Awakening the Lion

by Crymsyn Hart

  Awakening the Lion

  By

  Crymsyn Hart

  Copyright © April 2013, Crymsyn Hart

  Cover art by Mina Carter © April 2013

  Formatting by Bob Houston eBook Formatting

  Amira Press

  Charlotte, NC 28227

  www.amirapress.com

  ISBN: 978-1-937394-98-1

  No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and e-mail, without prior written permission from Amira Press.

  Chapter One

  Illiana peered over the railing of her new aerie to the forest floor. Below them the wolves were gathering. The fresh cedar aroma of the incense burning within lifted her spirits. Her aunt was going through the house, cleansing it of any evil spirits so she could inhabit it with her two mates. All she wanted was to be with the two men: Belik from the flock and Christopher from the wolf pack.

  Wolf songs echoed through the trees, and she resisted the urge to answer them. Many of them still did not accept her because of her dual nature. That and it had always been ingrained into the ravens and the wolves they were not supposed to marry between species. For many generations they shared territory, traded with one another, and supported one another. The Corvus flock dwelled in aeries above the city, and the wolves lived in a village below them. A tradition that must not be broken that was drilled into them was not to take a mate from another species. For the last twenty years, Illiana had been a raven—until her heritage reared its head.

  She shivered, remembering the first time she had changed into a wolf and never even realized it until she woke up by the sea many miles from the forest. It had been a long flight back that day, but it had allowed her to discover who she truly was.

  “Is Coret done?”

  The smooth voice lifted her from thoughts of the past. She turned around and saw her wolf mate, Christopher. He was taller than she, taller than the ravens, with broader muscles. His blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail and held by a thong. His blue-gray eyes ignited the fire element that resided in her. It also stirred the wind. She was jubilant she had found someone to be with after all the years because she had practically been shunned by the flock. But lately it seemed there was an uneasy acceptance of her among the Corvi. Also being the daughter of the flock’s leader gave her a little more credibility.

  Christopher slipped his arms around her and pulled her close. Being against his warm body made her want to forget about everything. They had been friends for years, and she had always harbored a flame for him. He nuzzled her neck and kissed the line of her throat while his fingers trailed up her sides and cupped her breasts. His firm cock pressed against her back. It made her content to know that she stirred his desires.

  “I think she’s almost done. I wouldn’t worry about it, though. How is the house coming in the village?”

  He sighed. Christopher pulled away, but she felt more than the physical distance between them. Her mate was the son of the pack alpha, and so far Simian was not happy with the idea of them mating. “It’s not. I’ve tried everything I can think of with my father, but he refuses to allow it. He insists I mate someone from the pack. He assumes my infatuation with you will wear off soon. Many of the pack have revolted against him since you were accepted among the ranks. And I know he blames me for that, too.”

  Illiana ran her fingers through her hair. She hated that she was the instrument of discord among the wolves. It was the only way that she and Christopher could be together. She rubbed the scar over her heart where Simian had marked her for the pack, and her fingers also caught the bird-shaped brand on her breast that counted her among the flock. “This isn’t how I wanted things to go. It’s been six months since we announced to our parents that we wanted to be mated officially and none of them think this is going to be a permanent thing.”

  The wind chimes jingled when her aunt brushed against them as she came out of the door of the aerie. They had decided to build their new home on the outskirts of the village so they would have their privacy, but still close enough that Illiana could easily get to the village center by racing across the bridges and branches that connected the community together. They were about forty feet off the ground, and Christopher was still acclimating to being among the branches. She saw it in his face every time he walked on the boughs. There was a ladder a couple of trees away that gave him access to the forest floor.

  “At least you have a place here among the trees,” Coret said. Her dark hair hung straight to her waist, and she was dressed in a white robe. Her blue eyes signified her for one of the priests among the flock, and she was their leader.

  All the other ravens had onyx eyes, including Illiana, but unlike her aunt, who was tall and thin with pale skin, she had darker skin that tanned easily. And Illiana was curvy. Because she was bigger-boned than the rest of the flock, some thought growing up she would not have the bone structure to fly when she transformed. Illiana had proved all of her critics wrong. Still, she cared more for her aunt, and Coret was the only one out of the flock who approved of her mating.

  “Among the trees is not a place I assumed I’d be living. You have to forgive me if I’m out of sorts once in a while. It’s not natural for me walking amid the leaves when I should be running after deer.”

  Her aunt patted Christopher’s cheek. “You are a wolf not used to living with the birds. I’m sure some of the birds wonder if you might try to eat them for dinner. There’s much above the ground that can be savored.”

  Christopher chuckled and relaxed around her aunt. Coret had that effect on most everyone. Illiana went over and hugged her aunt. She and her two mates had been staying with Coret until the aerie was built. Now it was done and she had a home of her own. It was large enough that both her mates had a room of their own. Those were on the second level. The third level was a room with a bed for the three of them, and the room also included her possessions. The first level was a living area and the kitchen.

