by Zoe Chant
Charity didn’t answer. She watched as Jessup swaggered out the door. A second later she heard his bike roar to life, taking off down the highway.
For a long moment, she sat in the booth, her heart racing, her fingers clenched. She couldn’t think straight. The bikers were shifters. Jessup wanted to buy the diner. And he’d said that even if Mason wanted to put a stop to it, he’d be brought to heel by his alpha.
Charity didn’t understand a thing about what Jessup had meant by that last part. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to. There was clearly far more to being a shifter than she’d ever imagined. And she wasn’t sure what to make of the fact that Mason had never mentioned Jessup and his gang were shifters, just like him.
Taking a deep breath, Charity tried to get herself under control. She wasn’t doing herself any good by jumping to conclusions, she thought.
“Is everything okay?” Sherri asked, emerging from the kitchen.
Charity jumped a little – she’d been so caught up in her thoughts that she’d almost forgotten Sherri and Bob were even here.
“Maybe,” she said, slowly. “I’m not sure yet. Jessup wants to buy the diner.”
She glanced up to see the shocked expression on Sherri’s face. “What?”
“I’m not going to sell it to him,” Charity said quickly. “God knows what he wants it for – they’d probably turn it into a clubhouse. Either way, it’s not for sale, and especially not to him.”
Sherri came over and shakily sat down in the booth across from her. “What will you do?”
Charity looked up at her, knowing she looked grim. “Well, the first thing I have to do is talk to Mason about it. But I don’t know. And I don’t think Jessup is going to take kindly to it, regardless. We'll have to figure something out, though.”
Sherri’s hands were shaking a little as she looked down at the table. “Do you think it’ll be safe here? I mean, the Reapers, they won’t –”
“I don’t know.” Truthfully, Charity had been thinking the same thing. She didn’t know if Jessup would step up his campaign to get her to move out, or what he’d do. If he threatened her staff, then she couldn’t stand for that. And nor could she risk putting them in harm’s way. Anita and Sherri had kids.
Pulling in a deep breath, Charity realized she didn’t have a lot of choice.
“I’m going to close down the diner for the next few days,” she said. “If there’s even a chance the Reapers might show up and start causing us even more trouble, then I can’t have that. I can’t put you in danger.”
Sherri looked up in surprise. “Are you sure? I know how much keeping this place open means to you.”
“I know. But that’s nothing compared to your safety. I have to put my pride aside.” As she said it, Charity knew it was true. She was making the right decision. She had to lose this battle in order to win the war.
Sherri nodded. “Thanks, Charity. But – ”
“Don’t worry, I’ll give you an advance,” Charity said. “I know this might be tough.”
Sherri nodded. “Yeah,” she agreed. “But you’re right – and I’m glad someone is finally standing up to them.”
“I can try,” Charity said. She shivered a little as she recalled Jessup’s words about how Mason would be forced to do what they wanted by his uncle. “But right now, there’s only one thing I can do, and that’s talk to Mason.”
Chapter Six
Charity
Just as she’d known he would, Mason had immediately driven out from the sheriff’s office as soon as she’d called him.
Don’t go anywhere, he’d told her. I’ll be right there.
She hadn’t told him everything Jessup had said to her – just that he’d come to the diner, and that he’d told her he wanted to buy it. That had been enough. Mason had told her to sit tight, and he’d be there as soon as possible. She’d sent Bob and Sherri home, over their protests – but she wasn’t having them here to be in danger in case things got ugly.
As soon as possible had turned out to be very soon indeed. Mason had come into the diner as if he expected Jessup to still be there, his fists clenched, eyes narrowed, scanning the room for any hint of a threat.
“Mason,” Charity said, walking toward him. “It’s okay – I’m pretty sure he really left after I told him to.”
