Hundreds of women made their way through his doors, but this was the only one who had had his inner tiger pacing behind his eyes. At first glance, she was attractive, she had curves that sent blood pooling in his groin, dark gold eyes and deep chestnut hair. It was unusual colouring for most prey species, but his human brain was telling him that this woman was prey. His tiger disagreed.
Give him five minutes and he would find out.
Chapter Three
Lee narrowed her eyes at the clump of coyotes and the strange chemical tang that was coming from their table. She frowned as she ran through her mental catalogue of known street toxins and came up empty.
Two of the coyotes approached a table of young women, smiling and laughing, one of them told a joke that involved waving his arms around and everyone stepped away from the table. There. His friend slipped in and dosed the redhead’s glass with whatever she was scenting.
“Chuck is on break, I am Jim.” A voice broke through her surveillance.
“Pleased to meet you, I am Leandiir, but call me Lee.” She absently extended her hand and was surprised when a large, warm masculine hand shook it.
It pulled her attention to him, and she blinked into a hot gold gaze.
They locked gazes and instead of her normal passivity, her lioness rose roaring to growl at him.
He blinked and smiled. “That was a surprise.”
She bit her lip and looked away. The woman who had been dosed was being escorted out the door by the two coyotes. “Please excuse me.”
He opened his mouth and closed it in surprise, but she barely had a chance to register it before she was out the door after the trio.
She slipped out of her shoes and turned her legs into her lioness limbs. Walking silently down the streets after the trio, she increased speed as the young woman began to stumble.
The coyotes pulled their victim into the dark alley.
Lee broke into a silent run.
The coyotes pulled at the woman’s clothing, and when the woman cried out softly in protest, it was all Lee needed.
She formed her claws and pulled the coyotes from her, clawing each across the face so she could find them later.
The men cried out in pain and scuttled backward.
Lee moved to their victim, a fox by the scent of her.
The woman’s eyes were rolling in her head and a dark flush was moving across her chest.
“Miss, can you hear me?”
A thin whisper of sound came out, “Yes. So hot, everything is dark. Help me.”
Lee heard the crunch of feet on gravel behind her and whirled to defend the young woman.
Jim was standing and staring at her in surprise. “Is she all right?”
“No, she has been dosed with something, and I don’t know what it is.”
Lee got to her feet with the young woman in her arms. “Is there a medical facility or a healer nearby?”
“Chuck can help. Come with me.” He started to walk back to the bar. “Can you carry her?”
“She doesn’t weigh anything, but can you carry my shoes?”
He hooked the strappy wedges on two fingers. “This feels wrong.”
“Suck it up, buttercup. She is getting hotter.”
Jim blinked in shock and led the way back to the bar.
Lee watched her patient carefully. The girl was flaring with colour, and Lee was worried.
They entered the bar and the music stopped. Jim called out, “Chuck, we need help.”
Chuck came running, and a crowd gathered around the woman with the torn clothing and erratic breathing.
Jim pushed two tables together.
Lee put her patient down but stayed nearby.
Chuck looked at her. “What did she get dosed with?”
“I don’t know. It was in her drink, smelled like a cross between pheromone and chemical.”
A girl who was with the young woman brought the glass forward. “This is the drink.”
Chuck sipped at it before Lee could stop him. He swirled the drink around in his mouth and nodded before he spit the drink on the floor. “Got it.”
He opened his mouth, raised her arm and bit down.
The patient gasped and arched her back, a low moan broke from her and a flexing shudder rippled over her skin.
Jim asked, “Do you know who it was?”
“Coyotes. I marked both their faces.”
Chuck winked, “How?”
“Claw marks. They should be fairly obvious.”
Chuck nodded. “I injected her with a flushing anti-toxin. She should be fine in a couple of hours. Jim, I am going to warn Tony and Teal.”
Jim nodded. “We will take her to my office.”
The woman whimpered and shifted away from Jim when he reached for her.
Lee raised her hand, scooped the woman up and nodded to him. “Lead the way, please.”
He led the way to his office. Lee deposited the woman on the couch and found a clean bar towel that she soaked in the office bathroom. She knelt at the woman’s side and sponged all abraded and lightly clawed areas while murmuring quietly.
“You have attended a woman in this condition before.” Jim crouched at her side.
“Yes. The area I live in is notorious for abusive men. I am a nurse at a local women’s health centre. I have seen worse, far worse, unfortunately.” Lee kept her attention focussed on the woman, but when she looked over to Jim, his face had a considering expression.
“You went after those men not knowing what they were. That is impressive.”
She shrugged. “Not really. I have seen coyotes before. They have their own way of moving, as do other species. I need to use that awareness in my work. If a husband comes in with a pregnant spouse, I need to know how he will react to the birth before he does. It eases the way when they are crossbreeds.”
“So, you also act as midwife?”
“When I have to and never on the books.”
She got up to wring out the fabric, but Jim handed her a fresh wet cloth. “Thank you.”
