Hang Em' Up: A Bad Boy Sports Pregnancy Romance

by Ashley Stewart

  “Rip his throat out Nathan!” An elderly woman screamed, she looked around seventy and could have passed as a sweet grandma that bakes cookies and knits mittens, but here she was begging for blood to be spilled. “Kill him already.”

  Allison closed her eyes for a minute but hearing the crowd roar made her open them again. The wolves were wrestling on the ground, tossing one another around. She feared the fight would go on forever when Nathan tore at and got a hold of Nate’s neck and bit down. Allison screamed. It seemed that he was done, except he continued to fight and to his father’s surprise, he tore into Nathan’s neck, ripping it to shreds. It was gruesome and brutal. Allison could not watch as Nate finished the deed and killed his own father.

  “It’s okay, he won.” Zander told her, but it wasn’t any instant relief. She had just watched Nate murder his own father and now everyone was cheering and congratulating him as he turned back into his human form and his father lay lifeless on the ground in front of them.

  Nate stood up tall in front of everyone and the members of the Red Moon pack all dropped to one knee and pledged their allegiance to him. He suddenly went from a nonmember to pack leader in a matter of minutes. Allison watched in shock at everything going on around her.

  “I am now leader of this pack and I will not hand Allison over to anyone!” He yelled over at Frank and the Black Blood pack. “If you want her you will have to fight us for her.”

  “Well then… that is exactly what we will do.” Frank yelled back. “If you…”

  He was cut off as a black wolf jumped out of nowhere and ripped his throat open, killing him instantly. The pack watched silently as the black wolf turned back to its human form. It was Roxy and she stood there horribly but beautifully naked, licking her bloody fingers.

  “Now that that is over with, I am leader of the Black Blood pack and I say that we don’t want your woman anymore and you sure as hell ain’t getting me either.” Roxy smiled with a red mouth. “I think we are finished here.”

  “I think so.” Nate nodded to her before turning to his new pack and dismissing them. Roxy did the same and the field was suddenly empty except for him and Allison.

  The sky above them was blue and the sun was shining bright, yet the day seemed so gloomy. Allison couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down her cheek and onto the green grass below her.

  “I wish you didn’t have to see that. I wish you had never seen any of this.” Nate sat down in the grass and looked exhausted. “I wish we could just start over and get to know each other for who we are, not what we’ve done.”

  Allison sat down beside him in the grass and put her hand on his warm bruised back.

  “Maybe this is better, knowing each other’s darkest secrets, but if you want we can start over, a fresh start.” She smiled at him.

  “That sounds nice.” As he spoke she heard something coming from behind them.

  “Tiny!” Her dog came rushing over to them. “I have been wondering where you were. Stop running from me!”

  Nate laughed and petted the adventurous dog. The three of them destined to begin again, just as they had begun.

  Chapter 12

  Allison was enjoying getting to know the simpler side to Nate. It had been a month since he became leader of the Red Moon pack and they were stronger than ever. They spent most days together and their love life was phenomenal. What she had witnessed between the two packs was horrible, but she had come to terms with the fact that he was a werewolf and it was a part of his life that wasn’t so pretty. From what Nate had told her, the pack was thriving and doing great since he’d taken over. They were glad to see his father go and happy that someone like Nate had come to lead them.

  “One of these days I am going to move back to my own place.” Allison joked as they picked up a few things. Since the challenge she had been staying with Nate at his house and he was encouraging her to move in full time with him.

  “But I can’t sleep when you are not in my bed.” Nate complained as he helped her carry a few bags from her room.

  “How would you know? You haven’t slept without me in a month?” She shook her head and grabbed her mail from the mailbox.

  “Well it has been a blissful month.” He came up from behind her and kissed the back of her neck as she looked through her junk mail. She loved their day to day routine and looked forward to the nights when they passionately shared themselves with each other. She knew it wouldn’t be this peaceful forever but was going to enjoy every second of it while she had it.

  Roar

  Gay Paranormal Romance

  Chapter 1

  Jensen stood there on the hill, looking out over the terrain and knew that his father’s time was coming to an end. He was old, almost 250 years old to be exact, but he looked younger than he appeared. There was no way for him to truly grieve because with his imminent death came a burden on his shoulders that he really wasn’t asking for. His father was the King, and that meant, as next in line, that he would soon reign over those that were under him.

  “Jensen, I know that this is a hard time for you, but we need to get you ready for the coronation. He’s not going to last more than a week and then you’re going to have no choice but to step in as the rightful heir to the throne. Trust me, I know how much you’ve struggled with this, but this is how it’s been and will always be.” This was his best friend; his mentor and life guide, a rock of stability called Richard, and he had been the enforcer of the royal family for as long as he could remember.

