by Cecilia Lane
Lilah wiggled higher up the bed and tossed her hair over her shoulders. Feeling as brave as he’d called her, she butterflied her knees open and threw him a devilish smile. “Then come here and take what you want.”
Seth growled as her words stroked over him. In an instant, he was on the bed, hips sinking into the cradle of her legs. He captured her mouth in a bruising kiss as he thrust deep into her wet heat. His deep groan contrasted to her higher, reedier moan that he swallowed down.
Taste of her hot on his tongue, he eased back with the retreat of his cock. Head nocked inside her, he pushed forward once again, setting a wickedly slow pace as he reveled in the feel of her wrapped around him. Her muscles rippled over his length with every inch of him she took, making him clench his jaw tight.
“You were incredible today, gorgeous,” he mouthed against the heated flesh of her neck and shoulder. “Absolutely breathtaking.”
And terrifying. All the anger she’d possessed had turned on the bastard of a bear, but the fight just as easily could have gone the other way. If he’d been slower to track her down, if he’d been knocked down and out…
He growled at himself. No use worrying about the possibilities when he had her there in his arms. He reached for her hands, dragging them over her head and pinning her in place. The wrinkle in her brow smoothed away as pink flushed her cheeks. She rocked her hips to meet him stroke for stroke, panting in time with his own ragged breathing.
Too good. Too fucking good.
“More,” she groaned, arching into him.
He bucked harder into her. Faster. Giving her more of what she wanted and he had to offer. His gums ached as his lion circled through him. The beast wanted off the leash. Freedom to sink his fangs into the woman, their queen. She’d claimed a part of their heart already; he wanted to claim her for the rest of their years.
With a quick twist of his hips, he rolled them over so she straddled him. His hands landed on her hips and kept her moving, giving everything she needed. Her hair bounced against her shoulders with every rise and fall and the pink of her cheeks spread down her neck and chest. The tight buds of her nipples called to him and he surged upward, taking one between his lips.
“Mine,” he growled. She fluttered around him at the noise, squeezing him tight and drawing his balls up tight and hard against his body.
He threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her head to the side. A whimper escaped her lips the moment he closed his mouth over the crook of her neck and sucked at her skin.
“That what you want, gorgeous?” he growled. His lion shoved forward, pulling her taste and scent into himself. Fuck, he wanted to bite down hard. Wanted to claim her completely. “Want my mark on your skin?”
Another whine dripped from her lips. Her fingers dug into his back, nails nearly pricking his skin. Was it possible to get any harder?
“Come, Lilah,” he growled against her skin. “Come on my cock and I’ll give you what you want.”
He dragged his hands down her body, smoothing and squeezing and refreshing his memory of the dips and flares of her perfect form. He gripped her hips again and moved her over him, thrusting hard to meet her every demand. Her gasps and moans mingled with his own sharp grunts as they both raced for the finish. She trembled in his arms, hovering right on the edge, waiting, waiting, waiting…
Seth roared as heat shot through his throbbing length. He struck in that moment, sinking fangs deep into her skin and marking her as his mate. His queen.
Pain sliced through him a second later as Lilah shattered around him. Her own mark slammed into his shoulder and wrapped around his heart. He rocked into her, slowing, sputtering to a stop as the last of their aftershocks faded and fresh desire twitched to life.
Seth eased back and threaded his fingers through her hair, watching her in utter amazement. Not a hint of fear or hesitation swirled in her scent as she reached forward to trace her fingers over her mark on his skin.
“Mine,” she whispered.
He tucked her against his chest and melted back against the bed. “Yours.”
Always had been. Always would be. She was the only thing in the world to make him feel complete.
Epilogue
Lilah sat back and pushed away the remains of her enchilada dinner. On both sides of the table, other Crowleys were winding down, too. As much as a Crowley could wind down, anyway. Glares were shot down the table when sharp jabs wouldn’t meet, and words were lobbed like hand grenades, regardless.
“At this point, I’d rather deal with the damn bears for all hours of the day than see Lin sunning himself naked one more time,” Dash said loudly.
“Say that to my face, asshole,” Lindley snapped back.
He slurped the last of his drink and let off a satisfied smack. “I think I just did.”
Rowdy, savage lions. Lilah smiled into her margarita. They made her feel alive.
She’d expected to struggle more with everything that had happened, but the days since returning to the ranch had come easy. Part of that was Seth making sure her every need was met, but part of it was feeling like she’d come home. Strange, since her childhood home was full of pain and even her apartment felt empty and wrong. But the tiny barn room deep in lion country? That felt perfect.
Though, she supposed, anywhere with her mate would feel perfect.
Lilah reached under the table and found Seth’s hand. Just a quick squeeze, that was all she needed. Heat flared against her palm as he tangled his fingers with hers and turned just enough to smirk at her as he took a pull of his beer, almost as if he knew what she was thinking.
