by Amy Sumida
“Thanks for last night,” I taunted her. “The boys are very hospitable.”
I watched her lean into her haunches, gathering her muscles, and I tensed in anticipation. I didn’t have long to wait, she was air-bound in moments. I had the pleasure of being the nimble one that time. I rolled expertly out of the way and ended up in a fighting stance behind her. She twisted quickly, then leaped again, and again she barely missed me.
“Is that all you got?” I sneered but then frowned when I realized there could be no banter. “Damn! Why’d you have to shift? It’s just not as fun if you don’t taunt me back. Didn’t you get the memo? Missed your weekly arch nemesis meeting? You’re supposed to rant and rage, telling me your plan to rule the world, in great detail, before you leave me to certain death at the hands of one of your minions. Oh wait, you don’t have any minions. They’ll all mine now.”
She lunged out with her humongous paw and actually landed a light scratch. I edged back and gave up the taunting in favor of concentrating on not getting killed. Fair trade I think.
She went on the offensive again, roaring and flailing powerfully. I ended up on my back and I wasn’t sure how I got there until I felt the burning in my side. My left side again, right over the bruises I was already sporting. She was so strong, she'd actually torn through the metal. I'd have to rethink the plates. Torn up as it was, the metal ended up hurting more than it was worth. Sharp edged metal pressing into a fresh cut is not the most enjoyable sensation. Maybe I'd have to switch to high impact plastic.
“Fuck,” I hissed and stumbled to my feet. I wasn't there for long. She took me down again, not with a swipe but with both paws on my shoulder. My sword went flying and I heard my collarbone crack from the pressure. Such a small sound really but it heralded some immense pain and I screamed like a little girl. I was really embarrassed and I hoped the guys couldn’t hear me, wherever they’d taken Blue. Funny that, I was about to be savagely killed by a lion goddess and all I could think about was how embarrassingly I screamed.
The good thing was, my embarrassment took my mind off the pain and refocused it on the subject at hand. Mainly not getting savagely killed. Long, glistening teeth were inches from my face and her lion eyes were filled with triumph. My sword glinted at me from beneath a pool table, mockingly out of reach. There was only one thing left for me to do, only one trick left up my sleeve and it didn’t matter if it killed me because at that point it was just a question of how, not when. I’d rather be in charge of the how than let psycho kitty have the honor.
So I reached out for her magic, imagining the power being drawn into my body like I did when I gathered power for a spell. The triumph shining in her eyes became confusion but I knew better than to hesitate. I almost screwed things up the last time by hesitating, I wasn’t about to do that again. So I pulled strongly on the spark I found inside her, mentally gripping it with both hands and tearing it from her soul.
She jerked back and opened her mouth to roar but what came out was a very human, very feminine scream. If it hadn’t been so horrifying, I would’ve been relieved to hear her scream worse than I had. But it was horrifying, as well as deeply and psychologically wounding, watching a lioness writhe and scream with a woman’s voice. I knew I had fodder for years worth of nightmares, as I stood to face her.
I closed my eyes and focused on the power, on the bright rivers of energy flowing into me, the strength of the magic melding with my bones. I felt my wolf rise up, almost in challenge to the new power. They faced off for a moment, pausing the transfer, before my Nahual inserted herself between them and forced them to get along for the greater good. The lioness padded through me, finding a space all her own and then stretching out till I thought my skin would burst.
Then the power hit me and I fell to my knees. It was warm, thick fur, quiet strength, musky sex, and the calm confidence of a predator. I heard a thundering sound, like hundreds of lions roaring at once, and smelled the comforting scent of clean cat, thick in my nose. It was like burying my face into Nick… times ten… thousand. Heat zipped along my skin, tingling over my body in waves until finally receding to a pulsing thrum of energy.
I tried to open my eyes but images flashed before me, replacing the carpet with rocky soil, the room with open grassland, and I shut them again quickly. They continued even brighter against my eyelids, the ground was flying beneath my feet, no… my paws. A herd of some sort of long legged, deer-like animal ran before me. I leaped and felt my teeth sink into a furry neck. Warm blood flowed into my mouth and it tasted good, so good. Sweet-salty heaven flowing down my throat, giving its life for mine. I shook my head free of the image but when I opened my eyes, I was closer to the floor than I should’ve been. I blinked slowly in confusion and opened my mouth to say, “What the hell?” but all that came out was a growl.
