Warrior Invasion: A Science Fiction Alien Mail Order Bride Romance (TerraMates Book 10)

by Lisa Lace

  Or would it be more like Ash?

  Could she raise a child like Ash? A child who turned into something, whatever Sammy might have been, at such a young age?

  I sure as hell wouldn't know what to do with it, if it did, she thought.

  Naythan seemed to know what to do when Ash shifted, as did Bane. They even knew to keep Mac away, being a different kind of shifter.

  She imagined a young wolf, new to wolf-ness, playing with familiar wolves, but also chased by a familiar smelling bear.

  Would the confusion of wolf and bear have scared Ash? Or would he have recognized the bear for Mac?

  Bella had no idea.

  And therein lies the problem, she thought. One of them anyway. I'd have no idea how to handle a shifter of any breed. And what if Sammy wasn't a shifter? Could I raise his baby in that case? I assumed he was, but I also assumed Mac, and the other two, weren't. How would I know? Wait and see if he changed after he's born, then decide? Mom never shifted, and she was the daughter of a shifter, so shifting would tell me Sammy was one, but not shifting wouldn't tell me he wasn't. What then?

  She tried to imagine deciding not to keep her child. She mentally walked herself through all of the stages she knew she'd go through- getting larger and larger, her stomach rolling and heaving like Sandra's did when she first got here. The sounds of pain and the exhaustion Sandra went through as well, during labor.

  She knew that whether she kept or adopted the baby, she'd go through those. It was after all that the choice she'd make would matter most.

  There were many couples who would take a baby, couples who couldn't have a baby, who would love to love hers. Granted, the adoptive couples who would take a shifter baby narrowed things down dramatically. It would more than likely have to be a couple like Naythan and Sandra who would be willing to take it.

  Of course, if the baby never shifted, maybe she wouldn't have to tell anyone?

  And get a knock on the door fifteen years later, if the shift didn't happen until puberty? No thank you.

  I could move. They'd never find me then.

  No, she decided. She knew she could never hide something that big from any possible adoptive parents.

  She'd have to tell, up front.

  She could find a couple like Naythan and Sandra. Maybe they could help her, maybe someone from Bane's pack, or whatever they called themselves, wanted a possibly half breed shifter baby.

  What if the baby turned out to be a fox or something? In a den of wolves?

  Why not? They seemed to be OK adopting Mac.

  Her thoughts raced in circles, getting nowhere, until she actually imagined handing over the tiny, wrapped bundle of warmth that was her baby, to a nameless, faceless couple.

  Her heart jumped into her throat, blocking her airway, making her choke on the beginnings of tears.

  Her hand that wasn't holding the horse's reins moved to her stomach. In protection? In trying to feel what would be best for it, through hand-to-stomach osmosis?

  Her physical reaction surprised her.

  Did she want to keep it?

  She thought down that road as well, as the horse carried on. Instead of mentally holding the bundled baby out to strangers, she mentally brought the bundle to her breast, trying to gaze down on its imaginary face, to see what reaction she had to that.

  She stared at a face so similar to Ash's, just because that's the baby's face she could actually picture. He was a cute kid, she thought, trying to see if she could morph Ash's features, to see herself, or Sammy, in his face.

  She shook her head, as confused about what she wanted as ever, when Ash's face did start to change in her mind's eye.

  He didn't warp into a small version of her, or Sammy. Instead the face got longer, drawn out. A muzzle started forming, and fur sprouted until all she saw was Ash's wolf form, only instead of running off playfully into the woods, or being carried by the scruff of his neck, her imaginary child started growling. It bared its teeth, lips pulled back, before tensing up and launching itself at her face.

  She must have startled in the saddle, because the horse under her started to act skittish.

  "Sorry, Buttercup. I didn't mean to spook you."

  She leaned down, petting the horse's neck, trying to soothe them both, but Buttercup only raised his head, eyes wide, nostrils flaring as he started to pick up speed.

  "Buttercup, what the hell?"