Maybe he did. She didn’t exactly hide her own grin.
“Get a room!” Dash teased from across the table.
Seth switched focus and narrowed his eyes. A sharp growl turned to a yelp. “Did you just kick me? What are you, a five-year-old?”
The other man shrugged. “Just making up for lost time.”
Lilah snorted and Colette rolled her eyes with an air of exasperation that didn’t hide her smile, either.
Seth jerked again with another kick and deepened the glare he fixed on Dash. “Impatient motherfucker,” he muttered. Louder, he addressed the rest of the table. “Dash told me we’re supposed to hold hands and whisper sweet nothings at one another after every near-death experience. I call bullshit on that. From what I’ve seen these last few months, every damn week brings a new near-death with you fuckers.” He tipped his bottle toward Trent. “Thank you for setting me free to find my mate.”
“And the other thing?” Trent leaned forward. “Are you staying or moving on?”
Lilah met Seth’s glance. He tilted his head and shrugged up a shoulder. Last chance, she knew, but she wasn’t backing down. Not now, not ever again.
He leaned back and draped an arm over the back of her chair. “Lilah just got an offer to work at a local law firm, and seeing as I’m the freeloader without any other prospects—”
“Can’t count on the circuit anymore, eh, buddy?” Dash taunted. “Not since they saw me kick your ass.”
Seth raised his middle finger with a warning glare and scent of amusement that had Dash laughing. “We’ll stay here.” His eyes found Trent. “If you’ll have us, alpha.”
“Aw, shit,” Dash grinned. “Now you really gotta hold hands and whisper sweet nothings.”
The Crowley alpha canted his head and took them both in his look. Lilah kept her eyes on him, though she wasn’t certain she had a choice. Her inner lioness watched the male just as closely. He was bigger and more powerful. The weight of him felt like someone grabbing her by the scruff and giving her a good shake.
With that power came another sense of protection. He’d care for them all until his dying day and until then, do his damnedest to shelter them from any pain.
“My pride is yours,” he said finally. “You’re welcome to stay.”
“Like we didn’t know that was going to happen!” Kyla called from the other end of the table. She waved a
dismissive hand, then pointed at Hailey. “What I want to know is when we get to see the ultrasound pictures.”
Hailey arched a brow and turned to Trent. “Do you want to tell them what you did?” she asked coolly.
“Oh, no,” he chuckled and raised his hands. “This is on you. You brought those odds to my bloodline.”
“Your bloodline,” she scoffed. To the rest of them, she flashed a pleased smile. “We’re having twins!”
“Holy shit,” Dash said.
Colette elbowed him in the side. “Congratulations!”
“There’s going to be two of ‘em?” Lindley asked, shaking his head. “Good skies above, help us all.”
Trent solemnly nodded. “That’s what I said. I’m already saddled with one of her—”
The smack to his arm cut off his words. He reached around to drag Hailey close and cut off her string of curses with a deep kiss that had the others howling by the time he let her loose.
Lilah added her own congratudolences to the mix, then quietly sat back in amazement at the others. Danger still hunted them in the form of Trent’s uncle Jasper. Killing one lion trying to collect on a bounty didn’t free her from danger, either. While she would have shut down and run for the hills, they were preparing to bring new lives into the world. That stubborn strength filled her with pride as well as hope.
They could stumble and scrape their knees, but they wouldn’t be kept down for long.
Dash slapped his hands on the table. “Who’s down for a run?”
A prickle of anticipation shot for Lilah’s spine. That other side of her was still a strangeness that surprised her, but she was growing more accustomed to it with each passing day. The she-cat stretched through her and threw up a single image sending of running over the hills as the sun disappeared over the horizon.
Lilah flicked a glance to Seth, then leaned forward. “I’ll go.”
“I’m in, then,” Seth added.
“I make no promises to keep this one out of trouble,” Colette said with a jerk of her thumb to her mate, “but I could do with a run.”
Up and down the table, others were turning and considering, sometimes shouting objections or cajoling other pairs. All except the two at the end. Sage didn’t look up from her plate and Rhys didn’t look away from her.
In the end, Trent promised to meet up with them once he helped Hailey clear the tables. Lindley, too, offered his help, but he sounded distracted and kept glancing between Sage and Rhys.
Lilah pushed out of her seat with everyone else. The ones staying behind started gathering the dishes while the others heading out in their animal forms sauntered away from the tables.
Seth hauled his shirt over his head, then stopped with his fingers on the button of his jeans. “What’s wrong?”
Lilah grimaced and toyed with the hem of her shirt. “Still not used to stripping in front of everyone else, I guess.”
Seth closed his hand over her wrist and led her around the corner of the nearest den. “You’re still new to this. No one will judge you if you need some privacy.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Lilah pulled her shirt over her head. A hungry look sparked in the eyes Seth swept down her frame and she sucked down a breath. Hot desire arrowed straight for her core with a single look from her mate. And if he ran his fingers over the mark on her shoulder…
“Do I need to tell you to turn your back?” she asked in a husky voice.
