Her lioness roared and pushed to the surface. Lara leaned in, savoring the pull of muscle and lengthening of bone. Mason shifted beside her, his black mountain lion forcing its way out faster than her lioness. She flicked her tail.
He roared then nuzzled her shoulder. She licked his muzzle and would have laughed if a lioness could. Then she took off toward the creek.
The trees sped by as she ran. Mason was right behind her, his paws barely thumping on the ground as he gained on her. She ducked her head and gave it her all. Though smaller than Mason, she was one of the fastest lions in the pride and she wasn’t going to let him forget it.
She could outrun him if she tried.
She breathed in the scent of summer as she ran. Honeysuckle and wild jasmine filled her nostrils, with a hard finish of iron-rich dirt. Summer in Deep Creek was incomparable to any other season. The greens of trees and the vibrant blue of the sky filled her vision. Water trickled up ahead in the distance, growing louder as they approached.
She slalomed around the trees, daring Mason to follow. He did, nipping at the tip of her tail.
Ouch!
He surged ahead, taking advantage of her distraction. She ducked her head and sped up, in a beeline for the finish line—the waterfall. Already the crashing water was loud and she only had a few hundred feet to catch Mason.
She willed her legs to give her more. Her muscles, hot, nearly cramped at the push for more speed. She was neck and neck with Mason when they splashed into the pool at the base of the waterfall at the same time. She flopped into the shallows, panting. Mason took long drinks, his pink tongue lapping the cool water.
Her chest heaved as she caught her breath from the run.
The spray from the waterfall made circular rainbows in the air, and a pair of doves splashed in a small pool on one of the big rocks that lined the falls. Lara rolled onto her back in the water, flipping back and forth in the coolness.
She lapped up the crisp water. Mason crouched, then sprang, bowling her over. She pushed at him with her paws, giving him a warning growl. He pushed back with his legs, pinning her in the water, and her head went under, then she surfaced. The cool water clung to her skin like a million crystals. She shoved him away, giggling inside.
He bounded off her and around behind the large boulder sitting at the edge of the water. She jumped up to chase him, splashing through the shallows and onto the soft grass.
Mason peeked from behind the rock. He’d shifted. His wet hair hung in a clump and he shoved it out of his face, into a pile on his head. He looked like a dandelion.
He grinned. “Join me?”
Lara told her lioness to recede and she relaxed into the shift, waiting on her human to emerge.
“You caught me.” She motioned to Mason. “Bet you can’t now.”
“That sounds like a challenge.” He stepped from behind the boulder, rock hard.
She laughed and raced into the water, diving as she hit the deeper pool. Mason’s splash was right behind hers. She swam toward the waterfall, where she could hide in the spray. Mason dove, grabbing her bare leg and she squealed. He tugged her to him, water splashing from their forms.
“I caught you.” He ran his hand up her back.
“I let you.” She did her best smirk.
His body against hers, he bent to kiss her. Hands tangled in wet hair, she winced but let him yank her closer. Though the water was cool, his flesh was hot and she reached to grasp him. He moaned in her mouth, his tongue seeking hers.
She pulled back. “What if someone sees us?”
“I hope they do.”
“Mason, you’re naughty.”
“I try.”
He caressed her breast with one hand as he kissed her neck.
“That feels so good.” She pushed toward him.
“Let’s move to the rock where I can make you feel even better.”
“We don’t have a blanket or even clothes.”
“If we hurry, we won’t need them.”
She wrapped her legs around his waist, aware how vulnerable it made her. Open to her mate. Part of her rebelled, wanting her to run from him, but she took a deep breath and made herself stay in his arms.
She’d always been told she needed to trust, but damn, it was difficult.
Mason groaned again, pushing his hardness against her as he moved to shore. They climbed out and fell onto the warm boulder together. Mason laid her back and kissed her nipples, already at peaks in the humid air. Nipping and sucking, he made his way down her rib cage, to her belly button, where he planted a hundred gentle kisses.
She put her hands in his hair and shoved him downward. He kissed her right above her pubic bone and she let her legs fall open as he kissed the junction of her thighs, making his way to her clit where he licked firmly. She closed her eyes to focus on the sensation—at once both thrilling and a little scary.
Her orgasm hit hard and fast, and just as the waves were subsiding, he slid up over her and thrust inside. His weight was perfect, holding her down and meeting her upward thrusts. He moved quickly, pushing deep and fast, holding himself above her. He stared into her eyes and she blinked through heavy lashes, the rock rough underneath her and Mason a little rough on top. His movements sped as he delved inside her.
He came, his orgasm causing him to lose his grip and tumble onto her chest. She held him tight and waited on the tremors to subside.
Whatever was about to happen in Deep Creek, she’d face it with Mason by her side.
Chapter Nineteen
Mason held Lara’s hand. The couches in the lions’ community center needed to be replaced soon—they sagged too much, and the avocado green was pretty out of date. Marco and the bears were already there, and the scent of unease filtered through the room like an unheard melody.
