Daughter of Lions

by Banks, Catherine

  We drove to the restaurant singing along with the radio in bliss and the smile that had started in the car stayed as we sat in the restaurant and ordered our food. We were sipping our drinks and waiting for the check when I saw a familiar face walking towards me. He stopped and smiled sheepishly. “Hi, Victoria.”

  “Bob?” I asked in shock.

  He nodded his head. “I just came over to tell you to leave.”

  I stared at him before his words clicked. “Leave? Why?”

  He tilted his head towards a table with some loud guys. “Minters.”

  I swallowed nervously. “Oh crap. They know I’m here?”

  He shook his head. “Not yet, but if you don’t leave soon they will smell you.”

  Sandy looked at us like we were crazy. “What the hell are you two talking about?”

  I pulled cash out and set it on the table. “We need to go.”

  “I’ll stall them if they see you,” Bob said with a smile.

  Why was he helping me? “Um, thanks, Bob.”

  He made shooing motions as he headed back towards the table. I grabbed Sandy’s hand and pulled her out of her chair and towards the front door. I had just pushed it open when one of the guys asked, “Isn’t that the hybrid?”

  I broke into a run, dragging Sandy along with me. “What’s going on?” She asked as we ran for her car.

  “Those guys don’t like me. We need to leave before they catch up to us.”

  “Too late,” said a deep voice from beside the car in front of me.

  I stopped and pushed Sandy behind me. “Leave me alone. I haven’t done anything to you.”

  He was well over six feet tall with slabs of hard muscle covering his body. His head looked like it sprouted from his shoulders and two large scars marred his face. He smiled. “You’re pretty for a hybrid. I figured you would be ugly with the mixed genes.”

  What was I going to do? I needed to get away, but I couldn’t leave Sandy. Brandon. I needed Brandon. “Let her get in her car and leave. You don’t need her.”

  He shrugged. “I wasn’t stopping her.”

  Sandy was shaking in fear. I dipped my head next to her ear and whispered, “Get Brandon. Hurry.”

  She walked past Scarface and got into her car, peeling out and heading back towards the school. “What do you want with me?” I asked as I watched him. He was just standing with a satisfied smile on his face. That was not a good sign for me.

  “We want to use you to start the war. Your Alpha keeps maintaining the peace, but we know if we take you or kill you that your protector and father won’t be able to control their rage. We want that land for our pack. We need more hunting lands.”

  The door opened to the restaurant and Bob and the other four boys came out. Crap. “This isn’t your turf. The pride that lives here won’t like you all trespassing and picking a fight with me.”

  Scarface frowned. “There’s no pride here.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You can’t be that dumb. There are prides everywhere. Some are just smaller than others. The one here is small, but they’re tough.”

  The other boys moved closer to me, forming a loose circle to keep me enclosed, trapped. What the hell was I going to do? My best option was to run since I was faster than them, but that would require me fighting one to get out. I wasn’t sure if I could beat one and plus the others would probably gang up on me before I could run away.

  Brandon wouldn’t stand a chance against six wolves. I shouldn’t have told Sandy to get him. Crap. What was I going to do?!

  “So, what are we going to do? Are you going to let me leave or are you going to try to kill me in the parking lot in broad daylight?” I asked as I opened and closed my hands.

  They all laughed, which was incredibly creepy. “We aren’t going to kill you here. No, we are going to take you, smother you in our scent, string you up on a pole and cut open that pretty stomach so that you bleed out just on the edge of your pride’s land.”

  “That has to be the sweetest thing any guy has ever said to me,” I said with a big smile, showing him my teeth.

  He snarled at me and lunged forward. I ducked, punched him in the stomach and spun around his back to avoid his backhand. “You are pretty slow. I figured a big brute like you would have learned to move faster. Of course that’s probably why you have those scars.”

  One of the other guys came at me and I spun up and around and kicked him in the face. My heart pumped harder and the adrenaline flowed through my veins. I bared my teeth at them and cracked my neck. “It’s been awhile since I have had a good fight. Humans are just no fun.”

