Southern Shifters_Lion for Her

by Brandy Walker

  God, it was like finally finding home. The knot in his chest unraveled the longer he held her in his arms. And if it were up to him, she’d never be out of reach again.

  He’d missed her something awful the past two weeks. He was grateful when his brother finally let her go. Much longer of Mack stringing her along, and Van would be ending their relationship for him. Van’s lion was too possessive of the woman he couldn’t have. He and Mack had both felt the mating call for Maddie, but there was no way in hell they would or could share.

  They’d made a private pact to leave it up to her without attempting to influence her decision. Time spent with the sexy ligress was the only thing they could do. When Maddie started to gravitate toward the more outgoing twin and unknowingly chose Mack over him, he’d been devastated and resigned himself to being there as her friend.

  He soaked up all of the attention she would give him, hoping it would be enough to satisfy him throughout the years ahead.

  It wasn’t. Each year that went by, and his brother didn’t claim her, killed a bit of Van’s soul. Maddie deserved more from his brother than he gave her. Now, it was his turn with the ligress, and he aimed to claim her heart and soul.

  Maddie’s scent drove him to distraction, his lion’s canines pushed through his gums. Her smooth neck called to him. The animal wanted to claim her right then and there, not wanting to let her go. Van pushed the beast back, struggling for control. He would need it in order to prove to her that she was his. He expected his Maddie to initially balk at what he planned on telling her. He’d wear her down though, and if it took sweet kisses and hand holding, he’d do that too.

  Before he could pull the lion back all the way, Van grazed the tendon that ran along the top of her shoulder and neck with his teeth. He bit down, pressing against her flesh. Not enough to break the skin, but enough to leave a mark. It would pacify his lion for now. But not for long.

  Maddie gasped and wiggled in his arms. He almost missed the shudder rolling down her voluptuous frame. “Van, what are you doing?” She threaded her fingers through the hair at the back of his scalp. He didn’t know if she was trying to pull him away or push his canines further into her skin.

  The chime of the door sounded vaguely in his ears.

  Maddie batted at his shoulders. “Put me down,” she whispered harshly.

  There was no way he would. She felt too damn good in his arms. He suctioned his lips to her neck, taking a long draw. He’d leave a hickey for sure.

  “I suggest you do what they lady says,” a voice growled from behind him. The strong scent of wolf invaded his nose, making him sever contact with her sweet skin in order to look behind him.

  Maddie pushed against his shoulders firmly, trying to break free. He set her down and turned around, keeping her shoved behind him. “I don’t believe I asked you to interrupt.”

  “Dude, you didn’t need to. The lady said to put her down, and you clearly weren’t.” The giant man, who’d walked silently through the door, stepped up to Van. He sniffed and reared his head back in shock. “You’re pure bred. What are you doing here?”

  “I came to bring Maddie back home.”

  The guy’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You her ex-boyfriend she thought was her mate?”

  “No. I’m that idiot’s brother.”

  “So, he sent you to do his dirty work?” The man growled, raising the hackles on the back of Van’s neck. He didn’t know who the fuck the guy was, but he acted like he had some sort of claim on Maddie. He’d relieve him of that idea. Maddie was his, and no other man would get in his way again.

  The woman in question pressed between them, like only Mad Maddie would, her hands pressed against each of their chests with not a care in the world for her safety. Just because she was stronger than the average lion or wolf, it didn’t mean she couldn’t get hurt. Not when it was two sexually mature shifters she stuck her luscious body between.

  Van reached for her arm to pull her out of the way, but she smacked his hand away.

  “Stop it. Greer, this is Van. Mack’s twin, the one I told you about. Van, this is Greer; he’s the second-in-command in this area, so it’s probably not a good idea to mess with him. Now, make nice and say hello.”

  Van wasn’t in the mood to play nice. He grunted, and that was the best he could do in the form of a greeting. He glared at Greer and Greer glared back.