Cara would arrive soon, he hoped. As long as she kept her word. The thought had occurred to him that the whole meeting might be a setup to bring in AllOil’s thugs, and he’d posted more guards in case. Even if Cara showed up with the humans, they had no proof anyone in the room was a shifter.
And they’d be outnumbered.
Lara laid her head on his shoulder and he kissed her on the forehead. His heart filled with a growing love. He couldn’t believe that he’d not realized she was his mate. She was probably right that her mixed heritage masked it. That and both of their stubborn attitudes.
“Knock it off, lovebirds.” Marco grinned.
Mason faked a scowl toward Marco. “I’ve had to put up with you and Alicia for a year. It’s not like I’m asking you to do anything.”
“I’m teasing you, brother.”
Mason nodded. Of course he was. His brother wanted what was best for him but maybe he enjoyed teasing about Lara a little more than he should. The lions were shocked, he could sense it. No one would’ve ever guessed he and Lara belonged together. Except maybe Shoshannah. If she’d simply told him about Lara, then maybe he’d not have been so stubborn about realizing what was right in front of his nose.
Shoshannah didn’t work that way, though. Keeping the secret and making them discover it themselves, with few clues, made the spirit even more mysterious. She was on his side, for sure, but she wasn’t as upfront as he’d like.
He’d spent the night at Lara’s house and she’d made macaroni and cheese. Sort of. The post-meal lovemaking made up for her lack of cooking skills. He reveled in the memory of Lara’s soft body yielding to his.
A knock sounded at the door and everyone flinched. The daydream vanished in a surge of adrenaline.
It had to be the guard with Cara. Mason looked at his watch. Yes, it was time. In fact, she was a few minutes late.
“I’ll get it.” He hopped up, raced to the door and tugged it open.
“Hello.” Cara stood outside, the guard beside her.
Mason motioned the guard awa
y and Cara inside. “Welcome.”
She nodded and moved into the room, where everyone waited. “Wow, got a whole crew here, do we?”
“You wanted to meet with us.”
“I do. All shifters?”
He nodded. “All of us. We’re ready to rescue the shifters at the lab. Lara already has a plan taking shape.”
“Good.” She sat down on an unoccupied couch. “Me, too.”
“Did you bring the map showing the traps?” Lara got straight to the point.
Mason scented a strange smell rising off Lara. Not quite jealousy, but something. Distrust?
“I did.” Cara reached for her bag and pulled out a folded paper. “Here. As I told you, it’s a map of every trap we’ve placed.” She looked up at him. “I’m truly sorry one of you got hurt.”
“And yet you placed the traps. What did you expect to happen?” Lara slanted her eyes.
She wasn’t cutting Cara any breaks. Mason didn’t want to either but he knew that overcoming the human encroachment and pipeline meant they’d need as many allies as they could get. Especially ones on the inside of the operation.
“I’m sorry. I brought you the map. Surely that’s a show of confidence in my sincerity.”
“It’s a start.” Lara looked away. “We’ll see where it leads.”
Derek moved to stand in front of Cara. “Let me see the map. I’m clearing the traps, and this will help a lot. Thank you.”
Cara looked up at him. “Bear?”
Derek nodded and held out his hand. Cara handed the map to him and he returned to his seat.
Lara crossed her arms and the stench of dislike wavered in the air.
Mason wasn’t sure how to handle the coldness between the two women. Ice princesses didn’t even begin to describe the aura between them. Lara had quite a shield in place and Cara hadn’t made any headway in breaking it down.
“Let’s talk about the laboratory.” Marco spoke up.
“I want to know what shifters you have captured,” Elijah said. “We had a bear go missing late spring. Could she be one of the ones trapped in the lab?”
Cara nodded. “Maybe. Most are from a forest a little north of here, but I know a few came from Deep Creek.”
Powell stood and pointed a finger at Cara. “You better hope the shifters are safe. Or you’re going to pay.”
Cara held her hands up in mock surrender. “I know what I did was wrong. I thought the research was to help shifters. I had no idea it was so heartless. I want to fix it.”
“So Mason told us.” Powell smirked. “But I don’t trust you.”
“Give her a chance,” Derek called. “This map, if accurate, will help me a lot with trap removal.”
“It’s accurate,” Cara said. “What’s your plan to shut down the lab?”
“We’re going to break the shifters out.” Lara didn’t look at Cara. “I can’t believe a shifter would do this to another.”
“I’m sorry.”
Cara really did sound contrite, but Mason knew better than to trust her without proof. He’d seen too many situations in his lifetime where people had been burned by someone pretending to be sorry.
“I’m in,” Marco said.
“And me.” Mason sat back down beside Lara.
“I want to hear more about this before I commit.” Claude’s high-pitched voice grated.
“Of course you do.” Lara smirked.
Mason hid his smile remembering how much Lara used to get on his nerves. Now he knew she used her attitude to cover up and hide her insecurities. Why hadn’t he seen it before?
“I’ve got the blueprint for the lab,” Cara said.
“That should help. You can show us where the shifters are being held.” Lara stood.
“And where the guards are,” Cara said.
Mason stood and motioned. “We can do it back here.” He pointed to the table.
