Claiming His Lioness (Shifter Wars)

by Kerry Adrienne

  “Wait a minute.” Lara scowled. “How do we know this isn’t a setup to send some of our shifters into a trap? You admitted you turned shifters over to this lab. Why should we believe this isn’t a trick?”

  Cara laughed. “You’re smart, Lara. I knew you would be.”

  “She’s right. How do we know we can trust you?” Mason clasped Lara’s hand.

  “No, this isn’t a trap. Let me help you. It’s me doing penance. I can’t live with myself knowing these shifters will be tortured and killed.”

  “Tell you what. You set a time for us to meet at the lions’ compound. Come alone.” Mason rubbed his face. “We’ll need your help.”

  Lara tensed. She already had a plan and didn’t really want Cara to be any part of it.

  “Or kill me. Why should I trust you?” Cara put her hand on the rifle.

  “You don’t have a choice. If you really want the shifters set free, you’ll come.” Mason gave her a stern stare. “Otherwise, we’ll assume you’re talking bullshit.”

  “Fair enough.” Cara stood and dusted off the seat of her pants. “Can we meet on Wednesday night at eight? I’ll be off work then.”

  That would work. Lara planned to break into the lab on Friday night.

  “Fine.” Mason stood. “The lions’ compound is at the north end of the park. You can’t miss it. It’s before you get to Henredon, right off the highway. Tell the gate guard you have a meeting with me and to bring you to the conference center.”

  “Okay.”

  Lara listened to the trill of morning birdsong. Freeing the shifters from the lab was only part of what needed to be done in Deep Creek.

  “Those traps are brutal,” Lara spat. No matter what Cara said, Lara didn’t like her. The woman had been setting out traps and one could’ve killed a shifter child.

  “I’m sorry. I had to do my job.”

  “Lame excuse.” Mason grimaced. “I got caught in one and really hurt my ankle. Thankfully, Lara and the bears were able to get me out of it and to the cave to heal.”

  “Oh no, I’m really sorry, Mason. I never meant for anyone to get hurt.”

  “Then you shouldn’t have set the traps.” Lara wasn’t letting Cara off easily.

  “Point made. The traps will be gone when the pipeline is done. They’re in place to protect the workers.”

  “Mason got caught in a trap pretty far from the pipeline.”

  “As soon as I get the shifters out of the research lab, I’m quitting AllOil. Until then, there’s nothing I can do.”

  Mason cleared his throat. “You can give us a map of where the traps are. We’re reporting them to the rangers and they’re having them removed.”

  Lara nodded. “Bring the map to the meeting.”

  “If you can’t supply that, I’ll assume you aren’t being truthful. So don’t show up at my compound without that information. It’s the least you can do.” Mason sighed. “If one more lion gets hurt, I’m going to be all over you, no matter how much you lament that you’re on our side.”

  “Fine. I’ll bring a map.” Cara scanned the forest. “I need to go, or they’ll be suspicious that I didn’t catch up with them.”

  “Don’t let us keep you. Go. See you Wednesday.”

  “And remember this,” Lara said. “You’re either with us or against us. There’s nothing in the middle. If I find out you’re lying to us or using us, I will kill you.”

  Cara held the rifle tightly, nodded, and tromped off into the forest without looking back.

  “That’s a strange turn of events.” Lara blew out a long breath.

  “We’ll see what happens. I don’t trust that tiger.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Griff scanned the dim cavern. Elijah, Powell, Derek, Claude, Mason, Lara and Bria were all waiting on the meeting to begin. Mason paced at the front of the room, lost in thought. The faint light in the cave made the air temperature feel chillier than it really was, and he longed to be done so he could get home to Amy and Noah.

  The baby was only sleeping about two hours at a time and Amy was exhausted. He could change the little guy and rock him while Amy got some sleep. Alicia was with Amy and Noah now, but it was his duty to help his wife.

  He smiled.

  Little Noah, perfect in every way, was a hungry little cub and it seemed like all he and Amy did was feed him, bathe him, and change his diapers. Well, Amy fed him and Griff handled the other household duties. He knew this was a stressful time for a mom and he needed to be with her. As much as babies were blessings, they were also a lot of work.