  She heard it then, a sound so loud, so rare she thought surely she was hearing things.

  "Was that a bobcat? It sounded so close."

  She asked the question aloud, as much to her horse as to herself. Bobcats weren't unheard of up here, but they usually avoided all sounds and smells of human and horse though, preferring to keep to themselves and away from any signs of civilization.

  But the roar was unmistakable. She heard it again, closer. It was definitely a large cat, but why would a bobcat...oh shit!

  She bent down over Buttercup's neck, her knees tightening, holding on for dear life as she gave up controlling the horse, and let its instincts carry them both as far as he could run.

  Surely those lions Bane's pack mates mentioned wouldn't come here. Why would they?

  She suddenly wished she'd stuck around the farm at least a little longer. More information would be really helpful about now.

  She let go of the reins completely, preferring to grip Buttercup's mane in her fists, as she made herself as small and as flat of a target as she could, trying to stream-line herself and make the horse's escape easier.

  Suddenly Bella and Buttercup went flying together, a huge and forceful hit from their right side sending them through the air as Buttercup tried in vain to regain his footing, failing, and starting to roll.

  Bella felt the roll coming and pressed hard, launching herself away from the horse before he could land on his side, crushing her leg. She managed to clear the horse, but just barely. Buttercup rolled, righted himself, got to his feet without her on his back, and started to run again, only to have a huge lion lunge at him.

  The lion used its paws to hang on, to hug Buttercup, fangs bared, seeking any horseflesh it could get a hold of. Buttercup threw himself sideways, and then reared onto his hind legs, hooves clawing the air in an attempt to connect with his attacker.

  Back on all fours he tried to run again, but the lion launched, aiming its open maw for Buttercup's neck, front paws reaching and clawing for purchase.

  Bella half expected the lion to grab Buttercup and roll, getting the horse down on the ground so the lion's powerful back legs could tear the horse apart, like she'd seen the barn cats do when they play attacked each other.

  Buttercup planted his front feet in the dirt, jerking away from the lion and turning, kicking his back hooves into the lion in a wild donkey kick. Wild or no, the kick connected. Bella heard the heavy thud as hooves met head, but the lion was only stunned.

  It shook itself off and launched again.

  Bella finally got her wits around her and reached for her knife. She realized that unless she threw it perfectly, hitting her target, her knife would do no good to anyone thrown across the woods. She reached back for her sister's bow instead, finding the first arrow she grabbed broken and useless from landing on it when she launched herself from the horse's back.

  She grabbed a second arrow, hoping like hell.

  It was intact, so she notched it, aiming for the lion that Buttercup was fighting off. They kept moving though, and she was afraid she'd hit Buttercup and help the lion.

  She needed a clear shot.

  Finally, there!

  She let loose of the bow's string, sending her arrow flying. It hit the lion in the flank, piercing the skin but only deep enough to piss it off. It reared its head back and roared, in pain or frustration Bella wasn't sure.

  The shot succeeded in pulling the lion's attention away from Buttercup, but Bella scrambled for another arrow when she realized the lion had turned, setting its sights on her instead.

  The horse
, sensing its chance, took off at a dead run, leaving Bella facing off with a pissed off and shot lioness.

  Bella notched another arrow and aimed at the beast's chest, suddenly remembering that Keelyn and her dad always said you had to shoot shifters straight through the heart or not at all.

  How it the ever-loving hell had they managed to do that? She wondered. Not only just once, but again and again, making a literal career out of this?

  She let loose of the bow's string again, but the arrowhead just skimmed down the lion's body, seeming to outline it before falling away, completely useless.

  The huge cat took a few steps closer.

  It seemed to Bella that the cat was no longer attacking hard, like it had against another animal, but was instead teasing her, stalking her, like a house cat would with what it thought was an easier, more fun target to play with.

  Bella gripped the knife at her hip, thinking that it may be her best chance after all. If she could get a good enough angle on the beast when it pounced, maybe she could drive the knife up, piercing the heart when it attacked again, since she knew damn well it was about to attack again.

