The way she'd commanded respect during their training session, the fluid precision of her movements, and the quiet confidence that radiated from her every gesture—those pride members had witnessed all of it. More importantly, they'd seen how she elevated his own performance, pushing him to sharper focus and better technique through her expertise.
This is what partnership looks like,he realized with growing certainty. Not weakness or dependence, but two powerful individuals making each other stronger.
"You handled meeting some of my pride members well," he said as they entered the spacious dining room. "I could tell they were impressed."
Riley moved to the dining table with easy familiarity, already comfortable in his space. "They seemed curious more than anything else. Though I caught a few skeptical looks."
"They're just protective of the pride," Adrian explained as he sat down. "But once they see you compete tomorrow, any doubts will disappear quickly."
The thought sent possessive satisfaction coursing through him. His mate would demonstrate her skills in front of the entire pride, proving beyond question that she possessed the strength and discipline worthy of standing beside their Alpha.
He had finally found the perfect mate who could lead beside him and enhance rather than diminish his power.
ELEVEN
RILEY
The dining room's light cast warm golden streaks across the polished mahogany table where Riley sat across from Adrian, picking at her breakfast of fresh fruit and perfectly prepared eggs. The estate's opulence still felt surreal—crystal glasses catching sunlight, silver cutlery that probably cost more than her monthly rent, and the quiet efficiency of staff moving through distant hallways. Everything here breathed old money and established power, a world so removed from her cramped apartment and struggling gym that she might as well have landed on another planet.
Her phone's sharp ring cut through the peaceful atmosphere, Lila's name flashing across the screen. Riley's stomach dropped as reality crashed back into her consciousness like ice water.
The gym. Her classes. Her responsibilities.
"I need to take this," she said, already pushing back from the table with apologetic urgency.
Adrian nodded, his blue eyes tracking her movement with that protective intensity she was learning to recognize. The partial bond between them pulsed with his concern, a warm rush of emotion that still felt foreign and overwhelming.
Riley stepped into the hallway, her finger swiping across the screen just before the call went to voicemail.
"Where the hell are you?" Lila's voice exploded through the speaker without preamble, sharp with worry and irritation. "Why aren't you at the gym right now? Your intermediate class starts in twenty minutes, and I've got a lobby full of confused students asking where their instructor is."
Riley closed her eyes, guilt twisting in her chest. She should have called first thing this morning, should have explained, should have handled this like the responsible business owner she prided herself on being. Instead, she'd been so consumed by Adrian's presence, by the earth-shattering events of last night, that everything else had scattered from her mind like leaves in a hurricane.
"I should've called you earlier," Riley admitted, pacing the length of the hallway's Persian runner. "Something major happened last night, Lila. Something intense and crazy, and my emotions and mind have been completely scattered."
"What the hell happened?" Lila's tone shifted from irritation to concern, the kind of protectiveness that had cemented their friendship years ago.
Riley took a shaky breath, not sure how to begin explaining the impossible. "Adrian showed up at the gym last night when I was doing my workout. He apologized for rushing off six days ago and explained why he did that, and I might have... accepted his apology and had sex with him in my office."
Silence stretched across the line for several heartbeats before Lila's voice returned, higher and more incredulous than before.
"That is not like you at all, Riley. You don't do impulsive sex with guys you barely know, especially not in your own office. What the hell got into you?"
Heat flooded Riley's cheeks as memories of the night before crashed over her—Adrian's hands on her body, the desperatehunger in his eyes, and the way her carefully constructed walls had crumbled the moment their lips met. The intensity of their connection had felt inevitable, like gravity or breathing, something beyond rational choice.
"There's more," Riley said quietly.
"What else could there be?" Lila's voice pitched even higher, and Riley could picture her friend's expression—eyebrows raised and mouth slightly open in preparation for whatever bombshell was coming next.
Riley glanced toward the dining room, where she could hear the low murmur of Adrian's voice speaking to someone, probably Mark or estate staff. The sound sent warmth spiraling through the bond between them.
"He's a tiger shifter," she said in a rush. "And I'm at his pride estate now, about an hour outside the city."
"Wait, what?" Lila's voice cracked slightly. "Why would you go to his house? Riley, please tell me you're okay?—"
"A tiger tried to attack me outside my apartment last night," Riley interrupted, the memory of those predatory eyes and bared fangs making her shiver despite the estate's warmth. "But Adrian was there, and he shifted into his tiger form and saved me. Then he said that because I'm his mate, he wanted me here where he could protect me."
The silence that followed was so complete Riley wondered if the call had dropped. When Lila finally spoke, her voice was carefully controlled, the tone she used when processing information that defied everything she understood about the world.