  Two years ago, the thought of a child would have scared him. Things could change quickly in Deep Creek, that was for sure. The shifters had to get the humans from AllOil out of the park so his son and everyone else would be safe.

  Elijah moved to the head of the room to join Mason. He hunched over a bit, and the tang of stress wafted off him. The old bear had dealt with a lot over the past two years, and Griff wouldn’t be surprised if he stepped down as clan leader soon. He wouldn’t do it while Deep Creek was in danger, though. With the elimination of the pipeline, maybe he’d get a respite from all the fighting. If the shifters could find peace together, Elijah would be able to rest. He’d lived a hard life protecting and guiding the bears.

  Who would Elijah pick to be in charge next? Griff hoped it was him. He’d trained his whole life to help the bears and would love the responsibility of being the leader. Whatever the clan asked of him, he’d do.

  Elijah scanned the room. He gave a nod to Griff. Griff smiled and nodded back.

  “Let’s make this quick. I had to close the store to be here. Updates?”

  “We’ve made a lot of progress.” Mason stopped and looked out over the group. “Everyone has done their job so far and we’re about ready to go.”

  Lara spoke up. “The march is planned, and the lionesses are handling the final touches. On the day we bomb the pipeline, Oakwood will be full of reporters and politicians and people angry about the project. Word will spread quickly.”

  “Great.” Elijah nodded. “I saw your posters all over Oakwood. Going to be a big event.”

  “We’re ready. Rain or shine, we’ll take out AllOil on Sunday.”

  “What about the traps? Derek?” Mason asked. “What’s the latest progress report? I saw your last report—it looks like the humans put quite a few traps out in the forest.”

  “Yes, they have.” Derek stretched. “We’ve found over a dozen traps in a two-mile section of the park. I know there are more, and we’re working as quickly as we can to find them.”

  Mason’s voice was strong. “We’ll have a map for you of where all the traps are by Thursday. That should cut down on the time searching. Get them all turned in to the park service. I know I’ll breathe a sigh of relief when we know they are all gone.”

  “Where are you getting a map of the traps?” Griff asked.

  “Cara’s coming to meet with the pride leaders about the laboratory. She’s got information we need to plan our breakout on Friday night. She’s also bringing a map of all the traps, as a gesture of good faith.”

  “Great news,” Derek said.

  Elijah nodded. “Everything is coming along nicely. You lions are doing a great job.”

  “Thank you,” Mason said. “We’re going to make sure Deep Creek is safe, once and for all.”

  “And we’re going to free the shifters from the lab,” Lara said.

  “Let’s get an update for everyone on the bomb.” Mason paced. “It’s time to set the ball rolling. Sunday will be here before we know it.”

  Elijah motioned for Bria to join him. “Bria, tell us about the bomb.”

  Bria stood, then bent and kissed Derek on the head before making her way to the whiteboard at the front of the room. Elijah moved aside and sat in a chair facing the crowd.
<
br />   “Thanks, everyone. Let’s hope I’m not on the FBI list for suspected terrorists after this research.”

  The group snickered. Bria, a terrorist? Even Griff smiled. That was ridiculous. Bria was such a sweetheart.

  She held up a device that looked like something out of a bad science fiction movie. Wires snaked from the box and a couple of buttons poked out the side. “This,” she said, “is the bomb. We don’t need a large device for what we plan to do.”

  Powell gasped and the others looked at him. “Sorry.” He slunk in his chair and everyone turned back to Bria, a few chuckles sounding in the room.

  Bria set the device on the table. “It’s not armed yet, so you don’t need to worry about it blasting a hole in the cave walls. Lara and I didn’t have time to test it, but I’m sure it will work. We followed the directions.”

  “I’m not going to ask where you got the instructions,” Elijah said.

  Everyone laughed.

  “You don’t have anything to worry about.” Lara stood and walked up to join Bria. “It’s a simple device with enough power to do what we need.”