  Richard watched Jensen and knew that something was bothering him, but he just couldn’t put his finger on what it was. He wanted to shake the younger man, to tell him to do what was right. Richard had been beside the family from the moment that Jensen’s father Julian had requested his services, at the time of his own coronation. It had been a long ride, but for the most part he really hadn’t had to get his hands dirty. The tribes respected tradition and they would fall in line with Jensen or they would suffer the consequences.

  Jensen had no idea what he was going to do; only that he was now being forced into a position that would keep him almost trapped like an animal. A woman that he really didn’t know, and who he’d only recently met, was going to become his bride. Leslie was a good woman, a fine selection, but she wasn’t where his heart lay. Inside the breast of this human man was the beast of a lion ready to attack at a moment’s notice. The softer side of Jensen was more into the same sex.

  He had every reason to believe that people would have looked at him differently if they had known the truth. He had kept it to himself, not even telling his father, or his dearly departed mother. None knew anything of his deep dark secrets. There was no one, not a soul that he confided in. From the moment that he realized that he was different than the other Lions he had basically had to live his life as if he was alone

  It wasn’t lost on him, the magnificent bodies that were around him during a hunt, or even exposed during a quest in the middle of the night. Sometimes he had awoken and seen them all naked, after transforming back into human form. He admired the bodies of the other warriors, felt a stirring down below his waist, but he could not and would not act on any impulse.

  “I just never thought that this day would come. I suppose in the back my mind I knew that it would, but I certainly didn’t think it would be now. He was so strong and capable, a leader amongst men that I really thought that he was going to live forever.” He was standing there in his ceremonial robes, the red color signifying the lifeblood of the tribe. He’d always known, since he’d been born, that he was destined for greatness, but to have that thrust on him and not have his true desires met was something that had weighed heavily on his mind.

  The wind was blowing through his brown hair, and if you didn’t know any better, you would think that it was blond. It was the way the light hit it at different times of the day that made you think that he had changed his hair color multiple times. He saw the other warriors and they had changed into their lion forms. They
were frolicking and splashing each other in the water down below. He felt like he was cloistered from the rest of them and it wasn’t until he was at least twelve years old that he finally came to the conclusion that it was for his own good. They needed to see him, as the soon to be leader, and the only way to do that was to keep him in a position of power. Separated. Aloof.

  The power that he did have was minuscule at best, and the one thing that he fought his father about was how to go about keeping people from rebelling. King Julian was under the impression that a ruling with an iron fist was the only way ahead. It had always worked in the past and it flummoxed him to see that his son would even consider doing it another way.

  “Jensen, this can’t be easy on you, it’s happened so quickly. Nobody even knew that he was sick until he collapsed at the gathering. The Dr. soon informed us that it was a rare degenerative disease. We were all hoping that we could find some kind of cure, but so far… it has been to no avail. The doctors, the priestesses, our entire medical community has even sought counsel with the outside world. The King’s own doctor has spoken to doctors from across the globe, at forums and seminars on the Internet. The blood tests have even made them wring their hands with frustration.”

  Richard had on a black pair of pants and a black sweater. His attire was mostly made of black, but that was to inform the others that he was the quintessential bodyguard of the royal family.

  Jensen wanted to tell Richard what was going on in his head, but he didn’t dare risk putting his secrets out there for anybody to know.

  “Richard, I sometimes envy all of them out there. They’re carefree and don’t have a worry in the world. They have no idea what a burden it is to have power.” This was what he was afraid of all along, and now that he was going to have to walk in his father’s shoes, he wasn’t sure he was man enough or strong enough to take, never mind start, that journey.

  For the most part, the lion shifters had lived a minimalist kind of lifestyle, living in huts, hunting for food in their lion form and making sure that the only thing that mattered was that the strong survive. The weak were always found out and those that couldn’t live up to expectations were sacrificed for the good of the many. He had seen a few good men who didn’t have what it took to fight to the death come to their own demise, because of their beliefs. If they would do that to them, then what would they do if they found out he was not exactly normal?

  There had been cases of gay Lion shifters before, but they didn’t last very long. Nobody really knew what happened, but they suspected that those that disappeared had done so by a means not their own. He didn’t want to think about what they might have gone through in the last moments of their life. He didn’t want go down that road, and he was dead set on keeping this to himself, he did it because it was the only thing he could do.

  “Jensen, I’m going to get back to your father, I just want to let you know that I will always be standing by the family. And as the leader to be, I will forever be vigilant in protecting you from any kind of harm. I think you know that by now, but I just want to reiterate that, so that you know that you are never alone.”

  Richard put his hand on Jensen’s shoulder to give him the kind of support and strength that he knew he would need in the coming days. “You can’t stand here and hide forever. There’s going to come a time that you’re going to have to face the future.”

  He walked away, glancing over his shoulder to see that Jensen was making a deep sigh.

