The Lion's Purpose

by Billie Willow

  Archer made a promise to himself right there that if he and Lara ever made it out of this place alive, he’d tell her the truth about his father as soon as he could.

  “Are you okay?” Archer said softly, he tried to keep his voice calm, after all it was the only way he could comfort her but deep down he felt like Lara didn’t even deserve his attempts at comfort, she deserved better than to be stuck next door to the son of a killer.

  “I’ll be okay” Lara sobbed out, she sniffled, and he imagined her wiping her tears away with her hands. “So anyway, I’m not a shifter so I don’t know what they want from me” She said. Archer could hear the attempt at bravery in her trembling voice. Bravery for opening up about her parents and bravery for her effort to cover up the fear she was obviously feeling right now.

  “Are you sure you’re not a shifter?” Archer asked. He couldn’t sense his animal but that didn’t mean anything right now since his shifter abilities were still absent.

  “Last I checked, I was still human” Lara said, he could hear a slight smile through her words, and he saw an opportunity to cheer her up.

  “Maybe your animal is just really small that you haven’t even noticed when she’s taken over. Maybe you’re a mouse shifter” He said, smiling.

  “I think I’d know if my body turned into a mouse” Lara sounded like she was enjoying this banter, at least Archer hoped so.

  “Hmmm, maybe you’re a fly shifter or a bee. Bzzzzzzzz” He said, facing the bars of the door to make it easier for her to hear.

  A soft giggle escaped from the other side of the wall and he was met with a strange satisfaction that he had made her laugh. It was a feeling that he wanted to continue. For some reason, her giggle sent a shiver down his spine and a warmth in the seat of his pants. What the hell was going on? Was he so sex starved that he was attracted to the first woman he came across? The thought of sex and Lara in the same sentence made his pants tighten as he adjusted his growing erection. Not the time. Not the place. Archer feigned a cough and stood up to change the subject and to move the blood away from his throbbing crotch. He walked to the bars and put his hands around them as close as possible to Lara’s cell. It was impossible to see her but at least he could feel close to her.

  “What kind of a shifter are you?” Lara said as she came to stand next to Archer and gripped the bars of her cell. Neither one of them could see each other but the thought that there was just a wall between them made Archer feel better. After all, right now, they were in this together. Two strangers that were bound together by more bad things than good.

  “I’m a lion” Archer responded A broken lion. “they tranquilised me when they brought me in and whatever was in there put my animal to sleep. I can just barely sense that he’s in there, so right now, I’m practically human.”

  Chapter 7

  Is that what happened to me? Did I get shot with a tranquiliser? Is that why I can’t sense if I have an animal inside me? I can’t even remember how I ended up in here. Lara thought to herself, she had so many questions in her mind, circling over and over, looking for answers that couldn’t be found. The man the voice belonged to was a lion. How is that even possible? She had heard of shifters through books and movies but never imagined they truly existed.

  The sound of shouting and scuffling echoed suddenly from the door at the end of the corridor, interrupting her thoughts.

  “What’s that?” Lara whispered from where she stood, still gripping the bars nearest to Archer’s cell.

  “It sounds like they might be bringing more prisoners in” Archer replied casually from directly on the other side of the wall. If he was scared or apprehensive, it didn’t show through his voice.

  The door at the end of the hall was thrown open. A man appeared being frog marched by two guards and one following closely behind. As they approached, the guards pushed the man so hard he fell to the ground near Lara’s cell. She gasped in shock and stepped back as fast as she could until she felt the cold concrete of the wall against her back. She had a perfect view of what was going on outside her cell and she didn’t want to attract any attention to herself. The man was lying face down but right before his face hit the floor, he caught himself with both hands so what could have broken this man’s nose, ended up looking like a well-orchestrated push up. He must be a shifter too.

  The man on the floor wore a tight grey t-shirt that clung to his broad shoulders and had a black tattoo that was poking out the end of one sleeve. She traced her eyes up to his face and froze when he turned his head to the side to face her. He was grinning ear to ear, smirking as blood poured out of his straight nose to his lip. He had ruffled light brown hair that looked almost blonde under the florescent light above him and he was staring right at her with piercing hazel coloured eyes.

  He kept his eyes trained on her for a few moments too long before he pushed himself up and turned to face the three men that were dressed head to toe in black uniforms, looking more like a swat team than guards. She thought he was going to fight them, but he leaned against the jail cell opposite hers and casually said “So… this one mine?” he asked the men and pointed to the cell he was standing next to. “Or do I get to cosy up to this pussycat?” He said suspiciously as he turned and walked directly to the bars of her cell, locking eyes with her the entire time.

  Mystery man was still staring her down when a growl escaped the Archer’s cell, Mystery man darted his eyes to Archer and took a step back. “I see” he said as he turned his back to her. The guards had opened the cell door opposite her at some point during their stare off and as mystery man walked into it, he flicked two fingers in the air and laughed “Goodluck getting conjugal visits in here!” What the hell did that mean?