Mason seemed to let out a long breath, trying to release the tension from his muscles. “I didn’t see his bike outside, so I guess you’re right,” he said. Finally, he looked down at her, and Charity watched as his face softened. “I’m sorry. I just – the thought of him, here, threatening you –”
“He didn’t threaten me outright,” Charity said. “But he certainly implied it. But he said some other things too – things I think we ought to discuss.”
She started to lead him toward a booth, but Mason’s next words pulled her up short.
“Did he tell you the Reapers are almost all shifters?” he asked, catching her up to walk beside her.
Charity looked up at him, a little surprised. “He did. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Let’s sit down,” Mason said.
Charity nodded, sliding herself into the booth seat. Mason sat down across from her, placing his wide-brimmed hat down on the table.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mention it right away,” Mason said. “I should have – especially seeing as it was the other reason I decided to run for sheriff, George Atwood being such a useless ass aside. I knew the Reapers were shifters from the moment they started moving in here. We’d heard about a gang of them, troublemakers, and I knew that there was no way for human law enforcement to really deal with them. The only authority they’ll listen to is another shifter – but even then…”
Charity looked into Mason’s gray-green eyes, feeling her heart thumping. “I understand,” she said, and it was true. She hadn’t honestly doubted that Mason had noble motives for what he’d done, and she certainly didn’t think he’d meant to deceive her by not telling her the Reapers were shifters. “But he said something else too – something I didn’t really get. He said that – he said that you’d be brought to heel,” Charity said, repeating Jessup’s phrasing.
Looking at Mason’s broad shoulders and biceps that bulged out of the short sleeves of his sheriff’s uniform, Charity had a hard time imagining the person who could do any such thing. But still, she had to know what he’d meant.
Mason narrowed his eyes, cocking his head a little. “Jessup said that?” he asked, and Charity nodded.
Mason looked away, blowing air between his gritted teeth. “Well, that just goes to show what an ass he is,” he said, after a moment. “I’m not going to skirt the truth about it – my uncle Lincoln wasn’t exactly happy about me running for sheriff. But it’s what I wanted to do, and what I knew was the right thing to do. Lincoln might be the alpha of the pride, but he won’t stand for cruelty or anything like it. Plus, I’m my own man, and I do what I want. Jessup’s deluded if he thinks I can be brought to heel – especially when it comes to anything to do with you.”
Mason reached across the table, his massive hand covering Charity’s. His palm was warm against her, and Charity shivered, her skin tingling.
“I never doubted that for a second,” she said softly. Perhaps she’d simply needed to hear Mason say it out loud – but as soon as he had, she realized it was true. She and Mason were mates, in every sense of the word. She trusted him, more than she’d ever trusted anyone. They belonged together.
“We’ll figure this out,” Mason said, squeezing her hand, looking into her eyes. “But whatever we do, we’ll do it together. I won’t leave you. I’ll protect you, no matter what. Jessup can’t hurt you, I promise – I’ll make sure of it.”
Charity blinked at Mason’s last words, biting her lip a little as his voice became a low growl. She couldn’t suppress a shiver, feeling warmth pooling in her belly. The sheer protectiveness in his voice sent a thrill down her spine. No one had ever looked after her like this before – made
her feel so safe or protected.
She’d always resisted the idea that she needed to rely on anyone else. She’d thought it would make her weak. But now, she realized that relying Mason wasn't a sign of weakness at all – they were partners. But in this, she needed his help – his protection.
And from the edge of anger in Mason’s voice, she had no doubt he had the power to back up what he said. For the first time, Charity truly began to think about what it meant to be mated to this man – a man who could, in the blink of an eye, turn into a massive, powerful lion.
She hadn’t seen it, but if Mason’s lion form was anywhere near as impressive as his human one, Charity couldn’t imagine Jessup or anyone in his gang being able to put up much of a fight against him.
“Will you show me?” she suddenly blurted, without thinking about what she was saying.
Mason cocked his head. “Show you?”