  The lions scooted their chairs back, grinning.

  “Let’s hope you’re right,” Mason said. “It would be terrible to set it off and it not damage the pipeline.”

  “It will more than damage it.” Lara smiled. “It will blow a hole in it that isn’t repairable. Besides, the point isn’t that we take out the whole pipeline, it’s that we cause a scene and bring attention to what AllOil is doing in Deep Creek.”

  “We need the media coverage,” Lara added. “And with the march being the same day we detonate the bomb, we should get it.”

  “The bomb’s ready but safe. It won’t take much to arm it. We tried to make a bomb that would be light and quick to set.”

  “Smart girls,” Derek said.

  “I don’t think we’ll have a lot of time at the pipeline, given how tightly the humans surveil the area. We’ve got to get in and out quickly. Even if they aren’t monitoring the pipeline, maybe being distracted by the march, we want this to go smoothly.”

  “The humans are watching the line closely,” Mason said. “But we can get to it.”

  “We’ll need a team of two to place this bomb.” Bria adjusted the device on the table, fidgeting with the wires. “One to serve as lookout and one to arm and place it.”

  “We can do that.” Marco spoke up.

  “We’ll need several people in the forest as lookouts. They’ll also take care of any humans that get in the way. Keep them from being in the blast radius.” Bria fiddled with the wires. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

  “I want to rig the bomb,” Mason said. “I can’t wait to stop this pipeline.”

  “I’ll help him,” Lara said. “You’ll need someone dexterous to handle it. I can do it.”

  “You’re right, Lara,” Bria answered. “Arming the bomb will be easier for someone with small fingers. It makes sense that Lara does it since she’s familiar with the bomb.”

  “I’ll be her backup. And the nearby lookout.” Mason blew out a breath. “I’m ready to do this.”

  “If you blow yourself up, I’m going to be mad,” Marco joked.

  The group laughed.

  “You guys do it. It’s been your plan, after all. I’ll volunteer as another backup,” Marco said. “If I’m needed. Otherwise, I can be one of the lookouts stationed in the forest.”

  “Fine with me.” Griff nodded. “I’ll be a lookout, too.”

  “Who else? Powell?” Mason looked over the room. “Claude?”

  The lone wolf in the room sighed. “Let the lions do it. I don’t want to be anywhere near that bomb.”

  “I’m fine with it, too.” Powell rubbed his face. “But I will help out however I can.”

  “It’s settled then.” Mason paced.

  Bria took a pen and wrote on the whiteboard. “This is my plan. Mason and Lara, I’ll train you how to arm the bomb and how to position it. Marco, you’ll be backup, so you need to train, too. Powell, Derek, Claude, you’ll be lookouts. We’ll need a couple more, too. I think five lookouts total is a good number since Marco will float between groups.”

  “What do you mean?” Marco asked.

  “You’ll be available to arm the device if needed but you’ll also be a lookout. We’ll position you closest lookout to the pipeline, near Mason and Lara. If they have trouble, you’ll be there to help.”

  “Got it.”

  Bria wrote the names and jobs down then turned to the group.

  “We’re going to bomb on Sunday, but do we want it to be during the march or after it? The march is at five.” Lara twirled a lock of her hair. “I’m thinking afterward, so that the media can come into the park if they want.”

  “I think around seven should be fine. We don’t want to interrupt the march.” Bria took a deep breath. “Whatever we can do to get the best results, of course.”

  “Let’s wait till eight. It’s getting dark then.” Mason scanned the room.

  “How will we know where they are going to be at on Sunday night?” Marco asked. “Some days, they get more work done than others.”

  “It won’t matter.” Bria drew on the board. “We’ll pick a section of pipeline that’s already built and blast it. I’ll go out with Lara and we’ll pick a place. It doesn’t have to be the end. As long as we knock a chunk out of it before oil starts flowing, we’ll make our point.”

  “We’ll be eco-terrorists.” Powell rubbed his hands together. “What if we get caught?”

  Mason stood and turned to Powell. “We have to think positive. We will plan and train and do our best. Stop worrying and focus on the task ahead. We’re going to take this pipeline out, one way or another.”

