The Lion’s Mate

Her thoughts remained on the word Annie had used. Mom. Small bubbles of panic erupted in her brain. I’m going to be a mom, she thought, the voice in her head a higher pitch and breathless. She put her hands on the counter to balance herself, took a deep breath, and said it out loud, forcing her voice to be calm. “I’m going to be a mom.” The panic ebbed a little. Facing it head on rather than letting her thoughts run away was the best course of action for her. But she could still feel the anxiety.

She wasn’t just nervous. She was anxious. Anxious about the discussion she’d be having with Mark later that evening. Anxious about his response. What if he wanted to get married? What if he didn’t want to have anything to do with the baby? Both questions scared her to death, because either answer was terrifying to her. She didn’t want to get married. But she didn’t want to raise a baby on her own. Sure, she could do it. That wasn’t the point. She didn’t want to do it. A child needed two parents. Both she and Annie had spent the majority of their lives without parents. The idea of her baby, boy or girl, living without her and without the father was frightening.

So now she knew how she’d start the conversation with Mark. She’d tell him she was pregnant, and then . . . Her next sentence would depend on his reaction, honestly. She couldn’t plan this conversation out like she did for her characters. She had no idea what he would say, so she couldn’t prepare her lines. How frustrating real people in the real world are, she thought.

Leah shook her head to clear it. She grabbed a bottle of water and walked to her office, Jenny following close behind. She had decided because she couldn’t control the real world, she’d go create a world with words that she could control. Mark, the baby, and the discussion was shoved to the back of her mind as she began typing.

*****

On the drive to the university, where they would be meeting with the dean and the university’s lawyer, Mark coached Annie, explaining that it would be best if she didn’t say much for now. He had no idea how this meeting would go, or even what they wanted to discuss.

“I know they don’t want to go to court,” Mark informed her. “So I’m not sure what they think this meeting will accomplish.”

“Why don’t they want to go to court?”

“They’ll lose,” Mark answered simply.

Once they’d arrived, they were ushered into the dean’s office. Annie shook their hands, although the dean did nothing to hide the grimace that crossed his face. Annie’s lip curled in derision; she did not like to be treated as if she were dirty. But she kept her mouth shut despite every urge to say something tacky.

Throughout the meeting, the three men talked around her. Honestly, Mark and the university’s lawyer, Scott Trimble, spoke. Dean Wormer listened intently, speaking occasionally if asked a question. Annie listened as well, and abruptly the meaning of the meeting was made clear to her. She sat up, focused on Trimble when he addressed her.

“So, Ms. Daniels, what do you think?” He had a smarmy grin on his handsomely lined face. He was used to talking his way into and out of things, she could tell.

“Let me get this straight, Mr. Trimble. Are you offering me a bribe?”

“A bribe?” Trimble scoffed. “What an ugly word, Ms. Daniels. No, what we’re offering is a settlement.”

Annie glanced at Mark; he inclined his head, indicating she do the talking now. Annie appreciated his confidence in her. “A settlement? What does that mean, exactly?”

Trimble smiled indulgently at her as if she weren’t terribly bright. “What it means is we give you a handsome settlement, and you drop the lawsuit and go to school elsewhere, which I understand you’re doing anyway.”

“I am taking classes, yes. So I drop the lawsuit and go away. What about other shifters who want to go to this school?” Annie asked. Mark smiled, proud of her.

Trimble and the dean exchanged looks. The dean sat forward and spoke. “Other shifters aren’t your concern, young lady. What you need to worry about is you.”

Annie lifted an eyebrow, disgust on her face. “You’re not going to let shifters attend this school, are you?”

“Like I said, that’s none of your concern,” the dean repeated, staring at her.

Annie sat back, pondering his answer. She let silence hang in the room while she thought. If she dropped this lawsuit, shifters would be discriminated against and would not be allowed to attend Glenrose University. She smiled a slow smile. “How much is the settlement? And from whose pocket will the money be paid?”

Trimble grinned, sure they had won. Mark watched Annie, eyes narrowed. She was up to something, he was sure, but he let her run the meeting.

Trimble named a figure, rather low in Annie’s opinion, and said, “The money is out of the university’s pockets.”

“Huh. So the university has a hush fund?”

The dean sat forward again. “No we do not. We have an activity fund that is used at the discretion of the dean.”

“That’s interesting,” Annie mused. She rose from her chair, Mark right behind her. “Your attempt at a settlement is pathetic. You’re bigots, and I don’t believe bigotry should rule this world, even if the bigots do have discretionary funds. I refuse your bribe, because, let’s be honest, gentlemen, that’s exactly what you’re trying to do. We’ll see you in court.”

Annie turned and walked out of the office without another word. Mark looked at the two men. “You won’t win against her, gentlemen, not with the fire she has inside her. I’ll contact the judge to set up a court date. Good day.”

*****

“Leah, you should have seen me! You’d be so proud!” Annie had burst through the door yelling for her, excited to tell her what had happened.

“I am proud of you, and I didn’t even see it.” Leah looked at Mark. “So, I guess we’re going to court.”

“Yes ma’am. Annie refused the settlement,” Mark said with a smile.

“You mean bribe,” Annie reminded him as she plucked a baby tomato out of the salad Leah was preparing for dinner.

Leah slapped at her hand with the spoon but missed. “Don’t put your grubby hands in the salad,” she admonished with a wink. “When is the court date?”

“I’m going to call tomorrow and set up a date. I’m hoping we don’t actually have to go to trial.”

“What do you mean?” Annie asked. “I thought that was our only option now.”

“Nah. We can meet in the judge’s chambers with all parties involved and settle it there. If that fails, we’ll go to trial. But I really don’t think they’ll go to trial,” Mark assured them.

“Why not?”