Awakening the Lion

by Crymsyn Hart

  “Why didn’t you tell me then?”

  “Because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings or make you feel insecure. You are the only one that I want in my life.”

  “What about Christopher? What if we do return to the forest and you can somehow resume your relationship with him?”

  Illiana sighed. “I hadn’t really thought about it. They don’t want me there, and right now any thought of being with him pains me more. I’m healing, sure, but it’s slow going. If we do go back, then, well . . . I’ll have to deal with it then. Agreed?”

  “Okay. What about Ohanzee? He has his eye on you. He watches you when he thinks that no one else is looking. I don’t appreciate that.”

  She set her hands on his chest. “Let me worry about him.”

  Illiana trailed her fingers down his pecs and across his stomach until she cupped his cock. With a gentle squeeze, she smiled. He could not help the bolts of pleasure that darted through him. This was what he had missed. “Besides, all I want to worry about right now is us. It’s been a long time since we’ve been alone together. These past couple of weeks have been busy with sharing stories and getting to know everyone who has invited us to dinner. I’ve been so tired that I didn’t want you to think that I’ve forgotten about my mate.”

  He rested his hands on her hips and pulled her closer so that he could press his dick against her thigh, hovering so close to her warmth. “I had begun to wonder about that.” He nibbled her lips and trailed his mouth along her jaw, slowly easing her into the hut. A small moan of delight slipped from her lips as he pulled away and closed the door, praying there would be no interruptions. When he turned around, she was untying her dress and tracing the line of the hem over her breasts. He licked his lips at the enticing sight and felt his cock harden even more. It was all about her, and he was going to enjoy pleasuring her all night long.

  “You don’t have to wonder any longer. Why don’t you come and get it?”

  He smiled. “Oh, I intend to.” Belik reached for her, but she darted out of the way and went into their bedroom. He snagged the edge of her dress and pulled it from her hands. Illiana squealed and stood before him completely naked, showing all of her curves and her beauty. Why those in the flock shunned her and did not see her for the magnificent creature she was, he would never understand. She tried to back away from him again, with a devilish smile on her lips, but he caught her wrists and pulled her into him. She was slightly out of breath and waited to see what he would do. Belik released her hand and walked his fingers over her shoulder and down her breast until he cradled it. Belik brushed his thumb over her nipple and then pinched it. She cried out, her voice laced with desire.

  “I remember the first time we were together in the forest by the pond. I was so nervous. At first I thought you were just using me.”

  He kissed her throat, savoring the taste of her flesh and saw the truth in her eyes. “I thought you would turn me away. Or maybe try to eat me after you revealed you could turn into a wolf.”

  Illiana chuckled. “I was never going to have you for dinner. But I did want to eat you up. Still do.” She leaned in and captured his lips. Belik pressed her to him so her full body was against his. All their curves fit together in all the right places. This was his home. No matter where she went, he would always go. She scraped her fingers down his back until he hissed in a breath from the sharp sting of her nails. He shivered, and he saw the unspent ecstasy in her eyes.

  “How about eating me up now?”

  “I can do that.”

  Illiana brushed a stray hair from his eye. The gentle caress of her fingers made his heart skip a beat. “I think I need to give you another feather so you can braid it into your hair.”

  He ran his fingers through his locks and realized he must have lost the feather Illiana had given him. “Must have lost it somewhere. Are you going to punish me for it?”

  “I’m sure that we can figure something out.”

  Belik traced the expanse of Illiana’s jaw, seeing in this light how much she resembled the tribe they had come to. “I love you, Illiana.”

  She clutched his ass and then slapped it. “I love you, too. But you need to get your clothes off. You’re at a disadvantage to me. Teasing me this way.” Illiana tugged at his pants, and he felt them slip lower on his hips until the cold caress of the air wound around his shaft. It was excruciating because he wanted to be warm again, slipping inside of her warm depths.

  “You’re the tease. Being so beautiful and touching me this way. Seeing you this way just makes me harder.”

  Illiana touched his shaft again and rubbed her fingers over the tip. The pleasure of her touch shook him to his very foundations. He pressed his lips to the top of her right breast and ran his tongue over, savoring the smoky tang of her skin. She dipped her hand underneath his waistband and caressed his full length. She began to stoke him until he thought he was going to lose control. His desire fired along his nerves. He could barely wait to have her.

  Belik slipped a hand down her belly, tickling a line until he stopped at her navel. He flashed her a smile. It was only fair to make her suffer as he was. He traced his fingers lower, over her mound of dark curls, and moved between her slit. Belik found her clit and began to rub it. Illiana drew in a quick breath. He worked her harder and saw how she tried to fight the pleasure of his manipulations. She grasped his firm cock and worked him until he thought he would burst. He could not hold off any longer. He pulled away from her warm arms and stripped off his vest, boots, and pants.

  Belik picked her up and deposited her on their bed covered with a blanket and animal skins. Illiana giggled and moved against him. He grabbed her breast and clutched it until her back arched from the bed. He planted kisses along her neck until he came to the scars over her heart where she was marked by the pack and flicked his tongue over the marks. He trailed his tongue over the brand on her left breast.