  The lion set its sights on her, and somewhere deep inside Bella almost lost it as she watched the lioness line up her pounce. It did the same butt wiggle the barn cats did before rearing back, putting all its weight onto its back legs and launching itself into the air, right for Bella's throat.

  Bella gripped the knife tightly in her fist, aiming the blade's tip up, ready to fight hand to hand with the biggest cat she'd ever seen, but the cat was knocked right out of the air.

  Just like she and Buttercup had been attacked, something threw itself at the lion mid leap, filling its jaws with the lion's neck before the pair went rolling away from Bella and down the small hill.

  It was another lion!

  Bella was surprised that the other lion's sneak attack wasn't to take her down from behind as her attention was on the first lion. Why one lion attacked the other she had no idea.

  She stood, grabbing another arrow, but hesitant to aim since she wasn't sure which lion was friend and which was foe. Her first instinct was that both meant her harm, but since the second attacked the first, she wasn't sure.

  She heard noises coming up loud and fast around her, and she pulled her attention from the cat fight to defend herself from the others that were showing up, surprised to see that she knew the new arrivals.

  A huge bear that could only be Mac slid to her side. His paws dug into the dirt as he tried to slow his run and as he passed her one huge paw wrapped around her waist, tugging her with him and then tucking her under him. He became a hairy beast of an umbrella around her as she peeked out from under his arm to watch the lions roll.

  The pair fought for more than dominance, they seemed to be fighting for their very lives.

  Bella's attention was drawn away again as Keelyn arrived, riding Bane. Keelyn's arm was back, holding tight to the bow she carried, but she seemed to be having the same problem Bella had, trying to get a good shot.

  Bella yelled out, muffed under Mac, not sure if Keelyn knew that only one had attacked her.

  "Don't shoot yet! One lion saved me from the other."

  "I know. It was the damnedest thing I ever saw!" Keelyn shouted back.

  One lion pinned the other suddenly, but Bella couldn't tell which was which. They were both similar in color, both huge, tawny lions, so even without the blurs of fur she doubted she could tell one scary-ass big cat from another, she just knew for sure that one meant her harm.

  What the other one was doing she had no idea.

  She heard Mac above her take a deep breath seconds before he roared. Thankfully his body helped muffle the sound, but being tucked and held under his chest meant she felt every last rumble as he trumpeted his growl and then roared again.

  She felt him fight the urge to jump in, to join the fur fight nearby, but he tightened his grip on her instead, tucking her even tighter against him, making it harder for her to see what was going on.

  The cats rolled, switching positions, and Mac calmed some.

  She guessed that he could tell them apart, since his fearsome roar had come out when the one was winning, and he seemed to only watch intently, minus his loud opinion, when the two switched positions.

  Keelyn climbed off of Bane, the two off them separating some, making a circle around the fighting cats, Mac, Bane and Keelyn's attentions all on the flying fur and tearing of flesh happening in the center.

  Bella watched as something else caught Bane's attention. His gazed flicked into the woods, and then back to the cats as David and Ryker's wolf forms poured out of the trees to finish closing the circle around the cats.

  "Why are they fighting each other?" Bella yelled out to Keelyn, the only one not in an animal form and therefore capable of answering her back. "Bane's men said lions attacked the castle. Why are they attacking each other instead of both attacking us?"

  "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

  Bella watched as Keelyn dropped her arrow some, pointing at the ground now instead of at the cats.

  Curious as to why, she wiggled under Mac, trying to get a better look around his huge, hairy paw so she could see what was going on.

  One cat had the other pinned, teeth buried deep into the other one's neck, yanking and jerking the loser just like the barn cats did, to break the neck and seal the kill.

  Bella watched as the one lion flipped the weaker lion over, focusing on its chest, presumably to pierce its heart, which only cemented Bella's conviction that it was no ordinary lion, but a shifter instead.

