Jezebel's Lion

by Hazel Gower

  “You did well, little human. I’m going to reward you.” The woman’s voice was sultry as she trailed her fingertips down Travis’s chest.

  Jess had no idea what the woman was talking about, but as Jess glanced at her friends she noticed both their eyes were glazed over. Getting a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, Jess knew she had to get her friends away from these women.

  Pulling on Zeck’s arm she forced a smile on her face. “Come on, Zeck. I want to dance. Dance with me.” He didn’t move. He didn’t acknowledge her. Not daring to turn her back she tugged on Travis. “Travis, come on and dance with me. You said you wouldn’t leave me.” He seemed to hear her, but the woman grabbed his face and kissed him.

  Slowly, Jess backed away only to hit into a soft surface. “Look what I have caught. A shifter mate,” a strong male voice said behind her. The man spun her, and Jess looked up into a face that was perfection. He was a male version of the women. He put the gorgeous people at her school to shame. His skin was tan brown, his eyes blue, and his hair cut in a short “Ken” cut. His face was all perfect lines. He tilted her head up to look into his ice blue eyes. “I can’t control you because you’re a shifter mate. The shifter bond won’t let me take your life force either, but I can have fun with you before I dispose of you. It will be nice to know your death will kill one of those vermin shifters.”

  Jess had no idea what the man was talking about, but she didn’t like it, and her self-preservation radar was going off. “Look, I have no idea what you are talking about. I need to go. I have, um, an early start at work tomorrow.” She tried to shake herself out of his hold, but he wouldn’t let her go. He was strong, and his hold was tight and hurting her. Knowing she had to fight she prayed she could bring enough attention to get some help.

  Using her whole weight she flung herself about screaming, kicking, and punching the man. “Help! Help!” When nothing happened and no one took notice she remembered something she’d learned in a self-defense class her mother had made her take. “Fire, fire! Help, fire!”

  She saw people closer to her turn, but the others didn’t hear her over the loud music. The man covered her mouth and squeezed her so tight she was surprised a rib didn’t crack. “Shut up before I snap your neck.” One of his hands came up, and his fingers circled her neck and closed tight around it squeezing.

  Elbowing him and biting his hand, she threw herself on him. If she was going to die, Jess was going to die fighting.

  ****

  Mac glared at his brother, Carter. He was an asshole. Mac was sick of being punished for being younger and Britney Pride’s best friend. Lately his brother had been pushing him harder and harder. Tonight they’d already taken out a group of vampires, but his brother wasn’t finished. He wanted to check out a club that Mac had mentioned some people at school were visiting and didn’t seem right after being there.

  “Stop being such a pussy. It’s only early. I’m ready to kill me some monsters,” Carter grunted.

  Mac’s brother snarled anytime he came near him or ripped into to him for something. The problem was Britney. They’d gone to the movies this afternoon, and she’d snuggled up to him, leaving her scent all over him. Mac had come home and hoped his brother wouldn’t have been at his own house, but he wasn’t that lucky. Carter had gone berserk, and even though Mac had showered and scrubbed himself, Britney’s scent lingered.

  So Mac’s punishment for being able to be with Carter’s mate was hours and hours of hunting.

  They arrived at the club and didn’t wait in line, but walked right in. No one dared stop them. Mac was six feet and broad, but Carter was six foot five and built like a linebacker. And that wasn’t even counting the two other wolves they had on patrol with them.

  The smell hit the four of them as soon as they walked in.

  “Fuck. This is going to be a long night.” Mac swore as his wolf howled and confirmed they’d just walked into a boogieman lair.

  Taking in a deep breath he let his senses out and counted the humans. His ears picked up something. Following the sound of someone yelling about a fire he froze at the sight before him.

  “You have got to be fucking kidding me. Carter, Carter.” Jezebel, Brandon’s mate, was kicking and punching as she threw herself on a boogieman, who was fighting back strangling her unsuccessfully.

  “What the hell is that woman doing?”

  Mac groaned. This wasn’t going to end well. “Take a deep breath in. That faint smell is Brandon Pride. That is Jezebel, his mate.”

  “Why the fuck is she here without protection?” Mac watched as his brother got his phone out. “Pride, are you missing something? I have one Jezebel Pride here fighting a boogieman. Get your ass over to Skin before she gets herself killed. Your mate has found a nest.”

