by Celia Kyle
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
About the Author
Copyright Page
Chapter One
A werelion prowled the library shelves, pacing amongst the rows. The werelion aspect wasn’t a huge surprise considering the town was filled with them. From the sheriff to the school principal, members of Penelope Little’s pride held many positions. Including Penny herself as the town librarian.
So, a furball roaming the stacks was a familiar occurrence. Especially on Wednesday after the kindergarten reading circle rampaged through the space.
The only problem was this particular lion was quite a bit bigger than the beasts that usually visited. Bigger as in, an actual full grown male. Big. Really, really big.
He released a ground-shaking roar and Penelope steadied the stack of books that trembled on the corner of her desk. Dammit.
She heard him breathing heavily as he paced the length of the room. Air huffed in and out of his lungs, and she imagined his moist pink nose hovering over the ground as he sniffed the area. He was obviously hunting something—chasing his prey—she just wasn’t sure what. Hell, she wasn’t even sure why he bothered. The library was frequented by so many people day in and day out, lions and humans both, she didn’t think he could actually find what he sought. But, whatever. Let him waste his time. She just wished he’d find it and leave already. There was a group of second graders due any moment and she hadn’t had a chance to straighten the children’s area.
Another roar, and this time the other pile wavered and actually did fall. Dammit. For real this time.
Enough was enough. She wasn’t sure when Mr. Growly snuck in, but he needed to get gone. Thankfully, Penny knew just the lion to handle the job.
Her alpha, Justin Palmer.
Penny snatched up the phone and quickly dialed her alpha. There was only one ring before her call was answered, and the voice that reached her sounded panicked and harried.
“Hello?” She recognized the alpha’s mate, Dana.
Since Penelope was outside the clan’s den, even if no customers were in the building, she used the woman’s true name rather than her title. “Hi, Dana, this is Penny down at the library. I, uh, was wondering if Justin was missing a friend from out of town.”
Friend. Right.
“A friend?” The woman cleared her throat. “What kind of friend?”
“Our kind of friend.” Stress on the our.
“Oh, thank God. Yes, yes he is, actually.”
“And…” And what the hell should I do with him? Of course, she couldn’t actually say that without sounding all disrespectful and whatnot.
“And…” She could practically hear the woman thinking. “I guess just make sure he’s comfortable. At least until Justin gets there.”
“Comfortable?” The woman had to be crazy. How the hell could a lion be comfortable in a freaking library? Hell, half the time Penelope wasn’t comfortable. It was just that… She really enjoyed books. Well, reading books. Filing them after ankle biters got their hands on them was a different story. “You don’t want to—I don’t know—come get him?”
“It’s not like I can actually force him to take direction, can I?” Dana snapped.
Penelope was tempted to say yes, you really could since you’re the Alpha Mate, but refrained. She liked her hide just where it was, attached. “Okay,” she swallowed past the new nervousness that attacked her, “what should I do with him then?”
The “him” in question, rounded yet another row of shelves and stopped. He swung his golden-eyed gaze to her, and it was the first time she’d actually met his stare. From the moment he’d entered the building, she’d only caught glimpses of his luxurious coat. Only seen snatches of his fluffy mane and flicking tail. Now she was trembling beneath the full weight of his gaze.
Oh, my. He was… Wow. That was all she had. Just wow.
Penelope’s inner lion purred and padded forward. The cat wanted to rub and slide against the larger male. That single look made her crave him. She licked her lips, mouth suddenly dry, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he’d look like on two feet rather than four. Oh, she knew he’d be tall and muscular, all male shifters were. While the females could vary in size and shape, the males—the protectors in their species—were always strong and dominant. Some more than others. This lion looked like he’d be massive in human form. Large and fierce and oh so delicious…
Yum.
No, not yum. Bad, very bad. This male wandered around like he owned the place and disrupted her entire day. Inconsiderate, that’s what he was. Not yummy in any way. Except maybe in the very bad, very good way.
She was so lost. She didn’t even know what he looked like, but his aggression and dominance reached out and beckoned her. Penny’s cat wanted him like there was no tomorrow, and she found that her human body couldn’t wait to see him once he shifted. Everything about him called to her, and she would happily pick up the phone and answer.
“You do whatever the hell he wants you to do.”
Wait, where the hell did that voice come from? Oh, right. She was talking to Dana on the phone. Dana, who was telling her to do whatever he desired. Well, she had a few desires of her own. Ones that involved no clothes and lots of skin.
That’s it, she was a whore. All kinds of whoredom known to whoreland.
“Considering he’s looking at me like he wants to eat me for dinner, I would prefer not to do what he wants. Is there an option B?”
“No,” the woman said flatly. “You don’t need to know who he is, but suffice it to say, while your alpha holds your life in his hands, this male holds everyone’s lives in his paws. What he wants goes. I’ll let Justin know he’s there.”
With that, she heard the woman’s phone drop into the cradle, and then a rapid dial tone filled her ear. Well, at least Dana would tell Alpha Justin where to find his wayward “friend.”