The woman blinked, and Teal came through the door. “Oh, no. How is she, Lee?”
“Whatever Chuck did was effective. Her skin is coming back to normal, her breathing has eased and she should be waking up in a few minutes.”
“You seem very sure, Lee.” Teal touched the woman’s hand, and the frown crease between her eyebrows relaxed. “And you are correct.”
“You have a healing ability?”
“No, just a grip on the status quo. I can simply feel if someone is well or not with a touch. It helps me with my work here.” Teal smiled.
“Do you know who she is?” Lee’s head came up as there was a knock on the door.
Jim leaned back and watched her, gesturing for her to answer.
Lee opened the door, and a young wolf male was standing there. “Hello?”
“Is Sara all right?” He gave off all the hallmarks of a beta, but she could see the worry radiating from him.
“The young woman is Sara?”
He nodded.
“She will recover.” Testing a theory, Lee moved to close the door and the male went from beta to protective alpha in an instant. His arm came out to slam against the door, and Lee grabbed his arm, forcing him to his knees.
“I have to see her. We were supposed to meet here, but I had to file a report with my pack leader.” He winced and tried to free his arm, but she wasn’t having any of it.
“So, why are you here now?”
“I heard about what happened the moment I entered the bar. Chuck told me not to come up here, but I wanted to see her.” He grimaced and went silent.
Jim’s voice washed over her. “Let him go, Lee. He will be fine. He needs to see her.”
Lee released him and backed away. Her claws had come out to pin him, and she retracted them when he rushed past her.
Jim’s hand gripped her arm and kept her from going to her patient. “Leave him. Teal will watch them. They need to be alone.”
/> Lee hesitated as he hauled her out of the office and closed the door. He wrapped an arm around her waist and escorted her down the stairs to the bar. “Let me buy you a drink.”
“Why are you being nice to me? When we first met, I saw contempt and pity in your eyes.”
“Let’s just say that while you are stunning, you improve on further exposure. Now, shall we get that drink?”
Chapter Four
The first step off the stairs and into the bar had her greeted by a cacophony of applause and several whistles.
“It appears that I am not the only one to appreciate your worth, Lee.” Jim leaned down and whispered it in her ear, bringing her the scent of his hair and the musk of his skin.
She looked up and his hot gold eyes were glowing with interest. While Lee had hoped to get the attention of a large male to help protect her, she wasn’t sure what to do now that she was eye to eye with one.
“Um. Thanks. Now, that drink?” She tried to shift away from him and looked down at her shirt. “Damn.”
“What?”
“I got blood on my new shirt. I just bought this.” She sighed. There were slashes of coyote blood and the darker press of red from Sara’s wounds.
“The colour combination just looks abstract. No one would guess that you had held yourself back from gutting those twisted little buggers.” Jim escorted her past her adoring fans and back to her seat on the barstool.
He left her and took Chuck’s place behind the bar. The serpent raised his hands and went to attend to other patrons.
“So, do you have any preferences?”
Lee jumped as Jim’s words came to her. “What?”
His lips quirked in a flirty smile. “Do you have any preferences for alcohol? Do you have any favourite drinks?”
“No. I enjoyed the Long Island iced tea earlier. What else is there?”
He sighed, “Why don’t I just use my instincts?”
She blushed. “I have found that instincts usually cause more harm than good.”
“Then you haven’t been using them correctly.” He winked and began to throw a collection of items into a blender. She watched him rim a glass with sugar and poured the content of the blender into the tall hurricane glass.
He put a sliced strawberry on the edge and slipped a straw into it. “There you go.”
She frowned. “What is in it?”
“A little of this, a little of that and a lot of tequila. Try it.”
She licked her lips and sipped gently at the straw, her eyes widened as the strawberry and citrus hit her with the warmth of alcohol following immediately. “That’s very nice.”
He chuckled, his wide chest emphasized by his crossed arms tightening his black t-shirt. “Thank you.”
She sipped daintily at the drink and watched the people in the bar. The music was more subdued now, but couples were getting together in every booth available and talking softly as foreplay commenced.
“Do you have a medical facility here at all?”
Jim shook his head, his dark hair curling against his neck. “No, we have never had need of one. We usually just bring the wounded back through the portal.”
“That isn’t sensible. What if someone just cuts themself and needs stitches? Even shifters need time to heal.” She frowned.
“Dira at the Open Heart B&B is a fairly good medic, but she keeps odd hours.” He shrugged.
The movement of his shoulders was fascinating to her. She didn’t know if it was the drink or if she was getting used to him, but she could watch him for days. Blinking rapidly, she sipped at the drink again, surprised to find it empty.
“Would you care for another?”
Lee shook her head. “No. I think I will head back to the hostel. It has been a very long day.”
She got to her feet and had to clutch the stool for support. “Whoa. Where did my knees go?”
Jim came around the bar with a quick nod to Chuck and put an arm around her waist. “Come on, tough stuff. We will get you to the hostel in one piece.”
“This feels weird.”
