Living a Lion: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Sleeping Lions - Shifters Prime Book 1) (11 page)

“That’s right, nothing illegal. But that doesn’t mean we don’t find things that don’t necessarily want to be found. Like Kane here. Right now, he does not want to be found,” Frasier said, switching off the engine and getting out of the car.

“I will be glad to stretch my legs,” Amara said to Kane.

“Me too. And to eat. I am starving,” he said, opening the door and climbing down.

He held out his hand and helped her. Amara hadn’t realised how much she had stiffened up on the journey, and if she wasn’t so hungry, she would have joined the men on their run. Instead, she sent them off and began to fill a pan with water. Coffee, and then she would cook a meal from the supplies Frasier had brought along.

Then later, after they had eaten, she was going to persuade Kane to take her on a moonlit walk through the trees. She had a different scratch that needed his attention. And he was the only man who could ease it.

Kane squared his shoulders and took a flying leap at the bear. If there was one thing he had learned in the short time he had spent sparring with Frasier, it was that the bear didn’t have the same speed and agility as a lion—but he sure could pack a punch with his big bear feet.

“The thing you have to do,” Frasier’s advice rang in his ears, “is read your opponent, see what they are going to do before they do it.”

That was how Kane managed to avoid the bear’s claws as they sliced through the air, scratching the surface of his lion hide. A thrill of excitement coursed through him; he was getting better at this. Landing on all four paws, he immediately did a kind of a lion back flip and arced through the air to catch the bear off guard, landing a swipe on Frasier’s jaw.

The bear reeled back, and Kane went for the kill. Or at least his jugular. He wasn’t really going to kill the bear—they needed him—although if he made Frasier’s throat sore, he might not be so inclined to talk so much tomorrow.

Kane opened his mouth, his teeth full of bear fur. And then the world exploded in starlight.

***

“Did you have to hit him so hard?” Amara’s voice came to him from so far away. Her sweet, gentle voice, tinged with annoyance. But not for him, surely not for him.

“He was going to win. And he’s not ready for that,” Frasier was saying. So that was whom she was pissed with. Maybe he should keep his eyes shut for just a moment longer, let her give the big bear a good tongue-lashing.

But instead, Frasier’s voice dropped. “Look, I’m trying to keep him alive. If I let him win, he’ll think he’s ready, and he’s not. Serrif is not going to pussy-foot around, he will kill Kane if he gets the chance. If what Darius says is true, we already know he’s a killer.”

“What do you mean, if what Darius says is true?” she hissed at Frasier. “I thought you were on his payroll.”

“I am,” Frasier said. “But I get paid by a lot of people, and believe me, what comes out of their mouth is not always the truth. It might be what they
want
people to believe is the truth, but … well. You are a big girl; you know what I mean.”

“All I know is that Kane needs to believe in someone. And that someone has always been Darius.” She was silent, and Kane knew he should open his eyes, but he didn’t; he wanted to give himself a minute to mull over what had been said. And then Amara asked the question that he would have asked, the question that needed an answer.

“Frasier, do you believe that Serrif killed Kane’s father? Because I don’t want my mate getting into something, fighting with Serrif, if it’s not true.” Her voice was direct when she asked, “Is Darius lying to Kane?”

“No. At least not about Serrif killing Remus. Now, I will swear I never said this if anyone asks, but I know Serrif killed Remus. But where Darius was that night, I don’t know.”

“Was he with Kane’s mother?” Amara asked.

“Who knows, and maybe it doesn’t matter. Or maybe it is a thing Kane needs to ask his mom or Darius. But the answer won’t change what Serrif did.”

“Thank you,” Amara said. “You should eat. I’ll get Kane some water and try to get him to wake up. If he’s concussed, you know I’m going to be hanging your bear hide on my wall.”

“He’ll be fine.” Frasier moved away, his voice fainter when he said, “He’s lucky to have you. You will make a fine queen, or whatever it is you will be when he beats Serrif.”

“You think he can beat him?” Amara asked. “Because part of me wants to kidnap him and take him far away from all this.”

“Now, where would be the fun in that?” Frasier asked.