Seth stepped into her space, one hard thigh going between her legs. “I can control myself,” he breathed against her ear. “Can you?”
She wanted to groan when he stepped away.
Lilah shed her clothes quickly as a roar cracked through the evening. Another joined, then a third.
“Close your eyes and breathe,” Seth whispered against the back of her neck. “She’ll know what to do.”
The sensation started in her belly, growing bigger and stronger as she sank into it. It whipped through her hard and fast enough to steal her breath and lock her lungs. Even her heart seemed to freeze in place as pain sparked to life with the first crack in her body.
Lilah dropped forward, and her lioness ripped into being.
Stretching her legs long, she dug her nails into the soft dirt and pranced forward to where the others waited. She pressed her face against Seth’s side and slunk against him until only her tail wrapped around his neck.
One glance over her shoulder showed his eyes bright and locked on her. A happy rumble rolled out of him that made her want to rub down his other side and maybe run straight back to their den with him on her heels.
She jumped away instead.
Her paws ate up the ground as she raced past Dash, Colette, and Kyla, but Seth was right behind her. He took a running leap over his brother that raised a growl from the other male and set off the rest of the group. Dash gunned for Seth, Colette tried to trip up Dash, and Kyla ducked in and out of everyone’s path.
It was Lilah’s first time running with the others, and she felt incredible.
She’d overcome the old wounds and fears left behind by a vicious attack and let go of the anger that had grown in her heart. She was done letting the past decide her future.
When her own family failed her, her new one lifted their hands to catch her. She’d faced down threats on her life and was ready to roar in the face of those that remained.
She wasn’t scared anymore.
Seth and all the rest made her whole.
“She’s spiraling, you know.”
Rhys paused in his wood carving and glanced up. His eyes shifted around Lindley and found Sage seated on her porch. Second nature to check for her now.
“I’ve tried to keep her steady this whole damn year,” Lindley went on, “but nothing I’ve done seems to work. They broke something inside her and I don’t know how to fix it.”
Rhys grunted and went back to his carving. He’d had a lot of practice since Kyla joined the pride and Hailey told him to find something to do with his hands to keep from punching the other males. The other attempts had turned out wrong. Malformed. The wrong expression. Sometimes he got close, then kept on correcting until it broke apart in his hands.
He thought he’d finally gotten this one right.
“She watches you, too,” Lindley said quietly. “I don’t know what else to do, so I’m coming to you.”
Rhys dragged the blade over the lioness’s shoulder. This was the part he hated. She’d been marked and hurt by others. That the assholes still breathed seemed the most unfair thing in the entire fucking world. They lived, and she suffered.
Lindley let off a low growl. “She told me she’s going to ask Trent to put her down.”
The carving broke apart in Rhys’s hands and he let the splintered pieces fall to the floorboards of his porch.
Voice almost breaking, he put his failure to air. “I can’t help you.”
His lion roared through his head as furious as any demon straight out of hell. The beast slammed heavy paws against the bars that kept him caged and lashed his tail from side to side. He paced back and forth through Rhys’s head, flashing sendings with every step.
He had a mate.
He’d had a mate.
Nothing he did saved Hannah. He couldn’t save Sage, either.
Thank you for reading Savage Craving! The Crowley lions will return with with Rhys’s story in Savage Exile!
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Next in Series
Savage Exile: Lion Hearts Book Five
He can’t save himself, but he’ll save her…
Rhys is a disaster: too violent for his old pride, and more accustomed to using his fist instead of his words. He’s managed to carve out a place among the Crowley lions, but his temper still rides him hard. The only balm is Sage, a shattered woman with a core of fire. He wants to bring it out of her. Can he avoid getting burned?
&
nbsp; She’s tired of living under her father’s thumb…
Sage narrowly escaped a forced mating, but she can’t quite manage to pick up the pieces. Except when she’s around Rhys. The rumbly lion makes her ache for something more. But good things don’t last for Sage, and her father’s demand she return to the man who bought her cuts her to her core.
Can a broken woman find redemption in the arms of her disaster of a mate? Or will old wounds and enemies be too strong for even the toughest lions to overcome?
Savage Exile, a steamy paranormal romance, is book five in the Lion Hearts series. For readers who love a broken alpha hero willing to gamble everything on a second chance with a woman learning to live on her own terms.
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About the Author
Cecilia Lane grew up in a what most call paradise, but she insists is humid hell. She escaped the heat with weekly journeys to the library, where she learned the basics of slaying dragons, magical abilities, and grand adventures.
When it became apparent she wouldn’t be able to travel the high seas with princes or party with rock star vampires, Cecilia hunkered down to create her own worlds filled with sexy people in complicated situations. She now writes with the support of her own sexy man and many interruptions from her goofy dog.