Awakening the Lion

by Crymsyn Hart

  Illiana nodded and listened to his explanation. It was true, when she thought about Ohanzee and Belik, she could sense them inside of her on a level she had not felt before. They were like twin flames that burned within her mind, and they burned brighter when she concentrated on them. Whatever she had done with Ohanzee and weaving the elements together, she had radically changed something within herself. But what? “I do love you. And I need you.”

  His eyes widened at her statement. “What about Belik? He’ll be back soon.”

  She shook her head. “No, he won’t. I think he knows that I wanted some privacy for a while, and he will speak to Ranolo for a while. But if you don’t . . . ”

  Ohanzee did not let her finish her sentence before he claimed her mouth once more. He dragged his fingers through her hair and caught on her braid when he tried to pull them out. “What is that?” he asked.

  Illiana fingered the braid with Belik’s feather woven into it. “It’s one of Belik’s feathers. It’s the flock’s custom to braid their mate’s feather into their hair. Male or female. It also shows that someone is mated if there is a question. So I’ll need one of your feathers next time you shift, if you don’t mind to add to it.”

  “You would do that? Consider me as one of your mates?”

  “I would. I told Belik that it would take some time integrating you into our lives, so don’t expect to move in right away and that we would need some alone time together, but you’re already in my heart.”

  “As you are in mine. I love you, Illiana. I never thought I would say that so anyone before because of being shunned. I don’t want to lose you. I knew you were meant to be in my life from the first moment I saw you, and all I want to do is bring you pleasure. I want to make love to you. I want to know everything is going to be okay between us. I don’t want to screw it up.”

  “You won’t.” She took his hand and kissed the inside of his palm before running her tongue over his skin and sucking in his middle finger between her lips.

  “Oh, such a tease!”

  Illiana only sucked on his finger a little longer, wrapping her tongue around it while she meandered her hand down his chest and touched his firming cock. He groaned while she rubbed him. She released his finger and slid her hands along his chest taking in the muscles and the firmness of his body. He fumbled with the tie on her dress and when he got it open he pushed it aside. His fingers slid along her stomach. Illiana quivered from the light touch and ceased touching him.

  The animal instinct had awakened in her and she could feel the wolf inside pacing and wanting to come out. Her skin itched and she gave into it letting the animal out. Illiana kissed him quickly and moved along his jaw, nibbling his neck until she sucked his Adam’s apple. She flicked her tongue over it. He groaned again and found her buried bud as he slid into her pussy. She pushed her body into him and needed to feel his body against her. She needed to him inside of her.

  Illiana felt the full impact of the desire and wanting hit her that had been unleashed between them. The fire that now connected them tighter was blazing inside of her. She nipped lower until she was kissing over his chest as far as she could until she touched his clothing and it got in the way. It was then that she pulled away from him. But his fingers began to manipulate her, and she felt the pleasure rush through her from a building orgasm. The air blew through the hut and wrapped around the both of them.

  “You’re so beautiful. I love when your eyes turn silver.”

  Ohanzee rubbed her quicker until she could barely hold onto him any longer. She slipped her hand under his waistband of his pants and clutched his dick until his eyes closed in pleasure. Illiana felt the pleasure rush over her and of the orgasm. She moaned a small sound as the passion of it rolled through her. She ran her tongue over her teeth and felt them sharpened. When she looked at him, she saw the amber had lightened his eyes. The cat was more evident in his nature, and it seemed he had gotten a better handle on it now. Illiana could smell the strong cinnamon around him and taste it on his skin. She worked him faster until he pushed her down on the bed and straddled her.

  “I need you now. I can’t wait any longer.”

  “I need you, too.” She fumbled with the buttons on his pants. He chuckled and undid the buttons. She tugged them over his hips and then drew him down on top of her again. Feeling his weight on her was familiar and not something she minded at all. Ohanzee kissed a line down her throat until he reached her breasts and pulled a nipple into his mouth. Once he bit down on it, she arched her back and the need for him to be inside of her overwhelmed her. She reached down and guided his dick deep into her pussy. Once he was inside of her, she pushed against him.

  “You feel so good. More than I dreamed. You taste so good.” He sucked in her breast and nipped on it once more. She moved against him and reached for him. He glanced up and plunged inside of her, creating the rhythm between them. But Illiana did not want their coupling to be slow. She needed all of him. Illiana ran her sharpened fingers down his back and dug underneath his shirt to feel his flesh and not the bulky fabric. She wrapped her legs around his hips He kissed her hard, biting on her lip, thrusting his tongue into her mouth until she met his and they twined and danced until they were in a frenzy all their own and she lost herself to their rhythm they had created between them.

  “Faster,” she cried out. She was almost there. Just a few more strokes and she would be there. He slipped his hand between them until Ohanzee found her clit once more and rubbed her once more. Small pants escaped her lips and she lost the slim control that she had been holding onto.