  The outcome now assured, Bella could only assume that the lion that had saved her from the other lion was the winner, since the growls coming from all around her as Mac kept her close seemed more encouraging than threatening to the lion who won the fight.

  Mac no longer roared, but he seemed to growl his approval and egg the survivor on.

  Once the defeated cat lay still, the other one backed away from its kill.

  Bella tensed, not sure what the winning lion was planning. Why take down one of your own? And why were Mac, Bane, David and Ryker all standing around just watching?

  She figured if the threat was over, they would shift human and tell her what the hell was happening, but they stayed in their animals, telling Bella that they were still on guard.

  "Keelyn, talk to me," Bella managed to yell out from under Mac.

  "Hang on, Bell."

  The surviving lioness stayed in the center, not trying to attack anyone else, but not trying to slide through a hole in the circle and escape either.

  The lioness seemed to look at every surrounding human and animal in turn, before making a decision.

  It sat.

  The lioness sat down in the center of everything, seeming to say 'your move, guys, but I mean no harm.'

  Bella wouldn't have been any more shocked if it lifted a back leg over its head and began to bath in the circle of wolves and bear.

  The caution-filled energy seemed to go out of everyone in a relieved sigh, and huge animals shifted to human all around her at once.

  Mac still stayed close, but now stood beside her instead of surrounding her.

  Once everyone but the surviving lion had shifted, Bella heard Keelyn address the cat.

  "You might as well get it over with. There's only one of us here who might take issue with you now," she said, kindly.

  The lioness looked from Keelyn to Bella then, and Bella stared back at the cat, more confused than ever.

  With what almost looked like a sigh of resignation, the lion got to its feet, still facing Bella. With one quick whip of its thick tail it started to shift.

  The huge, graceful cat shrunk, pulling in on itself, and in just seconds Bella found herself staring at her very tiny, very blonde, very naked, sister Ivy.

  "Well fuck me running," Bella muttered, right before her legs gave out and her eyes rolled back in her head.

  Thankfully Mac was still sta
nding so close, otherwise Bella would have fallen to the ground in a dead faint. Mac caught her mid swoon, scooping her up in his arms and saying to the others over her head, "Well that went well."

  Chapter 14

  Bella could hear Keelyn's voice above all the others as she started to come to. Her eyes were closed, but she squeezed them tighter, trying to concentrate on what she was hearing, and where she was.

  "Ok, now that Bella is safe, and Aunt Patty has left us alone for a few minutes, tell me about this whole Queen Cassandra was a lion shifter thing."

  Bella heard Bane's voice respond.

  "What about it?"

  "Oh, I don't know, start with the fact that I had no idea our Queen was a shifter? Start there. Then you can cover the possibly murdered bit."

  "You really didn't know? They didn't exactly keep it hidden. The entire reason for the marriage was to try to unite the lion shifters with the dragons."

  "Hold it right there! You're telling me the King is a dragon shifter? Bullshit!"

  "How is it bullshit?"

  "Because if the king was a shifter of any kind, he never would have let our family pay our rents all these years with money earned from hunting werewolves."

  "I'm sure that fact would have bothered him, if he actually knew where your money came from..."

  Keelyn cut him off, "He's the King, he knows everything about those who live on his lands and pay him rents. How could he not?"

  "It's a big kingdom, and he's a relatively young king. Well, in dragon years he's ancient, but in king years, he's still young. He didn't inherit the throne, remember? He didn't grow up training to be king. It was given to him, back when the old king died with no heirs. He was well respected. He'd fought with the old king, pledging his allegiance. He was the old king's right hand man until the kingdom was handed to him upon the previous king's death.

  He's trying to unite everyone, from different shifter races to humans, and so far he's done well. As long as rents are coming in on time, from families that have been here since before he took the throne, I doubt he'd ever get around to seeing where the families get their money as long as things are rolling along as usual. I served under both kings, and as you heard, I was a witness to the new king's betrothal and then marriage. She was an... interesting woman, but this lion pride theory that she was murdered? I'm not sure about that. Her accident was odd, though."