  When she decorated Christopher’s room, it was with him in mind—with wolves and a hint of fire. Somehow the element was connected to the wolf inside her. She could also talk to the air element and understand it. Another reason for the flock to say she was different along with her being able to fly without transforming. Her bones lightened, and she was cushioned by the air. It came in handy when she wanted to travel, but there was no way for her to carry clothes.

  “It’s time that you get into your house and enjoy it. I think the three of you broke my guest room.”

  Illiana felt her cheeks sear. “Sorry about that. Belik said he would fix everything.”

  “Speaking of your other mate, where is he?”

  At that moment, a raven dove through the branches and landed on the platform. Illiana thought his wing appeared crooked. As he transformed back to human form, his feathers shrank back into his skin. Belik collapsed on the landing. Illiana tried to move him, but he bellowed in pain.

  “Stop!” he cried out.

  “What happened?” Illiana tried to examine his arm, but all she could see was blood.

  Christopher grabbed a robe from the entryway used for guests who would come to visit. Some of the flock had no problem being unclothed all the time, but it was customary when entering another’s aerie to be dressed. He wrapped the robe around Belik’s arm. Belik hissed in a breath, clearly in pain.

  “What happened?” Christopher asked.

  “I went down to find you, but I stumbled into something. I was going to knock on your door but stopped when I saw a gathering of wolves around your house. Your father was inside arguing with several people from the sound of it. It didn’t sound good. I tried to get away, but they saw me. They
surrounded me. I shifted as quickly as I could, but one of the wolves caught my arm and bit through it.”

  Anger burned Christopher’s eyes gold from the wolf coming into his nature. His skin rippled, and a low growl slipped from his lips. “What did you hear?”

  Belik shook his head. “The pack wants to push your father out. He—”

  A loud howl erupted from below. Christopher jumped up. “I have to go.”

  Illiana nodded. Her wolf mate raced through the branches, and she focused on Belik. Coret knelt beside them. “Go after him. I’ll tend to his wounds,” Coret said to her.

  Illiana glanced at Belik, trying to hide her concern for the other man. Two sides warred within her: should she follow the wolf or tend to the other man she loved. Belik nodded for her to go, too. She brushed her lips across his and raced off after Christopher.

  Another howl split the air, and she quickened her pace. Moving along the branches was not fast enough, so Illiana vaulted over the handrail and let the air catch her. She glided down to the forest floor and heard the commotion. Snarls and growls echoed from the village. Illiana raced toward the ring of wolves and saw the alpha, Christopher’s father, lying motionless on the ground. A large blond wolf with blood on its muzzle circled Christopher, who was also in wolf form. Blood marred his silver coat along his right leg.

  He bared his teeth at the other wolf and lunged at him, catching him in the neck. But the other wolf shook Christopher off, knocking him to his feet. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched the display. He limped out of the way, and she prayed he was not hurt too badly. She started toward him, but Jalisa, Christopher’s once–intended mate, caught her arm. The smile told of her jubilation in holding Illiana back.

  “This is a leadership fight. No skin. Fur and teeth only.”

  Illiana growled at her, and Jalisa backed away but still kept her grip. “Why is this happening?”

  Jalisa flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder and smirked. “It’s because of you. It was one thing for Simian to accept you into the pack. It was another for him to allow you and Christopher to mate. It was a sign of weakness.”

  “But Christopher is next in line to rule the pack. Why is he being challenged?” Illiana could not believe what she was hearing. She knew there was dissension in the pack because of her being there, but she had no idea it was that bad. Christopher had failed to mention how severe things had become.

  “He was until you. Many of the wolves think him feeble-minded because he chose you over a real wolf. And in their eyes that makes him vulnerable. Why would he have you when he could have me?”

  “You never used to think he was weak,” Illiana snapped.

  Her wolf surged forward and wanted to take Jalisa’s head off, but she kept herself under control. Watching her mate spar with another wolf made her know how dire the situation was. It was kill or be killed. The blond wolf caught Christopher’s back left leg, but he danced out of his way before any damage was done. She held her breath and tried to not watch, but everything in her held her gaze to the fight.

  The opponents circled one another. The ring of wolves tightened in on them, pushing the two to end the fight. The blond wolf was bigger and more muscled than Christopher, but she knew he had a few tricks up his sleeve. He still limped on his right leg, and as he turned she noticed another patch of dried crimson across his chest. His opponent did not seem to have any visible wounds.

  The other wolf advanced on Christopher, but he waited, letting the other wolf approach, and then sprang into the air. Her mate landed behind the other wolf and was too quick for him to turn around. He sprang on the blond one’s back. He wrapped his jaws around the other one’s neck with his weight holding him down while the other one struggled. And then she heard a crack. The animal underneath him lay still, and both melted back into human form. Christopher had blood on his face and a hurtful look in his eye. He stood and stared at the rest of the pack. His eyes met hers, and dread marched across her soul.

  Something was wrong.