  The slamming of the cell door closing made Lara jump. One of the guards pointed a finger at mystery man through the bars of the now closed door “Don’t even think of trying to escape, dog!”. The guard spat out the last word as he followed the others back towards the door at the end of the corridor. “Wouldn’t dream of it. Dick!” Mystery man spat out the last word in a similar way as he casually laid back on the bench in his cell, arms locked behind his head, making himself comfortable.

  “What did you say to me?” The guard from before stormed back to the man’s cell door. He was close enough that Lara would see a vein throbbing on the side his temple in rage.

  “Nothing” Mystery man said, whistling to himself like he didn’t have a care in the world.

  Angrily, the guard turned around to face Lara and Archer’s cells “Don’t forget to give your new cell mate a warm welcome” he sniggered, then turned and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

  “Heeeey Roomies” Mystery man waved from his make-shift bed on the bench.

  Lara waited for Archer to say something, but he didn’t. It was becoming awkward and Lara wasn’t good at awkward silences. “Hey” she said as she took a step forward from where she had been standing with her back against the wall.

  Mystery man stood and walked to his cell door, he gripped the bars, lifted his chin and flared his nostrils “Did they take your animals too?” he asked, eyes darting between Lara and Archer’s cell.

  “I don’t think they can take away our animal’s permanently, I can still feel him in there but can’t reach him just yet. Once the drugs wear off, I’m sure my lion will be ready to break out of here” Archer’s determined voice came from next door.

  “I..I don’t have an animal” Lara said softly, wondering if she should be admitting this to the stranger.

  Mystery man huffed a laugh and said “Yeah, you do”

  “No really, I don’t. I didn’t even know what a shifter is until today… or tonight…or whatever time it is” Lara’s voice trailed off as she realised she had no knowledge of time in here.

  “Lady, I seem to still have my shifter sense of smell, and you are definitely a shifter. Your pussy is raising my wolf’s hackles” Mystery man said, eyes intent on Lara

  “Don’t talk to her lik
e that” an angry voice came from Archer’s cell. This man just kept surprising Lara, now he was standing up for her.

  “ - well, technically it’s called a Piloerection when the fur is standing on end but I’m sure he can tell you all about things standing on end” Mystery man continued with a smirk, watching Archer.

  Suddenly Lara heard a low growl come from Archer’s cell and the mystery man let go of the bars and put both hands up in surrender. “Hey man, I was only trying to say she’s a cat because she is one. She’s a panther. Can’t you smell her?”

  Silence.

  “Anywaaaaaayyy, I’m Sebastian. Seb for short.” Seb said as he put his hand through the bars and mimicked a hand shake in mid-air in the direction of Lara and then Archer.

  “I’m Lara but I’m definitely not a panther” She said, feeling very confused, something about that statement didn’t sit right with her but she didn’t know why.

  “Lara” Seb repeated “nice name” He smiled at her, this time it felt genuine

  A short growl escaped Archer’s cell before she heard footsteps and out the corner of her cell she could see Archer’s hands grip the bars again “Archer. My name is Archer” he said. His voice rough as if he hadn’t used it for a while, and why did he keep growling? Was it something that all shifters did?

  “Lara, remember when I said never trust a wolf?” Archer called out to her, loud enough for Seb to hear.

  “Hey!” Seb said from his cell as he frowned and crossed his arms over his chest

  “Well, meet your first wolf” Archer sighed as he pointed his index finger in Seb’s direction.

  “So, when do they bring the food around?” Seb’s voice interrupted Lara’s thoughts

  “I must have missed the room service menu on the way in, sorry” She heard Archer say sarcastically from the cell next to her, she could almost imagine him rolling his eyes as he spoke. She kind of enjoyed his witty comments, it was a good distraction from the situation they were all facing.

  Seb walked to his bench seat and sat down with a sigh, he leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “I think I could go for an extra-large pepperoni pizza right about now” he looked between Lara and Archer’s cell before continuing “What about you guys? If you could have anything to eat right now, what would it be?”

  She heard Archer scoff from his cell “How the hell can you be thinking of food right now?”

  “Well, it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting out of here anytime soon so you can at least humour me” Seb said with a look of annoyance.

  “Ribs…I’d have Rib’s drenched in BBQ sauce” Archer’s voice echoed softly from next door

  “Ha. No surprises there, Simba” Seb replied.

  Lara couldn’t help but stifle a grin before she went on to think of her own answer. She didn’t really want to think of food since she was so hungry it felt like her stomach was beginning to eat itself, but she didn’t need to think too long to know what it was she would want. After all it was her lifelong weakness “Krispy Kreme Donuts”.

  “I bet you’re a chocolate glazed kind of girl” Seb said, he moved one hand to his elbow and the other hand to his chin as if he was thinking about it.

  “Krispy Kreme’s huh?” Archer’s sexy voice rumbled from next door

  “Yep” she said proudly. Who were these guys to judge her sweet tooth, they were stuck in this mess just as much as she was “and nope, I don’t like the chocolate ones. I’m a simple gal, original glazed all the way”

  She heard a quiet laugh come from Archer’s cell before he said “When we get out of here, I’m going to take you for Krispy Kreme’s”

  Despite the situation she was in, Lara couldn’t help but smile “It’s a date” Fuck “No, I mean, that would be nice. Not a date though, just as friends.”

