Hour of the Lion

by Cherise Sinclair

  Somehow she knew down to her bones that he wouldn‘t lie to her. "That‘s just…"

  "It‘s a shifter thing, and we‘ll talk about it later."

  She opened her mouth, and his eyes darkened. "Later, little female. I have things I wish to do to you now."

  The hard, slightly rough statement eradicated her resolve. Her knees almost gave out.

  "But…"

  "Shhh." He nipped her fingers, the tiny pains erotic, and then put his big hands around her waist and set her onto the hip-high rock ledge at the side. The surface of the water rippled over it and the flat stone was warm under her bottom.

  He pushed her legs open and pulled her forward until his very hard erection pressed against her heat. She gasped, feeling her control slipping.

  "That‘s right, cariad. You needn‘t think." He grasped her nape, guiding her lips to his, holding her as his tongue plunged inside to echo the rocking of his cock at her entrance.

  His free hand covered her breast, cupping and stroking in such a way that when he finally reached the nipple, she was taut in anticipation. With only one calloused finger, he touched the peak, his touch so light, she arched into him for more. He chuckled, and his fingers closed, pressing gently on the tip. Like an electric shock, desire shot in a sizzling line to her clit.

  She gasped and he took advantage, taking his kiss even deeper. His fingers rolled her nipple, the pressure growing past pleasure, bordering on pain, and yet her body shook with arousal. As her breast throbbed, he moved to the other, teasing until it swelled to match the first. Until her sex pulsed in time with her breasts.

  Her head spun, and she clutched his shoulders. The hard muscles under her fingers lured her hands to stroke up his back.

  He rumbled his pleasure. When he released her mouth, she felt as if she was melting right into the hot water. He regarded her for a moment, then smiled. His hand pressed on her sternum.

  "Lie back, cariad."

  Unable to fight him, she reclined onto the warm rock. The silky water lapped at her sides and her pussy, heating her skin.

  "Pretty little female," he murmured. His thumbs gently pulled her folds apart, then he bent, and his tongue slid over her sex. Like Alec had done. A tremor ran through her.

  "No." She tried to sit up, "I don‘t want that." Too intimate, too vulnerable, giving him too much control. "Just fuck me."

  His head lifted. He met her gaze, and his eyes narrowed as he studied her. His face softened, although she saw a crease appear in his cheek. "All right then."

  With ruthless hands, he flipped her onto her stomach. Her legs dangled down, and his thighs moved them apart. A hard hand slid under her pelvis, and he lifted, tilting her hips up to him. A second‘s pause. His cock pressed against her, slickening in her wetness, and then he entered her with one hard thrust.

  "Aaaa!" So big. Her fingers clawed at the rock as she struggled to adjust to his size. She‘d asked for this, only she hadn‘t expected to feel…taken. That he‘d stolen the control from her even more.

  He didn‘t move, his groin against her bottom. "Breathe, little female."

  She inhaled. Again. "Okay," she said, trying not to sound breathless. "Go ahead."

  His deep voice flowed over her like honey as he said, "Oh I will, cariad." To her shock, the fingers under her pelvis moved down into her pubic hair. He tugged on the strands, creating tiny pinpricks of sensation. The whole center of her body was turning into a massive ache, and his cock wasn‘t moving.

  He touched her entrance where she was stretched so tightly around his shaft and ran one of his slickened fingers over her throbbing clit. She jerked at the blast of sensation.

  "What are you doing?" Her blood was singing in her veins.

  "Exactly what I want to." His finger slid over and around her clit, ruthlessly driving it into hardness, until it was so engorged it hurt. When she wiggled, he set a hand on her bottom, holding her in place as his other drove her mad.

  Her mind started to go fuzzy. "Calum, no."

  "At this point, cariad," he murmured, "you do not command. You may beg, if you feel the need."

  Fuck. Goddamn. He knew just where to press, sliding his finger in to join his huge cock, and up over her clit until her entire pussy felt like one throbbing nerve. And there he held her until she whimpered, her hips tilting to get his touch…there. She was panting, little moans, unable to think, to protest as he drove her higher. If he‘d just touch —

  Instead, he pulled out and inexorably back in. With the slow slide of his cock, pleasure vibrated through her system. Her eyes felt like they were rolling back in her head. Her vagina clamped around him, her thigh muscles trembled as his light touch moved closer to her clit and then farther away. The pressure coiled tighter and tighter, and somehow knowing he wouldn‘t let her escape, sent her even higher until nothing remained in her mind except the slow thrust into her vagina and his circling finger.

