“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Weston said, his voice was closer to her and she glanced up to find him standing directly in front of her. He sighed again and sat on the floor, cross legged.
“It’s okay…I guess I’m feeling the pressure too, I want to go home already,” Nora sighed. Weston glanced away from her and she saw the guilt in his eyes.
“Do you think he’ll listen? Do you think he’ll let us stay?” he asked her, his head still turned.
“Maybe, I mean…I’m sure I can try and persuade him to listen,” Nora said and Weston’s head whipped around so his gaze could meet hers.
“You’d help us? After we kidnapped you?” he asked incredulously.
“Why not? You all don’t seem so bad and really you just want a safe place for your shifters…and by the way, are there any female lions in your pride?”
“They were killed off…before we fled north,” he said sadly. “Like I said, things got bad.” Nora was horrified to hear that. It was like the other shifters were trying to make his pride extinct.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said softly.
“Are you of shifter blood, or do you simply have knowledge of them in your small town?”
“I’m human, well partly anyways. My grandfather was a shifter, he had all daughters with a human mate so…the gene is dormant in me,” she explained.
“Though your children with Safir would be shifters…” Weston said, sort of stating the obvious.
“Yeah…if he comes for me that is,” she murmured.
“He’ll come, I doubt he’d simply leave someone like you behind,” Weston said almost distractedly. She glanced down at him and found him studying her closely.
“Someone like me?” she asked, wondering what he meant by that.
“I just…I can see why he’d choose you for a mate,” he said. Nora was briefly at a loss for what to say. Mostly she was surprised that she really liked the compliment coming from him. Then she felt a bit guilty at the rush of pleasure that suffused through her at his words, causing her to blush. Weston smiled at her and like a little kid she looked away from him.
“I think I’ll…uh, go make a sandwich or something downstairs,” she said as an excuse to get up. But of course he simply followed her. Nora felt beyond awkward as she went around the kitchen, getting sandwich supplies and having Weston stand nearby watching her. She could feel his gaze tracking her every move.
“Are you very devoted to Safir?” he asked her. Thank goodness her back was turned to him as she very slowly reached for cheese in the refrigerator. The expression on her face was unsure, when she needed to be very sure. Nora knew she’d had feelings for Weston from the very beginning, though she’d ignored them. She was trying to stay true to Safir.
“Of course I am,” she answered without looking over her shoulder. But she instantly regretted it. By the time she turned away from the fridge Weston was standing right behind her. All she felt was heat coming off of him in waves and she lost herself for a moment in his intent stare.
“Are you?” he asked, his voice soft. Nora had no answer then. He’d see the truth all over her face. The next thing she knew Weston was pulling her waist towards his. His head lowered to hers. He paused briefly, his lips just a hair’s length away from hers before he truly kissed her. Nora felt a heated rush course through her; she shouldn’t have let him kiss her, yet she really wanted to.
Weston deepened the kiss and lifted her up, he walked her over to the island to set her down on the edge. She didn’t realize how into the kiss she was until the packet of cheese fell from her hands, hitting the ground loudly. Nora pulled back slightly, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.
“I…we shouldn’t have done that,” she said in a low voice. Weston simply shook his head. Nora found she was a little disappointed that he agreed with her.
“I’m not sorry…I wanted it, I want you,” he said, without any remorse and such sincerity that Nora was taken aback, she didn’t know what to say.
*****
“Weston…I’m supposed to marry Safir, I want to marry him,” Nora said and Weston’s fingers tightened reflexively around her waist.
“Are you telling me that you don’t even remotely feel anything for me?” Weston studied her closely, his grip on her tightening and his lips still too close to hers.
“Of course I do, but I shouldn’t!” she said in exasperation. Immediately after one of Weston’s shifters, Emery, entered the room. Nora hopped down from the kitchen island and moved as far away from Weston as she could.
Emery said, “Safir’s finally pinpointed us, he’s following a group in with the brunt of his shifters. They aren’t being cautious or playing nice.” He was out of breath as if he ran all the way to the main house.
“Fine, make a tight perimeter around here, I’ll meet him as soon as they cross into the clearing,” he said brusquely.
“He’s not going to stop and listen to you, he’s more likely to attack. Especially as you have my scent all over you,” Nora said as a matter of fact.
“I’m not having you go out there into the line of fire,” Weston said. Nora couldn’t help but think that he sounded like Safir – overly protective.
“You’re going to have a nasty fight on your hands if you don’t let him see me as soon as he comes into the clearing,” she said, not backing down. Weston studied her a moment and then sighed harshly.
“Fine, but you stay behind me, I don’t care what he does.” Nora wanted to roll her eyes at him, but held back on it. She followed Weston outside and saw that Emery worked quickly in spreading Weston’s orders and getting everyone ready. She stood slightly behind Weston on the porch of the cabin. He was still in his human form, while the rest of his pride were in lion form. Two minutes later Safir’s lions broke through the trees. It was honestly hard to tell each lion apart, as they all looked similar.