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake. Stop with the testosterone. It’s making my liger twitchy.” She rolled her eyes and spun away. “I’m going to put a couple things away, lock up the back, and grab my things. You two better figure out who is taking me home by the time I’m done.”

  Van watched Greer as he watched Maddie leave the room. He knew the second she was out of sight. The other man snarled and bared his teeth. His gaze locking onto Van’s. “You’ve got some fucking nerve coming here.”

  “She’s my goddamn mate, and I’m taking her home.”

  “Like hell she is. She thought your brother was, and he dumped her for a skank.”

  Van frowned and Greer shrugged. “Her words not mine.”

  He certainly didn’t expect the guy to know much about Maddie so soon. She wasn’t one to talk or gossip about what went on in her life. Not even when everyone at school thought she was fucking both of them at the same time. She would give the gossipmongers and spiteful girls a pitying look and walk away. She never felt the need to defend herself, because she knew the truth and that was all that mattered.

  “Yeah, I know who you are.” Greer’s eyes narrowed. “If you are, indeed, Van and not Mack. Maybe you thought to come here and act like Van, because he’s the one she confided all her secrets to. The one she had a closer bond to and missed the most.”

  Hope bloomed in Van’s chest knowing she felt that way. That she missed him and not his brother. He’d always wondered how she felt about him. Was it only friendship? Did she wish she’d picked him? Did she know he was madly in love with her?

  Van gave the man a snarl of his own. “Maddie knows exactly who I am. She could always tell us apart, and she is my mate, so you need to back the fuck off. Mack and I both fell for her. Felt the mating call. She was drawn to him for some unknown reason, but now that it’s over, I’ll be claiming her.”

  Greer crossed his arms. “Why has it taken you two weeks to show up then, if what you say is true?”

  “I needed to sort a couple things out first. With Mack. Then with our parents. They needed to know my intentions before I came down here. I also wanted to get our place set up, so she could move right in. The most important reason though, Maddie needed time. I held out coming down here as long as I possibly could.”

  Greer’s eyes widened comically. Van felt a small bit of pride at knocking the nasty look off the man’s face. “Shit, you’re serious about her. What if she doesn’t feel the same way?”

  “Not an option. I know she felt the pull toward Mack, but I really do believe it was misdirected energy. We’re twins, so it sometimes happens. Plus, I never made my intentions clear like he did.” Van sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair in frustration. “And, why the fuck am I explaining myself to you?” His future lay with Maddie and her accepting that she’d made a mistake. The woman wasn’t big on admitting those.

  “How about because you’re in someone else’s territory, and it’s only polite to check in with the local brass.”

  “Fine. You’re second-in-command, consider this my check-in. Now, are you going to leave and let me take her home, or what?”

  “Definitely, or what. She gets the right to choose if she wants to go with you. I don’t mind her hopping on the back of your bike, but you’ll follow me back to Dark Moon.”

  “What’s to stop me from just taking off with her?”

  Greer shook his head. “Because, if you really do love her, you’ll give her the chance to say no. You can spend some time there with her in sight of all of her new friends. If you’re lucky, I’ll even get you a room to stay in, but not with her.”r />
  Van thought about it for a minute, but his time was up before he’d made a decision.

  “What’ll it be boys? Are we all going to be friends, or do I need to hitch a ride back to Dark Moon?”

  Greer’s eyebrow popped up in question, and a smirk lifted the corners of his mouth. Damn, what Van wouldn’t give to be able to wipe that smug look off the guy’s face. “You’re gong to ride with me, and we’ll follow your friend here back to where you’re staying.” No way in hell was he calling it home.

  Chapter Six

  Maddie threw her leg over the seat behind Van, a pack of butterflies rioting in her tummy making her hold her breath in anticipation. The spark she felt when she threw herself into his arms…it was there again, tenfold. It made her nervous and excited, and not in the hey, my best friend just showed up kind of way.