  “Hybrid freak!” Scarface yelled as he ran at me.

  “That’s just mean,” I said with a pout on my face. “I didn’t insult your genealogy so you have no reason to insult mine.” I dodged his first punch, but the second one clipped my shoulder. “Ow!” I said angrily. “That hurts!”

  Bob stood back, watching it all with a smile on his face. Why wasn’t he helping his pack brothers? Wouldn’t he get punished if he didn’t help?

  Someone punched me in the side, stealing my breath. I grunted and spun around, kicking his knee sideways. Two of the other guys came at me at once and I ground my teeth together knowing I was done. Even if I got one, the other would land a hit.

  Neither hit came though. Both guys flew backwards, smacking into two of their other brothers. I looked up and stared in awe of Brandon, standing in front of me with both arms out from tossing them. Holy crap, he was awesome.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked as he looked at the boys circling us.

  “They landed a few hits, but nothing serious. Just bruising at this point.”

  Brandon growled. “They tell you what they want you for?”

  “Basically they are planning to kidnap me, assault me, hang me up and cut me open on pride territory to start a war.”

  Brandon locked eyes with Bob who suddenly looked very hostile. “They thought they could take you with only six guys?”

  I shrugged. “I warned them that the pride that lived here wouldn’t like them attacking me, but they wouldn’t listen.”

  “He’s from your pride, your Dad’s pride,” Bob said as he stared at Brandon. “Not the one that you say lives here.”

  “Yes, he’s from my pride, the one that lives here,” I said. Bob and Brandon looked at me with questioning eyes. I waved my hand back and forth between Brandon and me. “My pride.” I waved my arms to indicate the town. “My territory.”

  Brandon gave me that irritating smirk again and then faced Bob. “Leave. You are not getting her today or any day. Unless you want to die now, leave.”

  Bob snarled. “There are still three of us against one of you.”

  I raised my hand. “Did you not just see me whip Scarface’s butt and him throw those two like pups? One plus one equals two, genius. You may think you scare me, but I will still fight until I cannot move anymore. No one attacks me and walks away unscathed.” A part of me was always full of anger. I assumed it came from my Dad’s genetics, but I never talked to him about it. I summoned that anger now and bared my teeth at Bob. “And here I thought you were a nice guy.”

  I started to run towards Bob, but Brandon stopped me. “No, he’s mine.”

  I shrugged. “Okay.” I turned towards the last two guys and smiled. “Looks like it’s just the three of us.”

  They snarled at me and attacked as one. I ducked and dodged and kicked and punched, but could not break through their guard and hit them. Luckily they were having the same problem with me. Unfortunately, since there were two of them and only one of me I would tire out faster than them. I tried to hold the anger to aid me and for once it was cooperating.

  Brandon and Bob were battling it out and for a second I couldn’t help watching them fight. They were both incredible and way fast.

  A fist flew at my face and I ducked backwards, bringing my legs up to smash him in the chin as I flipped over. See, cheerleading did come in handy. That boy went
down and the last guy glared at me.

  “And then there was one,” I said with a snarky smile.

  He growled. “You couldn’t just come quietly to die, could you?”

  “Now what kind of girl would I be if I did that?” I asked. “Well, besides dead.” He pulled something from his pocket and I jumped sideways. “Guns are not fair!” I yelled. “Damn, what kind of worthless wolf brings a gun to a tooth and claw fight?!”

  Bob grunted and dropped to the ground and gunboy turned, aiming at Brandon. I jumped at him, blocking his path just as he pulled the trigger. I felt a thud into my arm and released a growl that would have made Mark proud. I grabbed the gun, spun it around and shot the guy in the knee. “Asshole,” I said angrily.

  The guy fell to the ground clutching his knee and cursing at me.

  Brandon grabbed the gun from my hand and tossed it across the road before catching me as I fainted. I woke up a second later with Brandon carrying me. I tried to move my arm and whined in pain.

