Page 60 of Pleasure and Mane
Beautiful.The word didn't begin to capture the raw majesty of him. His mane was thick and dark, his massive frame radiating power and dominance that made every cell in her body sing with recognition.
The lion that was Caius lowered his body gracefully, a clear invitation. Quinn approached slowly, her hands trembling withanticipation rather than fear. She'd dreamed of this moment for weeks—the chance to truly be part of his world.
Tentatively, she swung her leg over his broad back, settling herself just behind his powerful shoulders. Her fingers found purchase in his thick mane, gripping firmly but carefully.
The moment he felt her secure against him, Caius surged forward into the forest with fluid grace. Trees blurred past them as he bounded through the undergrowth, his massive paws silent on the forest floor despite his size.
This is it.Quinn's soul soared as they raced through the moonlit woods, the cool night air whipping through her hair.This is where I was truly meant to be.
She'd never felt more alive and more complete than in this moment. Every stride of his powerful body beneath hers awakened something primal and ancient in her own soul, as if she'd done this before in countless lifetimes.
QUINN
Quinn jolted awake at 5:47 AM to her phone ringing and buzzing insistently against the nightstand. Caius's arm tightened around her waist reflexively, his body still gloriously warm and naked against hers from their pre-Valentine's Day celebration the night before.
"It's Lavinia," she whispered, recognizing the ringtone she'd assigned specifically for pregnancy emergencies. She reached for the phone instinctively and answered it without opening her eyes.
"Quinn!" Lavinia's voice crackled through the speaker, breathless and tinged with excitement. "My water just broke, and the contractions are getting stronger. I think today's the day!"
Finally.After two weeks of false alarms and a baby who seemed determined to stay cozy in the womb, little Haider was ready to make their grand entrance. On Valentine's Day, no less—trust this family to have impeccable timing for dramatic moments.
"How far apart are the contractions?" Quinn asked, already sliding out of bed despite Caius's possessive growl of protest.
"About eight minutes apart, but they're getting more intense. Bertram's loading the car now."
Quinn glanced at Caius, who was stretching his magnificent frame like the predator he was, his muscles rippling as consciousness fully returned. Even after six months of waking up beside him every day, the sight of all that raw masculine power still made her mouth go absolutely dry.
"We'll meet you at the clinic," Quinn said into the phone while admiring the way the morning light played across her mate's defined abs. "And Lavinia? Try to keep that baby inside until I get there."
Lavinia's laugh was cut short by what sounded like a sharp intake of breath. "I'll do my best, but this little one has their father's impatience all of a sudden."
Caius was already moving, pulling on yesterday's jeans with fluid grace. "Emergency?" he asked, though his tone suggested he already knew.
"Your niece or nephew decided Valentine's Day was the perfect birthday." Quinn grabbed her bra and panties from the floor, where they'd been hastily discarded during last night's passionate celebration. "Think you can handle Uncle duties now too?"
His blue eyes blazed with that familiar Alpha intensity. "I've been ready for six months. Question is, can you handle delivering a lion shifter baby with the entire Haider male population breathing down your neck?"
"I've handled worse," she said, pulling her scrubs on with practiced efficiency. "Like a certain overprotective Alpha who nearly broke down my clinic's front door during construction because the contractors were 'taking too many breaks.'"
Caius stalked toward her, and despite the urgency of the situation, Quinn's body responded to his predatory approachwith a familiar heat. He backed her against the dresser, his hands braced on either side of her.
"That's because they weren't treating your vision with the respect it deserved," he murmured against her ear, his stubble scratching deliciously against her skin. "My mate deserves perfection."
"Save that energy for later, Alpha," she said, pressing a quick kiss to his jaw. "Right now, your sister needs us."
They were fully dressed and out the door in record time, Caius's hand possessively placed on her back as they rushed to his truck. The February morning was crisp and clear, with fresh snow dusting the mountains that surrounded their town like protective sentinels.
Quinn's clinic sat on Main Street like a jewel with its warm stone facade and welcoming lights. The sign reading "Mountain Mane Prenatal Center & Birthing Sanctuary" still filled her with pride every time she saw it.
Six months.Had it really been that long since she'd arrived in Leon as a stranger, terrified of the unknown and convinced she was making the biggest mistake of her life? Now she couldn't imagine being anywhere else.
The sound of car doors slamming drew her attention to the circular driveway, where Bertram was helping a very pregnant, very uncomfortable Lavinia out of their SUV. Henry hovered nearby with the anxious energy of a man who'd raised these siblings.
"There's my favorite patient," Quinn called out, her professional warmth masking the flutter of excitement in her chest. After six months of monitoring this pregnancy, she was finally going to meet the little one who'd been keeping them all on their toes.
Lavinia looked radiant despite her obvious discomfort, her blonde hair pulled back in a messy bun and her blue eyes brightwith anticipation. At two weeks overdue, she was absolutely massive—a common occurrence in shifter pregnancies, Quinn had learned, as their babies tended to be larger than human infants.
"Quinn, thank God," Lavinia breathed, gripping Bertram's hand so tightly her knuckles were white.
