by Marie Mason
“No.” The abrupt answer was not lost on Bachar. He had not known his little mate for very long, but he could sense she was not telling him the whole truth. Plus, there were things he already knew. Things she had no idea he knew.
“Why did he come here?”
“He wanted to see shifters.”
“We are not animals on display at the zoo.” His voice held a note of such icy disdain.
“I know that. He knows that. He meant no respect,” she hurriedly assured him.
“I am the leader of my pride, little one. Make no mistake about my superiority.”
“Oh, no one could escape your superiority.” She turned to look at the window and effectively ended the conversation.
Bachar tensed as she turned away, wondering what had happened. The hint of deceit still lingered in the air, and he realized that his guest, while not exactly lying to him, was withholding information that she thought would displease him.
Throwing her one last glance, he turned his attention back to the road, mentally gearing up. While the government had given shifters this area many years ago, there was still discontent within the local population. He needed all his wits about him at the moment.
He definitely didn’t need the complication of a mate right now.
Or ever, he growled at his lion as it started to protest yet again. The cat was becoming extremely annoying.
CHAPTER THREE
THEIR JOURNEY UP the mountain was not what Sally had expected, but then, everything had taken a sharp turn away from normal the moment she had met Bachar. They had driven for well over two hours, up and up, until she thought she’d need an oxygen mask to counteract the height to which they traveled. But, she owned up with a grimace, the lack of oxygen in her lungs was due entirely to the fact that she’d sat beside the seductive shifter for so long, his intoxicating smell filling her senses.
She’d been surprised when he’d climbed behind the wheel himself, dismissing the man who had obviously arrived to drive them. Their conversation as they’d traveled had also surprised her. Well, not his arrogance, but his intelligence. Not that anything about this man should have surprised her. After all, he was the alpha of his pride. A very wealthy pride if the car they traveled in was any indication.
She was no car enthusiast, but she knew this one had not come straight off the assembly line. For one thing, the windows were bullet proof. How did she know? When she had looked out the window to watch the beautiful, snow covered scenery, she’d noticed the side window held a small defect, which, upon closer inspection revealed the fact that it had been made by what could only have been a bullet.
She’d also noticed the other four wheel drive vehicle with its darkened windows traveling behind them. A security detail no doubt.
They had just reached their destination, another luxury hotel, when the snow started to fall. The flakes were wet and heavy, and she immediately begun to worry. Where was her brother? Was he someplace safe? Some place warm?
Bachar was out of the car and opening her door before she could focus her thoughts. He helped her from the high seat by placing his hands on her waist and simply lifting her down. Her eyes flew to his in shock at this show of strength.
“What?” he asked, a frown marring his features.
“I’m way too heavy for you to be lifting me like that.”
“Do you doubt my prowess?” His hands tightened on her waist, and she swore he was about to pull her closer when a voice sounded behind her.
“She does not like to be helped, Alpha.” Tarek stood behind Bachar, watching and listening to their exchange.
Bachar lowered her to the ground. To cover her unsettled feelings, she snapped. “I dislike having strangers touch my ass.”
“Your ass?” Bachar spun on his heel and glared at his guard. Sally took the opportunity to move away. As she walked towards the hotel, she heard the two men exchange words in a strange language and smiled. It served the intense bodyguard right, even though she’d never once thought about reporting his actions to his boss.
As she neared the door, it was opened for her by an older gentleman dressed in a blue sweater and a pair of jeans. “Welcome to the Lion’s Pride.”
“Thank you.” Before she could say anything else, Bachar and Tarek entered. Instead of the look of remorse she’d expected to see, Tarek gave her a small, almost smug smile. Bachar gave her an intense glare.
“Alpha.” The man who had opened the door for her greeted Bachar.
“Daniel.” Bachar acknowledged his greeting with a regal nod of his head. As Sally watched, she realized it had nothing to do with the man’s reference to him as alpha, the gesture was just naturally inbred in Bachar. While she thought that, she realized also, that the slight arrogance would not necessarily be present in all alphas. Despite his slight disdain for his African cousins, that middle-eastern attitude was clearly present in this lion.
By the time she brought her attention back to what was going on around her, her luggage—the ratty, old backpack—had been brought inside. She bent to pick it up, but before she could, Daniel grabbed it.
“Daniel will see you to your room, Sally.”
She shook her head quickly. “No, I need to start searching for my brother.”
“No. You will stay here. Tarek already has a lead.”
He turned as if to walk away and she grabbed his arm to stop him. That same zing of electricity that had burned through her earlier when they’d shaken hands was back. The palm of her hand where she touched him felt like it had been branded. She rubbed it across her denim covered thigh. Wow, she thought. What had that been all about?
“Then I definitely want to come with you.”
Bachar ignored her and turned to Tarek. “Get the vehicles ready, please.” The words were clearly a dismissal, and yet the other man hesitated, his gaze shifting to Sally before landing back on Bachar.
“Very well.” He bowed slightly before turning and striding from the hotel.