  “Mason’s right.” Elijah cleared his throat. “People in Oakwood are talking about the line and how they want it gone. Some say that the senator was bribed to vote for it and now there’s an investigation into the approval process. If we can slow this thing down, my guess is it will never get finished. People are mad.”

  “They should be,” Lara said. “National parks should be protected. They can run pipelines in other places.”

  “Or invest in alternative energy.” Mason folded his arms. “Oil is so last century.”

  Lara laughed and flashed a smile at Mason. He put his arm around her.

  Griff stood and leaned against the cave wall. He’d always loved Deep Creek but now that he had Noah, he felt a strong drive to protect it. Even stronger than before. Anger boiled in his gut at the thought that his land would be soiled and ruined.

  “I hope this is enough.” Griff smacked his hand on the wall. “I want my children to grow up in a safe place with clean water and land. Is that too much to ask?”

  “No, it isn’t.” Bria set the pen down. “We’ll do what we have to. Whatever it takes.”

  “We’ll stop the humans.” Lara nodded. “I’ve no doubt. With all of us working together, we’ll succeed.”

  “Everything sounds great. Any questions?” Mason asked. “We’re in the process of clearing the traps and we have a specific plan for the bomb. Anyone have anything to add?”

  “Not a question, but I need to tell you all something we found out.” Lara walked to the front of the room. “We told you that we thought Cara was a shifter. She is. A tiger shifter.”

  A gasp rose from the group.

  “What the hell?” Griff set his jaw.

  “We’re going to need some bears and wolves to help us raid the laboratory Friday night to save the shifters imprisoned there. Can anyone help?” Lara asked.

  A chorus of assent went up.

  “I’ll help,” Griff growled. “But what the hell is Cara doing working for the humans?”

  “She doesn’t appear to be affiliated with a group. She was abandoned as a child and t
ook a job at AllOil to capture Deep Creek’s shifters so she could send them to the research lab.”

  “That bitch!” Powell jumped up. “We need to take her out, too.”

  Lara raised her hand. “Hold on. I believe her that she thought the lab was doing good work. When she saw it in person she realized they weren’t keeping the shifters safe. She said she’d quit AllOil as soon as the pipeline is complete, but I think we can get her to cut ties sooner.”

  “Or help us from the inside,” Mason said. “She has access to information we don’t.”

  “Sounds like she got herself into quite a mess.” Elijah paused, closing his eyes. “The bears will help.”

  “Thank you,” Mason said.

  “Perfect.” Bria smiled. “I don’t think we should tell her about the pipeline bomb, though. We can’t trust her yet.”

  “Definitely don’t tell her,” Mason said. “We can’t risk it. She’s working with the humans too closely. If she has information for us, great, but we can’t let her in on the plan.”

  “I agree,” Marco said.

  “The meeting is at eight on Wednesday night. You’re all welcome to attend. Let the guard know you’re there for the meeting and he’ll bring you to the clubhouse.” Mason sat down.

  “We’ll be there,” Griff said.

  “Good,” Lara said.

  Mason sighed. “We can thank our lucky stars that Bria and Lara are so damn smart. We’d not have a chance beating the humans with brute force. This bomb is perfect.”

  “Let’s hope it goes off!” Bria chuckled.

  * * *

  Lara leaned into Mason, pressing her body fully against him. If he hadn’t been backed up against a tree, she would’ve knocked him to the ground. Warm summer sun beat down on them through the forest canopy.

  He pulled her close, and the warmth of his naked body seeped into her.

  “This bark is hurting my butt,” he said.

  “A kiss won’t make you forget the pain?”

  “Maybe. Won’t know till we try.”

  She laughed and pressed her lips to his, then quickly pulled back. “Let’s run.”

  Not waiting on him, she began shifting. Her lioness stretched inside, yawning big before coming to the surface. Times like these, Lara sensed her tigress lurking in the shadows. She’d never been able to coax her out. Maybe she hadn’t tried hard enough, since she was hiding her from the lions.