Oh shit. Oh fuck. Oh shit!
I looked down and saw paws. There, beneath me, were thick limbs covered in golden fur. I swung my head, looked over my shoulder, and saw my tail swish quickly in agitation.
I guess I shouldn’t have been so shocked. I mean what else would Nyavirezi’s power have been? But you try shifting into a four-hundred pound lioness. You would have needed some recovery time too. Unfortunately, I didn’t get it.
A small whimper drew my attention. Nyavirezi was dying. I was a little surprised she wasn’t dead already. I padded over to her and she stared at me in terror. I’d never seen such stark horror before and I never would have imagined it could thrill me like it did.
On top of her delicious fear, I felt great. All my cuts, scrapes, and broken bones had healed in the change. I roared triumphantly, the sound echoing back to me from the walls, and pressed into her shoulders like she’d done to me. She had changed back to human and it was human fear I smelled on her, human fear that excited the animal I’d become.
Without thought, I closed my mouth over her neck and ended what would have been a slow death, quickly. Maybe I should have let her slip away, maybe she deserved every second of pain I could give her, and I'd most likely regret it later but the lioness was too strong in me at that moment and animals didn't engage in torture. It's just another sign of their moral superiority to humans I guess.
With her blood, came the last of her magic, rushing over my tongue in metallic vibrancy. It whizzed through my veins like it was looking for the finish line, while her life blinked out softly. Dying was probably the most gentle thing she’d ever done. Just a whisper of breath as I crunched through her neck like a Ritz cracker. I knew I should be horrified but it just felt so amazing, tasted so luscious; warm, silky and thick. That's what life tastes like and I wanted more, I wanted it all. No wonder Trevor loved the hunt.
Trevor.
I saw his face clearly, his honey-eyes boring into mine with disapproval. “We never eat human flesh,” I could hear his voice inside my head. “We may hunt them, we may kill, but we do not eat of their flesh. We are not just animals, we are the children of gods.”
I shook my head, droplets of blood flying everywhere. I wasn’t an animal, and I wasn’t a god but I was human. I hoped. I’d cling stubbornly to that until someone proved otherwise.
The body beneath me, suddenly sickened me and I backed away until I was huddled near the door, naked and shivering in my human body. I don't know how or when I'd changed back but as I rubbed my arms frantically, I realized it was skin beneath my fingers and I was grateful to be back in my own, as it were.
“Shouldn't have fucked with me,” I whispered to Nyavirezi's corpse.
I'm not sure how long I sat there looking at Nyavirezi, watching the blood puddle grow, rubbing my limbs, and trying to be as human as possible. It could have been a few minutes, it could have been a few hours, but I didn’t focus on anything else until a pair of jean-clad legs blocked my view. I looked up them slowly and was instantly soothed by the sight of Darius.
His eyes widened as he took me in. It probably had something to do with me being naked and covered in blood. He dropped t
o his knees and inhaled sharply before he brushed the hair back from my face tenderly. I saw his body shiver, muscles quivering, triggering an instant and violent response in me.
I wanted him. I could smell the desire on him, richer and sweeter than cheesecake. I licked my lips as a purr vibrated my chest. My purr! He leaned his head in and laid it gently on my shoulder, silky hair falling over my hot skin like rain on summer asphalt, cooling and steaming at the same time. His breath caressed my chest as intimately as I wanted him to kiss me and with no other thoughts in my head, I started to reach for him.
A wolf howl resounded inside my head, countered by the roar of a lioness. Claws to claws, teeth to teeth, my allegiances were being ripped apart from within. The ludicrous battle of my inner beasts effectively woke me out of my lust induced stupor. I pushed Darius away gently but firmly and the cacophony quieted. I took a deep breath, looked around, and finally noticed that all the Intare were there… and I was still naked.