  "That‘s right," he said softly. "I‘m teaching you that you do not need to control everything.

  Let go, cariad. I will take care of you."

  She wanted to—she did. So she tried one last time to move, to resist. His hand held her in place. As she gave in, a whimper escaped. A whisper. "Please."

  He kissed her neck, his lips warm and gentle. "Little female, I would be happy to please you." His merciless hands closed on her hips, yanking her bottom higher, just as his shaft drove in hard. Deep. Over and over as everything inside her gathered into one place…and exploded, a massive bomb blowing molten fragments of pleasure through every nerve in her body. Her hips tried to buck against his ruthless grip, and the feeling of being controlled sent another wave of sensation pulsing upward. God, god, god.

  With a rough, sexy laugh, he hammered into her in short hard strokes, and then pressed deep. She could feel his erection jerking inside and the increased slickness.

  He played with her after, fingers teasing, his cock rocking in and out, until he‘d drawn every last spasm out of her, until she was sensitive to the slightest touch, and she laid limp, heart pounding in her chest, covered in a hard sweat. When he turned her over and lifted her in his arms, she could only moan. She swallowed, and her voice came out in a whisper, "You bastard."

  He smiled and carried her to the edge of the water. After drying himself, then her, brushing aside her attempts to help, he set her on the bedding. He knelt beside her. "You were far too quick, cariad," he murmured. He ran one finger down her cheek. "This time, we‘ll draw it out a little."

  When her eyes widened, he wound his fingers in her hair, held her for another kiss.

  Hours later, Calum lay beside her in the blankets, watching her breathe. He stroked his finger down her neck, damp with sweat, the tiny pulse still hammering. Her eyes were closed, the lashes dark smudges on her smooth skin. His body hummed with satiated pleasure. Once she‘d finally relaxed into his control and care, no longer building barriers to protect herself, she was a responsive, generous mate.

  He circled her swollen nipples with one finger. The satiny skin had turned a dark red from his sucking and bites.

  Her eyes opened, still slightly glazed from passion. "Surely you aren‘t planning to start again, are you?"

  He had taken her…many times. He smiled. "No, cariad. I think you have had plenty."

  Enough that she had winced with his last entry, although she had been too close to coming to want him to withdraw. He cupped her cheek and kissed her lightly. "I simply like touching you."

  Her lips curved, and she leaned into his hand, much like a cat. His heart squeezed. The need to care for her, to make her his own had grown mountain high.

  "So what are we doing tomorrow?" she asked, her voice slightly hoarse. The last two times, she had given him everything, inhibitions gone, and her screams of release had echoed through the caves.

  "You‘ll meet the Elders, I will warn them in case the shifter-hunters come farther than I expect. We‘ll spend the night and return to Cold Creek, ready for battle."

&nb
sp; "You said these people live isolated so they don‘t have to be around humans." Her brows drew together. "Because they hate humans or because they‘re afraid?"

  Her brain rarely stopped working, it seemed. "Mostly fear and…" How could he put this?

  "When living amongst humans, a shifter must be ever cautious, not just in trawsfurring, but in speech and habits as well. It‘s a strain, and as the Daonain age and become more forgetful, they find it a burden."

  "I suppose people might react badly if they knew about you."

  He felt his jaw tighten, his hand close in a fist, and realized that as her barriers had disappeared, so had his.

  "Calum?" She pushed up onto one elbow. "What… Something happened to you, didn‘t it?"

  He stared at the rock wall until she stroked his shoulder, drawing his attention back. Her eyes were soft, worried—for him. How odd to feel a female‘s concern and desire to share sorrow. He‘d never had that with Lenora.

  "I was lifemated—married—many years ago." He set his palm over her small hand, keeping it against his face. "She was an only child. Shy. She painted. Much like a sprite, she lived in the moment. She‘d often forget to cook—or burn the food when she did, and would disregard the rules about using the portals or shifting near trails."

