Beastly Desires (24 page)
One year later…
“We call this child
Kala
, meaning art.” Kaisal’s voice rang out loudly, carrying around the open space of the Colorado woods. “We name her after what moves and inspires others. We name her after something so beautifully and effortlessly created.” He paused, locked eyes with Kamali, and smiled. “We name her after the reason she’s here. Her mother took advantage of my vulnerable desire to be immortalized on canvas. She put paint where paint shouldn’t have gone, and I haven’t felt clean since.”
Laughter went up and Kamali made a face over the head of her daughter while Callum, who was standing next to his father, chuckled and Kaisal’s parents both rolled their eyes. Naresh snickered, Basanti bit her lip, and Dublhainn openly smirked. Tigers, wolves, and lions alike all stood around them, watching intently as Kala’s naming ceremony commenced. The fact they were willing to do this confounded Kamali, and she hadn’t been able to open her mouth for hours after Kaisal suggested it for fear of openly sobbing.
Days after they’d finally settled all the Oriade businesses and decided to continue with the luxury hotel franchise, Kamali went into conception heat. This resulted in herself and Kaisal sequestering themselves in Naresh’s old cabin. It was considered old now because they’d decided to have a bigger, better one built in the mountains for him after all the damage they’d done.
A week hadn’t even gone past before she’d finally recognized she was pregnant. Anxiety and elation made her reveal it to Kaisal who only shrugged and said, “I knew after it happened. Your scent changed but I figured telling you in the middle of you sticking your tongue in my ear would probably dampen the mood so…”
That
resulted in screeching. A
lot
of screeching.
The excitement had spread steadily through the pride and their immediate family. Callum hadn’t seemed too pleased when he found out he’d be receiving a girl for a sibling but the first time he held her, Kamali’s son had been shocked into silence. Soon after, Kaisal’s parents—who’d she’d met a few months after reclaiming Oriade property—arrived with gifts and low grumbles about how bad Kaisal was at keeping them updated about his life. Kaisal argued with his father
a lot.
His father, who Kamali found to be similar to Enilo but a bit sweeter, threatened Kaisal
a lot.
And Kaisal’s mother, who was all of five feet of kind disposition, had to snap and snarl at the pair to make them stop
a lot.
Yet, here they all were, gathered around for a tradition that Kamali had honestly never thought she’d experience again. The love she felt radiating from each shifter unburied emotions long hidden. Home. This was
home.
“We vow to honor and protect this child, this magnificent gift, with our lives. We vow that she will be loved and cared for. We vow that this cub, one of our own, will know the joy and exasperation of a family,” Kaisal finished.
“So shall it be,” Kamali imparted.
“So shall it be.” Her mate, his parents, his cousin, his sibling, and their friend repeated.
“So shall it be,” the pride announced.
With that, roars and howls sounded in the air. One after another until it was a symphony of noise.
Kala moved about, pale blue eyes blinking wide at the sounds. Kamali rubbed noses with her daughter and whispered for her ears only, “Allow me to tell you a story that you won’t remember later in life when I repeat it,
if
¹
.
It’s a story of love…”
The End