  This was the first time in a long time that Jensen was able to really take a moment and be by himself. He knew that Richard would never be too far away, but he sometimes felt suffocated by his presence. He was still a virgin, but he had told people that he had taken part in a wild orgy in the wilderness with some of the other shifters. Two of their females were part of that, but they had no idea that Jensen was just basically a spectator. Everybody was drunk on whatever liquor they could find and that had inhibited their cognitive skills. They really did believe that Jensen had enjoyed himself, but had no idea that he was just putting on airs.

  There was something in the wind, a change was coming and he knew that there was no way to deny his birthright. He couldn’t just say no because that would only lead to civil unrest. Then it dawned on him that there was a possibility, but it was risky at best. It would mean that he would have to give up all of this. It would mean that he would have to walk away from all those that he considered family. This was going to take some serious thought, but before long he had found a resolve to do what was right for him. He stood straight, his body not hunched over with frustration. He took a deep breath and resigned himself to the fact that he was not ready. He really didn’t want it in the first place.

  Doing something like this was unheard of; he had read or heard of nothing like this ever happening in the history of Lion shifters. It was a momentous decision and for him to do this was like spitting in the face of what his father had built for all these years. It was something that Jensen had never even thought about, but now that it was happening, it was almost like a light going off in his head.

  He stepped away from the cliff, wanting to look back at those that he had previously known as family, but if he did, he didn’t know if he would be able to do what needed to be done.

  He went into the forest, shed his red robe and stood as naked and the day he was born. He swallowed hard, steeled himself for the journey ahead and then changed into a lion. He was the only one that had a white fringe around his fur, but that came from his DNA. Had he not come into this world with that white fringe, his father would have denied that he was even his son. He was lucky to have all the luxuries in the world, with the royal family being the only ones that had access to quite an estate. It was situated on top of the mountain, covered by trees in case humans or outsiders from another clan came calling.

  He’d always see Richard stalking the hills, ensuring that there were no surprises. He didn’t know why, but he had always felt safe when he saw Richard, even for the briefest of moments, before disappearing into the foliage. Richard was easily recognizable with his one green and one blue eye.

  After he had transformed, Jensen looked back at his once home and then turned away from the people that had always been there for him. He had to see if it was even possible to find happiness, and he couldn’t do that with the crown being essentially a noose around his neck. He needed freedom and there was a good possibility that he had at least a week to find what he was looking for. After that, if he didn’t find even a semblance of love, he would have to return and take on the mantle of responsibility.

  Chapter 2

  Jensen found an old farmhouse, something that had been there for a very long time. It was where they’d find chickens, slaughtering them with their bare teeth and claws. They weren’t greedy and they would only do that once a month. He watched as the two owners, Abigail and Jacob, now in their blue pickup truck, got ready to drive away. As the ignition turned over, there was a black cloud of exhaust and the thing began to sputter like it was going to die. It bumped and slowly moved over that dirt track to the road. Jensen listened to it as it disappeared into the distance.

  When he was up to the clothesline, he changed back to human form and quickly absconded with a denim shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He was barefoot, but that had never bothered him in the past. It felt nice to dig his toes into the wet earth, almost as if he was a part of the surroundings. He liked being in nature; it was something that was an essential part of his upbringing.

  When he was a child, he would listen to any storms that raged outside his window and delight in the thunder that cracked. Most children his age would be terrified, but he felt perfectly calm and at ease.

  His father used to tell him that it was because he had royal blood running through his veins. His father was always testing him, making sure that he was a man, ready for any battle that would ensue.

  Jensen stood there looking towards the road and then he remembered his father’s face. He wondered w
hat would happen when his father found out he was gone. Would he disown him or was it even possible that he would hunt him down and make him pay for his disobedience.

  He was still young, only 24 years old, and in the grand scheme of things, he was still primarily an infant. He had a lot of questions about his own sexuality, but mostly he just wanted to know what exactly he was giving up. There was no way that his father would even understand this course of action, but maybe eventually they might be able to see eye to eye. His only hope was that his father would not succumb to his illness before he had the chance to finally figure out what he wanted to do with his life.

  He got on the road and since he was in remarkable shape, he began to run at a brisk pace and before long, he was breaking into quite a sweat. It was nothing that he couldn’t handle. His morning regime was to run for ten miles in one direction and ten miles back. He had never found himself winded; it was almost like it was second nature. His body was a temple and he treated it as such. He enjoyed eating meat, but he stayed away from those animals that had a fatty diet. He loved chicken, but he was very aware that the skin could be very dangerous to his health.

  He had admired the warriors, those that would fight to the death to protect the lion shifters, to stand tall for their right to live in freedom. He emulated himself after them, followed their patterns and before long he felt like he was at one with them and nature. He couldn’t run with them, but he didn’t shy away from their furtive glances in his direction. They must have known that he was watching them and learning. His body was now cut like a marble statue and if he were to stand in all his naked glory for anybody to see, they would know that they were in the presence of greatness.