  “Say something to me,” Brandon whispered. I faded in an out of consciousness again. “Hey,” he said urgently.

  “He shot me,” I whispered in shock.

  He growled. “Yes, he did.”

  I looked up at his pinched face. “Are you hurt?”

  He shook his head. “Bruises.”

  “Thank you. For coming.”

  He inhaled my hair. “You shouldn’t have left without me.”

  I sighed. “I should be safe in my own town. They shouldn’t have known where to find me.”

  “Well obviously you are not safe here.” He said as he opened the house and took me to the bathroom. We couldn’t go to hospitals because our blood wasn’t normal and we couldn’t let the humans get our blood for testing. It meant some very painful first aid situations.

  “Just get the bullet out quick and I will heal afterwards,” I instructed him.

  “I know what to do.”

  He laid me down on the floor of the bathroom and then grabbed the first aid kit I kept under the sink, which was stocked much differently than a human’s first aid kit. I closed my eyes and tried not to cry out when he dug the bullet out of me. The pain caused me to fade in and out of consciousness to the point I hadn’t felt him bandage me or carry me to my bed.

  “You should leave,” I said softly.

  He frowned down at me as he pulled my covers up over my shoulders. “What?”

  “You should go back to the pride. They are going to be after you too now. Just go to Dad’s and I’ll be fine.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t leave you while these guys are after you.”

  “You can’t get hurt over me!” I yelled. I lowered my voice and turned my head away from him. “I am sorry I tied you up. I am sorry I lied to them about us being a pride. Besides, I bring you nothing but trouble. Today was just a taste of what you will have to deal with. Have Dad send Tony or Mark. Just, go back to your life. I am sure you do not want to be stuck in this town babysitting me when you could be finding a mate.”

  He stopped my talking by kissing me on the lips. His lips were warm and soft, everything I ever dreamed my first kiss would be like. Too quickly his lips were gone and I was left staring at him dumbfounded. Without a word he left my room, closing the door behind him.

  I hoped he listened to me and left. I fell asleep as my body used the energy to heal and I dreamed I was a lion, running with the pride for the first time and heard Brandon call me Tori.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The school was buzzing with gossip about Brandon and my fight the next day. Apparently a few kids had watched it from inside the restaurant. Brandon had stayed despite my warnings and stayed closer to me than usual. We had not talked since the kiss. I didn’t know what to say to him. I was sure the kiss was just the pride side of him being happy I was okay, but I was too afraid to ask.

  I had finally kissed my first boy and I didn’t even get to enjoy it.

  “Victoria, are you with us today?” Mr. Yee, our math teacher asked.

  “Sorry, what was the question?” I asked as I focused back on him.

  He shook his head. “Sit outside since that’s where your mind is already at.”

  Kids snickered and Brandon watched me with his stupid smirk. I gathered my stuff and sat against the outside of the classroom.

  “Tough day?” asked Devon from the wall across from me.

  I smiled. “You get kicked out too?”

  He nodded his head. “Yep. I fell asleep at my desk.”

  I laughed. “Well if you and Sandy would go to bed at normal hours instead of texting all night you wouldn’t be so tired.”

  He walked across the hallway and sat down next to me. “How’s the arm?”

  “Fine.”

  He watched me a moment and asked, “So, what’s up with you and B?”

  “Nothing.” Had I just sounded like a sad kid? Oh no.

  “He likes you, you know?”

  I laughed. “No, he’s just protective because Dad told him he would break his arms if I got hurt.”

  Devon flinched. “I wouldn’t put it past your Dad to do it.” Devon looked at me seriously. “If you like him, you should tell him.”

  “It doesn’t matter, Devon. I’m not his type.”

  Devon arched an eyebrow. “How are you not his type? He like guys?”

  I shook my head. “He likes girls like the ones where my Dad lives. I’m too, girly for him.”

  “Girly? You are a lot of things, Vic, but girly is not one of them. Tough. Crazy. A total animal at times, but not girly.”