  Well…even stuck in a jail cell, facing her impending death, she was still incredibly awkward when speaking to members of the opposite sex.

  Lara had never been happier to have something break the awkward silence that filled the air after that Freudian slip, even if that something was the door at the end of the corridor opening. She looked in the direction and saw a woman walk in wearing a white coat. She walked towards Lara’s cell, the click clacking of her heels in time with Lara’s thumping heart beating out of her chest. The woman had her hair pinned back tightly into a bun at the top of her head. She wore a full face of makeup and kept her hands in the pockets of her white coat as she came to a stop at Lara’s cell.

  The woman pressed her finger to the biometric finger scanner on the outside of the cell that Lara hadn’t noticed before. The small box beeped, and the woman guided the heavy cell door open. “Come with me please” she said with authority as she opened her coat to show a pocket full of large syringes. Lara wasn’t about to risk getting drugged with one of those syringes, so she took a step forward, struggling to make her legs cooperate.

  “Where are you taking her?” Archer’s concerned voice came from the other side of the wall as Seb walked towards the door to his cell and gripped the bars.

  “Now. Please.” The woman prompted, ignoring Archer’s question.

  Lara’s feet felt like lead as she tried to put one foot in front of the other. What would have been a few steps, felt like forever as she finally reached the open door to her cell. The woman in the coat held her hand out, gesturing for Lara to go first and as she took another step forward, she looked back to Archer’s cell and what she saw made her stop in her tracks. She could finally see him clearly. She stood there taking him in as she noticed he was barefoot and shirtless but wearing low hanging jeans that hugged his hips. Her eyes were drawn to the perfect ken doll lines of muscle that led down towards something Lara could only imagine. She swallowed heavily as she traced his rippling abs and steel chest with her eyes, the muscles in his arms were clenching as he gripped the bars of the cell door so tight his knuckles were turning white. It was then that Lara raked her gaze up to meet his eyes, a rich, deep brown colour, just like she imagined. He had the same black hair that she pictured but it wasn’t as short on the sides. His chiselled jaw was covered in a short stubble beard but besides that, he looked eerily similar to how she thought he’d look. A warm, tingling sensation ran through her as she lost herself in the deep, rich colour of his eyes. The moment was short lived when a hand on her back pushed her slightly in the direction of the door at the end of the corridor and she was brought back to the harsh reality of the situation. She turned and walked a few steps towards the door before she realised this might be the last time she ever saw Archer.

  Locking her legs in place, she turned one last time and looked back at him. This time she noticed the concerned look on his face, but she ignored that as she memorised his features. If she was going to die, then she would die remembering his handsome face.

  Chapter 8

  “Fuck!” Archer yelled out as he gripped the bars to his cell, shaking them as hard as he could. She was gone.

  Archer had finally seen her and now, he couldn’t get that image out of his head. Even after being imprisoned in this place for God knows how long, her clothes stained and the dried blood on her forehead, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She wore denim jeans that hugged her curves and a black top that was low enough to show a peak of cleavage. Her hair was a dark brown that hung loose below her shoulders and her eyes looked almost caramel coloured under the fluorescent light.

  He didn’t know why he felt so drawn to Lara but the thought that he may never see her again made him feel like he was losing a limb. Like a part of him was missing when she wasn’t around and right now, he could only image what kind of torture she was being subjected to. It was tearing him apart that he was helpless to stop her from being taken away. All Archer wanted to do was break down the walls to his cell, find her and take her to safety. Hell, he didn’t even care about his own safety right now, only hers.

  “She’s your mate, isn’t she?” Seb said calmly from his cell w
here he was sitting on the bench, elbows resting on his knees.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, and this isn’t something I’d choose to talk about with you anyway” Archer said as he moved to sit down on the bench seat.

  “Calm down dude. It’s obvious she’s your mate. You’re not exactly toning it down. What’s with all the growling anyway man?” Seb leaned back, getting comfortable again.

  “I don’t know, okay? I don’t fucking know!” Archer said too loudly that his voice echoed down the corridor. “I’m rogue and a monster, I can’t have a mate. I need to be alone. Besides, she’s human, she doesn’t know anything about fated mates!”

  “She ain’t human man, and you know it” Seb said casually lifting his shirt up at the hem to wipe off any blood left on his nose from when he first arrived.

  “Then why can’t I smell her?! I smelled your wet dog stench before you even came through the door!” Archer stood and began pacing his cell. “She has to be human, she didn’t even know shifters existed!”

  “Don’t you know that wolves’ sense of smell is far superior to that of a lion’s?” He smirked as Archer couldn’t help but let out another growl. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault but she’s definitely got a panther in her. Maybe she’s just a late bloomer. I’ve heard of stories where the animals don’t come out until they are around other shifters and the instinct takes over. Maybe that’s what’s happening here. I guess we’ll find out” Seb said nonchalantly. “Oh, and my parents are happily mated, you can tell when fated mates are around each other and you two look like it. I think you can’t smell her because you’re too busy thinking of ways to bang her, which is funny because it’s physically impossible since you’re locked in a prison cell” Seb huffed a laugh.