by Leah Kent
The living room lights were on, revealing her every detail. The shredded shirt she'd worn when Jessica had attacked looked fine from the front, but he could smell the dried blood in the air around her. The timid Victoria he knew was gone; the woman who stood before him now was not ashamed to hold his gaze and read his face. Gabriel had gone from her protector to her equal, and he wondered what that meant for the future of their relationship — if there was to be one at all.
"I believe you," Victoria said. All of the worry that had grown inside of him disappeared at once, and Gabriel almost let out a sigh of relief. Almost. If he was to serve as King, high tension situations like these had to be dealt with in mature, respectable ways. It was high time to start practicing. When Victoria spoke again, emotion had crept through her stony mask, painting her with guilt and regret.
"I jumped to conclusions based on the word of someone else without speaking to you first. I thought that I was making a hard choice, but a right choice, because I thought you'd lied to me. But I know that you've been listening to your heart and to your instincts, and tonight I found out that you were right all along. About The Bond. About taking me on as your Queen. About everything."
She stalled, clenching both of her hands into fists and dropping her gaze for the first time. Victoria's beautiful blues disappeared to gather strength, and when they looked up again they were alive with joy. She was smiling like a woman reunited with her lover after years apart. Gabriel had seen that same smile on the faces of military wives seeing their husbands for the first time for a long time at the airport, and he knew that whatever news that had to follow was good news.
"Gabriel, the blood of the lion runs through my veins as well. The more time we spend together, the more the lioness inside of me will awaken, until I'll be able to call upon her as you do your lion. And the changes... I don't know why, but they're happening fast. Do you see?"
She turned around to show him her back, the once horrible gashes now little more than indented scars. When he saw them, Gabriel could not hold himself back any longer. Hurried footfalls brought him close, and he traced his thumb down the length of one of her injuries. Soon nothing would remain.
"You smell different," he told her. "I didn't realize it when we were in Finneus' kitchen, likely because the scent of your blood was so fresh and overpowering."
Standing beside her, Gabriel tucked himself against her voluptuous body and let his hands slide down her sides until he'd crossed them against her stomach, pressing her against his chest. Without hesitation he tucked his nose against her neck, just behind her ear, and inhaled deeply. At a distance Gabriel hadn't been able to make out what was different about her, but now he understood. Whatever lion heritage she had was faint, as he'd never detected it on her scent prior, but something inside had stirred it awake in her quickly. The Bond.
Perhaps she didn't understand it as he did, and perhaps she never would, but the invisible forces that bound their souls together and led Gabriel to want to protect her forever had begun to take their hold on her. In their time of need, faced with hardship and danger, the unspoken union had stirred in her the lioness she needed. It had awoken in her body and scent alike to give her the strength she needed. Gabriel could not help but grin against her neck, knowing that it lived in her as much as it lived inside of him. With time, no one would call its presence into question. He had not done the impossible, had not truly put her life in danger, after all. Victoria was his intended lioness, and despite all odds and adversities, he had found her.
"Oh, V," he uttered. A warmth had spread through him, but as quickly as it settled in his bones, it was mellowed and chilled. The presence of The Bond meant that Victoria would not have had the heart to cheat on him as Finneus had claimed she had, but the lawyer had seemed convinced that it had happened. There had to be answers.
"There is one more serious question," he whispered against the back of her ear before drawing away. She turned to face him, receptive to what he had to say. "Finneus told me he was sent a video showing you cheating on me with Peter."
Victoria's face went white, and Gabriel's stomach sunk. Was it true?
"I don't believe it, but I have to know— do you know anything about a video like that? Did you do it?"
She struggled for words, and the more she did, the more certain he became that the worst really had happened.
"I didn't cheat," she said finally. "Before we met with the pride, Peter called and told me the hospital had been calling our old apartment to tell me my parents had been in a car crash. He said they'd released my dad to a rehabilitation center, and that I should go see them right away. So I went. But when I got there the building was abandoned, and Peter locked me inside. He—"
"Did he touch you?" Instead of the betrayal he'd been anticipating, Gabriel felt white hot rage. The man who'd stabbed Finneus, who'd strung Victoria along and put her down the length of their relationship, had dared to touch her inappropriately and without her consent? If so, he would tear the city down looking for him and tear him limb from limb with his own teeth.
"He didn't touch me. But he threatened me. He told me if I didn't say a bunch of provocative phrases that he would hurt me. And so I did. But I felt so ashamed that I'd fallen for his trick that I couldn't tell you. And I guess... Well, I guess since he's working with the lions, that he gave the recording to them and they made a video to go with it. I swear, that's the truth."
Gabriel could smell her shame on the air, but he did not detect the anxiety or fear that often came hand in hand with a lie. Paired with evidence that there was a lioness inside of her for The Bond to pair with, he was sure that she told the truth. All of this had been a Leroux fabrication to try to hurt him. It was time to put an end to their treachery.
But Victoria had other plans.