  I flinched. “Let’s just say I’m not animal enough.” The bell rang and I stood up. “See you after school.”

  He watched me walk away and then punched Brandon on the arm when he came out. “We need to talk.”

  I groaned, but continued walking. Why did people always have to play matchmaker? It was like a personal hobby of Sandy’s.

  “Hey, Victoria.”

  I spun around and a smile instantly split my face. “Mark!” I started to throw my arms around his neck when I remembered my shoulder.

  His lip lifted in a snarl of anger at my being hurt. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me against him. He looked incredibly good in a tight t-shirt and a pair of jeans that looked strained against his quads. “How are you?”

  “I’m great. Why are you here? Are you replacing Brandon?” I asked hopefully.

  Mark shook his head. “No, I just came to talk with Brandon about what happened.”

  “You can’t punish him!” I yelled. People slowed down to look at us. I grabbed Mark’s hand and led him out to the parking lot. “It wasn’t his fault. I ditched him and got jumped by six wolves. He was fighting their Alpha when the last one pulled a gun and shot me. He couldn’t have stopped him.”

  Mark smiled at me. “You like him.”

  I jerked back from him. “No I don’t. I just don’t want someone punished for my mistake.”

  Mark continued smiling. “It’s okay to like him.”

  “Why are people pushing me at him when he doesn’t want me?!” I yelled angrily as I fought tears. “No one wants a hybrid, Mark. I am so tired of telling everyone that. I should have let those Minters string me up and gut me like they planned.”

  “I know it hurts right now and I know you are just talking crazy because of that, but I think he is just afraid to hurt you.”

  “Or he is afraid of Dad,” I said softly.

  Mark laughed. “That too.” He hugged me and kissed the top of my head. “I won’t hurt him and maybe you should stop trying to push him away. I’m sure you could be good friends at least.”

  “Okay.”

  “Love you.”

  I hugged him with my good arm. “Love you too.”

  “Sir,” Brandon said behind me. “You called?”

  Mark pushed me back and nodded his head. “Let’s take a walk.”

  Brandon glanced at me once before following Mark off campus. I blew out my breat
h and hoped Mark would keep his word.

  Brandon was absent the next class period, which worried me, but Mark had never broken a promise to me so I tried to relax. That day we practiced after school and then watched the football team practice. Brandon was of course the star athlete and did a great job of appearing as a talented human instead of super human. The memory of our kiss was still strong in my mind and every time I thought about it my lips tingled. I needed to shake it off and do what Mark said, be friends with him.

  The coach dismissed the guys and Brandon and Devon walked over to us. “Hey, you two want to go out tonight for dinner?” Devon asked.

  What? Brandon just watched me with a blank expression. “I don’t want to intrude on your night,” I said as I stood up and shouldered my backpack. “Unless you want to go, Brandon?”

  His lips quirked and I knew I had done something right. “Sounds like fun to me. It would be easier to fight with another guy at my back.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “Are you insinuating that I am not good in a fight? I do remember kicking three of their butts before you came.”

  “You were about to get creamed when I stepped in though,” he pointed out.

  I could not argue with that. I dipped my head. “True.”

  “Please say you’ll come,” Sandy said to Brandon.

  He smiled. “Yeah, but we need to stop by Victoria’s house first.”

  Devon and Sandy headed towards the locker rooms and I turned to him. “What are you doing?

  He took a step closer to me and sniffed. “Your shoulder’s not bleeding, which means it must be healed.”

  “Answer my question.”

  He smirked. “Is there a problem with me going out with your friends and you tonight? I figured you would prefer it to me stalking you guys.”

  So it wasn’t a date. Good to know. “It’s fine. I just needed to know where we stood.” I walked away from him and he followed.

  “I don’t get you. One minute you are apologizing and trying to be protective and then the next you’re pushing me away.”

  “I’m sorry I keep forgetting my place. Mark already spoke to me about it. I will be better at being your friend. I’m just not used to anyone here being a lion and friend.”