It was settled. We would inherit the cottage and come work in the Valley. Little did I know my life would change as much as it had but I couldn’t be happier.
Morgan and Lyra would visit from time to time. Lyra was on a new kick with one of the guards but overall happy where she was. The palace was a mess, there was so much internal drama that Malik desperately wished Morgan wouldn’t tell him anything. We fell into our routines effortlessly. We would wake up, make breakfast and head to the Valley. I would work at Daisy’s bakery, taking over one thing at a time the bigger she got. Malik would go with Nicholas to learn about construction and take on jobs during the day. A month passed and I finally felt at ease until one night.
“Hey. Can you come here?” Malik calls to me from the front door. I put the book I was reading down and made my way over to him. He is standing with the door open, the darkness of the night trying to creep in. A cool wind blows through the open door, sending goosebumps over my arms. I wrap my arms around him, laying my head on his back.
“You okay?” I nuzzle against him.
“Do you want to see?” He asks, his voice deep.
“See what?” I laugh, moving to the front of him. His eyes were a different color today, just a tone of shade different than usual. I frown slightly, reaching up and running my fingers across his eyebrow.
“I haven’t shifted in a long time. My beast isn’t happy with me.” He chuckles. “I am going to shift, I need to for everyone’s sake. Do you want to see or do you want to go to the cottage? I won’t blame you. It can be a lot.” He reaches up and rubs the back of his head. He had never talked about shifting in front of me before so I stand there with my mouth open, not sure what to say.
“I want to see.” I answer breathlessly. He looks down at me and nods before pulling his clothes off. I watch as he pulls his shirt up and over his head. His muscles shifting as he moves, the lean cut of his body and the deep V already sending me to a naughty place. I bite the inside of my lip and watch as he shucks his pants next. I try to keep my eyes up but I can’t help it. I can’t believe he is mine and I am his. I can’t believe he loves me wholeheartedly.
“You better believe it.” He growls and kisses my forehead, now just standing in boxers. I take a step to the side and watch as he moves away from the cottage. I’m not sure what to expect so I just stand there. I watch as he lets out a long breath, his shoulders relaxing and his head dipping backward. I feel it before I see it. The air changes, a blast of heat emanating from him heats up the small area and then pain pulses through me.
I gasp, clutching the doorframe of the cottage. I clench my teeth and close my eyes, focusing on the feeling and trying to push through it. Within seconds it recedes and I take a shaky breath. Something feels different in the bond and I look up to see Malik not as a man but a large cat. Not like a domestic cat, like a huge panther or jaguar. His eyes are golden, his fur all black but there is a pattern beneath the black in different hues. He looksat me, his ears twitching in the darkness and I wonder just how much is him. Does he know who I am or is he just an animal?
I know who you are, baby. Don’t be afraid.
