Guardian Lion: BBW Lion Shifter Paranormal Romance (Cedar Hill Lions Book 2)

by Chant,Zoe

  “Go get someone else to check it out,” Heath said instantly. “Send another agent to go look, make sure he’s telling… that he’s right. Something could’ve slipped under his radar. You never know.”

  Daphne bit her lip. She could tell what Heath had been about to say before he’d caught himself: Make sure Denny is telling the truth.

  She could tell that Sandra knew it too, and she didn’t look impressed. Daphne could understand that: Denny was clearly a trusted employee, and it wasn’t for a newcomer like Heath to accuse him of lying. Daphne knew that animal packs tended to be hierarchical, and she wondered if groups of shifters were the same.

  It would make sense, she supposed. Especially when she looked at the way Heath and Sandra were staring at each other now, as if testing to see if one would back down first.

  “All right,” Sandra said slowly, though her gaze never wavered. “It is possible that Denny missed something. In which case, I will speak to him myself. But you are not to say a word until I have confirmation one way or another. Is that clear?”

  “Crystal,” Heath said, not dropping his eyes.

  “Fine. You can go now.” Sandra’s eye darted to Daphne. “Keep an eye on your mate. I’m sure you can do that.”

  Daphne saw the angry flush creep up Heath’s throat before he turned away, but his hand on her shoulder as he led her out of the room was gentle.

  “Heath,” she said quietly, as soon as the door was closed behind them. “Calm down. What’s there to be gained by losing your temper?”

  Heath closed his eyes briefly, before looking down at her. “You’re right. But it just gets me steamed – especially because it’s your protection they’re playing fast and loose with.”

  “They’re hardly doing that,” Daphne pointed out, putting a hand on his arm. “They haven’t told me I have to leave, or that you can’t protect me anymore. I think Sandra is asking some pretty reasonable questions.”

  Heath looked a little rueful. “Okay, you’re right. I’m just… you’re my mate, Daphne. Nothing is more important than you. I can’t help but get a little angry when I think you could be in danger.”

  Heat flushed through Daphne’s body. Something about Heath’s desire to look after her made her tingle with delight. Maybe it was the bond. Or maybe it was just the thought of such a big, strong man focusing all his attention on her and her safety and happiness.

  “I know,” she whispered. “And I love that about you. I also trust you. I know you’d never let anything hurt me. And I won’t let anything hurt you.”

  Heath smiled, his golden-green eyes lighting up, his tense shoulders relaxing. “Of course,” he said. “That’s what mates do.”

  His smile was infectious, and Daphne found herself returning it. “So what do we do for the rest of the day?”

  Heath raised an eyebrow, his smile turning distinctly roguish. “Well, I don’t think we should leave the building,” he said. “And I’ve been told I shouldn’t leave you alone. So I’m not sure there’s anything else we can do but order in some food and go eat it. Alone. Somewhere cozy.”

  Daphne raised her own eyebrows. “That sounds perfect.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Heath

  Heath was lying stretched out on the bed, Daphne curled by his side, his hand resting in the valley of her waist, when he heard the bang of a gunshot. He jolted into full alertness, grabbing his pistol from where he’d left it on the bedside cabinet.

  His hearing when he wasn’t in his lion form was only slightly more sensitive than a regular human’s, and he’d been on the verge of drifting off to sleep. He sat bolt upright, straining to hear more, every muscle tense.

  “Heath?” Daphne asked, her voice sounding a little drowsy. “What is it?”

  Heath raised his fingers to his lips. Daphne blinked at him, confused, but stayed silent. Heath listened intently, straining his ears to try to catch another sound, but there was nothing.

  “I heard something,” Heath said after a moment. He could hear the tenseness in his own voice, and knew that Daphne, even if she hadn’t been his mate, could hear it too.

  “What was it?”

  Heath pressed his lips together. He knew he should tell her immediately, but he didn’t want to frighten her. As much as his earlier conversation with Sandra had infuriated him, she’d been right about one thing: having their mate around definitely made a shifter more sensitive to dangers, real or imagined. He still didn’t think he was wrong about the eagle on her windowsill being a shifter, but it was enough to make him cautious now.

  “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Maybe it was…” He trailed off.

  Daphne put her hand on his arm. “Maybe it was what?”

  “A gunshot,” he finally said. “We don’t have a shooting range here, so I know it can’t be just someone practicing. But – ”

  Before he could get another word out, he heard another shot – and this time, he was sure. There could be no doubt about what he’d heard.

  He turned to look at Daphne, who had gone pale.

  “I heard it too that time,” she said, her voice sounding a little shaky. “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know,” Heath said. “A lot of us carry guns, but why there’d be firing in the building…”

  There was nothing for it. He’d have to go out and investigate – but the thought of leaving Daphne alone had his lion baring its teeth in anger.

  Heath felt torn. While it was true that his colleagues and co-workers were important to him, they were all highly trained experts in their field, and most of them shifters to boot. They could take care of themselves. His first priority was Daphne, and making sure she was safe. Most especially since he’d insisted she come here in the first place. If he’d inadvertently led her into danger, then he had no choice but to get her out of it before he could think of anything else. And to do that, the first thing he needed to do was get her out of the building – and quickly.