Charity smiled a little. “Sorry, I was following my own train of thought there.” She drew in a shaky breath. “I meant, will you show me your lion? I’d… I’d really like to see. If you wouldn't mind showing me.”
For a moment, Mason looked searchingly into her eyes, before he nodded. “Of course, Charity. Now?”
Charity nodded. “If you don’t mind.” She didn’t know if it was impolite to ask him if she could see him shift, though she had a feeling that Mason wouldn’t say no. “We could go around to the back – it’s private there.”
“Then let’s go.”
Mason stood, keeping Charity’s hand enclosed in his own. She felt a little light-headed as he led her through the diner, toward the back door. Was this really going to happen? She didn’t doubt for a moment that Mason really was a shifter, but it would be the first time she’d ever seen anyone do this. There had been rumors for so long that shifters existed, but she’d never imagined she’d meet one, much less be mated to one. Excitement thrilled through her.
They emerged together into the soft afternoon sunlight, and Mason released her hand.
“I don’t want to shred up my sheriff’s uniform,” he said, smiling, his hands going to the buttons of his shirt. “Would you mind holding onto it for me?”
Charity watched as his fingers slowly made their way down the front of his chest, opening the buttons, revealing his white undershirt beneath. His pectoral muscles showed clearly through the cotton fabric, while his abs were a series of hard ridges. She swallowed. It was taking all her self-control not to simply go to him and run her hands over his body – but she knew she shouldn’t. If she did that, she didn’t think she’d have the willpower to stop.
“Does that happen often?” she asked, as Mason handed her his shirt. “Your clothes getting all torn up?”
Mason flickered her a heated glance, before he pulled his cotton undershirt up over his head. “Sometimes,” he said, before handing it to her. “If I don’t think before I shift.”
Charity swallowed. Hard. It wasn’t just Mason standing in all his shirtless glory before her, the deep golden sunlight playing over his tanned skin – it was the thought of the raw power and strength that skin was wrapped around. And the knowledge that all that power, all that strength, would be used to protect her.
Mason unzipped his fly, pulling down his pants, taking his boxer briefs with them. Charity found that she wasn’t at all constrained by ideas of modesty as he stood up again – she wanted to look at him. His cock was large where it rested against his muscular thighs, and he didn’t seem at all concerned with her stare.
“See something you like?” he joked as he stood before her.
Charity almost couldn’t answer, her desire roiling up from between her legs, pooling in her stomach and making her tongue feel thick and heavy in her mouth. She wished she could go to him and run it over the sharp V of his hipbones, feel his muscles shifting beneath her hands…
“Come on,” she finally said, yanking her gaze back to his face and smiling. “You better do this, before I lose control of myself.”
Mason laughed a little – that low, deep chuckle in his throat that drove her wild.
But then, he started to change.
Where there had once been tanned skin, there was now golden fur – his hands spread out and became massive paws. A huge black and gold mane sprouted from his head and neck, and his eyes, gray-green in his human form, became a deep yellow.
It all happened so quickly that Charity barely had time to take it in. Almost before she knew it, it wasn’t Mason standing before her, but the largest and most majestic lion she had ever seen.
No, she quickly corrected herself. It was still Mason. Despite the fact that there was a massive lion standing in front of her, Charity could still, somehow, tell it was him. It was something about the way he looked at her – and the knowledge that despite the fact that he was now a fearsome creature, he would never hurt her. The massive muscles in his shoulders and haunches would only ever be used to protect her, and keep away anyone or anything that could bring her harm. The sharp, white teeth in his mouth would only ever come out against Jessup and his crew.
Charity had never felt so safe in all her life.
She’d only ever seen lions – or any kind of big cat – on nature documentaries, and she was mildly surprised at the size of him. But then again, Mason was big in his human body, so it made sense he’d probably be an especially big lion as well.
Reaching out, she stared down into his eyes. Mason stepped forward, nuzzling against the palm of her hand with his velvety nose. It tickled, and Charity felt a smile tugging at her lips.