"If you can forgive me from hiding that from you, and from treating you so poorly when I didn't have the courage to ask you in person if you'd done what Finneus said you had, then I want to be with you again, Gabriel. I... It sounds crazy, but I already can't imagine my life without you in it. You make me feel like the best version of me that I could ever be — strong, and worthwhile, and pretty — and I don't ever want to let that go. I was too ashamed and worked up to say so before, but I love you, too. I love you like a teenager who's never had their heart hurt before, reckless and irresponsible. I want to be your Queen, no matter what hardships that means."
Every piece, once jumbled and mismatched across the table, had found its proper place to form the full picture. The corners of Gabriel's lips twitched upward, and then he laughed, deep and utterly content. And then Victoria was laughing, too, and their laughter filled the otherwise silent room that had seen so much strife between them.
The Liston King swept his Queen into his arms and held her close as the laughter began to ebb. The issues and accusations they had to make against the leaders of the Leroux pride would still be there tomorrow, but there would only be one chance to revel in the marvels of freshly declared love and wounded hearts healed.
When Victoria pressed her lips to his for a kiss that said she wanted more, Gabriel could not bring himself to deny her. For that night they were safe and they were in love. The needs of the heart would come first that night; he would have it no other way.
Chapter Seven
Uneven, unpredictable steps brought them back towards the bedroom. One minute Gabriel guided her, and the next Victoria guided him as their kiss continued. When he pressed her up against the doorframe to their bedroom, Victoria knew he had won. She had wrapped her arms around his neck loosely, and he had her by the waist. Sandwiched between the wall and her lover's body, she could feel every inch of Gabriel's firm chest and corded arms. Her lover now and for always, should she wish it. With the lioness stirring inside of her, Victoria felt she would never want another. The Bond Gabriel spoke of would make sure of it — and she was glad for it. Gabriel was exactly the kind of man she wanted in her life, and Victoria was ready to build a future with h
im.
They slipped into the bedroom under Gabriel's direction, lips still working against each other. The barren room proved easy to navigate, and soon he'd pushed her down into a sitting position on the bed. Gabriel towered over her, broad and muscular and exactly the kind of man she'd always fantasized about. Victoria's chin was tilted up to look at him, and he caught it between his thumb and his index finger, holding it aloft.
No words passed between them, but she saw the fire burn behind his eyes. When their lips met again it was much harder than before, filled with a heated desire that was so unique to her lion King. Soon he was upon her, and he back met the soft, warm mattress that bore both their scents.
Home.
Gabriel's hands tugged the shirt over his head as their kiss broke, leaving her in the nude colored bra that laid beneath. As he resumed the kiss, he worked his shirt up along his flat stomach and chest, until their passion was paused again as he tore it away. Victoria reached up to run her hands over his pecs and abs, letting the touch of his skin send ripples of desire through her core and heat her loins. Just by sight alone Gabriel turned her on, and knowing that he desired to claim her body piqued her arousal. Victoria could feel herself getting wet for him.
As she toyed with his body, Gabriel played with hers. Both of his hands cupped her breasts, squeezing her through her bra. Victoria gasped, arching her back as he touched her. Soon it was not enough for him, and his hands slipped beneath the cups of her bra to caress her flesh in full. Calloused thumbs, warm and confident, ran over the bumps of her nipples until he'd teased them hard. All Victoria could do was gasp and twist upon the bed as his touch sent heated pangs of arousal through her.
"When my seed anchors inside of you and you grow my heir," Gabriel said under his breath, "the lioness will swell inside of you at his side. And then no one will be able to challenge you."
His fingers continued to glide across her nipples, leaving her panting and desperate for more. The idea of having his child stirred her. How many nights of unsafe sex would it take? How many times would Gabriel find his release inside of her before their genes bonded to form life? He wouldn't stop until he knew that she was bred and his heir grew inside of her, and the thought of having such a handsome man desire her with animalistic levels of passion stirred her more than any touch ever would.
"I need you," Victoria pleaded, voice hitched on her arousal. Gabriel seemed content to play with her above the belt, but now her clit throbbed as it begged for stimulation, and her sex felt heated and slick, ready for him. As Victoria squirmed and pressed her legs together, trying to bring herself relief, she could feel just how wet she'd become. Gabriel brought out the naughtiness inside and knew how to light her up like no other, and he would be hers forever.
The Liston King silenced her lips with a passionate kiss, and when he drew away, he wore a smirk. Gabriel popped the button of his fly and tugged the zipper down, exposing the thinly shielded bulge beneath. As wet as she'd gotten for him, he'd become hard for her. Even after a healthy sexual relationship, it still astounded her how a man as rugged and stunning as Gabriel could get hard for a girl as curvy and soft as she was.
"Prove it," he said, a hint of mischief to his voice. And Victoria knew exactly what she would do.
Now parted from Gabriel, she sat upon the bed and lowered his slacks, greedy for what lay beneath. Left in his boxer briefs, Victoria was treated to a view of the generous tent in the front of them. Tonight, and forever, it was hers.
Gabriel stood upright upon his knees, and she wormed her way from beneath him to give herself a better vantage point. With care, Victoria removed the last of Gabriel's garments to reveal the treasure beneath. Gabriel's cock was just as impressive as it had always been, and tonight she was going to lavish it.