  “I need you inside of me, Belik,” she whispered close to his ear.

  He did not need any other encouragement and parted her legs. He found her pussy and slid his cock inside of her. Belik started a rhythm between them, pumping in and out of her slowly. He did not want to make their love-making too short, but he could not help it. The passion of the moment was taking him over. The tingling of his body signaled he would be coming soon. Illiana pressed her body into his. He dove into her harder, feeling her muscles clench his cock. It was beautiful in the simplicity of it. Belik claimed her lips for himself, nibbling on the bottom lip. She gripped one of his thighs while he plunged into her pussy. Illiana cried out. Her wet pussy clenched him tightly as he drew in and out of her.

  “You feel so good,” he groaned.

  Illiana clutched his shoulder, digging her nails into his flesh. She kissed along his neck and bit into his flesh. Belik thrust into her again. Illiana cried out. The ecstasy of the orgasm was wiping out his mind. All he could see was white. He loved the feel of being inside of her and how she moved against him. Her legs wrapped around his hips and clutched him tighter. It was heaven. Everything in him tightened, and in one more push, he came. Illiana breathed hard, but he was not sure if she had felt the same pleasure from their union. So he slipped his hand between her legs and rubbed her clit again.

  “Belik, please.”

  Hearing her breathe his name only made him continue to manipulate her. He fondled her faster. Illiana’s body began to shake from her orgasm, and with one more circle of his finger over her buried bud, she came for him. Belik held her to him still sheathed inside of her. Once his heart slowed, he placed a few kisses along her throat and pecked one on her nose. She giggled and brought him down to her lips. They kissed for a moment before he pulled away. He studied her eyes seeing the silver in them fading away.

  “I’m sorry if I said or did anything to hurt your feelings,” he whispered next to her ear.

  Illiana sighed. “You haven’t done anything. I just want you to be happy. I want us to be happy.”

  Bel
ik rested his head on her chest. That was all he wanted, too. She ran her fingers through his hair and for the first time in a long time, he let himself relax. Illiana soon fell into sleep. Listening to her even breaths, it made him feel whole and at ease. In that moment, he knew there was nothing for him to be afraid of. She would be with him no matter what. Ranolo’s words slipped through his mind about weaving and what his destiny was. Illiana stirred in her sleep, but he trailed a finger down her face. If anything happened to her, then he did not know where he would end up, and he would no longer be anchored.

  * * * *

  Illiana stared at the bowl of water before her. Ranolo seemed to think that she could also control the water and the earth elements the way he did. She trailed her fingers over the ground she sat upon and felt something, but she could not pinpoint the feeling. So she shook off the feeling and focused on the bowl of water. This was something she had been working with in her spare time. Where fire had distinct voice and air was more like impressions that direct words, the water was something in between. If the water moved, it babbled and she could make out words and impressions. If it was contained in a cup, its voice was clearer. The liquid was more than one spirit, but unlike the fire that competed for dominance, the water spirits all worked together and sometimes their voices chimed in her mind.

  She dipped her fingers in the water and closed her eyes. A chill ran up her skin and raised the hairs along her arm. The cold went farther inside of her, going deeper than the last time. It was always the way each time she did this. Maybe it would chill her spirit if she continued to commune with the element.

  “Hello,” she said to the water.

  It did not answer her in words, but a flash of the mountain and the wilderness went through her mind. She tried to talk to it again, but it was silent. Illiana knew not to push the elements, so she opened her eyes. She was still alone in the hut because Belik was out searching for some plants and then he was going to talk to the other weaver in the village he had befriended.

  A smile crept up on her lips as she thought about her mate. He loved her, and she loved him. His words about the other men who had approached her crashed against her mind. She had not thought much about it because there was no one else she wanted in her life more than Belik. She had not wanted to tell him because she knew that it would upset him. After everything they had been through, that was the last thing that she wanted to do. Instead, she wanted things to calm down now that she had settled into the daily routine of getting to know her father.

  Meeting with my father; she shook her head at the odd-sounding words. My father. Whoever thought that I’d be able to say that. After all the years that my mother told me he was dead. It’s a miracle I found him. It’s fate, and it’s because of Ohanzee, too. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have found the village. Belik thinks he has feelings for me. She touched her lips and thought about how she had kissed him as a thank-you. He had taken that as a sign for something else. He is attractive, but I’m not ready for a relationship. At least not another one. But the way he looks at me . . . She glanced around the village and pushed him from her mind. Instead she thought about the people from whom she had originated.

  The community held over four-hundred shifters. Their territory was spread out over four mountains, including the one they were on. Some lived on the outskirts and were scattered all over. They all gathered in a special place that Ranolo had not told her about yet. Their tribe was the size of the flock and half of the wolves put together. It was a marvel there were so many and they had no qualms about marrying with other species of shifters.

  The flock and the pack had it all wrong. It didn’t matter if a wolf and a raven mated and produced a child. One of the parents had to be two-natured to begin with, so the child was born with both animals inside of them. If her mother and the others had known that, they would not have to fear the union of wolf and raven. The offspring would not come out ill-formed or would not shift with the characteristics of both animals.

