Pregnant with the Werelion King's Cub (Paranormal Werelion Baby Romance) (Howls Romance Book 2)

by Claire Pike

  She knew it had been just as long for Merek as it had been for her—surely Caroline had never touched him in this way. His unsated lust drove him to take her roughly and forcefully, holding her head in both hands as he thrust himself against her face. She closed her eyes and tried not to choke on his massive girth. It was almost more than she could take into her mouth, but she wanted to do her best to please him, and it was clear he wasn’t going to stop until he was satisfied. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and submissive, moaning around her mouthful. Merek clenched his teeth, grunting with each thrust, and the look in his eyes told her he was getting close to climax.

  She reached up and cupped his balls in her hand, massaging them gently to urge him onward. Merek’s head tilted back and he let out a loud groan. He seemed to grow even harder in her mouth as the moment grew closer, and it was all Abby could do to hold on and let him have his way with her dainty little mouth.

  A loud groan warned her of what was coming. Abby tensed up, closing her eyes and bracing herself. The first stream of it filled her mouth and made her gag, and she pulled back, coughing and sputtering, only to get the rest of Merek’s seed all over her face and in her hair. She lay there, bracing her hands against the ground, looking up at him like a helpless slave to his pleasure. He looked down at her, grinning at the sight of her. She had been marked as his, and seeing her like that only seemed to spur him onward.

  Merek scooped her up in his arms. He carried her downstairs and back to his apartment, both of them still half-naked. He carried her into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed, then he pulled off the rest of his clothes, still watching her possessively. Abby trembled, licking her lips when some of Merek’s seed dripped down her face. Part of her wanted to wipe it off, while another part of her savored the sensation of being marked as his, of being forced to submit to him in such a fashion.

  He knelt on the bed and grabbed her by her thighs, pulling her against him. She spread her legs and looked up at him, eyes wide, waiting. She braced herself, expecting to be taken quickly and roughly, but Merek took his time, teasing her by rubbing himself against her until she was wet and aching for him. He ground his hips against hers, rubbing his hardness against her, nearly pushing inside more than once but then pulling back, teasing and waiting.

  “Please,” she whimpered, clutching at the sheets.

  “Please what?”

  Abby whimpered louder. “Please!”

  “Please what?” Merek growled, staring deep into her eyes.

  “Please give it to me.” Abby thrust her hips up against him, aching to have him inside her.

  “Give you what?” Merek asked, grinning mischievously. He was clearly enjoying torturing her and making her wait.

  “Your cock,” Abby whispered.

  “Tell me what you want.”

  Abby groaned in frustration. She was on fire, and she couldn’t wait any longer. “Please give me your cock! I need it…”

  Merek growled and leaned down over her, pushing himself inside. Abby gasped, closing her eyes and clinging to Merek, unable to think or speak or do anything but lie there and take it as he ravaged her. He seemed to know how to read her every moan, finding the spots that drove her wild and hitting them again and again. She kept begging him for more, needing to be filled, to be fulfilled. And when he finally planted his seed inside her again, she clung to him, feeling like she might float away if she let go. She buried her face against his neck, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. After he pulled out of her and rolled over onto his back, all she could do was lie there, staring at the ceiling. Her legs felt like jelly and her loins were on fire. And beyond having just been fucked, beyond having felt him inside her, she felt something deeper. Like there was some connection between them, something binding them together.

  She rolled over and laid her head against Merek’s shoulder, slowly catching her breath. He put an arm around her and held her close. And she drifted off to sleep, sharing his bed for the first time, content to spend the whole night in his strong, powerful arms.

  Chapter Twelve

  A couple of months had passed, and Abby had slowly settled into the routine of her new life. Not having to work had turned the last couple of months into a sort of vacation, though it was a vacation where she was exhausted all the time from the grueling task of growing a little person inside of her. She spent a lot of time napping, catching up on her reading, and on Netflix. Little by little, she started to feel less like a prisoner in Merek’s home and more like a guest. And eventually, like it was her home too.