  Carter didn’t even wait for a reply. He just hung up. “What the fuck are you waiting for? Save her. I don’t want trouble with the Prides. I have a mate to claim from that family myself soon.”

  Glaring at his brother Mac reached down and grabbed a startled Jezebel.

  “Mac, I’ve never been so happy to see you. Something is wrong. They are not human.”

  The boogieman came at him with his claws out, and his teeth lengthened. Cursing the Prides, Mac moved Jezebel behind him, ripped his clothes off and attacked the boogieman by changing to his wolf form.

  ****

  Brandon was going to kill his mate’s friends. How the hell had they found a boogieman nest? His brothers sat quiet beside him as Savron drove to Skin.

  Brandon was pissed as it was. Jess was supposed to have come over to him today, but she’d messaged him, no phone call but a message, to say she was spending the weekend with her friends. When he’d gone around to her mother’s he found out that she stayed the night at Travis’s and was doing the same tonight. Brandon was angry she was staying with another man, that she’d already spent a night with him.

  He’d spent most of this night killing every creature he could find. The leprechauns had done a number on him. He knew he had several ribs broken, and he was covered in cuts. Brandon and his brothers had just been leaving as the cleanup crew arrived when Carter had rung him and told him where and what his mate was doing.

  “I’m sure she’s fine, Brandon. Mac and Carter are with her,” Savron said breaking the silence.

  Brandon growled. He knew he was so close to losing his shit. “Keep those little fuckers away from me. If I see Zeck or Travis I will kill them.”

  Savron nodded and swerved through the traffic.

  When he got a hold of his mate he was wringing her neck and never letting her out of his sight ever again.

  Savron made the half hour trip across town in fifteen minutes. He didn’t even bother parking the car. He just left it out front. Brandon was out of the car before the engine was even turned off.

  Chaos reigned around them. Humans ran from the club. He caught some boogiemen trying to sneak off, and without breaking his stride he broke the first’s neck and ripped the other’s head off. He was stronger thanks to his mating, and Brandon was even stronger right now because she was in danger.

  Brandon let his lion out to play, but held the change off enough until he saw his mate. He barged his way through people until he roared at the sight before him. The four werewolves were being attacked by over ten boogiemen. Two boogiemen were sucking the life out of Travis and Zeck, but the sight that had him cracking was his mate smashing glasses over the boogiemen, well boogiewomen, killing her friends.

  Charging to her he grabbed her and pulled her away. “What the hell are you doing, woman?”

  Jezebel gazed up at him as if he was stupid. “I’m helping my friends. What does it look like I’m doing?”

  “Getting yourself and me killed. You die, honey, and so do I.” Brandon was only wearing shorts. He hadn’t bothered to change into more. He intended to fight and change to his lion. He pulled off his shorts. “Stay back. I’m changing.” Her eyes widened, but she nodded. He let the change take h
im. His skin stretched, and his body covered itself in fur. The colorful magic swirled around him.

  Brandon looked at the boogies killing Travis and Zeck. He didn’t want to save them. He turned his head to see his brothers helping the wolves. Fuck, it looked like he had no choice. He was the only one available to help them. Checking on his mate, who stared at him, he jumped on one boogiewoman and ripped into her. In his lion form he was heavy. He was probably crushing Zeck, too, but right now he didn’t care. When the boogiewoman turned her focus to him he leaped off her, and she stood coming at him. Using his front paws he pounced on her and ripped her throat out.

  Turning his focus to the boogiewoman who now circled him, he crouched down ready to attack. She threw herself at him and tried to get on his back, but in his lion form he was too fast. He turned the tables and had her under him and was clawing at her and tearing her apart. He let his anger loose.

  His sister’s voice had him coming out of his killing rage. “Bran, I think it’s dead. You might want to change back before your mate loses her shit. I’m surprised she’s held on as long as she has.”

  Taking deep breaths in Brandon calmed himself and focused on the change.

  A howl so loud it had even Brandon cringing sounded next to him. Brandon watched in time to see a swearing Carter change back. “What the hell are you doing here?” He glared at Britney and then turned his deadly glare on him. “Who the hell let her come her with all these creatures? I’ll fucking kill them.”

  “Don’t you speak to my brother like that. You have no goddamn right to speak to me or my family like that.” Britney straightened her stance and stared daggers at Carter.