  Pick her up and carry her out, his lion insisted. Do it now!

  I can’t, he told it. I have no idea what’s going on – whether there might be gunmen covering the exits. I need to be sure I’m not putting her in more danger.

  It was the rational thought – but not the one his lion wanted to hear. There was nothing rational about it when it came to protecting your mate.

  If there was an active shooter in the building, then things needed to be done carefully and with consideration. Heath pushed the lion’s furious insistence that he grab Daphne and run out of his mind. The lion could help him, but it needed to be tempered with the many years of training he’d received, and his human side’s rational understanding of what was happening around them. He’d dealt with situations like this before: entering buildings and navigating them when he had no idea if there would be a threat around every corner. He’d been able to trust his instincts in the past, and they’d never let him down.

  This situation was no different.

  Except for your mate.

  It was true. His fellow soldiers in the army had meant the world to him, but not even that bond could compare to a mate. Plus, they’d all been soldiers in their own right – trained experts. Daphne might be strong and self-reliant, but she wasn’t a soldier. She needed him to protect her.

  They were both still dressed, and had simply been lying together on the bed after their meal, so they didn’t have to waste any time finding their clothes and getting dressed. Heath leaned against the door, his lion pushing its way farther forward into his consciousness. It was snarling, furious at the thought of its mate in danger. Heath let it come forward, knowing that at this moment, he could take advantage of the superior sense of smell and hearing it gave him. But he needed to keep it on a tight rein, making sure it didn’t overtake his mind. A lion set loose was a dangerous thing, and he needed his wits about him.

  Running feet. Shouting.

  Those were the main things he could hear from the upper levels of the building. There seemed to be nothing
immediately outside their door, however – outside, everything was silent. Frowning, Heath considered their options. It was likely that whoever was doing this was working their way through the building, floor by floor.

  In that case, if the staff on the upper levels failed to stop them, they’d soon be here. These rooms were secure, but there was only one way out – if they were caught in here, they’d be trapped. And while Heath was sure he could fight off anyone who came in, all it would take was one stray bullet, and Daphne would be seriously injured… or worse.

  He couldn’t hold back his low growl at the thought. The idea of Daphne hurt or dying made his heart seize up. It was unbearable.

  He knew that whatever happened, he had to get her out of the building and to safety.

  Heath strained his senses, trying to make out what was going on outside of their room. The shouts and sounds of pounding feet had subsided, but he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He knew they needed to move before they were caught here, though, and the conditions for their escape were unlikely to improve.

  Heath reached out, using one arm to keep Daphne safely behind him, his hand never leaving her side. He could feel her rapid breathing, and he gave her a quick, reassuring squeeze. Heath heard her swallow.

  “I’m okay,” she whispered.

  Cracking the door open, Heath scanned the hallway outside. It was empty. Once again, he heard sounds from above them and paused, waiting. After a moment or two, the noises quieted again, though he could still hear low voices and running feet. Somewhere above them, a door slammed.

  If they were going to make a break for it, it seemed like now was the best time.

  Opening the door, Heath led Daphne out into the corridor, moving slowly and carefully. Turning to look back at her, Heath gestured to the stairwell, and Daphne nodded.

  He went first, using his lion’s hearing to check if it was safe. He could hear nothing. Nodding to Daphne, he took her hand and together they slipped through the door.

  “I want to get you out of the building as soon as I can,” Heath whispered. “But I don’t know what’s happening. Someone might be at the exits. There might be people waiting outside. I can’t do a thing until I know more.”

  As he finished his sentence, there was a burst of automatic gunfire from outside the stairwell. Daphne gasped, her eyes going wide, but otherwise she made no sound. Heath had instinctively pushed her behind his body, and they stayed motionless for a long moment. There was silence.

  Heath didn’t risk speaking. He simply held Daphne’s hand and continued to lead her up the stairs, until they got to the first floor. At the moment, they were on the basement level, buried underground, and the only way to leave was to go up. Unfortunately, that meant leading them both into potential danger. Heath gritted his teeth. He might not like it, but it was the only way. The best he could do now was to trust himself – his human side’s skills, and his lion’s instincts.

  Heath silently opened the door, looking out into the empty corridor. The door to the conference room was directly opposite. Taking a breath, Heath pushed his lion out just a little further…

  … and smelled blood. He immediately bared his teeth, his lion reacting instinctively to the strong, coppery smell. He was just barely on the edge of shifting, and if he could have flattened his human ears, he would have.

  Someone’s blood had been spilled, somewhere very near here.

  Get your mate out of here, his lion was snarling at him, eyes wild with fury. Again, Heath was seized with the desire to simply throw Daphne over his shoulder and run with her, straight out of the building. Clenching his fists, Heath pushed the lion slightly back. That might seem like a good idea to an animal, but his human side knew just how dangerous it could be.