Weston tensed before Nora as she tried to look around him, Safir’s shifters were surrounding the smaller group of lions protecting the compound and closing in. One broke rank though, boldly snapping his way through to the porch. A breath of relief escaped Nora’s lips when he shifted and she saw that it was Safir. Her entire chest suffused with happiness at the sight of him. She had not realized how much she had longed to see him again.
“Safir!” she said and stepped around Weston, he took her up into a tight hug, but soon tucked her away at his side. His attention on Weston, a harsh scowl on his face. “Wait! Safir, Weston only wants to speak with you…civilly.” Nora said, getting in between the two while on the ground their prides growled at each other.
“What? You’re defending him Nora? He kidnapped you! And if he wanted to talk he would have come by himself from the beginning,” Safir said, though he directed his anger at Weston and took a menacing step towards him.
“It wasn’t that simple, Safir. Let me explain, just the two of us,” Weston said. Nora had to give Safir credit, instead of brushing off his words and attacking Weston, Safir glanced at her and took a deep breath.
“There’s no need to injure any more of our own kind,” Weston added.
“Fine…let’s talk.” Safir said through clenched teeth. He glanced at his shifters below and gave a gesture for them to stand down. Almost immediately they fell back and shifted to their human forms. Weston did the same to his shifters, who were many. They all changed to human form as well.
“So…” Safir said, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Why don’t we talk inside?” Weston suggested. “I can send my guys away, you can do the same so they aren’t out here bristling for a fight.” Nora could tell that Safir didn’t like to be ordered, especially as he was head of his own pride. Weston demonstrated a gesture of peace and shouted a command to his shifters. With only a little protest they slowly dissipated, and went into the trees. Safir sighed and sent his lions away as well. They slowly and reluctantly left the clearing.
“It’s better that it’s just us,”
Weston sighed. He went ahead inside, leaving the door open for them to follow. Nora smiled a bit tentatively up at Safir and he brushed some of her hair behind her ear.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmured. Then he bent his head and kissed her softly. She wanted more from him, she wanted him to hold her, but they didn’t have time for that. “You smell like him,” Safir said, his eyebrows drawn together slightly. “Did he hurt you?” he asked and Nora shook her head, feeling guilty as ever.
“Come on, let’s go talk to him,” she said and took Safir’s hand, leading him inside. Weston was in the living room, waiting for them. Nora took a seat on the couch while Safir stayed standing near the entryway, Weston stood across the room, closer to the windows.
“So…what’s up?” Safir asked him. “Why’d you move in on our territory, and how did you get access to this site?”
“I have friends with the wolves up here, they gave us temporary asylum.”
“Asylum? Were you kicked out of your own lands?” Safir asked and Weston tilted his head to the side. He launched into his story, telling Safir a bit more detailed version of what he told Nora surrounding what brought him and his pride to Lion’s Bay. By the time Weston finished speaking Safir had sat down at one of the sofa chairs. His fingers steepled under his chin and an intent look on his face.
“Well shit…” she breathed.
*****
“So…are you going to let them integrate with us?” Nora asked Safir after a moment too long of silence.
“Integrate?” Safir snorted and shook his head slowly. “I don’t know how that will go, our guys have been at it for days.”
“Yes but have they really been fighting?” Weston asked him carefully.
“Well no…it took us—well me a little bit to realize that your guys weren’t being aggressive. I was just pissed because you took Nora,” Safir admitted.
“So will you consider integration of the prides? Because my guys really need a break after everything in Oregon…and a home really.”
“I couldn’t actually turn my back on our own kind…I wouldn’t,” Safir said solemnly. He stood up and walked over to shake Weston’s hand. Nora breathed a sigh of relief, a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.
“Great, I need a serious drink,” she said, making Safir laugh and Weston smirk in response.
“She hasn’t been a prisoner here, by the way,” Weston said, “she was five percent captive, ninety-five percent free.”
“Good, because if you’d have harmed her I would have killed you,” Safir said pleasantly.
“Let’s not backslide guys, how about that drink?” Nora said, growing a little nervous.
“What did you do with her while I was blind with rage?” Safir asked Weston, their hands still gripped together in what was supposed to be a handshake.
“Safir…” he glanced at her and quirked an eyebrow.
“Do you want to tell me?”
“We kissed, and I…really like him,” she said, all the words sort of just tumbling from her mouth. She couldn’t handle the pressure, she really couldn’t.
“You kissed him?” Safir asked, his hand falling away from Weston’s. Oddly enough he wasn’t exactly angry, he seemed more rueful than anything. “Figures,” he sighed.
“You’re not mad?” she asked him anxiously and with disbelief in her tone.
“No…” he glanced at her with a small smile that was quickly turning into a mischievous smirk.
“You aren’t?” Weston asked, his expression impressed and she saw that he respected Safir already.
“No, I mean I’m a little sad, Nora sees something in you that…I’m not fulfilling for her. But if we both can make her happy…” Nora’s jaw dropped. She wasn’t prepared for that in the slightest. She expected him to go into some sort of jealous fit than be accepting of her feelings for Weston. “But one thing I won’t do is let her go,” Safir said with conviction. Nora stared at Safir with wide eyes…maybe he’d changed in the time he spent without her.
“I wouldn’t let her go either…” Weston said, his gaze swinging over to Nora.
