The Shadow Lion King

Missed Meeting

'Talking to their werecat'

~Mind-link ~

Ryder's P.O.V.

Running my hand through my hair I sigh heavily before I reach into my pocket and pull out a cigarette. Lighting it I take a very long drag as I then let out a billow of smoke as I exhale. As I do, I can feel my body relax as I continue to smoke. That is until the door to the pride house opens my brother Liam and his mate Izzy step out. As soon as I see that Izzy, I quickly put out my cigarette. Since she is seven months pregnant, and the smoke isn't good for the baby. She looks at me worried as I only smoke when I am stressed. "Are you okay Ryder?"

"Yeah, I am okay just a bit tired I suppose. What about you how are you and the little cub in there feeling?"

She brightens up at the mention of her unborn cub. "We are both doing good. I think all three of us are ready for him to come out already. Especially with how he is kicking."

"I bet luckily you only have a couple months left. Now are you ready to head out."

"Yep."

Liam huffs as he hears this making us both chuckle. "Sorry little brother we would bring you along, but you are too far behind on your paperwork. One of the few prices to pay for being my second in command."

Liam rolls his eyes at me though a smile does form on his face when Izzy kisses his cheek. "If you get it done by the time, we get back I'll make your favorite dessert for after dinner tonight."

I chuckle when I see him perk up as she has gained his interest. "Promise?"

Laughing she smiles sweetly at him. "I promise."

"Alright I'm off to work then."

Planting a kiss on her lips he then quickly heads back inside the pride house. Turning her attention to me she grins loops her arm through mine. "Alright let's go then."

Chuckling I roll my eyes. "When are you going to tell him that his favorite dessert is currently being store bought."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him besides my back hurts far to much to be doing that. Besides why are you complaining it gets him to finish all that paperwork done."

"Okay. Okay fair point."

"Exactly."

Pulling some keys out of my pocket with my free hand I unlock the SUV. Opening the passenger door for Izzy I help her get into the vehicle. Once she is in, I close the passenger door before getting into the driver's seat. Starting the engine, I drive to drive off of the pride territory to a small party store. Quickly finding a parking space I shut off the engine and help Izzy out of the vehicle. Walking into the shop we start to look around and try to find what we need. "Hm what do you think Ellie would like better? The horses or the dinosaurs?"

"Knowing her definitely dinosaurs besides the horses look kind of creepy."

"Yeah, they really do."

We continue to get the supplies for Ellie's welcome home party as she has been gone for almost two weeks. Even though it isn't really long it is the longest she has been away from me. She would be coming home in three days, and we wanted everything to be ready for her. After we got everything, we needed from the party store we then headed to Izzy's college.

Heading inside I let her lead me through the empty halls to the administration office. While she heads into the office space to talk to her college adviser about changing to online classes since she is due soon. I find a seat out in the hall and take a seat and pull out my phone. Scrolling through my phone I play some games as I do I rub the bridge of my nose tenderly. As I had accidently broken my nose in a training session with a group of new warriors. One of them having gotten in a lucky punch. Though because of it my sense of smell is going in and out as my nose is still healing.

Hearing footsteps I perk up tearing my graze from my phone as a student walks past me. As I watch him walk down the hall something else catches my attention. It being a small whisper of a gasp making my head turn towards to the sound. That is when a sweet scent finds itself way to me. Standing up from the chair I put my phone away and sniff the air as I follow the scent. It being in the same direction of the gasp that I had heard. The scent smelling of wild berries with hints of orange along with something else that I can't place as my nose isn't working properly yet. I am about to round the hallway when Izzy's voice pulls my attention. Alright I am all done. Um... Ryder what are you doing?"

Glancing over at the hall I then look down at her. "Hm? Oh, nothing I thought I smelt something."

"Alright then let's go home we are famished."

Chuckling at this I smile softly at her. "How about we pick you two up some food on the way back then. Whatever you two want. No limits."

Izzy's smiles grows as she rubs her belly tenderly before she stretches on her tippy toes in order to plant a kiss on my cheek. Though I did have to lean down a bit, so that she could. "We are definitely going to hold you to that Ryder."

I chuckle again as people start to fill the hallways as they do Izzy loops her arm through mine, so that we don't get separated. Not that we would as people are giving us a large berth. Which isn't unusual due to my build and appearance especially because of the scar on my face. We are starting to leave when I smell the scent again. Turning my head to look down the hall I find my eyes locking onto a red-haired woman who is walking away from us. It bothers me as I can't figure out why I feel drawn to her. Eclipse not being able to figure it out either as we can't properly identify her scent yet.

I frown slightly but push it to the back of my mind as I walk Izzy back to the car. Heading to the grocery story we do a bit of shopping we then head to a couple fast food places. Getting Izzy and her baby whatever they are craving as well as getting some lunch for me and my brother. Finally pulling up to the pride house I kill the engine and get out helping Izzy out like I have been. Her arms being filled with bags of foods and drinks grinning happily. Chuckling I open the front door for her before I head back to the SUV to get the rest of the bags. Heading inside I shut the door behind me as I follow after Izzy as I already know exactly where she is heading. Finding her at my office door waiting for me I open the door for her as her hands are full.

As we go into my office, we find Liam hunched over my desk doing his paperwork, clearly being lost in it as he doesn't notice us. I put the bags in my arms on one of the sofas before taking Izzy's food from her. Freeing up her arms, so that she can go my brother. Wrapping her arms around him she kisses his cheek making him jump slightly. Though as soon as he sees that it is Izzy, he smiles softly kissing her on the lips. Clearing my throat, I make my own presence known to him. His eyes snapping to me when he realizes that I am there the tips of his ears turning slightly red. "Hungry?"

Clearing his own throat, he stands up once Izzy lets go of him. "Yeah, I can eat."

Sitting down on the sofa I had set my bags on Liam and Izzy sit down on the sofa across from me. There being a decent size coffee table that between us that I had put the food and drinks on. Giving Liam his food I then grab my own the remaining several bags belonging to Izzy. As we eat my mind can't help but wander back to the scent that had caught my interest at the college. It was bothering me not being able to properly identify the rest of the scent. As I could easily pick up on the strong smile of wild berries and the hint of orange.

It being that last bit that I can't place which for some reason is driving me crazy. I don't know why, but it just feels, so important to me for some reason. Putting my food down I close my eyes and take a deep breath as I think even harder about this. Knowing that this is bothering my lion Eclipse as well I make him help me try to figure out the smell. Together we finally figure it out what the unidentifiable smell in the scent it being vanilla and spiced sugar. Wild berries with hints of oranges combined with the perfect mix of vanilla and spiced sugar. That is when I am taken back by the words that leave Eclipse's mouth only seconds later. 'That is our mate's scent.'

"Mate's!"

A/N

There we go an extra chapter just like I promised I hope you guys like it please tell me what you think I have a lot more to publish and will try to start publish regularly I promise.