  He closed his eyes and strained against her. Ohanzee rubbed her hidden bud and as he pushed into her, Illiana came. The wolf howled in her mind and the pleasure of it rushed through her body. She gripped his hips and ran her fingers through his hair until he groaned a few moments later. Ohanzee opened his eyes and had a satisfied glow around him. He kissed her lightly on the lips, and she enjoyed the satisfied smile on his face. But as he stared into her eyes, a frown darkened his glow.

  “Should we have done this right after you just woke up? I didn’t think. Are you—”

  She covered his mouth with her hand. “I’m fine. If I wasn’t, then I wouldn’t have initiated this.”

  Ohanzee flicked his tongue over her fingers, and she shivered. “Well, I’m glad to hear that.” He paused and sucked in her finger. She shivered and realized he could take her once more, and she nearly wanted him, too, but Belik would be coming back soon. “You taste so good. I want you again. Hell, I’ll share you with Belik, too. Right now.”

  Illiana unwound from him. “Let’s wait for that until the three of us are more comfortable with one another before that happens.”

  The carver kissed her once more and slipped off the bed. He adjusted his clothes, and Illiana got up to gather some water to freshen up. She saw an empty bowl, but there was no water. “What are you looking for?”

  “Water to clean up with.”

  He smiled and walked to her. “Watch this.” He closed his eyes and placed his hand, palm side down, an inch above the earth. After a second, the ground rumbled beneath her feet. She could feel it and him reaching into the dirt. A small depression had formed in the dirt. His brow furrowed in concentration, and his lush mouth straightened in a line. Illiana felt something run underneath her and through her, and when she looked down there was water in the indentation. Ohanzee opened his eyes and smiled at her.

  “It will stay until you’re done.”

  “How did you do that?” Illiana asked in disbelief.

  He kissed her lightly and grinned devilishly. “You’ll have to find out. I’ll let you wash up and finish eating.”

  Illiana shook her head and dipped her hand into the water. It was chilled, and when she tasted it, it was fresh and clean. She heard the water giggle in her mind, but it did not offer her any more images. Instead she took a cloth and dipped it in the small pool and let her mind wander to what had occurred between her and Ohanzee
. It was not something she had planned right after waking up from helping him shift back to human form, but it had just happened. Now she had to make sure she told Belik. It was the right thing to do, to pay him attention and to ensure he knew that she had not stopped loving him. He made her heart beat, and Ohanzee had found a place within it as well. The one occupied by Christopher. The image of the dream came back to her, but she shook it off and focused on washing up so that she could remind Belik how much she loved him, too.

  * * * *

  Ohanzee could still not believe what had just happened between him and Illiana. It was like all his dreams had come true. Once outside he made his way back to Asha’s, and it had seemed he was walking on air. The lion was with him, and he never realized how wonderful it was to have the other animal there. He knew he should have waited before shifting, but each day that Illiana did not come to him the longer he had to think and poke around in his mind. And then he prodded too much and the lion came out. It took control, and he did not know how to manage it. The lion twisted his body, and he could not pull out of the shift. But she had come to him, forged a bond between them, and strengthened the love he had for her. And she returned the love.

  The air was chilled outside and the sun sat heavy on the horizon, ready to sink below in. He was not sure if it would snow more, but the wind was quiet. The last three days his sister had only asked him a few questions, but she was glad that he was okay. He slipped inside and found her stooped over her work table shaping some beads.

  “You haven’t picked up your chisels in a long time. It’s good to see.”

  Asha looked up and smiled. “Yeah, I had some free time and thought it would be nice. I wasn’t expecting to see you back so soon. Is everything okay with Illiana?”

  Ohanzee smiled. “She’s fine.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Wow. I guess it did go really well. How is Belik with this new development?” She set her chisel down.

  He shrugged. “I’m not sure. I know Illiana has told him that she wants me in their lives.”

  “So she’s not going to set him aside?”

  “No. And I would not ask her to do that. If I did, it would only cause distance and, well . . .”

  “I’m happy for you, Ohanzee. You deserve to be with someone who cares for you, and if you can work it out sharing a mate, then—”

  “Then you’re finally moving out,” Tormec stated. “That’s a relief.”

  “Tormec!” Asha seethed.

  He gritted his teeth. Ohanzee had always hated the other man, but Asha loved him. He had to walk a thin line because he did not want his sister to be upset. “No. It’s okay. You’ve always wanted me out. I guess you’re going to get your wish.”

  Asha grabbed his arm. “Don’t go.”

  Ohanzee realized as he looked into his sister’s gaze that she cared for him. She had done so much for him, and she loved him, but he knew that he needed to be on his own. It was time for him to find a home either outside of the village or at the outskirts. If he was going to have Illiana in his life, he had to stay nearby and have a place for her to go. He did not want to crowd her or Belik. But the idea of a relationship with the both of them was something new. Sharing would have to be something he would get used to. He had to figure out where to go or ask Ranolo if there was someplace empty. Even though he had finally broken down his wall and let out his other animal, the villagers were not going to readily accept it. “Sorry, Sis. It’s time. I’ll come back and gather my things. I love her, Asha.”

  His sister smiled. “I’ll have it ready for you.”

  “Thanks.” He pushed past Tormec and went out the door.