  Lately she had been spending a lot of time getting the nursery set up. Merek had agreed to move his workout equipment out of the apartment, and the room he’d once used as his private gym was now decorated with baby furniture and brightly colored wallpaper. There was a collection of decals on the wall depicting jungle scenes, including some cartoon lions. For some reason Abby hadn’t figured out yet, Merek really seemed to like lions.

  She was in the nursery one day, when she was about seven months pregnant, and a curious thought suddenly struck her. She was hanging a jungle-themed mobile over the baby’s crib, feeling warm and happy at the idea of raising this child together with Merek. And that was when it hit her. When she thought about the future, it was no longer a future where she was raising a child alone, or one where Merek was little more than a financial provider. Instead, it was one where he was there by her side, taking care of the baby together, as a family.

  And the realization that she thought of herself and Merek as a family now made her realize she was falling in love with him.

  The thought put a smile to her face. She’d never been in love before. But it was certainly a nice feeling. It had been building inside of her for some time now. It just wasn’t until that moment that she put a word to the feelings inside her. That she admitted to herself what her heart had known for weeks.

  After she finished decorating, she headed to the kitchen to check on dinner. Merek was coming home soon, and she wanted to have a nice, romantic dinner together. But while she was discussing the dinner options with the chef, Hank stepped into the room.

  “Ma’am?”

  “Yes, Hank?” Abby had gotten used to the bodyguard’s constant presence. She had even been grateful for him since the day Caroline had shown up at the apartment. Hank’s intervention had likely been the only reason Caroline hadn’t broken down the bedroom door in order to get at her.

  “We’ve just received word from Mr. Armstrong’s office. His meeting is running late. His assistant said to inform you that he won’t make it in time for dinner.”

  Abby sighed. Sometimes she wished Merek worked a more normal job, where he didn’t constantly have to deal with board meetings and other burdensome events. But she had to accept that this was who he was. Maybe it was the price he paid for his vast fortune. Abby had certainly gotten used to living a life of luxury. Though at the end of the day, she would rather have had a man who was home in time for dinner and who could take time off to spend with her, sharing romantic evenings together. Even though she was falling in love with Merek, she still wasn’t happy with his lifestyle. Maybe that would be something they could work on changing, once the baby was born.

  “Thanks, Hank,” she said. She turned to the chef. “Let’s hold off on dinner. I want something to be ready for him when he gets home.” The first step toward the life changes she wanted, she figured, was making adjustments around Merek’s busy schedule. She would rather put off dinner until he could get home if it meant they could share that time together as a family.

  “I can make something up for you in the meantime,” the chef offered.

  Abby almost declined, but she was pretty hungry. Being pregnant also meant she didn’t like skipping meals. “Maybe just a light snack? And could you have someone bring it up to the garden? I think I want to go for a walk.”

  She headed up to the roof, Hank following along but staying by the door so that she could enjoy her privacy in the garden.
She walked among the flower beds, taking in their sweet scent. She fed the fish, watching the little ripples spread across the surface of the pond when they bobbed near the surface to snatch up the food. She sat on a bench at the edge of the garden so she could look out over the city skyline and watch as the sun set. And she marveled in the realization that this really was her new life, and it was a life she was starting to love.

  A sound drew her attention. She looked toward the stairwell door, frowning. “Merek? Is that you?”

  There was another sound, this time a sharp thud. She got up and headed toward the door. “Hank? Hank, is someone there?”

  When she emerged through the trees and came in sight of the door, she saw Hank lying on the ground, unconscious, with a massive bruise on his face.

  A cold chill swept through Abby. She took a few steps back, trembling from head to toe.

  “Hello?” she called out, looking around the garden. “Is someone there?”

  She heard a rustling in the trees. She gasped and stepped back, putting her back against a tree. She thought to call the police, but she had left her phone down in the apartment.