“Bears!” Amara sighed and then said, “Oh, I think he’s waking up.”

Kane stretched his legs and pretended like he was waking up, hoping it didn’t look as fake as it felt, but if it did, Amara showed no sign. She simply leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.

“Welcome back.”

“Are you an angel?” Kane asked.

Across by the fire, Frasier sprayed his dinner out of his mouth, while Amara laughed and helped him up.

“Oh, yeah, he
is
concussed,” Frasier said.

“I’ll get you next time,” Kane said, sitting up and feeling his head spin.

“In your dreams,” Frasier said.

“OK, now I know you’re all right, Kane. That means you get to keep your bear hide for another day,” Amara said to Frasier. “Come on, Kane, you need to eat. Then I thought we could go for a walk.”

“I think I like the sound of that,” Kane said, sitting up and then moving towards the fire. In his head, his lion sat with his pride dented at being knocked out by a bear. But the thought of walking with their mate in the moonlight soon made him forget, but not forgive. He would get that bear. He would keep training until one day no one would beat his lion.

“You know, we hardly know anything about each other,” Kane said. They were seated on a log in a clearing. Above their heads were millions of stars, making her feel small, but with Kane’s arms around her, she didn’t feel insignificant.

“Do you find it weird, knowing I am your mate?” she asked. “In Shifters Prime, we are pretty much used to finding our mate and settling down and then getting to know each other. Which is the fun part.”

His arms tightened around hers. “For me, it’s strange. I grew up expecting to meet a girl, take her out to dinner, maybe a movie. Meet her parents, and then get married in a year or two, unless they were keen to get their hands on my bank balance, then I guess things would go quicker.”

“Yeah, I totally missed out there. I should have got you to show me the delights of your world before I dragged you over here to be a penniless lion.”

“When I beat Serrif, I’ll have my father’s assets back, right?” Kane asked, his hand going to stroke her neck and send thrills down her spine. She shivered and nestled close to him, feeling the warmth of his body and the beat of his heart.

“Yes, as long as you win by the Pride Rules. And as long as he still has assets. I’m not sure what kind of man he is,” Amara said.

“And what about you, and your family?” he asked, kissing her neck in such an exquisite way, her body erupted in butterflies.

“My family? Now, that is a good question. I mean, they thought they sold my contract, so I hope they are happy when I return home.” She had reservations that they would think there was something underhand going on. Never in their wildest dreams would they expect their daughter to turn up, so soon before the end of her contract, with a pride leader in tow.

“Surely they will be pleased.” His hands began exploring her body, and she sighed contentedly.

“Can we forget about families for now, and fights that have to be won, and just be two people who have found each other under the stars?” She leaned back on his shoulder and turned her head so his lips could meet hers.

An electrifying pulse ignited the flames of desire that burned for him. A deep need unfurled, to thread through her veins, setting her nerve endings on fire. Every part of her clamoured to be touched by him, to feel his hands brush her skin.

Kane slipped one hand inside her shirt and cupped her breast, his thumb brushing her nipple, while his mouth plundered hers. His tongue slid along her lower lip, and she opened her mouth for him, allowing him to taste her fully. She met him, her tongue entwining with his, while his fingers tweaked her nipple, making her whimper against his mouth.

“I want you, Amara, here under the stars,” he whispered when their mouths parted.

She stood up, feeling confident in the waning moon as it caressed her body. Slowly, deliberately, making sure he watched her every move, she took her clothes off. Never had she felt more sensual as she did now with his eyes ravishing her body. First her shirt fell to the floor, and then she undid her pants, letting them slide down her legs. Slowly, she stepped out of them, stopping to stand upright, her hands on the clasp of her bra. Kane watched, shuffling uncomfortably, the hardness of his cock wanting release.

When she unclasped her bra, and her breasts spilled forward, he licked his lips and she wanted him to taste them. Going to him, she straddled him, sitting in his lap, her clit pressed against his hardness. She made small movements, using her body to increase their arousal, while he lowered his head and kissed her nipples, nipping her flesh, teasing her, until she ached for him to be inside her.