“Safir…are you serious?” she asked him, shock thick in her voice. He simply gave her a small smile that melted her heart and nodded. His gaze never wavered or showed signs of reticence.
“All this time I spent running around and ordering the pride around in anger and frankly…jealousy. I couldn’t stand the thought of some other shifter having you. But all of that was blinding me to what was actually happening. When I let all those feelings go I was led right to you,” he simply shrugged and Nora felt her chest swell with emotion.
“Alright then, um…I don’t know about you guys but…I’m still up for that drink,” she said and slowly moved towards the kitchen. Safir chuckled while Weston simply watched her, his eyes a bit predatory. She suddenly felt as if she had to catch her breath. Her sandwich contents were still pushed back on the kitchen island, where Weston had her up on not very long ago. She put all that stuff away and grabbed the bottle of tequila she spotted in the back of the fridge, followed by three glasses.
“Shots?” she said when she turned around and found them both in the kitchen with her.
“Sure, we could all use it,” Weston said. Nora poured everyone a double shot and then two more of those in succession. It didn’t take very long for her to get tipsy, but it took nearly half the full bottle of tequila to affect both Weston and Safir.
“Take another shot Nora,” Safir poked her in the side and she giggled as she flinched away from him.
“I can’t, if I do I won’t be attractive drunk, I’ll get really sloppy,” she said, making Weston laugh.
“You’re right actually, I remember that Memorial Day party we went to, it wasn’t the best,” Safir said and she giggled again.
“I have to say I’m not that used to giggly Nora, more like intense, sexy without trying Nora,” Weston said and Safir snorted.
“The sexy part is all the time, yeah, but she’s normally fun-loving,” Safir told him.
“You know guys I’m right here,” she said lazily.
“We know…” Weston said, he moved behind her, pulling her against his chest just as Safir simultaneously pressed against her from the front. Nora’s breath caught in her throat when she felt Weston’s lips on her nape. She tilted her head so he could have more access and met Safir’s kiss in the process. He licked almost hungrily into her mouth and pressed his hips flush against hers. She felt his erection and squirmed against him. Weston pressed tighter against her as well and she gasped when she felt his hardness against her back.
Safir pulled away from her slightly and Weston scooped her up into his arms. Before she knew it they all were in her bedroom and Weston was lowering her onto the bed. He climbed up next to her and bent down to kiss her while Safir pulled off her pants and trailed kisses along her calves. Nora felt all hot and wrapped up in lust, she wanted both of them with an odd fierceness that took her by surprise.
Weston pulled off her shirt and unhooked her bra with ease while Safir slid her panties off. She felt as if she would combust with their lips on her. Weston slid down to her breasts while he kneaded them in his hands, and Safir’s lips inched closer to her inner thighs. By the time Weston pulled one of her nipples into his mouth, Safir’s lips reached her sensitive folds, his tongue delved in to slide against her clitoris.
“Oh my god…” Nora gasped, out of breath from panting so much. She couldn’t lie still, pleasure was coursing through her with every beat of her heart and it was racing. It wasn’t long before she was shooting off into a mind-shattering orgasm. She swore she saw colors explode around her as her body was rocked with wave after wave of intense pleasure. She hadn’t even come down from her orgasm yet before Safir was nudging her legs farther apart and sliding into her. She cried out as he filled her up, her back arching to meet his thrusts. She was only a little distracted by Weston then, he had taken off his clothes and was beautifully naked next to her on the bed. He kissed her on
ce before offering her his impressive erection. She took it into her hand and soon had him in her mouth. When another orgasm hit her Weston and Safir switched positions. They went at it until Nora was little more than a puddle on the mattress, passed out and completely sated.
*****
Nora woke to the sounds of Safir and Weston talking. They were speaking in low voices and on either side of her. She stretched, feeling like her body had the best internal massage ever, and opened her eyes. Tan and golden eyes met hers and both had tender expressions, though Safir smiled and Weston simply caressed her jaw.
“Good morning sleepyhead,” Safir said, his smile growing.
“Morning…” she said, feeling all of a sudden shy. Though she really shouldn’t after the night they had before.
“How do you feel?” Weston asked her, humor in his voice.
“Really good,” she said with a chuckle.
“No hangover?” he asked, seeming impressed.
“No…I think the orgasms kept me from having one maybe…if that’s possible,” she joked.
“So Weston and I were just talking…” Safir said and she glanced at him curiously.
“We came up with a way to successfully merge the prides. It’s kind of a necessity now…I’m like Safir, not letting you go,” Weston told her. Nora’s chest filled with warmth and hope as she smiled at him. She really did have feelings for Weston and wouldn’t want him out of her life either.
“So what are you going to do to merge the prides,” she asked.
“First we’re going to talk to the neighboring wolves to get them to agree to extend the duration of our sanctuary here. Then slowly, but steadily integrate my guys into Lion’s Bay. They’d move into town just like any human, then only when everyone is settled will we merge the shifters into one pride…Safir staying its leader and me taking position as his second,” Weston explained.
“That sounds perfect,” Nora said happily. “Have you told the other lions yet?” she asked them and they shook their heads.
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