Great, just great. She was left in the library, alone save a single male who looked like he had a whole different kind of eating on the brain.
The massive beast came forward, closing the distance between them, and the nearer he came, the larger he seemed. Her entire world centered on the approaching male, and fear filled her veins as she realized just how big he truly was. Dear God, if he decided he wanted to eat her for dinner, there wasn’t much she’d be able to do about it. He was easily twice her size when shifted and she had no chance against him.
Her own cat reminded her she didn’t want to go against him. No, she wanted to do whatever she wanted to do and if that included naked time, all the better. Yes, her feline was all about stripping down.
A deep rumbling purr vibrated the air and sank into her body. It slid past her flesh and deep into her bones until she felt as if it lived inside her. It touched places she didn’t know existed, and she shied away from the unfamiliar sensation. She didn’t know why the male affected her in such a way, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to follow where the man seemed to lead. Her cat whined its objection. It ached to get closer to the lion; it wanted to bathe in his scent and bare her belly to him.
So not happening.
Penelope backed from the desk, attempting to retain the distance between their bodies, but it wasn’t long before she bumped against the wall. He’d trapped her, and now there was no escape. She was gonna die. Right here, right now, she was meeting her end. What had she accomplished in life? What would people remember about her? How many pe
ople would cry at her graveside? Ugh. She was a freaking librarian. Not that there was anything wrong with being a librarian, but she had so many dreams growing up. Dreams that were about to be eaten for dinner.
Chomp. There went her pottery class.
Bite. There went her attempt at jewelry making.
Lick. There went her… Maybe licking wouldn’t be so bad.
Of course, by the time she tore her attention away from licking and back to the actual lion at hand, he was there. A massive five-hundred-pound animal sat atop her steel desk, his head tilted to the side as he stared at her. His lids lowered and then rose in a sleepy, unhurried blink insinuating he didn’t think of her as any threat. He wouldn’t have been so slow in his perusal if he did. In reality, she wasn’t a threat to anyone but unruly children who damaged her books.
“Hey, kitty. How are you?” She chuckled, hoping it sounded even remotely natural. When he merely curled his lip, revealing a single five-inch-long canine, she backtracked. “I mean, hello, how are you? Can I help you with something? I’d be happy to direct you wherever you desire to go.”
Penny’s lion had a lot of desires and none of them involved helping him leave. Nope, if her cat had its way, it would involve lots of skin on skin and soft surfaces. Even hard surfaces in a pinch.
The lion merely huffed, blowing a wave of moist, warm air in her direction. Not just toward her, but into her. Oh, boy. That… That put a whole new spin on the game.
That scent… The flavors lingered in the air and enveloped her cat in a seductive embrace. Her feline didn’t just purr, it trilled and chuffed as it begged for attention. Attention and affection. No, more than affection. It wanted so, so much more. It wanted everything this male had to give.
Oh, fuck her sideways. The scent of dry grassy plains and spring rain mixed with his masculine musk, as well as her cat’s reaction, told her one thing. He wasn’t just a gorgeous cat that smelled good. He was a gorgeous cat who belonged to her. One hundred percent totally belonged to her.
As in, this lion was her mate and she could think of nothing better than to claim him right here, right now. Was this why he’d prowled the stacks? Chasing her scent from one side of the building to the other until he finally caught sight of her?
The fanciful part of her voted “yes.” It wanted to believe a male craved her so much, he could do nothing but shift and hunt.
Penny licked her lips, torn between the need to strip bare and launch herself at him and strip bare, shift, and launch herself at him. It seemed this stranger felt the same way if his fur was any indication.
He eased to the edge of the desk, claws hanging past the lip. It didn’t even creak as his weight moved on honed steel. It’d been built with lions in mind, with the knowledge that cubs and adolescents alike tended to run freely and crazily when confined. He finally hopped down and his massive paws didn’t make a sound as they met the carpet in front of her. Now the gorgeous male was within touching distance.
Touch, touch, touch…
Oh, dear God, she was in so much trouble. There was no measuring the amount of troublesome trouble she was in. The firm lines of his snout, the strength of his deadly jaw, the amber in his eyes, and the fullness of his mane, told her everything she needed to know. This was not a lion to be denied. He was dominant and strong, a male who made demands and expected them to be immediately satisfied.
Speaking of satisfaction…
Penelope swallowed past the growing lump in her throat, searching for her voice, and came up with nothing. Mainly because her attention was split between the glorious animal before her and her body’s reaction to him. Her nipples were hard points within her bra, their heaviness aching and begging for his touch. That wasn’t the only part of her that wanted him. No, her pussy grew warm and moist, silently begging to be possessed by this lion. Well, not lion-lion. More like, lion when human shaped. She wasn’t into the whole lion and human boinking thing. That was just… Gross.
When the first crack of bone echoed in the silence of the building, she realized she may get her chance to get her hands on him sooner than she anticipated. Not that she truly anticipated anything. Not realistically anyway. She knew what she looked like and the type of man she attracted. This guy, with his air of authority and entitlement, was so out of her league. That didn’t mean she couldn’t look though.