“You’re just a big pussycat, really, aren’t you?” she whispered, raising her hand to bury her fingers in the thick fur of his mane. It was a little coarse against her hand, but she worked her way down through it until the tips of her fingers found the warmth of his skin, and she skritched him behind his ear.
Mason responded immediately, his eyes half-closing, and a deep, booming purr emanated from his chest.
Charity laughed. “Yep, just as I thought – a pussycat.”
They stayed like that for a few minutes, Charity scratching gently behind Mason’s ear, while he purred lazily. But she knew that this couldn’t last – she might feel more protected than she ever had in her life, but she knew that Jessup and the Reapers still needed to be dealt with. One way or another.
“Should you be getting back?” she whispered, and Mason – the lion that Mason had become – opened his eyes again, his tail twitching.
He changed back again in a flash – he seemed to rear back on his hind legs a little, and then he was changing, the fur disappearing and becoming skin once more, the mane sliding away as if it had never been there at all. The huge golden lion had once again become the powerful man.
“Wow,” Charity said, once he’d finished. “I mean… I don’t know what to say.”
Mason smiled, reaching for his clothes. “You don’t have to say anything,” he said. “I know it must be a little difficult to get used to.”
“It’s not that,” Charity said as she passed him his pants. “I mean – wow! I could never really picture how a person could just turn into an animal, but now that I’ve seen it… it just seems so natural. You just… you make it look so easy.”
Mason nodded as he zipped his fly. “I guess I’ve been doing it for a while,” he said. “Most shifters learn how to change back and forth when they’re children. It can be a bit of a task at first. Now I don’t even have to think about it.”
“It must be amazing,” Charity said. She felt a little wistful – both at the idea of having such a power, and at Mason’s rapidly disappearing skin beneath his clothes. “It must be great to be so… so free.”
Mason finished buttoning his shirt and reached out to her, sliding the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone. “It can be,” he said. “When you feel like shedding your problems for a bit, you always know you can change, let the animal take over for a bit. I know of some shifters who just decide to become their animal selves full time, and jus
t live like that. But I don’t think I could do that. I could never just set human society aside. I think I’d always need to come back, sooner or later.” He smiled, looking down into her face. “Even if I didn’t have the most beautiful woman in the world waiting here for me.”
Charity couldn’t help herself – standing up on her tiptoes as far as she could, she pressed her lips against his, feeling the warmth of his skin against her face. His returning kiss was deep and full, his tongue seeking out every corner of her mouth, his hands pulling her tightly against him. Charity groaned, wanting desperately to feel his skin against hers, but knowing that this was neither the time nor the place.
“Tonight,” she finally managed to gasp as she broke away. If she didn’t force herself to stop now, she knew she’d only end up tearing his neat sheriff’s uniform off him herself, and waste all the effort he’d put into preserving it. “Will you come see me tonight?”
Mason nodded. “I promise. I’m on the late shift, but as soon as I can get free, I’ll be here.”
Charity made herself take a step away from him. She could feel her panties were soaked through, the ache between her legs almost unbearable in its intensity. “If you didn’t look so hot in your uniform I’d tell you to turn your badge in, just so you could come upstairs with me right now,” she said, laughing. “But I guess I can’t do that.”
Mason grinned. “The offer’s more tempting than you know,” he said. “Best not even to joke about it, or the county might be looking for a new sheriff sooner than it planned.”
Charity laughed, but she quickly sobered again. The reminder that Mason was the sheriff of Coldstream County put her in mind of Jessup, and the problem he and the Reapers still posed. “What do you think you’ll do?” she asked quietly.
Mason seemed to understand her immediately. “I might go by where Jessup and his gang have got themselves set up,” he said. “Let him know I’m not the pushover he seems to take me for. It probably won't be enough to make him give up completely, but it might make him think twice before he comes and bothers you again,” Mason cocked his head, thinking. “In any case, it’s worth a shot.”