  He stopped, not wanting to share the horror, but Victoria‘s eyes stayed steady on his. This female wouldn‘t shy away from pain. "The wildflowers had bloomed, and she trawsfurred to visit the alpine meadows. As far as we can tell, a human saw her shift back. When she didn‘t return, I went to look for her." And found her body far too near a hiking trail, her eyes looking up at the sky as if wondering why help had never arrived. The man had used her own blood to—

  "The murderer had written DEMON on her chest. We discovered later that he was rabidly religious."

  His jaw clenched as the memory kindled his fury. He‘d tracked the killer through the darkening forest, and his fabled control shattered the moment he‘d smelled Lenora‘s scent, seen her blood on the man. By the time his sanity had returned, the ground was soaked with blood, the human‘s body mangled beyond recognition. The man‘s shrieks haunted Calum‘s nightmares for years. "I…lost control and killed him." It had been the last time he‘d allowed emotions to rule his actions.

  Calum braced, waiting for Victoria to pull away, to show her horror.

  "Of course you did. Good job." She patted his cheek.

  Well. After a moment, he remembered what Alec had told him about the bodies littering the bookstore. This female was nothing like Lenora—perhaps like none he‘d known before. In a wolf pack, she‘d be the alpha female.

  And that made her submission to him all the more meaningful. An alpha female submits only to her mate. He cleared his throat. "So we fear individual reactions as well as the government‘s reaction. We‘d either be studied like lab animals or simply exterminated."

  "That seems a little…" Her mouth pulled down, and she sighed. "Actually, that‘s probably what would happen."

  "Aye. That‘s why we have a law that if a shifter reveals the Daonain to humans, he is put to death."

  Her gaze turned to the dark water, her jaw tight, and Calum set his hand on her shoulder.

  How could he have forgotten she was so new? She turned to him, attempting to smile.

  "Come, cariad. We should sleep. Tomorrow will be long." He pulled her closer, nudging her head down in the hollow of his shoulder. After a second of stiffness, she softened and cuddled with him, filling the holes in his soul with her mere presence.

  Chapter Fourteen

  It was approaching noon the next day when Vic followed Calum down the tiny trail and into the "village" of scattered cabins. "This looks like one of those old west towns in the movies."

  "Very close. We bought the property from a mining consortium and fixed up the abandoned cabins."

  Deep within the mountain range, the village nestled at one end of a small valley under a light layer of snow. Vic frowned. Things didn‘t look right. There weren‘t any real streets, for one. "Where‘s the Main Street? The stores and all that."

  "None." Calum stepped down onto a ledge and turned to help her.

  She ignored his hand and jumped. "Where‘s the power lines, electricity, cable?"

  "None."

  "Too bizarre," she muttered. The scent of wood smoke wafted past. "And everybody has to walk to get here?"

  He dropped back to pace beside her on the wider trail. "It doesn‘t take as long in animal form," he said. "A dirt road gets as close as the nearest cliff. In the winter, we use snowmobiles to get that far."

  "Grocery? Bookstore?"

  "We bring them supplies every few months."

  "Damn." Although the sun was high, the air still held a nasty bite. She eyed the tree-covered mountains. "At least they won‘t run out of firewood."

  His hard hand gripped her nape, and he drew her close enough to take her mouth in a long, thorough kiss. Her knees sagged. Pulling back, he ran a finger over her swollen lips. "I will keep you warm, cariad, never fear."

  Cariad. It sounded more intimate than darling. She sighed. The night she‘d spent with him had been terrifying. He‘d taken control and kept it, satisfying her with hands and mouth, taking her hard and then gently, again and again. She‘d never experienced anything like it, the way he pushed her one moment, cared for her the next. Why had she let him? Let him? Hell, admit it, she‘d totally gotten off on doing whatever he commanded, surrendering her will to his. And he‘d reacted as if he‘d both expected, yet treasured, how she‘d…submitted.

  Fuck, she‘d submitted to him. Like a whipped dog. She pulled back and glared at him.

  His eyes narrowed, and he studied her, slowly, his gaze moving over her face, her body.