When Bachar started to walk away, Sally stepped into his path. Immediately, all activity in the room stopped. She ignored the fact that she and the lion shifter had become the uncomfortable center of attention “I want to go, Bachar. He’s my brother.”
“And you are a guest in my territory.” He emphasized the word guest with a tone that made her shiver inside. “You will do as you are told.”
“What if I don’t want to?” She clenched her jaw and returned his stare. Those dark eyes of his seemed to look into her very soul.
“Then we will have to discuss your punishment.” He closed the distance between them until his chest almost touched her breasts. Breasts that were suddenly aching and tingling. He was a wall of raw, masculine dominance that called to something deep inside her.
“Punishment?” One fine brown eyebrow rose. “You wouldn’t dare.” Or at least she hoped he wouldn’t. She was banking on the fact that he wouldn’t want any bad publicity leaking out about how shifters treated women tourists. Technically, she wasn’t a tourist—or at least she wasn’t exactly a legal one.
The deep laugh that greeted her statement turned her knees weak. “There are two ways a lion deals with a willful woman.”
“Oh, what are those?”
“We kiss her until she submit.”
“Or?” She had to clench her thighs together at the thought of him kissing her.
“We put her over our knee and spank her until her plump ass is a fiery red. Which would you prefer?” His tone had dipped into a dark plane. It made her pussy swell with anticipation.
“I’m not your woman.”
“Bachar.” A masculine voice called from the doorway. She shivered and looked out the glass front of the hotel. The snow was falling at a fast and furious pace. In the short amount of time since they had arrived, at least a half inch had already accumulated.
Her gaze landed on Tarek. He was dressed for the weather, wearing a dark jacket with a thickly lined hood. Beneath the jacket, she could see a weapon strapp
ed to his side. He looked intimidating as hell. “We should get going if you wish to reach the destination on time.”
“Let me go with you.” Sally knew her tone bordered on disrespect, but she was desperate. While she wanted to place her trust in this man, this lion, she’d been dealt a raw hand one too many times. She’d learned long ago only she could look out for her best interest. And the best interest of her brother. The reason she was here.
If possible, Bachar stepped closer. So close that she could feel the solid outline of his build pressed against her curvy frame. So close that she could see the golden amber flecks in his dark eyes. So close that their breath mingled. So close that if she leaned just a fraction of an inch closer, their lips would be touching.
“I do not like the tone you are taking, Miss Wilder.”
“I need to find my brother. I—”
The desperation she was feeling must have sounded in her voice for his large hands came up and cupped her shoulders, and he gave her a forceful shake. “You will not go out alone, is that understood?”
“I—” Again she failed to string two words together to form a cohesive sentence. His nearness was doing something to her.
“The snow kills. The mountain can take your life in an instant.”
“He’s my brother.” She put forth the only defense she had for the stubbornness that would not allow her to back down.
“Do not test me on this, woman. You will not like the outcome if you do.” His gaze fell to her lips, and for one instant it felt as though he was touching her there. Giving her that punishing kiss he’d talked about.
“Alright, I won’t go out alone. I promise.”
“Do you make promises lightly?”
“No.” She dropped her eyes, refusing to stare into his too wise eyes.
A finger nudged her chin up. “I will find your brother, Sally. Do not worry.”
With that, he strode across the room and out the door that Tarek held open in anticipation of his alpha’s departure. Neither man looked back as they strode out into the swiftly darkening evening.
Sally stood there, her arms wrapped around her middle trying to protect herself from the cold outside and the cold that had settled deep inside her soul at the thought of losing her brother.
Bachar climbed into the passenger seat of the huge four wheel drive Tarek had prepared for their journey. A jacket, gun, and knife lay in the backseat. Bachar didn’t bother with the jacket, but took the gun and knife and strapped them to his body. Not that he anticipated needing them, if things started to go south, he would simply shift and make short work of his adversaries. Yes, some would call him egotistical and what had Sally called him? Conceited. Yes, he was more than conceited when it came to his ability to please the women he took to his bed.
“I hope you know what you are doing.”
“Aww, the voice of reason.” Bachar leaned back in his seat, trying to calm his lion. It was on edge. The animal sensed something was amiss on their land and also agitated by the lingering scent of their mate.
“Someone needs to be. You’re giving off enough pheromones to attract have the female population in the region.”
“And that would be a bad thing? At least then, you might find one willing to go to bed with your tight ass.”
Tarek threw him a look that would have killed a lesser man on the spot. “I don’t need your help getting a woman to satisfy my needs.”
“Good. Then you will refrain from touching Sally ever again.” Bachar allowed his voice to deepen, allowed his cat out to warn away the wolf.
“You taking a mate would not be an ideal situation at this time, friend.”
Bachar sighed. “Is it ever a good time to allow a willful woman to steal the heart from your chest?”
His words were met with silence as he’d suspected they would be. Neither man had fared well when it came to women. “Now tell me what you have discovered.”
“I have prepared your room for the night.”