  “Everything okay?”

  She glanced up and saw her father standing before her. She had not heard him come into the hut. Illiana smiled. “Yeah. Everything is fine. I’ve been thinking about what you said about me inheriting your abilities to communicate with all four elements. I’ve been playing around with water.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Really? How is that going?”

  Illiana trailed her finger over the surface of the water once more. Its presence shivered up her arm. “Slow. Sometimes it talks, and sometimes it doesn’t. But I’m not having any luck with earth. I was hoping you could help me with that.”

  Ranolo smiled. “I think that’s a good idea. Water can do that. It’s quirky. Right now, I have duties to attend to. Come by tomorrow night, and we can work on it then.”

  “Thank you.” Illiana began to reach for him to give him a hug, but she stopped herself, as she was still learning how to read him. Although, when they were alone, Ranolo turned out to be very affectionate. More than what her mother had ever given her. Where Lelana was cold and unfeeling, focusing on the good of the pack only, her father was trying to find a balance in all of his duties. He was the other side of the family she had missed and that she needed in her life.

  “You’re welcome. Oh, Ohanzee was asking about you. Maybe you should go and speak with him.”

  Illiana stiffened. “Why was he asking about me?”

  The wind wound around her and blasted against Ranolo. She tried to listen to the message coming in on the cold breeze. Its voice was vague was because the wind was too stretched out for her to speak directly with the one element, but it imparted an impression of frigid cold and flakes. She glanced up at the sky and saw it was a clear day, but a chill lingered in the air. The wind blew harder, pressing against her, imparting the vision of a coming snowstorm.

  “It’s going to storm,” Ranolo stated.

  “More than that. There’s going to be a blizzard in a few days. It’ll be coming in from the west. Driving snow, from what I can tell.” The gale tried to push her over as she said the last bit.

  Her father’s lips turned into a wider grin. “I can’t help keep being surprised by you. How did you learn to read the weather?”

  Illiana shrugged. “During my childhood the air was my solitary friend, save Christopher. Being alone so long with no one to listen to my secrets and my mother not really paying attention to me, I had to talk to someone. It kept all my inner thoughts and would comfort me when I needed it. After a while I figured it could show me things depending on how forcefully it blew, or where it touched me, or the sound it made while it moved through the trees. It’s subtle, but it gets its point across. And it lets me fly on it so I can see the currents when I’m in raven form, and I can feel them when I fly without it.” The wind circled her, and her bones lightened. It took her up a few inches before she realized what she was doing. She landed back on the ground again. She felt her face heat up and shook her head. “Sorry.”

  Ranolo put a hand on her arm. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. You don’t have to hide your true nature here. Air-bending is a rare gift. My mother, your grandmother, had the same ability. It comes from her side of the family. There are others in the village and from other tribes who can do the same. Some can even breathe in water when they are swimming. We don’t really know how that works, but I have seen it. There are other abilities, and sometimes they come along with being able to work with all the elements. That is one of the reasons why I wonder if you can access all the elements. We shall see.”

  She nodded. “Thank you. What did Ohanzee want? You said earlier that he was asking for me.”

  “Right. I’m not sure. You’ll have to ask him that.”

  The thought of going to the other man to see what he wanted made her a little apprehensive. She had wanted to be truthful with Belik about the kiss, but he would get jealous if he learned Ohanzee had kissed her. So she had kept it to herself. What was it that he wanted from her? What did he think was g
oing to happen between them? The wind wrapped around her and ran its wispy fingers down her cheek. She sighed at the soft caress and listened to the impressions of the breeze. It was not telling her about a storm, but something she could not quite pin down. The air slipped over her body and blew against her chest, right over her heart. Illiana knew it was telling her something about feelings and her heart, but she could not divine the true message.

  “Sorry, old friend. I don’t know what you’re saying. But if it’s about my heart being broken, then, yes, it still is. If it’s something to do with Ohanzee, then I’m not sure I want to venture down that path,” she responded to it.

  Ranolo was waiting for her reply. The wind blew off. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow night then.” She answered her father.

  He nodded and went off to do his duties in the village. How did he balance all of it? Her mother was always busy with political responsibilities, and her aunt was the spiritual leader of the flock. Doing both, did Ranolo ever get a chance to relax?

  She sighed and let her thoughts meander to Belik. He had talked about constructing a full loom. It was his passion and trade. Before they had departed from the flock he had decided he would take it up for a trade.

  Before she left, Illiana was not sure if she would take on her mother’s role as leader of the flock. It had always been assumed that she would. Of course, it all depended if the elders would accept her for leader. Her lineage was favorable because the women of her family had led the flock for generations, but because of her differences, Illiana had always assumed that she would not be taking the mantle of leadership. Honestly, she did not know if she wanted it.

  However, without that to look forward to, then she had nothing to fall back on. She had no discernible skill. Her mother only taught her politics. The next best thing was to enter the priesthood and become a cleric. At least then she could give back to the community and would not be considered an outcast. But now . . . who knew what she was going to do? If they stayed with her father’s people, then where did she fit in with them? Where did all of this lead?