  "Little cat, what has you upset?"

  "I‘m not a dog." He wasn‘t getting it, so she added, "I don‘t go belly-up for a man."

  "Ah. This is about last night." His lips quirked. "No, I doubt you‘ve ever gone…belly-up…before." The utter confidence in his expression, in his whole body, sent a quiver through her. "I‘m pleased that you would surrender to me, Victoria. Did you not enjoy making love?"

  He‘d broken down her defenses until her emotions had been as open to him as her body.

  He‘d made her beg, dammit. She averted her gaze.

  His hand cupped her cheek, turning her back to face him. His voice held an officer‘s stern determination with that thread of tenderness that undermined all her resistance. "Answer my question, little cat."

  She‘d never wanted to lie so bad in her life. But aside from the necessities of the job, she didn‘t. Dammit. "Yes. I enjoyed it." She turned her head. "Too much. I don‘t like that I liked it."

  "Look at me." Gray eyes should be cold, but his were warm. So warm.

  "This isn‘t who I am, Calum."

  "You only surrender to me because you trust me. And because you want to." He brushed a kiss over her lips. "This is who you are when you sheathe your claws. You don‘t have to stay on guard all the time, Victoria."

  Her mouth flattened. Yes, I do.

  He smiled slightly, then started them back down the mountain, leaving her more confused than before. Sometimes when he looked at her with that penetrating gaze, it felt as if he‘d touched her soul.

  The man scared her spitless.

  As they walked past the houses, Vic saw a guy step out of one, bare-assed naked. Without looking around, he shifted into a bear and lumbered up the steep slope. Damn, right out in front of God and everyone.

  Calum rapped on the door of a larger cabin.

  Vic scowled. Being with Calum was one thing—meeting a bunch of shifters? Entirely different. She didn‘t know how to act around them. Deep breath. Things change—deal with it. At least he‘d knocked; they obviously observed a few human courtesies.

  An old guy, as tough and stringy as a piece of jerky opened the door. "Cosantir, we weren‘t expecting you." His nostrils flared, and his brows went up as he looked between her and
Calum.

  "Well, well. Come in."

  Calum let Vic precede him into the house. She checked the exits: front door, two front windows, and another on the left, door at the rear to a hall leading somewhere. They were in the living area with a woodstove radiating glorious heat. Unlit lanterns hung from hooks on the wall, and woven rugs brightened the wooden floor. Looked like a hunting cabin but without any mounted animal heads or antlers.

  After helping her out of her jacket, Calum said, "Victoria, this is Aaron. Aaron, meet Victoria. She has an interesting story for the Elders."

  Vic nodded politely. Great, she‘d spend the day being interrogated. She‘d been insane to come here.

  The old man opened the woodstove and poked at the fire. "Are you staying for a bit?"

  "For tonight. One room will serve for us."

  God, just announce to the world that we‘re having sex. Vic gave him a nasty look.

  Calum‘s eyes lit with amusement. He ran his hand down her arm, a touch that soothed even as it sent a wave of heat through her. Those hands were... She stepped back and scowled at him.

  Sneaky cat.

  Aaron cleared his throat."I‘ll summon the Elders." He inclined his head in a slight bow to Calum, smiled at Vic, and left the cabin.

  The small meeting room at the back of the house contained a round oak table with eight chairs. The first Elder to arrive was a wizened old woman.

  "Maude, you look in good health," Calum said.

  She smiled and thumped him affectionately along the ribs. "And you also, laddie. Gi‘ me a squeeze."

  He hugged her, having to bend almost in half to reach her. Turning, he said, "Maude, this is Victoria. Victoria, Maude who is an Elder of this territory."

  "This territory?" Vic repeated. "There are others?"

  "Of course," Maude said. She studied Vic with sharp blue eyes. "What area are you from?"

  Good question. Vic glanced at Calum.

  "Mine, Maude." Calum seated the old woman. "I‘ll explain when the others arrive."

  Even as Aaron appeared with a pot of coffee and cups, three more came in. Abigail, Leland, and Perry. All with leathery faces seasoned by sun and wind, keen eyes surrounded by an abundance of wrinkles, and the stringy leanness of barn cats or coyotes.