  She started heading for the door. She had to get downstairs and into the safety of the apartment, and she needed to find a phone. But before she could get there, a figure stepped out of the shadows, growling at her.

  It was Caroline.

  “You,” Abby said.

  Caroline flexed her hands and rolled her shoulders, loosening her muscles. “You ruined everything,” Caroline said.

  Abby backed away, holding her hands up in front of her. “How did you get in here? The guards—”

  “Are weak, pathetic fools,” Caroline said, stalking forward. Her eyes remained locked on Abby like a predator watching her every move. “You and I have unfinished business.”

  “Leave me alone,” Abby said. She looked around, trying to find a weapon, anything she could use to defend herself. But there wasn’t even so much as a branch lying on the ground. The gardeners kept the rooftop garden pristine and clean.

  “I was going to be queen of the largest pride in North America,” Caroline said. “I was going to have everything. Until you came alone.”

  “Queen?” Abby frowned, shaking her head. “Pride? What are you talking about?”

  Caroline slammed a fist against a tree, shaking loose some leaves with the impact. “I’m talking about you waltzing in here, flashing your tits and your ugly, fat ass, and stealing Merek from me! I had a chance to be royalty. It would have been an alliance that made our clans the most powerful shifters on the continent. And it’s ruined, all because of you!”

  Abby backed away, circling around the pond, trying to keep something, anything between her and Caroline. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m sorry. I know you’re mad about Merek, but he didn’t love you.”

  “Love?” Caroline snorted, throwing her head back and laughing. “Ha! You think love has any place in this? I’m talking about politics. Power. Land. Things that have far more influence in the world than your childish ideas about love. What, am I supposed to sing a little song like some cartoon princess, frolicking through the woods, happy and in love?” Caroline spat in the pond. “Fuck that. This is the real world, bitch. And in the real world, there are consequences when you fuck with someone like me.”

  She started to growl, and the growl built up into a feral roar. Abby turned to run, but there was no place to go. Caroline was between her and the door, and there was no other way off the roof.

  Caroline lunged at her, and Abby fled through the trees. With no place else to run, she started climbing up the first tree she found, the sudden surge of adrenaline helping her move faster than she had for her entire pregnancy. She scraped her hands on the tree bark and twigs snagged in her hair. The tree shook when Caroline rammed into it down below, and Abby nearly lost her grip, slipping and grabbing the nearest branch to keep herself from falling.

  She pulled herself back up, looking down at Caroline. Caroline flexed her hands like claws, and she licked her lips like an animal eyeing a meal. Then she started to change right before Abby’s eyes.

  Caroline’s hair flared out and her eyes turned a deep shade of gold. Her teeth elongated into fangs. Claws sprouted from her fingertips. Fur started to grow all over her body.

  Abby watched with wide eyes, her throat closing up in panic. It was just like the last time she’d seen Caroline, but this time there was no denying what was right before her eyes. It couldn’t just be a hallucination. It was all too real. Caroline wasn’t human. She looked more like a lioness, standing on two legs. She still bore some human features, walking upright and flexing human-like hands. But she was more beast now than person, from the whiskers on her cheeks to the long tail swaying behind her.

  Abby screamed in terror. She tried to climb higher, but her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn’t keep a grip on the branches. The bark scraped against her hands, and her fingers burned with pain. Her foot slipped, and suddenly she was dangling by her fingertips. Caroline leapt up at her, swiping a claw at her legs. Abby screamed and kicked as hard as she could, her foot connecting with Caroline’s face. The werebeast fell to the ground, growling and snarling, but she was back on her feet moments later.

  Abby managed to get her foot back on a branch, and she pushed herself higher into the tree. Caroline leapt up at her again, scrambling to get her claws on the branches. Abby screamed, crying out for help, but she didn’t know who could possibly come to save her.

