Claiming His Lioness (Shifter Wars)

by Kerry Adrienne

  At least his foot was healed, mostly. He barely limped and they’d covered a lot of ground. Shifter healing was miraculous.

  “Mason, we’re done for the night. You can relax.”

  “I am relaxing.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “No, you aren’t, but whatever.”

  He lay back on the rock. “See? Relaxing.”

  “Uh, huh.”

  “I’ll be glad to have this stress out of the way.”

  “Me, too. Tomorrow morning, we’ll head back and report what we saw. Or what we didn’t see.”

  Lara yawned and scooted close to Mason. Marco and Alicia had taken another quadrant near Rockglass Lake and they hadn’t seen them all evening. Maybe they’d spotted humans setting traps or surveying.

  “I don’t feel like we gathered any important information. No humans around at all. Not even fresh tracks.”

  “We can’t expect them to be up to something all the time. Or that we’d necessarily be the ones to even see that they’re doing anything. Try not to stress. Besides, it’s just a matter of time till destruction day.”

  “Yeah. I know. Still, I don’t feel very useful at the moment.”

  “At least your ankle is healed.”

  “True. That’s something to be thankful for.”

  She yawned.

  “Maybe Marco and Alicia found some traps.”

  “Maybe.”

  “The sooner we get all those cleaned up, the better.”

  “I’m ready for the big day. I want this whole AllOil thing to be over.”

  “It won’t be long.” Lara was thankful they hadn’t seen anything. She was tired. One night of not doing anything or finding anything wasn’t the end of the world, and relaxing with Mason felt exactly right. Days of spying had been tiring and now she had to camp out in the woods overnight.

  She and Mason were spending time alone together and they weren’t even bickering. Who would’ve ever believed it? The thought made her grin. She wouldn’t let him know that she preferred him to be around, but the more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to spend time with him.

  Would he consider dating her? She hated to get her hopes up. Who was she kidding? He was so lion-centric, he likely wouldn’t ever speak to her if he knew the truth. Marco might, but Mason?

  Unlikely.

  Lara lay back on the blanket beside him and stared up at the night sky. Stars clustered overhead and the darkness dampened and thickened the air. Occasionally, if observers were really lucky, the park caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights or gigantic thunderstorms or icy rains. Once, a tornado formed and touched down three times within a mile, leaving a slash of destruction through the forest. The weather in Deep Creek was unpredictable and the landscape was always gorgeous, if a bit wild.

  Summer nights were her favorites, though. Insects and night birds calling to mates and warm breezes carrying the scents of the season...she had to protect that. Losing the time communing with nature wasn’t an option. Saving Deep Creek truly was for the greater good.

  She peeked at him. “What are you looking at?”

  He pointed to one of the larger constellations. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah. We’re so fortunate to call this place home. Of all the places on Earth, we get one that’s magnificent and so awe-inspiring it almost hurts.”

  “Do you think we’ll lose the land to AllOil?” His voice caught. He really wanted to know how she felt, and she heard the tremble of fear in his tone.

  “I hope not. I think we have a good chance of saving Deep Creek with everyone helping.”

  “Maybe. One thing I’m sure my father would want is that we all worked together to stop the humans. He’d have been so upset if this happened when he was alive.”

  “Yeah. Max would be in the trenches with us.”

  “He would.”

  They stared at the night sky in silence. A faint shooting star slipped in a curving arc toward the ground, going dark as it neared the horizon.

  She hoped for more time like this. Quiet moments when they didn’t even have to speak about what was going on. Quiet moments when she didn’t have to put up a tough front or a wall.

  “Do you miss him?” She didn’t glance at him, giving him privacy to answer.

  “I do. A lot.” He sighed. “Max was such an anchor for me, and Marco and I know he didn’t finish teaching us everything he wanted us to know.”

  “I miss him, too. He died too soon.”

  Mason nodded.

  Crickets or katydids or some other insects buzzed a low-level symphony across the fields, and the faint odor of pheromones drifted on the breezy air. It was mating season and the night animals were out and about, hunting and foraging for food and company. Spots of reflective eyes lit the underbrush.

  No one wanted to tangle with the lions.

  Mason cleared his throat.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  Mason sat up and pointed. “See that star? That one that’s out all night this time of year. It starts setting earlier but right now, the whole constellation is visible.”

  “The lion. Leo. It won’t be out many more days. If I remember correctly, within a week or two it will be setting before dawn.” She sat up and scooted closer to him. His smell, earthy and deep, wafted into her nose and she tried not to sniff loudly. His scent drew her to him. Power and masculinity with an aura of intelligence and passion wove around him in a complex pattern.

  Sniffing him would be embarrassing.

  “You know the constellations?”

  “Why wouldn’t I? Because I’m a girl?” she teased. “Do girls not learn the constellations?”

  “Not many do. Hell, not many guys do. It’s a nerdy thing.”

  “Well this girl does.” She hid her grin. “I guess I’m nerdy.”

  It usually bothered her when he was being a chauvinist but this time he really didn’t seem obnoxious. Maybe he simply didn’t know a better way to express his surprise that she knew the constellations.