He smiled down at her with amusement. “I can’t believe you haven’t had a drink before.”
“It isn’t allowed. Pride rules…well, my father’s rules. No women can drink. It might impair their earning potential.”
His tone got soft. “Pride rules?”
“Yeah. Fundamentalist lion pride. The male is king, but he sits on his ass. It isn’t right. I have looked into natural lions, and while the females do the majority of the hunting, the male protects the pride against other males. My father invites the idiots into the house.” She stumbled, and he held her more tightly.
“Does he? Like who?”
“Like that stupid wiener Carloth who grabbed my ass and called me fat.” She grimaced. “I hate him.”
“Who is he?”
“Supposed to be my husband. He already has two wives. I don’t want him, and so my mom helped me come here. He’s a stupid, fat lion. Lazy, too.”
The hostels loomed in the darkness, and she smiled at the claw icon on the female predator hostel. “I think I have to go in alone.”
“Yes, they are gender blocked. Will you come by the bar tomorrow?”
She smiled up at him and went up on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. There was a trace of stubble on his skin and a muscle jumped under her lips. “I will come back tomorrow…or later today.”
He turned his head before she could back away, and his lips caught hers in a light kiss.
Confused, she blinked, and he gently helped her into motion by turning her and giving her a light pat on her ass. “Today then.”
Lee stumbled into the hostel and the bed that she had been assigned. She skinned out of her clothing and tucked herself between the sheets with a stunned smile on her lips.
She was out in seconds.
* * * *
James Barnes strode back to the Crossed Star bar and found the man he wanted to speak to in a matter of moments.
Without asking permission, Jim grabbed the young lion by his collar and hauled him away from the female he had been courting. When they were in the relative quiet of the hallway, Jim asked, “What the hell are fundamentalist lions?”
The young man looked confused and then understanding lit his features. “A few decades ago, there was a cult of unattached males who were tired of being shunned by the fathers of the women they wanted. The males started stealing the omegas and moved to the desert where they could train them to obey. The men kept stealing women, and eventually, they all had prides of their own. It’s considered a freakish off shoot of our society, but most who hear about it pretend that they haven’t.”
“What about the women, the children?”
“The women were convinced to comply and the children were raised to believe that this was the way things should be. Only a handful of offspring bothered to escape and none of them managed to enter a normal lion society. No one would have them.”
The young man quivered in his grip, and Jim felt the points of his teeth extend. “So if one of these women were to break free?”
“They wouldn’t have a chance with a lion. No family would allow those weak genes to be carried on. Um…can I go now?”
Jim released him, and the younger male ran for the bar where his female was still waiting with a concerned expression on her face.
What the male had said made sense, but Lee’s frantic search for an alternate showed that she was not content to be handed off to another lazy lion. She was a woman of spirit despite her upbringing and her medical education was obvious. How had she managed to go to school when she was confined by a cult that wanted to control her every motion?
He looked toward the door. She would return later today, and he would see if she was willing to answer his questions.
Chuck broke through his reverie. “Time for the supply run, Jim.”
Jim nodded and got the dolly to haul the supplies from the Meditation Centre to the bar. He had a busines
s to run after all.
Chapter Five
Lee sat in the café wearing her new blue shirt, jeans and the flats from the night before.
She accepted the coffee and the pitcher of water gratefully. “Thank you, Nia.”
The beaver shifter nodded and quickly made her way to fetch the rest of Lee’s order.
A shadow fell across her table, and Lee looked up. “Hello, Jim.”
He grinned at the water and slid into the booth across from her. “Good morning, Lee. I wasn’t expecting to see you up and around yet.”
She shrugged. “I have always been an early riser.”
He looked to Nia and raised his finger. A cup of coffee was in front of him in seconds. “Thank you, Nia.”
The server blushed and returned to her station behind the counter.
Lee grabbed the cream before Jim got his hand on it, and he raised his brow. She grimaced and used it first. It was a small rebellion, but she was forcing herself into exactly that kind of act now that she was away from home.
She handed him the cream and cleared her throat. “I would think that a bar owner would sleep in a bit later than this.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t get much sleep last night. Sara is fine, the claw marks have healed and her suitor has accompanied her home.”
“What about the coyotes?”
“They are facing the punishment of their pack. Their actions have banned the pack from the Crossroads for the next five years. They also have been sentenced to pay reparation to Sara for the poisoning.”
Lee leaned back as a plate of ham, eggs and toast was slid in front of her. “Do you know what the substance was? It wasn’t strictly chemical, there was an herbal and magical component in it.”
Jim nodded and sipped at his coffee. “I would agree on the magical aspect. It made it easier for Chuck to make an antidote. He has written a report that should get the transporters to engage in some screens for this kind of thing. It is the equivalent of human date-rape drugs but stronger and designed to block the shifting ability of the victim.”
Lee nodded and dug into her food, eating before he had his, another taboo down the tubes. His stack of pancakes with a separate plate of bacon made her smile, cats needed protein and they tended to be direct about getting it.
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