  No, she wanted his lips back on her body. For him to lick his way up her neck and across her jaw to her mouth. She wanted to feel the rough texture of his tongue against her lips before shoving inside to suck the sanity out of her.

  She never expected him to follow her to Deals Gap. She’d been surprised and elated, and then utterly confused. Her arousal bubbled to the surface, and for the first time in a very long time, she didn’t feel guilty about her feelings.

  There was something different about him. He seemed…possessive, determined even, and damn if that didn’t turn her and her liger on. The heat of attraction, which seemed to simmer in the background every time he was near, skimmed across her flesh. Her nipples tingled and puckered, pressing against the satin of her bra. Her pussy moistened, and she prayed there would be too many new scents mingling in the air for Van to smell her arousal.

  She’d always been secretly embarrassed when she got turned on so quickly around him. She’d thought it was because of Mack; but at some point, she began to wonder if Van had actually been the one she’d truly had a thing for. It was too late now to test those waters. At least, that’s what she thought.

  She placed her hands gingerly on his sides, almost afraid to hold on tighter. Already, she wanted to skim her hands over those rock hard abs of his. Feel the bumps and dips against her palms. But that would be wrong. So—very—very—wrong.

  You just need to remember that.

  Van, apparently, knew nothing of her traitorous thoughts. He gripped her hand and pulled her closer. Her front plastered to his warm back. “Wrap your arms around me, baby,” he said over his shoulder, “and hold on tight.”

  No sooner had he said the words than they took off. Greer was in front of them, the deep, roaring sound of his bike familiar, helping keep her marginally grounded to the here and now.

  Van’s bike, a big black Harley, rumbled and vibrated between her legs. The seam of her jeans pressed up against her clit, pushing her toward a hands-free orgasm. She did notice her ass was considerably more comfortable on the back of his bike than it had been on any of the others she’d been on. It was as if she belonged with him in that moment. As if he’d made sure she would be comfortable wrapped around him.

  They hit the twisties of the Tail of the Dragon quickly. Maddie found herself closing her eyes and holding on tighter to the man in front of her. She inhaled, absorbing Van’s scent. It was similar to Mack’s, yet completely different on some level. They had both smelled of earth and musk. But where Mack’s reminded her of a light summer breeze, Van’s made her think of dark, rich nights. Of sex and passion.

  Those dangerous thoughts had her loosening her grip and drifting back slightly. He grabbed her hand again and slid it up his chest until it rested above his heart. She had to lean into him, smashing her breasts against his back. A soft triumphant roar reverberated around them and pulsed against her.

  If Van weren’t careful, she’d think he was interested in her as more than a friend.

  * * *

  Maddie climbed off the back of the bike like a pro, and damn that irked him. Okay, maybe it was more jealousy than anything else, that he hadn’t been her first motorcycle ride. He would be the last guy she ever rode with, though.

  Van set the kickstand and climbed off. He rested his hand on Maddie’s lower back. Not ready to stop touching her now that he’d had her in his arms again.

  Every other time he’d had the pleasure of feeling her against him in the past paled in comparison to when she jumped into his arms. The sheer elation brightening her pretty face. The flare of heat when her skin brushed against his. Then he had the privilege of having her plastered to his back. Her plump, juicy breasts crushed against him. Her thick thighs cradling his hips. Fuck, that had been sheer bliss and extreme torture all tied up into one delicious package.

  He’d been hard before, thanks to her curvy body wrapped around him, but when she’d slid her arms around him and clung to him…it was mind-blowing. He wanted to grab her hand and push it down to his crotch, so she understood what she did to him, but it was too early for that. Maybe later that evening he could go about setting things right between them. Showing her how a mate should treat his woman, which was nothing remotely like how Mack had treated her.

  Van took a quick look at the building they were about to enter. The Dark Moon was an old wood two-story structure that looked more like an old time saloon rather than a modern day biker hangout. Which, if he judged from the number of bikes parked out front, it was.