Repositioning herself upon her hands and knees, Victoria nuzzled against his thigh and let her tongue run over the base of his shaft. The hair that clustered there was coarse and somewhat darker than that on his head, but she loved it. The musky aroma of his body was different tonight, the scents that made it more distinct. She could smell the amber and the moss notes of his body wash, but she could also detect the scent of man and the wilderness of his bestial soul alongside it. The lioness inside of her was stirring, and this was further proof. The changes were both exciting and terrifying, but with Gabriel at her side, she knew there would nothing to worry about.
Her tongue trailed upward, dipping beneath the head of his cock to tease his frenulum. The act drew a groan from Gabriel's lips, and his solid fingers wove through her hair to hold her in place. It was all for nothing; Victoria had no intention of going anywhere.
"V," he moaned, voice low and husky. The sound of it made her shiver. Encouraged, Victoria let her lips press against his head as she let it penetrate her mouth. Gabriel moaned again as he claimed it, hips pressing forward. Although he did not threaten the back of her throat, there was no question in her mind that he wanted to; Gabriel craved penetration as much as she craved to be penetrated, but until he was willing to fold, he'd only get shallow pleasures.
As he moved his hips, letting his cock thrust upon her tongue, Victoria kept her lips braced and lapped at him as best she could. The taste of precum spread quickly as he grew more excited, but she knew he would not find his end in her mouth. There were more important places to leave his seed.
The grip on her hair loosened, and Victoria drew back and ran her tongue along his crown as it seeped for her. One hand remained planted on the mattress for support while the other rose to cup his balls. Applying careful pressure, she let both her hand and her mouth bring him to new highs, and when she glanced up to see if she was doing a good job of it, she found Gabriel gazing down at her with partially lidded eyes. Man and beast united, and yet still he treated her with gentle kindness. Victoria couldn't get enough.
"Oh fuck, V," he uttered. "Keep looking up at me like that. You're so sexy."
Victoria's tongue ran a tight circle, then dipped down his shaft. All the while she looked up at him, keeping eye contact. Gabriel's chest rose and fell heavily, his breathing labored. She knew that the lion told him to breed her, and yet he resisted. The building tension would make their union all the better, but there was not much longer to wait.
As her tongue rose back along his shaft, her hand working his balls with care, Gabriel could take no more. He grabbed her wrist, and at once she relented. When her tongue reached the tip of his cock, he pulled her up and into a standing position on her knees so that they were face to face.
"I think it's time to get rid of the rest of your clothes," Gabriel growled. "Tonight I want to see every inch of you, and know that all of your beauty is mine."
The hand at her wrist abandoned its charge, and instead he reached around her to undo her bra. Victoria felt as each of the clasps unlocked, her reality sharpening as Gabriel's scent enveloped her. How much better would the world become when she awoke to her distance heritage? Victoria couldn't wait to find out.
Gabriel let the parted straps at her back fall, and then slid each of the arm straps down until the cups of her bra began to slip down. When the full, rounded glory of her breasts was revealed to him, and Gabriel shuddered and closed his eyes as he struggled to hold himself back. In the end, he was unsuccessful. With an exhaled gust, he pressed his lips hot against the crook of her neck and kissed downward. Over the round of her breast, his lips lavished her with attention, until he arrived at the hardened nipple he'd teased earlier. There the kisses stopped, and he let his tongue run across the sensitive nub as the other hand grasped the otherwise ignored globe.
The pleasure was unparalleled, and it was Victoria's turn to moan. Her head fell back, hair tumbling down her exposed back as she did so. Gabriel licked and sucked, and as he did her clit throbbed and her passage slicked further. If he didn't give himself to her soon, she knew she'd have to take it from him.
"Gabriel," Victoria breathed. "Please, I need you so bad. I can't take it anymore."
Ga
briel rumbled through a low laugh and undid the button of her fly, lowering her jeans over the curves of her thighs. Victoria sank back against the bed, letting him pull them past her knees and then from her altogether. The panties she wore came next, and when she was nude he flipped her over onto her stomach and let his hands trail up her body until their bodies were flush with one another. Like this, Victoria could feel the hard length of his shaft pushing against her supple bottom and the sturdiness of his core as he rested it upon her back.
"Lift your ass for me," he whispered in her ear, caressing his cheek against hers so that the short, prickling bristles of his stubble reminded her of the man they belonged to, "and I'll take you until neither of us can move."
For all of the times the lion had awoken inside of Gabriel, now the lioness awoke inside of Victoria. The urge to take him, to breed her mate recklessly and take the full, virile load he promised her was more consuming than any she'd felt before. With a soft, primal noise in the back of her throat she lifted her ass as requested, and as she did Gabriel repositioned himself so that his length slipped between her slicked lips. His hips had taken on an animalistic rhythm, thrusting with abandon to sink deep inside of her, and Victoria squirmed and repositioned herself to try to help. Every failed joining left her craving their union that much more.