Slowly, carefully, with unerring precision, he was revealed.
Massive paws receded to reveal equally large hands, thick forearms and biceps came next, and his chest seemed just as wide in his human shape as he’d been when he wore fur. He was a study in carved muscle and bone, and she didn’t hesitate to drink her fill with her gaze. He was strength personified, and she wanted to climb him like a motherfucking tree.
During her perusal, she kinda sorta skipped over the “junk” area. She was all for staring, but it was a little rude to ogle a man after a shift. Shifters had standards of conduct.
She did allow herself to focus on his face, seeing remnants of the man’s beast in his features. The jaw, his nose, and the fierceness in his eyes. Eyes that seemed to delve into her—their startling amber hue still in place, telling her his beast was still very, very close to the surface. He changed position ever so slightly, brushing a tendril of long midnight hair over his broad shoulders, drawing her back to his nude body. No, bad, Penelope, bad.
A low, masculine chuckle shook his frame and had her refocusing on his face again. On the wide spread of his lips and the seductive smile that curved his mouth.
He really shouldn’t smile. Ever. Because the moment that expression settled into place, her panties were wet with arousal. Did he leave hundreds of women with wet panties in his wake? Probably. And he didn’t seem repentant in anyway.
“That’s because I’m not,” his words vibrated the air and crawled through her.
“What?”
“I don’t care that I leave a trail of wet panties behind me. Because they’re behind me. The only panties I care about are yours.” He stepped closer, his scorching heat branding her skin. “Tell me, sweetheart, are yours?”
He was asking her a question? He wanted her to think? Penny tried really hard—she totally did—but words failed her. She couldn’t grasp anything when her mind and body were enraptured by his delicious scent and overwhelming presence. And his skin, so much skin. She wanted to lick him from head to toe, taste every inch, and see if the small spot at the base of his throat tasted the same as that deeply carved line on his hip.
The stranger’s wicked grin turned smoldering, and she whimpered at the sensual promises that lingered in his features. Then his nostrils flared, his chest expanding as he drew in a breath, and he released it with a deep purr.
“Yes, yes they are wet.”
Suddenly she was in his arms, his grip holding her flush against him, and his warmth really did brand her. She was surrounded by him, enveloped by him, and she never wanted to be anywhere else.
He buried his fingers in her hair, forcing her to tilt her head back, and she found herself lost in his gaze. Penny trembled beneath his stare and it was as if her lungs forgot how to breathe, her heart forgot how to send blood rushing through her veins, and all she could do was meet his intense stare and wait for his next move. It wasn’t long in coming. His lips met hers in a searing kiss, one that overpowered her and stole any objection that may have lingered on her lips.
Objection? Ha! Not likely.
He controlled their passionate meeting, his tongue venturing into her mouth, licking and tasting her. She fought to do the same, explore his heated flavors, but he was too much. He overpowered her with ease, taking what he desired and she was unable—unwilling—to object. Not when his massive hands cupped her ass and lifted her against him, not when he yanked her skirt to her waist and then encouraged her to wrap her legs around his hips, or when his shaft came in contact with the fabric-covered juncture of her thighs. It was too much and not enough, his touch wandering over her, consuming her more and more with each
passing second.
Growls and snarls followed each movement, as if staking his claim with his body wasn’t enough. He seemed to want to fill the air with trembling warnings.
And wasn’t that fucking hot?
When his lips left her mouth long enough to trail kisses along her throat, she took a moment to drag in much needed air. He scraped the column of her neck with his deadly fangs, scratching her skin and sending a bolt of the delicious pain down her spine. Then he… nearly had her coming due to his voice alone.
“Mine.” He growled against her shoulder. “Mine.”
It seemed as if he was searching for confirmation, and she was quick to give it. She was his, just as he was hers. “Mine. You’re mine.”
He ripped and tore at the fabric that covered her skin, and she cursed the fact she wore clothes to work. Obviously she had to wear something because of the kiddies, but if she’d come naked, this whole process would have gone a lot quicker. She wanted skin on skin, his cock inside her and his teeth in her shoulder. ASAP.
Her skirt was gone in a moment, her top suffering the same fate, and her bra and panties were no barrier to his razor-sharp nails. Then it truly was flesh against flesh, his shaft rubbing against her moistness, and the blunted head of his length was poised at her entrance.
Ideally, knowing his name before taking this momentous step would be a big deal, but… Mates. There was no denying the truth, and when it came to shifters, it tended to be mate first, talk second. Or rather seventy-fifth since all the moments before were spent mating. So, yeah, she was all with getting down and dirty despite the lack of names and their current location. She would disinfect everything later. Much, much later.
“Please, please, please…” she didn’t care that she was begging and pleading with this guy. There was no pride when it came to being with her other half.
He didn’t say much, but what he did say, had her hovering on the edge of release with that single syllable. “Mine.”
“Yes,” she hissed. All kinds of yes.
Except somebody had to be the one and only asshole in the world and interrupt them. “No!”