  Passing through the front door, he was thrown back in time again. Classic rock filled the air and dark wood was everywhere: Floors, walls, and even the bar. There were some tables and chairs covering a portion of the open space in front of them, with people occupying most of them. In the far corner, he spotted two pool tables with a fair amount of people circling them.

  “They do pool tournaments a lot around here. Not sure there’s much else to do, really.” Maddie must have noticed the direction of his gaze. She didn’t sound too impressed, but if it was the only entertainment…

  Van grunted and decided he wouldn’t allow her to head over there. His lion pressed closer to the surface now that they were around more shifters. From the looks and smells, they were hybrids mostly. The scents of wolf, cougar, human, and bear comingled with something else that was definitely more pleasing…food. His stomach grumbled, and he wondered if he’d be able to eat. The trip down the back roads took time and had few places to stop for food. The lion was starved and not just for sustenance.

  Maddie grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the bar. Greer walked behind it and poured them each a shot of what looked to be scotch. He plunked two down in front of them, then raised his glass in the air. “To what’s probably going to be a great show to watch.”

  Maddie looked between Greer and him with her cute little forehead scrunched up.

  Van grabbed his drink and clinked it against Greer’s. “Just drink up, babe.” He tossed his back and felt the burn all the way down to his stomach. Clenching his teeth, he grimaced and shook his head.

  “Rough shit, isn’t it?” Greer snickered. Maddie tossed hers back without the embarrassing flinch. The woman did like bitter, fire-breathing drinks. Half the time he wondered if there was some dragon in her bloodline.

  “I’ll take another, and while he’s doing that,” she turned toward him, “you can tell me why you showed up out of the blue. And the real reason this time.”

  * * *

  Greer looked between the couple in front of him, and couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t think the big lion would get Maddie to fall under his spell as quickly as he hoped. He’d learned over the last two weeks that she was stubborn as hell when she wanted to be.

  It had been great for Sienna and Gage, since she practically pushed Sienna out the front door one day and told her not to come back for a week. The couple was appreciative and; thankfully, Maddie could bake the hell out of some donuts just like her cousin.

  He would to enjoy watching Van try to convince Maddie they were mates. He’d never heard of twins feeling the mating pull for the same woman, unless they both actually were her mates. For
one of them to not be, well, it was strange. But then, maybe things in Sugar Mountain worked a hell of a lot differently than they did in this area.

  Chapter Seven

  Maddie tossed back her second scotch and tapped the bar top for another. She knew Greer would keep ‘em coming without making much of a fuss. They’d played a drinking game one night while they sat up and talked. Unlike her, she’d poured her heart out to the wolf. Her troubles with Mack. Her forbidden desires for Van. God, what a night. Every time she said either of their names, they took a shot.

  She almost drank him under the table. If only she hadn’t gotten cocky and slammed two doubles that last round. He’d had to carry her giggling ass to her room.

  Thank god for shifter strength.

  She studied Van next to her. He vibrated with a tension that bordered on defensive. Now that the shock of him showing up had worn off, thank you scotch, she thought she might be able to concentrate on his sudden appearance.

  “So, what gives, Van? Why are you here?”

  Van’s dirty blond eyebrow rose in one smooth motion. A secretive smile graced those lips she’d had fantasies of tasting. Every girl wanted to know how similar the twins were. She’d already kissed one…repeatedly. There was no reason she shouldn’t be able to find out about the other one.

  Damn it, stop that. That voice in the back of her head was bad news.

  He knocked back his second drink as well, eyes fixated on her. The glass hit the bar top with a thunk. “Like I said, I came for you.” His words dipped low, making the fine hairs on her body stand on end. Fuck, she’d missed that voice.

  She swallowed hard to push down the emotions welling up in her throat. “I’m not getting back together with Mack.”

  A small snarl lifted his upper lip. She could hear the faint rumble of his lion. Movement in the glass-backed bar caught her attention. A couple of people turned their way. Greer waved at them to mind their own business.