The Lion’s Mate

“Did you finish it?” Leah asked, smiling. She had been worried about it.

“I did. I hope you like it,” Annie said as she helped her up the steps.

“I’m sure I will.”

Mark had gone straight to the nursery with Chloe so she could get used to her room. Leah walked in behind him and gasped. Annie had finished hanging the colorful letters of Chloe’s name and had added two bean bag chairs in eye-popping red and dark blue. The room was feminine without the use of pinks; Leah loved it.

“I love it, Annie! The bean bags are such a nice touch,” Leah gushed.

“I had bean bag chairs when I was a little girl. I slept on them, rolled around on them, they were my favorite. I decided Chloe had to have a couple,” Annie said with a shrug.

“They’re perfect,” Mark said as he lay Chloe in her bed. She protested with a little mew, but settled quickly on the comfortable mattress and colorful quilt.

Leah looked down at their daughter and took Mark’s hand. They gazed at her together until Annie cleared her throat.

“I think Jenny is moving in,” Annie told them and pointed to the door.

Jenny had gone into Leah’s room and had dragged her dog bed from the corner of the room down the hall and into Chloe’s room. She dragged it next to the bed, pushing Leah and Mark out of the way with her body so she could get her dog bed right up against the crib. Mark looked at Leah, and they began to laugh as Jenny sat down on her bed and watched the door as if daring someone to walk in that wasn’t supposed to be in there.

“I think Chloe is probably the safest baby on Earth,” Leah said, still chuckling.

“I agree,” Mark said. He knelt next to Jenny and rubbed her. “Such a good girl!” Jenny grinned her doggy grin at him, then returned her attention to the door.

Leah touched Chloe’s cheek and smiled. “She’s exhausted. Let’s go into the kitchen and let her sleep.”

They left the room, Jenny on guard, and headed for the kitchen. Annie had made tea and had baked some cookies that morning.

“You baked?” Leah asked, surprised.

“I did. Your favorite.”

“Thank you, Annie,” Leah said, tears in her eyes as she hugged her.

“Why are you crying?” Annie asked.

“Stupid hormones,” Leah answered, wiping the tears off her face as she moved to sit carefully at the table.

Annie brought the cookie jar to the table. “Milk or tea with your cookies?”

“Milk.”

“Mark?”

“The same, please.” He reached across and took Leah’s hand in his. He winked at her and whispered, “I hope the cookies are good.”

Leah whisper-giggled. “Me too.” In a louder voice, she asked, “So, what’s going on with the case? You haven’t said a thing to me about it since I went to the hospital.”

“There hasn’t been much to tell,” Annie answered as she brought three glasses of milk to the table and sat down next to Leah.

“We have a meeting with the judge, the dean, and the lawyer tomorrow.” Mark paused. “That sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.”

The women smiled. Leah bit into a cookie. “These are good, Annie. What’s the meeting about?”

“To see if we have to go to trial. I really think the judge will tell them they will lose if they go to court so they might as well give in and let shifters into the school.”

“What if they refuse?”

“They can’t if they lose in court. And honestly, if the judge tells them tomorrow that they have to let shifters in and they don’t, the school can be fined and eventually shut down for breaking the law.”

“Wow,” Leah mused as she reached for another cookie.

“I’ve been hoping I’d get a call telling us the university has capitulated, but no such luck. So at nine tomorrow morning, Annie and I will head to the courthouse and the judge’s chambers to hash this all out.”

“Worth it, Annie?” Leah asked her.

“Completely. They’re breaking the law. They’re denying deserving people an education because of their prejudice! It’s just plain wrong.”

“I agree,” Mark told her. “And these really are good,” he said, gesturing at the cookies, of which he’d already eaten three.

“Thanks,” Annie said. “I kind of feel bad because I’m going to Rainsford next semester after I threw a big fit about this place.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it, Annie,” Mark said. “You have to do what’s right for you.”

“Yep! And right now what’s right for me is to go to bed,” Annie said. She rose and kissed Leah on the forehead. “I’m going to peek in at Chloe. Hopefully Jenny won’t tear my leg off.”

As she left the room, Mark leaned over to Leah and kissed her solidly on the mouth. The kiss lasted longer than he had planned, and he felt himself getting hard. He pulled back with a little moan.

“I better not get that started,” he mumbled.

“Give me another week and I’m going to jump your bones,” she told him.

“That day can’t get here fast enough,” he moaned.

*****

The meeting the next day went exactly as Mark had predicted, with only one difference. The judge did tell the dean and the lawyer that they would lose in court and would be forced to integrate the school. The dean had blustered about how ridiculous the law was, that schools had always been able to determine their own admission ideals. The judge disagreed, the dean argued, and the judge fined him for contempt. At that point, the dean had risen from his chair and exclaimed that he would be turning in his resignation by the end of the day.

Meanwhile, Chloe was more alert than ever. She babbled constantly. When Jenny was in the room, Chloe wanted to see her and would fuss until she could. Jenny slept next to her crib every night and only let Mark, Leah, and Annie get near her. When Mark’s parents had visited, Leah had been forced to lock Jenny in her bedroom because she wouldn’t stop growling. Chloe had found this hilarious and giggled uncontrollably in the high pitched baby giggle everyone adores. Jenny was her best friend, and when she laid on the floor, Jenny would lay next to her and they would cuddle.