“Thanks.” Cara pulled out another folded paper from her bag then moved to the table where she spread it out.
Mason and the others gathered around.
“Small laboratory.” Marco spoke evenly. “I only see two doors. Front, and back.”
“That’s right.” Cara pointed. “We’ll enter here. The back door.”
“What time do the scientists leave?” Lara ran her hand over the paper. “We should go in late at night, I’m guessing.”
“They sometimes stay a little late, but yes, I agree. Nighttime will give us cover, too.”
“You want to go?” Lara leaned back. “Why?”
“This is my doing. I need to be there.”
Lara stared at Cara, then moved back to the blueprint. “Fine. We can use all the help we can get. But I’m in charge. Don’t you forget it.”
“Fine.”
“Are there guards?” Mason committed the diagram to memory.
As small as the building was, they wouldn’t have room for error once they went in. The guards would have to be subdued immediately.
“Yes, but only two in the middle of the night. They’re usually in this front room playing cards.” Cara pointed to a spot by the front door.
“How many shifters are in captivity there?” Elijah had made his way to the table and he bent over on a cane to peer at the blueprint.
Cara tucked her pale hair behind her ears. “As far as I know? Sixteen. But there may be a few more, though they don’t have room for too many. We’ll have to be prepared for whatever we find.”
Lara raised her voice. “I don’t intend to leave anyone behind.”
“I agree. All of them have to be rescued. Are they in chains or what?” Powell spoke up, his tension wafting off him like a smoke ring.
“They’re in cages. We have to clip the locks.” Cara pointed. “The cages are here, along this wall. And here.”
“Is the place alarmed?” Mason leaned over the blueprint. The mission looked about as straightforward as it could be. Get in, take out the guards, clip the locks, then get out with the shifters. They should take a couple of the lions’ big vans to carry them back to the compound.
“I think we need to be in and out within ten minutes. If the guards sound the alarm, then even quicker. The alarm is manual, so if they don’t push the button, we won’t have to worry about it.”
“Great news.”
“How do we get in?” Lara folded her arms. “We aren’t going to be able to waltz in and be welcomed.”
“I actually have a key to the back door, as long as they haven’t changed it. I picked it up the last time I was there so I could drop off shifters whenever I needed to.”
“Good!” Mason grinned. A key made things even easier. “We’ll bring the shifters back here since we’re close to Henredon anyway. The lionesses can help them. Get them fed and clothed if needed. And find their families.”
Lara shot him a look he couldn’t decipher.
Cara continued, “If the key doesn’t work, we could go in this window.”
“How large is that window?” Lara leaned closer. “One person can go in and then unlock the door for the rest of us.”
“It’s plenty big. But if we have to break it, the guards are going to hear us.”
“Guess we’ll deal with that if we have to,” Griff said. “We’ll have enough people to handle them.”
“We should lock the guards up,” Lara said. “Give them a taste of captivity.”
“In cages?” Elijah asked.
“Yes. It’ll serve them right.” Cara smiled. “Put them in the cages the shifters have been held in.”
“I’m glad you agree.” Lara studied the blueprint. “This looks way too easy.”
“I hope you’re right.” Marco sighed. “I can’t believe that people are used as lab rats in this day and age.”
“Some humans lack humanity.” Lara raise
d an eyebrow.
“I like that plan. Wish I could be there to see it.” Elijah coughed. “I’m going to have to leave this to you cubs.”
Derek laughed. “I’m hardly a cub, but I agree that you shouldn’t go.”
“Close enough.” Elijah moved to sit. “When do you plan this jailbreak?”
Lara paused. “Friday. I’ll finalize the plan and give you all your assignments tomorrow. Cara, I need a phone number where I can reach you.”
“No problem.”
“It’s going to be a busy weekend.” Lara sighed.
Mason shot Lara a look. They weren’t to tell Cara they planned to sabotage the pipeline on Sunday. Cara was to be kept in the dark. Lara gave him a slight nod of acknowledgment.
She was correct. It was going to be one hell of a weekend.
Chapter Twenty
Mason slid the dark beanie on his head. His heart thundered. The plan Lara had come up with was smart, quick, and had a great chance of success. They’d break the imprisoned shifters free and be gone before any backup guards or scientists could arrive. Everything seemed solid.
He recounted the instructions.
Cara would try her key. Mason and Powell would head straight to handle the guards, assuming the key worked. If not, then plan B: they’d break in through the back window, though that would be a lot more dangerous since it would give the guards time to confront them.
Surprise would be a much better indicator of success. Keeping the lights off would put the advantage on the shifters since their eyesight was much better. Still, the guards were likely armed and he and Powell would need to move quickly to overpower them. He loved the idea of locking the guards in the cages where the shifters had been.
The dirty bastards.
Sometimes, karma needed an extra lock.
He licked his lips and tugged on his gloves. Even though it was summer, and hot, they all needed to wear gloves to prevent leaving fingerprints behind. If the scientists called the police, the shifters needed all the protection they could get. If the breakout occurred without a hitch, they’d not likely be caught after the fact.
Claiming His Lioness (Shifter Wars) Page 19