The Lion’s Forbidden Mate

She looked at his number and knew that she was desperately close to calling that number. But she told herself not to and got ready for bed. She was surprised at how tired she was, drifting of to sleep in what felt like seconds.

The following day was something of a tradition that happened at the end of the month where they sent the vehicles in for maintenance and to get checked out to make sure that they were running well and were going to survive the road trip a little longer. Heading out West meant that the roads were longer and there were longer stretches before they hit their destinations. It was a time where everyone got a free day to explore whatever city they were in at the moment and most people used it to get some sleep, see a movie, or just find something to pass the time with friends, enjoying the break they were given for a few days. Lucy was determined to take the time and enjoy the day buying clothes that would hide the fact that she was starting to get a little bump and that soon, she was going to have to consider talking Lynn about leaving. She was going to have to take the dive sooner rather than later, she figured.

“I’m going to talk to Lynn tonight,” Lucy said to Becca as they walked through the clothing store that was a nice little boutique she’d never heard of before.

She liked buying things that other people wouldn’t have or that were out of the major stores right now. Lucy was a girl who liked personality in her clothing.

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Becca asked her. “So what if Violet said something to you. There’s no way she could tell that you’re starting to show or anything like that. You’re practically a twig. In fact, I’m scared that you’re not getting enough food. What if your baby ends up starving because you’re so small?”

“I’m fine,” Lucy said with a smile. “Jane has been taking care of me and she totally knows what she’s doing. She told me that she’s helped more Shifters than she can count deliver and have children.”

“I told you it was a good idea talking to her,” Becca said. “But what if Jane asks you who the father is?”

“I’ll just tell her that I don’t know,” Lucy sighed.

She hated the thought that she was going to be known as a sl*t, but that was the better option than getting the man that she was in love with in trouble and having him outcast from the world that he knew. She was the kind of woman who wanted to make sure she had everything in order and ready. She wanted a plan amidst all of this chaos.

“I think you should hold off on telling Lynn,” Becca said, shaking her head. “There’s no telling what she’ll do. I mean I’ve heard that she kicked people out the moment that they told her. She said she won’t have anyone endangering the tour and if she’s already heard the whispers and rumors that Violet hates you, she’ll put the pieces together.”

How could she not know that Violet hated her? There was nothing more obvious in the world. If Violet created a sign and waved it around, shouting that she wanted to burn Lucy alive, it still wouldn’t be as obvious as how she was treating Lucy up to this point. There was something pathological about the singer.

“I’ll be fine,” Lucy assured her.

“Well, make sure that you give me your address and keep me updated when she boots you out tonight,” Becca teased. “I’d like to keep in touch.”

Lucy was glad she’d made such a good friend in Becca. Justin was also turning out to be a stellar friend and she couldn’t have asked for a better duo to have her back. Justin was the one helping set up secret meetings with Jane and they were always private so that Violet couldn’t catch wind of them, but she swore that she could feel Luke and Nick around every corner, watching her with hungry, angry eyes. She smiled at Becca and knew she would definitely keep in touch with the friends she had made on this tour. They were the kind of people you could never forget.

“I’m all set,” Lucy said, heading toward the counter. “Find anything you want?”

“Honestly, this isn’t much of my style,” Becca said, shaking her head.

Lucy didn’t mind, after all, she didn’t want people stealing her style, especially beautiful Becca, who had a way of taking all the attention in a room when she entered into it. As she moved up to the counter, she felt nervous about talking to Lynn. She blamed Becca, but she felt like there was a shadow hanging over her head.

There was some logic to what Becca had advised her and for the rest of the day, it was rolling around in her head, refusing to let go of her. She thought about it as they went back to the hotel and even up to the point where she sent Lynn an email asking her if she could get a few minutes of her time tonight at some point. When Lynn responded, saying she was free in the evening and that they should have dinner, Lucy was hesitant. She didn’t want to get caught in the middle of a dinner that was awkward and unavoidable.

She resolved herself to tell Lynn up front before any of the food came so that she could end the meal and not take advantage of Lynn’s hospitality. It was the kind of manners that her parents would be proud of. Of course, the fact that she was confessing to getting pregnant was probably not going to be as impressive to them. That was going to be a harder sell. But, as she took a deep breath, she headed to the restaurant in the hotel that was completely sectioned off with a single entrance to an entirely different building.