  “Are there any more to challenge me?” Christopher demanded from the pack.

  No one stepped forward.

  “Good. Now that we have that settled, I don’t expect anyone to deny my choice for a mate.”

  There was a chorus of growls. A silver-haired wolf stepped into the ring and became human. Then this older man approached Christopher. “You may have won the challenge contest for alpha, but you need the council to back you. We need to talk if you wish to remain the alpha.”

  Four other wolves approached him. As Illiana watched, terror dropped into her soul like cold stones weighing her down. Christopher turned his attention back to her, and it seemed everything was slipping away. She smiled at him, but he did not return it. Instead, he turned and walked away with members of the council.

  “You’re going to have to accept some new ways around here. Don’t think you’ll be welcome here much longer.”

  Illiana hated that smug tone in Jalisa’s voice, but she figured the woman was right. She had no idea what the council would say to Christopher. If it had to do with her, she imagined it would not be good. “Jalisa, whatever it is, I’m sure it will be the right decision. Now back off.” She pulled her arm from the other woman’s grasp and went to check on Belik.

  * * * *

  Christopher took the rungs of the ladder one by one. When he got to the top and stared at the Corvus village in the distance, he knew this decision would change his life forever. The sorrow of his father’s death weighed heavily on his heart. He did not have enough time to mourn his father’s passing properly. It had all happened so fast. He had raced from the trees and arrived back at the village to see his father dead on the forest floor. It was obvious he had tried to fight.

  Before he could even say his good-byes, Christopher had been challenged for leadership. The unshed tears and the anger lingered in his heart, but he could not display them now. Too many things whirled in his mind, and he did not have the time to rationalize the decisions he was forced into making either. The words of the council whirled in his mind. They had pushed him to choose between the woman he treasured and the pack he loved. Either way, it was not going to be good.

  As he stared at the other members of the flock, each comfortable in their movements above the trees, he wondered if he would ever become at ease with being off the ground. When he had said he was building a home with Illiana, his father had told him it was not natural for a wolf to be in the branches. All he wanted was to be in her arms and have her tell him everything was going to be okay, the way she had when his mother had passed away.

  Slipping inside their new aerie, he noticed Coret by the hearth. She glanced at him with her pale blue eyes, and a sad smile crossed her features.

  “Is Belik going to be okay?” Christopher inquired.

  “He should be fine. The arm will heal cleanly. I think the best question is, will you be okay?” Coret asked.

  He sighed and shook his head. “I—”

  She gestured upstairs. “You should go talk to them.”

  How much did the priestess know? Christopher climbed the stairs of his new aerie. The sage incense lingered from the cleansing. He glanced around the room meant to be his and noticed the cloth along one wall dyed to look like it was on fire. The design seemed to undulate, reminding him of the night when Illiana walked through the fire. She had not been burned nor had her garments been touched by the flame. It was an amazing spectacle he would never forget. In some ways it still haunted him and made him wonder if the woman he loved was much more than just a woman. The pack had forgotten that amazing occurrence. To them she was just another raven. They did not see her for the magnificent creature she truly was. He shook his head thinking about the one time he had almost dismissed her. Well, it was not one time. There were many times, and he kicked himself every time he thought about them.

  Illiana had been there for him through the years. No matter how much he told himself that she was not the one for him because
she was a different species, his heart always came back to her. When he was commanded to take Jalisa for a mate, he had gone along with his father’s plans. Jalisa only wanted him to advance her place within the pack. And then the mysterious wolf had appeared. She was exotic, completely black with silver eyes, while all the wolves he had grown up with had amber eyes. She was brazen but respectful. He had tried to brush her off as a wolf that was passing by; however, she kept coming back. Christopher had not believed it was Illiana when she appeared before the pack. When he finally realized it was the woman he loved, Christopher had kicked himself for not seeing it.

  Christopher turned and looked into Belik’s room. There he found Illiana tending to the other man’s wounds. She looked up when she sensed his presence. A smile spread on her beautiful features, making her even more radiant. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay. The weight of the council’s words crushed his soul, and they would crush hers.

  “Is everything okay?” Illiana asked.

  He walked over to the side of the bed and sat down. “How’s your arm?” he asked Belik.

  The other man flexed his fingers and shrugged. “Coret says it should heal quickly. It was a clean break. However, I won’t be shifting anytime soon. I’m not sure I can go without feeling the wind through my feathers.”

  “You’ll get used to it,” Christopher commented, hating to see the other man hurt. The raven had grown on him over the last few months. He cared and respected the shifter.

  “So what happened with the pack?” Illiana asked. He saw the fear sparkling in her eyes—and many unasked questions.

  He sighed, trying to circumvent the subject, but there was no avoiding it. The sooner he told her, the sooner he could feel his life falling apart around him, just when he finally thought he had gotten it together. “You really don’t want to know.”

  “What is it?” Illiana got up from the bed and started pacing. Belik sat up so he could also listen to the conversation.