  “Leo watches over us in early summer.”

  “Yeah. Appropriate, I’d say.” She covered a laugh. “It’d be funny to have penguins watching over us or catfish.”

  He nodded. “Leo is my favorite. Mainly because it was Max’s.”

  “I’m partial to it, too.”

  “My father made us memorize the constellations and the stories behind them. Not just the ancient myths but the lions’ stories. The oral tradition behind the stars.”

  “What did you learn about Leo?”

  Mason paused. “Maximillian told me and Marco that Leo was the grandest lion to ever live. The one Heracles fought. The same lion that tore down the first pyramids and the hanging gardens and dammed up the Tento River. Leo was the lion that brought water to the desert and snow to the mountains. He gave fire to humans and babies to barren mothers.”

  “What a charmer.”

  “Leo was a hero.”

  “Maybe. I can see how young cubs would love to hear about their relatives being heroes. I remember some of those stories, too.”

  “The myths, like many stories, were metaphors. Max wanted us to believe in ourselves and our ability to change the world and ourselves. Leo taught how to be a role model and a hero to look up to. He always fought for truth and goodness.”

  “And you did look up to Leo, I’m sure. But mainly, I bet you looked up to your father.”

  He glanced at her and smiled. “You’re right. We did. I’m not sure Max ever realized how much of a hero he was to his sons.”

  “And to others. He was a hero to me, too. He took me in and treated me like a family member.”

  “My father was a great leader. I’ll never live up to his legacy.”

  “I think you and Marco already hav
e to some degree. You’re family. I can’t imagine anything was more important to Max.”

  “The violence that took him away from us was so senseless. In an instant, he was gone.”

  She picked up a stick and drew circles in the piles of dirt gathered in valleys on the rock face.

  “He protected me when my family left.” Bile filled her stomach. Max was the best leader she’d ever known but the fact that he had likely known about her origins really worried her. He clearly hadn’t told Mason, but what if he’d left the information for later? Max likely hadn’t thought it was terrible to be a mixed breed, though Lara worried how the twins would react.

  “What happened to your parents? Why did Max take you in?”

  “I’ve heard several stories but none seems right. It doesn’t really matter, does it? I needed help and he helped me.” Her relaxation evaporated as she sprang into defensive mode. She felt herself closing off against Mason. The topic was too personal.

  Dangerous.

  “I really don’t remember Max talking about your parents.”

  “I assume there was nothing to talk about.”

  “Were they part of our pride?”

  “As far as I know.” She sat up and crossed her legs. The conversation was too close to the truth to have it lying down. “I don’t know much about them and I guess they could’ve been lions from somewhere else that Max adopted.”

  Mason pushed his hair back. He had no idea the conflict she hid. The small ball of anxiety that she guarded with all her determination and dreams. Keeping the secret. Hoarding it. Even cherishing that it was a secret only she knew.

  A psychiatrist would tell her she wasn’t being healthy. She drew a frowny face in the dirt.

  “I wonder if my mother knew your mother.” Mason’s voice was distant. “I don’t really remember my mother’s face. There are photographs, of course, but that’s a two-dimensional representation. I wish I remembered what it was like to get a real hug from her. Now, all I have are faint memories and star-walking.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll give you a hug.” Lara stopped. Her heart thrummed and acid pooled in her throat. What if he rejected her? Mason wasn’t exactly the warm and loving presence who might react well to a hug.

  She dropped the stick and turned to him, not meeting his gaze.

  “You understand better than most. I can’t imagine losing both parents while still a child.” He reached for her and wrapped his arms around her, then pulled her onto him. His hand stroked her hair and the other rubbed her back.

  She sighed and melted into him. “How’s your ankle? Is it bothering you after all that hiking?”

  “Good as new. I don’t feel any pain at all. Well, not much.”

  She nuzzled under his chin and clutched his shirt. It felt so right to be in Mason’s arms. She closed her eyes and relaxed.

  He squeezed her, then rolled her to the side, face-to-face.

  “This is wonderful.” He trailed a finger along her jawline. “It’s so quiet out here. So peaceful. I could almost forget about the human encroachment and pipeline and even long-lost parents.”

  She smiled, her lips quivering. The more she got to see Mason’s soft side, the more hers came out, too. And it felt good. He kissed the top of her head and touched her cheek.

  “I bet you look like your mother.” He tipped her chin up and looked into her eyes. “I bet she was beautiful.”

  “I need to tell you something.” Anxiety spiked through her. Dare she tell him? Her hands trembled.

  “What is it?” He ran a finger along her lower lip, licking his lips at the same time.

  She closed her eyes. “My mother is a tiger.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Holy fuck. Lara’s mother was a what? A tiger? How had she hidden that from him and the pride? His heart hammered. No wonder she was so harsh when cornered. She felt like she didn’t belong.

  “You’re joking?” He tried to level his voice because she’d tensed so tight he was afraid she would break. The smell of her fear hit him in the face, causing his lion to growl. What was she scared of? They’d been talking calmly, and he’d even relaxed some around her, then she hit him with this information and his whole body went on alert.