“Can someone please get me something to wear?” I pulled my wild hair around me and stared up at them. More than a few of them took in deep breaths and drew closer but I heard one pair of footsteps break away and hoped he was fetching some clothing. “So the good news is, I won,” I tried my best to smile at them and act as if almost snogging Darius while I was naked and covered in blood, was a normal occurrence. “But there's a bit of a side effect. I had to take Nyavirezi’s powers. It looks like I’m one of you now.”
They all dropped to their knees beside Darius, just as Fallon came in with a cotton robe. I thanked him and pulled it around me as I stood up. I was a little dismayed to see how I instantly stained the pure white fabric, blood is such a bitch to get out, but I was even more discomfited when Fallon fell to his knees with the others.
“What are you guys doing?” I sighed as I belted the robe. “A simple thank you will be fine… and maybe some pointers on this lion magic.”
“It’s not lion magic,” whispered Darius who still hadn’t moved from the spot I’d pushed him back into. “It’s lioness magic and you are the new lioness. You’re our new Tima and I for one, am glad of it.”
There was a strong murmur of agreement and then a lust haze so thick, I almost fell to the floor when it hit me. My whole body trembled in response, my eyes closing and my head lulling back. They were all mine and I wanted them, needed to feel their bodies against mine, inside of mine. I cried out as the wolf clawed my insides again, howling in rage. This time it actually hurt. I would have been pissed but the pain really helped clear the fog-o-lust.
“What’s going on, boys?” I tried to sound casual but my whole body was trembling like a crack addict going through withdrawals. “Why do I feel like jumping you all?”
“Do you know what happens when a new male takes over a pride?” Fallon was creeping toward me on hands and knees, sniffing the air. I didn’t like the look in his eyes, or maybe I liked it too much.
“No,” I backed up slowly. I knew better than to run.
“The females go instantly into heat,” his voice lowered and his eyes started looking a little weird.
“So this is the same thing, just with the sexes reversed?” I looked at all the hungry faces and wondered if I’d jumped out of the rape pot only to land in the fires of lust. Out of the gang bang and into the orgy.
“Yes,” Aidan sounded a little out of breath, maybe it had something to do with him panting like a porn star.
“Oh fuck,” I whispered.
“Exactly,” said Darius who had somehow managed to sneak up behind me.
I jumped back and he caught my sleeve, pulling my robe open. The room took a breath and I almost fainted from the sudden lack of oxygen. Instead, I stumbled and Fallon caught me, laying me back tenderly as Darius crawled up my body. I had a sudden flash of Trevor, crawling up me with a playful smile, and I started to cry. I didn’t want to betray him but it looked like I wouldn't have a choice.
My tears stopped the Intare in their tracks. They sniffed at me and backed up, making soft mewling sounds. Lions turned into kittens. Fallon wiped the wetness off my cheeks, then rubbed his face to mine, and Darius pulled my robe gently shut. The lust thinned out of the air, leaving a tremulous peace in its wake.
“Forgive us, Tima,” Darius helped me sit up. “Sometimes it’s hard to fight the animal inside but our first instinct, above all others, is to protect you. Your tears are our tears. Please don't cry.”
It took me awhile to catch my breath and concentrate on what he’d said. It was like my life was changing every few minutes and I was trying desperately to keep up. My body shook, my eyes still wide, and I was swallowing convulsively.
“Tima?” I frowned as a horrible suspicion crept up behind me on tippy toes. Any minute now it would yell Boo! and scare the crap out of me. “That doesn’t happen to mean Queen or Princess or any other royal bullshit does it?”
“No,” Fallon pulled up a knee to rest one arm on casually. It was amazing how fast they'd gone from passion crazed to calm. From sixty to zero in sixty seconds.
“Phew,” maybe my instincts were off. I started to relax.
“It means heart,” Darius sprawled out on the floor and stared up at me, in what I was fervently hoping was not an adoring manner, no matter how much it appeared to be. “You’re the heart of the Intare now. The source of our magic and our life.”
“Oh,” I waved dismissively. “You don’t have to live in fear anymore guys. I promise not to kill any of you unless you try to kill me first.”