Slipping backwards, with his arms around her so she didn’t fall off, she undid his pants, freeing his long, thick cock. It stood hard and erect, desperate to be sheathed in her warm, moist sex. Lifting herself up, he guided his cock, so when she lowered herself again, he inched inside her.

They both gasped at the sensation, the day’s stresses forgotten as she went lower and lower, his cock filling her.

“Oh, that’s good,” he said, and his hands gripped her hips, helping her to move with a rhythm that brought their arousal to fever pitch. Up and down, she lowered her body, until she was completely impaled on him. Then she began to rock her hips, stretching her sex around him.

She laced her hands behind his neck, her mouth seeking his, while his hands moved to her breasts. He was inside her and all around her, taking her to new heights, and following wherever she went until they exploded in unison.

Amara threw her head back, the stars above her head bright and cold, shining down on them as they celebrated the warmth of their love. She wanted to cry out, and tell the world she had found her man, her mate, but she was acutely aware of Frasier, only a mile or so away. So she bit his neck, burying her head in his collarbone while her orgasm carried her away into the night.

“We should get back,” he said.

“I know, but it’s nice being here with you, just the two of us.”

He kissed her. “One day, we will be carefree and happy, but right now I have things I need to do,” he said.

“A destiny to be filled.” She kissed his neck, breathing in the scent of him.

“I never knew I would have a destiny,” he said. “I always thought I would spend my days sitting at a desk, or in the boardroom. My uncle kept the secret so well.”

“Do you think there are other secrets he keeps?” Amara asked.

Kane stared up at her, his face lit by the moon. “You mean about the night when my father was murdered?”

“Yes,” she said.

“I’ve given it a lot of thought. And I think that whatever happened, whatever guilt he carried, that by taking me away and keeping me safe, he has done his penance. Being here under the stars, running free, well, I don’t know how he gave it up. I don’t know how he has denied himself everything that he is.”

“Including his mate,” she said, brushing Kane’s hair back and kissing him.

“Including his mate,” Kane murmured. “I don’t know how he lives without her love.”

Back on the road again, but the atmosphere in the truck was more relaxed. Perhaps it was because Frasier had beaten him last night and no longer felt threatened; this whole top-predator thing had thrown him. Now Kane realised that the business world he had been brought up in was fake. Out here, it was very real, real fists, real claws and he had to learn as much as he could as fast as he could, because Serrif would have had a lifetime of training in Shifters Prime. While Kane was going to have a hard time shrugging off the young pretender image.

“How much do you know about Serrif?” Kane asked Frasier.

“Met him once. He put in an order for a consignment of microchips.”

“And you found them for him?” Kane asked.

“Now you’re catching on.” Frasier grinned. “Yes. They aren’t the easiest thing to get across the border. The humans don’t want us developing any technology. We’re supposed to know our place, and that is under them. They try to forget that some of the brightest, sharpest minds turned out to be shifters. The splitting of the world was bad for us all.”

“Do you think we’ll ever go back to how things were?” Amara asked.

“Nope, at least not in my lifetime. They are scared, and understandably so. We are more powerful, and we have the ability to turn them,” Frasier said.

“Wait. What?” Kane asked. “I didn’t know that, it’s not common knowledge in my world … in the Otherworld.”

“Those in charge like to keep it quiet,” Frasier smiled at Kane. “Do you know how many women come across that border to get turned by one of us filthy, sexy beasts?”

“No. But I can guess. People are always dissatisfied with what they have. So they think if they become something different, it will make them happier.” Kane watched the scenery change. They had passed through the mountains and thick forests and were now travelling along flat grasslands. He could almost imagine lions out here: it wasn’t quite the savannah, but it was second best.

“There was some big debate with the tribal leaders in the Prime, and the chiefs passed a law that said anyone who turned a human was responsible for them, for the rest of their lives. It made a huge difference. Imagine if you find your mate and have to explain that there is another man or woman in your life. That does not go down too well. Mates don’t like sharing, so it rarely happens these days.” Frasier laughed. “It’s some crazy world we live in. Exciting, though. You never know what you’re going to get faced with next.”