  He hadn’t expected the news.

  “No. It’s one of the few things I know about my mother. I have a photo of her tiger, and one of my dad’s lion.”

  “Wow.” He didn’t know what to say. It’d never occurred to him that Lara was mixed. He’d never sensed it, even when they kissed. Maybe he didn’t sense it because it didn’t matter. Why would he care if she was part tiger? It wasn’t like she was wolf. He had real issues with the behavior of those mangy creatures.

  “I’m a mixed-breed shifter.” She stared at her hands. “I understand if you want me to leave the pride.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I want you to leave?”

  The darkness might have partially concealed her features, but he could tell she was upset. Her fear was laced with a pungent anxiety and he longed to reach out and soothe her.

  She looked up at him, her eyes wide. “Why would you want someone living in the pride who isn’t a real lion?”

  “I’ve seen your lion. You are a real lion. Are you telling me you can shift into a tiger, too?”

  “I’ve not tried, but I think I can. She is inside me, always pawing to get out. I keep her hidden. I didn’t want the lions upset with me.”

  He paused. Sure, the information was confusing and shocking, but did it change how he felt about Lara? No. Not at all. He was stunned that she thought it would.

  “I don’t understand why you’d think I wouldn’t be accepting.”

  “I wasn’t planning on telling you. I know how you feel about the bears and wolves. I figured that being a mixed shifter was even worse.”

  The moonlight streamed onto the landscape in hues of blue and silver, casting sparkles across her curls, and he reached to touch the softness. Why would she think he would hate her?

  He wasn’t bigoted. As far as he knew, none of the lions were. Sure, some preferred lions over other animals, himself included. Cold filled his stomach. He didn’t want to be prejudiced. He’d accepted Alicia, hadn’t he?

  “I don’t hate you,” he whispered. “I think it’s wonderful.”

  He would have to go talk to Shoshannah about this. The last thing he wanted was to be a bigot. There was no room in his heart for hating someone or even thinking less of them just because they weren’t lion.

  Or completely lion.

  “Really?” Lara turned to him and a smile spread across her face. She still wouldn’t look directly at him, though she peeked up through heavy lashes. Gods, she was beautiful.

  He’d never seen her so vulnerable. His heart ached at the thought he’d hurt her, even though it wasn’t intentional. He’d make it up to her. He touched her cheek.

  So very soft. The urge to comfort her pulled at him, and his lion gnashed its teeth to get out.

  A tear slid down her cheek, and he wiped it away with his thumb.

  “None of that.” He pulled her into his arms. “Please don’t cry. Everything is going to be okay.”

  “I thought...you’d hate me.” She laid her head on his shoulder.

  “I couldn’t ever hate you.”

  “Still...”

  “You annoy me sometimes, but I could never hate you.” He held back his smile.

  She smacked him playfully. “Thanks a lot. You annoy me, too.”

  “I know.”

  He kissed her, a peck at first, then five lingering presses, then ten more. Her sharp intake of breath convinced him she felt it, too.

  The realization hit him in the gut. Perhaps he hadn’t sensed it before because Lara had put up such a barrier to her true feelings.

  She was his mate.

 
; It was such an irony and yet so perfect, as irony often was. Shoshannah must be leaping with joy at the thought of he and Lara being together. Mason smiled at how he’d been so blind to it. Usually shifters recognized their mates pretty quickly.

  “Do you feel it, Lara?”

  She gazed at him, then her eyes widened. “Mates?”

  He nodded. “You let your guard down and now it’s clear as day to me.”

  She blinked, tears gone. “I’m scared, Mason.”

  “Shh. No reason to be scared.”

  “But I’m not full-blooded lion. Doesn’t that bother you? How can we be mates? I don’t understand.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. And hey, a tiger is better than a bear any day. Or a wolf.”

  She laughed, then went quiet for a few moments. “I guess that’s why we didn’t feel the mating call strongly. Because I’m not one hundred percent lion. I missed the signals, though I was always drawn to you.”

  “And we’re both stubborn. Once you opened up to me, I saw it. Felt it.”

  “I’m not stubborn.” Her eyes flashed.

  He captured her mouth in his and held her body close. She was soft in all the right places and he was hard in the ones he needed to be to show her how he felt. Losing himself in her would be easy. Her arms tightened around him and she relaxed in his grip, her hair tickling his arms.

  He pulled back. He couldn’t force his desires on her. Mate or not, that wouldn’t be right. If he’d learned anything, it was that he basically knew nothing of females and what they might be thinking or wanting. Being sure was not only preferable, it was necessary.

  “I guarded myself and didn’t let myself feel what was right in front of me.”

  “So much other stuff going on. I did the same thing.”

  He clasped his hand in her hair. “I’m going to change that now. I’m going to show you how I feel. Now and for as long as you’ll let me.”

  Her intake of breath was sharp and deep. “Mason...”

  “Do you want me as much as I want you?” he breathed. “Lara, I need to know if we’re moving too quickly. We can go as slowly as you want.”