  Heath wanted to take a moment longer to check the hallway before venturing out, but just as he did he heard a door open from lower down in the stairwell. If they didn’t move now, they’d been caught in a pincer.

  Quickly, Heath pulled Daphne out through the door, dashing across the hall and into the conference room. He closed the door behind them as silently as possible, locking it quickly, using the manual bolt rather than the keypad – only to hear Daphne gasp.

  He turned, tensing, but there was no one in the room. Instead, his eyes fell on a large patch of dark red liquid that had seeped into the gray carpet.

  Blood.

  Probably the same blood that he’d been able to smell earlier.

  “Are you alright?” Heath asked.

  Daphne nodded. “I’m okay. I just… it was a bit of a shock, that’s all. I mean… that is what I think it is, right?”

  Heath nodded grimly. “Yes.”

  He glanced around the room. Whatever had happened in here, it had obviously surprised the occupants of the room. There were still cups of coffee steaming on the sideboard, and a half-peeled apple, paring knife next to it, was sitting on the table.

  “Once this door is manually locked from the inside, it can’t be unlocked from the outside,” he explained. “If there’s someone following us from the stairwell, they’ll have to go around the long way to get to the other door over there. It’ll buy us an extra minute.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “There’s a deliveries and service entrance around the back of the building,” Heath said. “It opens onto an alley, so it’s hard to spot unless you know it’s there. We can use that as our exit. I doubt it would be… covered.”

  Heath had picked his word carefully, but by Daphne’s expression, he could see she understood perfectly what he meant. There might be people waiting outside, their guns trained on the door for the people leaving the building. They’d be shot down before they even knew what was happening. But the service entrance was out of the way, and there were dumpsters and plenty of other things to duck behind if they encountered someone out there. At least they’d have cover, if it did turn out there was someone there.

  It was their best chance – without knowing how many active shooters there were, what their aims might be, and who they were, it was impossible for Heath to come up with anything better. Right now, it was simply a matter of getting Daphne out of the building safely.

  Heath’s mind spun with possibilities as he opened the far door a crack to peer out into the hallway beyond. Who could be doing this? Is it part of a vendetta? Revenge? And how could they get in?

  The building security was amazingly tight – it had been built so as to make it virtually impossible for even shifters to sneak into, and there were security cameras in every room and every hall. Glancing up, Heath looked for the camera in the hall, staring at it. It was housed in a small plastic dome that meant it couldn’t be tampered with or damaged – but nonetheless, the usual red light that demonstrated it was functioning wasn’t visible.

  It was offline.

  Whoever had done this seemed to know their business – if the security cameras were down, it was likely other parts of the security system were too. Perhaps they’d been hacked from outside, or someone had gotten into the server room.

  Heath could hardly believe that – considering the amount of extremely sensitive data Assured Security dealt with, the server room could only be accessed with a key code, known to very few. It disturbed him that whoever was attacking them was able to get onto this floor at all – but all that mattered now was that they had, and the only thing he could do now was deal with it. Heath frowned. He just couldn’t understand this – no one should have been able to pull this off. Not without inside information, at least, and Heath knew that Assured Security vetted their employees extremely carefully.

  And in any case, what reason could anyone have to betray them? Shifters were bound by rules and traditions, far more so than humans, in many cases, and chief amongst them was loyalty. What kind of shifter would break the loyalty they owed Sandra and Hector by betraying them like this?

  Later. This is for later, he thought to himself. He could play detective when Daphne was out of harm’s wa
y.

  “All right,” he whispered, glancing over his shoulder to where Daphne was standing just behind him. “Stay here a moment. I’m just going to check around that corner. After that, I’ll come back for you. I’ll be gone fifteen seconds, at most.”

  Daphne squeezed his arm, the tips of her fingers going white. For a second, he thought she wasn’t going to let him go, but then she nodded.

  “I understand.”

  Heath smiled at her, even if it was the last thing he felt like doing. He wanted her to know he’d never let anything happen to her.

  Raising his gun, Heath sidled out of the door, edging his way along the wall. His lion’s senses couldn’t detect anything, though it could still smell the blood and the gunpowder from the shots fired earlier. His lion’s tail flicked back and forth, all its senses on high alert.

  They were in the most secure part of the building. Behind him was the armory, where the agents and employees of Assured Security kept their weapons, bulletproof vests, Tasers, and the other restricted items they needed to do their jobs. In front of him was the server room, where the banks upon banks of computers that handled the company’s security systems and databases were stored.

  Heath would have taken Daphne to get a bulletproof vest if he’d had the code to get into the armory, but it was known to only three people in the entire company – Hector, Sandra, and Assured Security’s quartermaster, a gruff old bear shifter named Harrison. For a moment, Heath’s suspicions fell on him, but he just as quickly dismissed the idea. Harrison was an old school shifter, set in the traditions of old shifter society. He’d never betray anyone.

  If the security systems were offline, then it might be that the door to the armory was open and he could get in, but Heath decided against it. It would be a delay; Daphne would be much safer far away than she would be in a vest. He could lead her down this corridor, past the server room, and to the delivery entrance within two minutes. Three, at most.