  Brandon shivered at the smile that formed on Carter’s mouth. It was more than deadly. He looked like the big bad wolf. He stalked towards his sister, and Brandon debated if he should intervene. He glanced at Carter and shook himself. Hell no, he wanted to live.

  “I have every right because you, Britney Pride, are mine.”

  His sister gasped, and Brandon knew Carter would never hurt her. Besides, Britney could hold her own for a while. Brandon needed to find his mate.

  Brandon clenched his fists and took deep calming breaths as he found Jess sitting next to Travis and Zeck stroking their hair. Travis was deathly white, and Zeck didn’t look much better. “Will they live?”

  Kneeling next to her he pulled her into his hold. He didn’t care about his nudity. He just wanted to be close to her. Brandon could have lost her. Boogiemen may not be able to mind control her or suck the life out of her, but they could have done other things. He told himself not to think of the possibility and just hold her. “Yes. They’ll live once they have a shifter blood transfusion.”

  Jess looked at him then. “You turn into a lion.”

  Brandon nodded and tried to gauge for a reaction. Jezebel seemed dazed. “Yes, I did. I was going to tell you today. It was what I had to tell and show you.”

  “Oh, I didn’t think it would be that.” She sounded so calm, but he could feel her body trembling.

  “Jezebel, I think we should leave. Zeck and Travis are safe now. More can get done without hovering over them.”

  She blinked a couple of times, glanced at her friends, leaned over and kissed each one on the cheek, then stood. “Okay. I’m ready to go.”

  He didn’t bother finding the pants he had been wearing. He walked with Jezebel in front of him ushering her out. Out the front he saw the cleanup crew had arrived. Britney was standing by his parents’ car arguing with Carter, who was trying to get the keys out of her hand.

  Walking towards his sister and Cater, Brandon snatched the keys out of Britney’s hand and growled, “Either you both get in the car, or I’m taking the car back to my place without you.”

  They must have seen he’d had enough because as he walked around and put a stoic Jezebel in the passenger seat and walked around to the driver’s side Carter and Britney got in the back seat without argument.

  Brandon got in, put the keys in the ignition, started the car, and whizzed out. The yelling in the back started up, and Brandon ignored it. A phone jingled to say it got a message, and Brandon glanced down swearing as he remembered he’d left his phone in Savron’s car.

  “Britney, message Savron to drop my phone by my house. I left it in his car.”

  “That was him messaging me. If you want I can bring it over later today. I want to go see Sasha today anyway, so I’ll get it off Savron.”

  “No, I have reports to do. I don’t have time to drive you around,” Carter snarled.

  “That’s good because I didn’t ask you to. This has nothing to do with you anyway. I can drive where I want. Savron is family.”

  “They are not looking after you. Savron was the one who called you to go into a dangerous situation. Britney, you’re not going anywhere without an escort anymore.”

  “What? No way.”

  Brandon tuned out the arguing and glanced at Jezebel. She hadn’t moved an inch from when he put her in the car. Jezebel sat staring in a daze out the window.

  The forty minute drive home felt like a lifetime. He pulled into his driveway, left the keys in the ignition, and got out. He thanked God he lived in a shifter neighborhood and didn’t have to worry about his nudity. Brandon went around the back and got his spare key from under the table. Walking back around he opened his front door and came back for Jezebel, who still hadn’t moved. He lifted her and took her into the house and shut the door with his foot.

  Brandon didn’t worry about Britney and Carter. They could sort themselves out. Brandon had a mate to worry over.

  He set Jezebel on the bed in his room and started the shower before coming and lifting her into his arms and taking her to the shower. Brandon gently placed her on the floor before the shower and stripped her of her torn and bloody clothes, and her boots. When she was naked he lifted her into the shower and put her under the warm water. Jezebel finally came out of her stoic state sputtering and wrapping her arms around him and holding on tight. Her body shuddered against him, and then sobs shook her.

  Brandon let her get it all out. She cried into his chest, and he rubbed her back. When the water turned cold he turned the taps off and opened his bathroom cabinets, got a towel, and wrapped it around Jezebel, not bothering with his own. Picking her up so she was cradled in his arms he walked back to his bed and sat.