“That’s very reassuring, Tima,” Aidan chuckled but I saw quite a few relieved expressions. “But that’s not what Darius meant. You’re our goddess now and you’ve just inherited not only Nyavirezi’s powers but all her belongings… which include us.”
Boo! Screamed that damn suspicion and I nearly screamed right back, just once I’d like to be wrong. Well, at least when what I’m expecting is unwanted.
“You’re no one's belongings,” I felt my jaw clench in anger. What gave Nyavirezi the right to treat them that way? “You’re all free now. Free to fu… make love to whomever you like and go wherever you want.”
“Really?” The bald one with the bad attitude was changing his tune. “You’ll allow us freedom?”
“I’m not allowing anything,” I sighed. “You’re free. Period. That was the point of all this, remember? Go off and do… well, whatever you want to do. Spread your wings, little birdies.”
“You’re not understanding,” Darius finally sat up. “If we run off to be free, you’re allowing it. Whether you like the idea or not, you’re the Tima of the Intare. You’re our goddess and our heart. We can’t survive without you and we can never be truly free. We’ll always belong here… with you.”
“Please tell me this isn’t a case where you’ll all die if I don’t touch you every month.” What, did every shapeshifting club have that rule?
“No, it’s not about touching. It’s about control, and without it we won’t die,” Fallon’s eyes were glittering dangerously; “we’ll just go wild.”
“What?” I laughed a little hopefully. “Like Girls Gone Wild or something? Should I get a camera crew to follow you around?”
“No,” Darius touched me gently and I felt my new power shift to stroke against him through my skin. He looked startled for a moment but quickly recovered and splayed his hand against my skin to feel it better. “More like men gone crazy. You hold not only the magic of the Intare but the sanity as well. Without you, we will literally lose ourselves to our beasts. We need you to lead us, Tima. To keep us sane. To remind us that we're men as well as lions.”
“Lead you?” My laughter was slowly turning into hysterics. “I can barely lead myself away from the salad bar. I get into trouble every time I leave the house… Exhibit A,” I waved my hands wide to encompass them all. “And I live with a werewolf who’s not going to be pleased about me bringing home another eighty stray cats.”
“We’ll continue to live here, Tima,” Darius patted me l
ightly. I don’t think he was used to a woman getting hysterical on him. “We’ll just need you to check in with us. Often.”
“How often is often?” I narrowed my eyes on him. “Often as in the way Trevor looks in on his club or often as in how much you need to stir risotto?”
“I honestly don’t know how to answer that,” Darius’ eyes had gone wide and his voice astonished.
“The first,” Fallon answered calmly.
“When did you learn how to speak Crazy Woman?” Darius whispered dramatically to Fallon.
“Hey!” I pushed at him and he smiled at me affectionately.
“When I started watching the Food Network,” Fallon was completely straight faced. “Risotto has to be stirred constantly.”
“Wait a second,” I looked around. Nyavirezi’s body was gone and I wanted to hug whoever took care of her remains but we were still one body short. “What happened to Blue?”
“Gone,” Fallon shrugged. “Traced out before we could deliver the killing cut.”
“Okay,” I was kind of relieved he was still alive. I can't help it, I'm only human. Wait a second... “Am I still human?”
“As much as we are, I expect,” Aidan shrugged.
“Not so much then,” I grimaced as my stomach clenched against the awful truth. What did it mean? “Are you all immortal?”
“As long as you’re alive,” Darius shrugged, “So too, shall we be.”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” I felt my face wrinkle in thought. I really needed to watch that, the fine lines were creeping in already. Or maybe I didn't have to worry about that anymore. I just didn't know for sure. “Do Nyavirezi’s powers make me immortal? I don’t think Aphrodite’s did, so I guess it stands to reason that Nyavirezi’s won’t either.”
“I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see,” Fallon shrugged, looking as unconcerned about his possible mortality as Trevor had when he’d gained his.
“Can I still go out and sleep with who I want?” Baldie had been waiting as patiently as possible for the conversation to head back to where he wanted it, but evidently it wasn’t getting there fast enough for his libido.