  Once Caroline was up in the tree, Abby saw only one possible escape. She grabbed one of the low-hanging branches and swung herself down, hitting the ground hard enough to send sharp stabs of pain through her ankles. She ran for the stairwell, hoping that Caroline would stay tangled up in the tree branches long enough for Abby to escape. She was only halfway to the stairwell when she heard a thud behind her as Caroline’s feet hit the ground. Abby didn’t look back. She ran for the door, desperate to escape and to save her baby. It was only a few more paces to the doorway, but she could almost feel Caroline’s hot breath on the back of her neck.

  A massive roar filled the air. Abby almost blacked out from fear.

  Then, just before she reached the doorway, another figure leapt out from the stairwell. A hulking manbeast, with a jet black mane and golden eyes. A finely tailored suit strained against the muscles of his bestial body, the seams in the fabric ripping as his body bulged and flexed. Bits of golden fur poked out through the rips in the seams and spread across his face.

  Merek had arrived, and he rushed at Caroline, wearing the form of a hulking lion in the shape of a man.

  Merek collided with Caroline in a massive clash of fangs and fur. He took her to the ground, but Caroline deftly flipped her legs up and kicked, using Merek’s momentum against him and pushing him off of her. He was flung through the air and he slammed into a tree, shaking the trunk and bringing a cascade of leaves and branches down on his head.

  Merek struggled to get back to his feet, but Caroline’s attention was on him now. She lunged forward, leaping at him with her claws and fangs bared. She dug her claws into his shoulders, latching on tightly, and then snapped her fangs at his throat. Merek roared, struggling to push the angry she-lion off of him, but she had leverage over him, pinning him down against the tree. Caroline snapped her jaws, mere inches from Merek’s throat, and Merek’s arms shook with the effort of trying to push her back.

  Abby couldn’t think straight as she watched the battle between the two beasts. But somewhere deep down, she knew this was still her Merek. He might look like a monster, but he was still the man she loved. She had to help him.

  She ran over to Hank where he lay unconscious on the ground. She reached into his jacket, pulled out his gun, and then fired at Caroline three times with shaking hands. She didn’t come anywhere close to hitting the werelioness, but the sudden gunshots distracted Caroline for just a moment. Her head shot up, and the distraction gave Merek the advantage he needed
. He pushed her off and got back to his feet, swiping his claws at her and taking a deep slice out of her arm.

  The two beasts collided again, digging their claws into each other’s arms and struggling to bring each other down. They fought like feral monsters, snarling and growling, the rooftop filled with their roars. Abby hid in the doorway to the stairwell, too afraid to touch the gun again, lest she accidentally hit Merek. The battle taking place before her was unreal, and her mind couldn’t cope with what she saw before her.

  Finally, Merek swept his leg out, knocking Caroline’s feet out from under her. She went down to the ground, hard, and Merek landed on top of her, pinning her down. He got his claws around her throat and started choking the life out of her. She scraped her claws along his arms, trying to get him to let go, but his iron grip wouldn’t let up. Caroline started to grow weak, her movements slowing and her eyes rolling into the back of her head.

  Abby shot to her feet and stepped forward. “Merek, no!” She didn’t want to watch the man she loved kill someone. If he took Caroline’s life, if the father of Abby’s child became a murderer, she knew she’d never be able to look at him the same way again.

  Merek looked at her, his golden eyes filled with feral rage. But there was still a trace of the human man she knew in those eyes. His resolve wavered, and his grip on Caroline’s throat loosened. She fell limp on the ground, knocked unconscious by the lack of oxygen to her brain, but still alive.

  As soon as Caroline passed out, her body started shrinking, shifting back into her normal form. The fur and claws and fangs disappeared, leaving an ordinary, if beautiful and wounded woman. Her pristine face was bruised and her arms were bleeding from claw wounds. Her elegant clothing was torn to shreds. Looking at her like that, hurt and unconscious, Abby almost felt pity for her.

  Merek sat back, moving away from Caroline. He took deep, slow breaths, a deep growl still rumbling in his throat.