  Brandon didn’t know how long he sat and waited for Jezebel to calm herself and be ready to talk. It felt like hours.

  “You’re a lion.”

  They had already established this, but he knew she was traumatized.

  “Yes. But I’m a good lion. We are protectors of the human race.”

  “Wolves are too, big ones. I saw Mac Fierce naked. He turned into a wolf.”

  Brandon let her talk, unsure of what to say.

  “His body isn’t as good as yours. You turned into a big lion.” Jezebel repeated herself like she was asking him to confirm she wasn’t crazy.

  “Yes. I’m a big lion. No more watching when we change. You can watch me but no one else.”

  Jezebel nodded. “You’re huge, bigger than I thought a lion would be. But so were the wolves.” Jezebel closed her eyes and held her stomach. “What were those things that attacked me and my friends?” She opened her eyes and stared blankly at him. “I knew they were wrong. I didn’t like them, but they put like a spell on my friends. Why didn’t they do that to me?”

  “They can’t. I mated you. It gave you some of my magic. Being mated to a shifter means that creatures can’t control you, and usually if they smell you they will turn tail and run. But the creatures you found tonight are called boogiemen and women. They are cunning, violent creatures. The other creatures we shifters protect humans from are scared of us and know we bring death to them. Boogiemen, though, they work together with the other creatures. They want all shifters dead, because we are immune to their powers and games. We are strong enough to kill them. No other being is. They are one of the reasons we
never go anywhere alone. They are pack creatures. You very rarely find them with fewer than six.”

  Brandon tilted Jezebel’s face up to see if she was following everything. She was chewing on her bottom lip. “You killed two and made it look very easy.”

  He stroked her head. “I’m stronger now I’m mated and even stronger with the threat close to you. I can kill two or three, but if six came at me it would be too much. They are stronger than vampires, giants, and any creature you can think of. Once their arms wrap around you it is hard to survive.”

  Her eyes widened. “What do you mean vampires and giants?”

  “Let’s get comfortable. I have a lot to tell you.” Brandon moved them back on the bed so he was against the bed headboard. He got comfortable and fixed Jezebel so she straddled him. Leaning down he kissed her lips. “Are you sure you want to know? It would be telling you everything. It’s a lot to take in.”

  Again, Jezebel nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment before she sighed. “Yes. I want to know everything.”

  “Okay. But you have to promise you won’t interrupt until I’m finished.”

  “I promise.”

  Tucking her into him he breathed in her jasmine scent. “Well, I’ve told you a little about boogiemen, but there are a lot of creatures out there. Las Vegas isn’t really called Sin City for the reason you think. It called that because it is the biggest doorway in the world. There are a lot of other smaller ones, but Las Vegas has the biggest, and it lets in swarms of creatures that are from your worst nightmares. We close the doorway or stop the creatures from coming through. We don’t know where the doorway to the other worlds might be, or even if there is more than one. The creatures don’t even remember where they are.” Brandon ran his fingers through his hair. “Now the creatures we deal with the most are leprechauns. No, they are not little Irish beings with pots of gold. They are greedy and will grant you one wish, but don’t be fooled. It comes with consequences. To be granted the wishes you owe them your life. They have glamour, but mated mates can see through it. They are small, wrinkled pus-covered creatures with a mean bite and sharp nails. Trolls are much like the myth. They feel a bridge or a busy gateway is theirs, and if you don’t get their riddles or pay their toll you die. Giants are destructive creatures. Not only are they huge, but they have a—I guess you would call it a sonic boom that topples buildings and structures. Vampires, they suck the life out of you. It’s how they stay alive. When they take your blood they absorb years of your life, and, yes, they hate the sun. It will kill them. Now back to the boogiemen.” He shuddered against her. “As you saw tonight they are breathtakingly beautiful. It is how they entrance you first. If you ever see one again back away slowly, try not to draw any attention to yourself, and get far away them. Boogiemen or women, I think are the worst. They can control your mind and get you to do terrible things. They can’t do it to you, but tonight they could have turned your friends on you. They also have the same powers as vampires in taking your life, but unlike vampires they can keep you alive for years and are not killed by or scared of the sun. They’re conniving things and can even get the other creatures to work together and trap and kill shifters. Some humans call them demons, but they are not. I have met demons. They are quite decent, and I wouldn’t insult them like that by comparing them.”