As Sally watched the taillights of Bachar’s vehicle disappear, Daniel appeared beside her, silent and still, her backpack dangling from his hand. At his words, Sally immediately started to shake her head. She couldn’t afford a room here, she was certain of it. Her only hope was that they allowed her to stay here in the lobby until Bachar’s return. “I don’t need a room, but thank you.”
She reached out to take her bag from him, but he pulled it away. “The room has already been taken care of Miss Wilder. If you will follow me.” He turned and walked toward the shiny bank of elevators near the back of the room. Looking around at the other guests and staff members she realized she had very little choice in the matter. Unless she wanted to stay here and remain the focus of attention for the remainder of the night. She got in the elevator with the older shifter and decided to make the best of it. If she had to find a part-time job when this was all over to pay the bill, so be it. The most important thing was getting Nick home safe and sound.
Daniel pressed a button on the panel that had no number beside it, and she frowned. Not one to let the grass grow under her feet, she asked. “Where are we going?”
Daniel continued to stare straight in front of him. “To your room.”
The elevator stopped and opened into what Sally immediately recognized as a private hallway. Only one door was present. A strange sense of excitement flooded through her. Not that she wanted to share the same quarters with the infuriating lion. Well, okay, maybe she did. Just a little. But, she also knew she would feel safe and protected with him close by. She’d had nightmares since her mother had died that she and her brother would be attacked by shifters, torn apart, limb from limb. Her, because she was not as a shifter, and Nick because he could not control his animal.
Daniel pressed his thumb against a small black box and the doors opened to what she could only assume was Bachar’s suite. Her guess was confirmed when they walked inside. A glass wall made up the far side of the room and small floodlights placed strategically on the eves revealed the snowy wonderland outside. Small lights embedded in the hardwood floor near the entrance, guided them inside.
It was above and beyond anything Sally had expected. To the left of the room was a kitchen she was sure most gourmet chefs would envy. Next to that was a large living space with huge chocolate colored leather sofas and matching chairs. Everything was scaled to fit the massive size of shifters. For the first time in her life, Sally actually felt small in comparison.
To the right was a platform that contained a bedroom area bigger than some New York apartments. At each corner of the bed was a massive post from which a flowy, rust-colored piece of chiffon hung. It reminded her of a Sultan’s palace. She allowed a small smile to curve her lips. That was, no doubt, the look the lion shifter had been going for. He might protest his relation to the African lion, but he surely appreciated the decadence of their lifestyle. And his inbred arrogance could not be denied.
She frowned when she realized the bedroom was surrounded by huge, glass walls and wondered how many times someone had inadvertently walked into them. She also wondered why they were there. They served no purpose as far as she could tell.
“Allow me.” As if sensing her confusion, Daniel walked over to one and waved his hand across the glass, immediately, the glass changed, going from translucent to frosted in a matter of seconds. Daniel turned back to her with a knowing smile. “The Alpha likes his privacy.”
She felt a blush steal across her cheeks. No doubt the room was sound proof as well, she thought, a surge of what felt like jealousy rushing through her at the thought of Bachar on the bed with other females.
Daniel walked across the room and picked up a remote on the huge coffee table and clicked a button. Immediately, a fire sprung up in the river rock fireplace that dominated the back wall. It had been built to the side as to not interfere with the view from the glass wall. He then strode back to where she still stood in the doorway and laid her bag on a dark wooden table near the entry. “If the Alpha has not r
eturned by dinner time, he has requested that you take your meal in your room.”
“Of course he has.”
Daniel’s voice and the conveyed message snapped Sally out of the stupor she’d seemed to have fallen into. How could she have expected less from such an arrogant man? She had to remind herself yet again that she needed that man and his arrogance to find her brother.
“Do you require anything else at this time?” Daniel stood patiently at the door waiting for her response.
Sally gave him her best smile, even if it was a tired one. “No. You have been more than helpful. But, if it’s not too much to ask, could you please tell me if you get any news of my brother before the alpha returns?”
Daniel bowed slightly. “Of course, dear. We are all praying for his safe return.”
Sally pondered that as she closed and locked the door behind him. While she might be in a hotel full of shifters—she was after all, in a hotel full of shifters and sometimes one couldn’t be overly cautious.
CHAPTER FOUR
SALLY REALIZED THAT she could quickly get used to the decadence of having everything at one’s deposal. After Daniel left, she allowed herself to explore her opulent surroundings, knowing she would never be in such a place ever again. She stood for several long moments in the front of the glass, amazed that it was not very cold to her touch despite the snow storm that blew outside. Next, she went into the kitchen, trailing her hand along the dark granite countertop, thinking this kitchen—in a hotel room of all places—could easily pass for her dream kitchen.
Oh, what it must be like to be rich, she thought. Or, just able to pay your bills on time and still have some money left over at the end of the mouth.
Deciding there was no way in hell she would ever be able to repay Bachar what this room cost, she decided to take advance of his generosity and opened the refrigerator, in need of something to drink. She was not disappointed. The inside of the stainless steel appliance was stocked with every imaginable beverage known to man, plus a large selection of wines that would put a five-star restaurant to shame.