  He dared not go back to Illiana and decided to head toward Ranolo. The shaman seemed to be in as he saw smoke coming from the chimney. Ohanzee knocked on the door, and the holy man opened it after a moment. “Ahh . . . Ohanzee. Belik just left. He tells me that Illiana is awake. How is she doing?”

  Ohanzee could not help but smile. “She’s wonderful.”

  The shaman eyed him. “And you are doing wonderful, too, it seems? Are you here to talk to me about my daughter?”

  How was it he seems to know what I’m going to say? “Not exactly. But she is involved. I need a place to stay, and I was hoping I could ask your permission to stay in one of the visitor huts or if you had room?” he glanced around the smaller hut.

  “Why not ask Illiana to stay with her and Belik?”

  “I think it’s a little too early for that.”

  Ranolo nodded. “Maybe. Well, you can’t stay here. You certainly can’t stay in the bachelor house. You’re too old for it. If Illiana and Belik choose to stay, they will have to relocate to another hut anyway. There are a few empty ones. They are run-down and would need to be rebuilt. There is one close to me on the other side of the stream. Why don’t you go check it out? Come on, I’ll go with you.”

  Ohanzee was not sure what to say, but instead he followed the older man as they trudged through the snow and followed the frozen stream a way around the bend. They were above the village some and when they went up hill he could see they were closer to the forest. In the distance was a cave where he knew the shaman went at times to meditate. The house on the outskirts he was talking about some of the village thought it was haunted because it had been abandoned so long. He did not know the story of why no one lived there, but he could see the lump of the house underneath all of the snow. It appeared that the roof was intact.

  They trudged through the knee-deep snow until they came to the door. Ranolo found the latch and pushed against the door and it opened. Inside there was snow on the ground and the hearth was cold. There were bits of furniture scattered around that might be usable, but Ohanzee could see the potential that the house had. It was mainly built of stone rather than wood and was one of the older structures in the village. It would take some work, but he could live there. He slipped inside and saw there were four separate rooms. There was room enough for him to carve and Belik to have his loom. He walked toward the back room and saw it was the larger bedroom and figured they could share it. They would need a bed large enough for it.

  “What do you think?”

  He turned toward the shaman. “I think it’ll do good. I doubt anyone will come out here and bother us because they think it’s haunted. What happened to the family who lived here?”

  Ranolo glanced around. “My grandmother lived here until her death. She was the shaman of the people before me. She lived three hundred years—a record. By the time she died, I had gone on my travels. My mother decided to go with my father into the desert to live with the tribe he was from. I was grown, and my mother was not leader here.”

  Ohanzee glanced at him. “So how did you become leader and shaman?”

  Ranolo glanced at the other man. “My grandmother recognized my abilities and taught me what she could, but she sent me away to live with the tribes in the desert. Some of them are more in tune with the elements. I learned with them and from the leader of their tribe. I came back here, and my grandmother was still shaman. She told me I needed to take a journey east. I did not want to go because of her age, but she told me to go. So I made my way through the mountains and across the Great Lake farther up with a tribe who are friendly with nonshifters.

  “I wandered making the journey and came to a volt, a village of vultures. I was welcomed at first, but I overheard them talking one night about what they were going to do with me. Some of them wanted to eat me. I slipped away into the night and came to a village of cougar shifters. Their healer sensed my nature and wanted to sacrifice me to their god. They wounded me, and again I slipped away. I made my way east running and flying as much as I could. The wound festered. I made it to this great forest. I heard wolf howls and ravens. I went in as a wolf and they took me in, but it was the ravens who cared for me.”

  “Illiana’s people.”

  He nodded.

  “I stayed there over a year and learned a few of their customs. I would have stayed, but when
I proposed mating to Illiana’s mother, her parents disapproved. She was due to be leader of flock and they did not want her to be tied down. So I left and never knew Lelana was pregnant. I took the long away around the lake, and when I returned my grandmother was dead. The village needed a shaman and the elders wanted me to be leader. The house has been unused since.”

  Ohanzee took in the history of their shaman and leader. The man was younger than he realized. “I’ll talk to Illiana about this. Thank you for it.”

  “It’s fine. I’ll leave you to it.” Ranolo left the hut, and Ohanzee stared at the empty room. There was a lot to do. He was not sure he could do all of it by himself. The only other person he knew would help him was Belik. He sighed. Illiana had asked for time, but if he was going to be doing this for all three of their benefits. It would be best to give them some time. So Ohanzee went back to Asha’s and figured in the morning he would broach the subject with Illiana and Belik.

  His sister did not ask nor did his brother-in-law. She asked him other questions during the night, but she also spent more time carving. He settled in for the night and spent most of it sleepless as he tossed and turned, trying to figure out how he was going to bring up the subject with Belik. And always wishing he was in Illiana’s arms. The next morning he woke and went to Illiana’s and Belik’s hut. He knocked on the door and Belik answered. The pale raven shifter looked at him and stood in the doorway.

  “What do you want?”

  Ohanzee sighed. “I need to talk to Illiana and you.”