His expression remained blank as he spoke. “You said you needed assistance.”
She opened her mouth to speak but closed it. What could she say? She had needed help, and his touch hadn’t been sexual, just a little inappropriate. “Well, next time, just take my arm, okay?”
She settled into the seat, giving a soft sigh at the warmth of the heated leather. Now, this was luxury she thought. She waited for the man to close the door.
“What?” she asked when he just continued to stand there with the door opened.
A look of indecision crossed his face. A look she was sure was not common for him to have.
“Be careful of him, Miss Wilder,” he warned. “We shifters love women, especially women as plump and lovely as you are. Bachar is no exception; you may find him even more of a challenge than finding your brother.”
Chapter Two
Bachar watched as Tarek helped the woman into the front seat of the vehicle that would take them up the mountain. He had dismissed the driver, deciding to make the long, sometimes treacherous trip behind the wheel himself. Why, he did not know. Usually, he spent the time in the back seat immersed in the hundred and one things he needed to accomplish to keep the pride running smoothly.
“Is your seat belt on?” He climbed into the large luxury vehicle, put it in gear and started forward.
“Yes.”
He gave a short nod but kept his attention on the road leading away from the hotel. The hotel was one of three that were scattered throughout this part of shifter territory. There were more hotels and attractions to the east and west. The rustic hotel was not usually his preference when he was away from his home. He preferred the more luxurious one further up the mountain. He’d been tired last night and had decided to stay there. Now he knew why.
Fate.
The silence was strained as they drove, but Bachar did not want to engage the woman in conversation. The less he knew about her, the better. The sooner he found her brother, the better.
He was sure Tarek would find a lead, probably even the boy, by nightfall. His pride shared the mountain with numerous other prides and packs. The core of his pride were lions, but he’d taken in other shifters. Shifters, like Tarek and Keair, that had either been about to turn rogue or whose original pride or clan had been killed.
He’d found most of the shifters in the area loyal and extremely family oriented, despite the media which made them out to be outlaws and rouges determined to seduce human women. He snorted slightly to himself. That was the last thing most shifters wanted. Most wanted a mate with whom to start a life, create a family lineage.
He stole a look at his silent passenger and discovered she was doing the same. It amused him when her cheeks turned red. It pleased him when she didn’t look away. She had spirit and sass. “Why do you study me? Do you not find my look pleasing?” He meant it as an arrogant statement, knowing his looks and coloring were quite pleasing to females.
“Oh, yes, quite pleasing.” A small smile curved her lips as if she’d guessed what he’d been up to. He was sure if she had known how seductive that smile appeared she would have immediately resisted the urge. She continued to stare at him, biting her lip as if wanting to prevent herself from speaking.
“You have a question?”
“I don’t want to appear rude.”
He shifted in his seat, allowing his body to relax for the first time since they had begun their journey. Surprisingly, her presence was soothing to both the man and the beast that lived inside him. They still had more than an hour before they reached their destination. “You may ask me.”
His continued arrogance did not escape her, and this time she showed amusement with a slight shake of her head.
“What type of shifter are you?”
“What type do I look like?”
“I would say a wolf, based on your coloring and strength. But, you have more of an, um, attitude about you that doesn’t scream wolf to me.”
“And you have known many shifters? Many wolf shifters?”
She shifted in her seat, and for a brief moment, he thought he smelled the hint of deceit on her scent. Then it was gone, fleeting at best. It did make him frown. Was there more to her story than a runaway brother? Was she a woman seeking a shifter for her bed?
The thought of her with another man, any male, made his lion sit up. The animal did not like the idea. Neither did the man.
“Your guard is a wolf, isn’t he?”
“Yes. And you are to stay away from him.”
“Really? That’s strange because he gave me the exact same warning about you.” She turned towards him in her seat, the movement stirring up the air around her again. And again, her scent filled his senses, and his animal roared inside his head.
Mate. Mate.
No, no mate. He could not take a mate. Not now. Perhaps never.
“Perhaps it is best that you heed both of our warnings.”
His words made her expression fall, and he instantly wanted to put that look of mischief back on her face. “I will answer your question now. I am a lion shifter.”
Her eyes widened, and he felt the heat of her gaze as it traveled over him. His pants suddenly became restrictive, and he wanted nothing more than to rip away his clothing and shift, showing her his animal.
“I would never have guessed. It’s your coloring. I would have thought a lion shifter would have been blonde and golden in their human form.”
“Some are, some are not. I assure you my animal is magnificent.”
“Conceited much?” She grinned, and he was puzzled by how pleased that made him. He wanted to see that look on her face again and again—and be the one that put it there.
“No.”
The answer was given with what Sally had come to assume was Bachar’s natural arrogance. But, then, he was handsome as sin, and she was sure his animal was just as magnificent and beautiful as he claimed.
Oh, to have such confidence. But then he had the goods to back it up.
Sally looked at Bachar again, a puzzled expression marring her nearly perfect features. Others might see her as plain, but to him, she had that timeless beauty that would only grow more pronounced as she aged. She couldn’t be more than what, twenty-five, twenty-nine? Far too young for his old soul.
“But, if you’re a lion, why are you here? In the United States? Why aren’t you in Africa?”
“I am an American lion.”
“What?”
He sighed as if having to explain himself to a child. “I am from a lineage long since thought extinct. My ancestors crossed the Beringian Land Bridge and settled in North America. We are bigger and stronger than our African counterparts.”
“Naturally.” Another smile and Bachar was scrambling of things to say that would keep those appearing on her pretty face. “We are broader and faster. We prefer colder temperatures and hunt to take care of our females, unlike our lazy cousins.”
“I had no idea that North America ever had lions. That’s fascinating. And not something we were ever taught in school.”
“There are many gaps in the human educational system.”
“Hey, now. You’re human too. Didn’t you go to school?”
“Yes, to learn science and math, not about who and what I am.”
“You apparently had parents who cared then.”
“And you did not?” The thought of her having had an unhappy childhood was unsettling. Shifters always protected their young, taught them the skills they needed to stay safe and thrive. Before they announced their presence to the general population those skills included keeping the secret of their existence hidden.
She leaned back against the leather seat as if suddenly weighed down with burdens too heavy for her shoulders. “My parents were good people. It’s just…”
“They passed away while you were still young.”
“Yeah, that didn’t help.”
“How long have you been in charge of your brother?”
“I have been taking car
e of him since he was ten. When our mother passed away.”
“And your father?”
“He passed away two years before that.” She bit her lip, knowing she should tell him the truth now and not wait until later. She instinctively knew he did not like people who told lies or withheld the truth.
“And you had no other family members to look after him? Or you for that matter. You must have still been very young as well.”
“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 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 again, 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 submits.”
“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 wom
an.”
“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 strapped 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.”
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