by Julian Bloom
Jonas padded into the kitchen to sit down on the tile while Lissa grabbed the pizza and paid for it. A few minutes later she brought it into the kitchen and it made his nose twitch. He could smell it and he wanted to eat it as a human. He tried to force himself to shift back, but nothing happened.
Tilting his head, he furrowed his brow as he tried to concentrate to shift back.
“You’re trying too hard; I can see it. Relax, you want to be human, don’t fight the lion, be one with the lion.” Lissa set the pizza on the counter and didn’t bother with a plate. She grabbed a napkin and took out a slice, eating it in front of him and moaned softly as the hot cheese melted onto her tongue as she bit into a small piece of heaven. “Also, if you stay a lion, I’m eating the whole pizza….”
Jonas growled at her, but sat down, focusing on his human form and taking deep breaths. Eventually, he felt it roll over him, the way the magic hit his senses and tingled, and then finally, he was naked and human again.
Walking over to her naked, he yanked the third piece out of her hand before she could take a bite and bit into it, not giving her the satisfaction.
“My pizza,” he said and growled at her, but he meant it lightheartedly. He knew if it wasn’t for her, he wouldn’t even be able to stand here, eating this pizza, going to work during the daytime, or even making love to a beautiful redhead.
A while later after they’d devoured the pizza, Lissa looked at him more seriously and put her hand on his shoulder.
“Jonas, I have a friend… who has a retreat in Africa, I really think you should consider going there for a vacation for a while. They specialize in helping shifters who weren’t born shifters, to help them find their place in life. You’re doing great, all things considered, but I’m not sure it’s enough.” Lissa told him. She’d been thinking about this for a while, she was getting antsy to move on, but couldn’t just abandon him before he’d been helped. She liked helping people, but he needed more than she could handle.
“I don’t want to go on vacation!” Jonas told her and made a sour face at her. “I’m doing fine. I just need more time.”
“Okay, I can give you a few more weeks, but if you don’t have it under control before I need to move on, you need to seriously consider going. The shifter council will not tolerate an out of control shifter, and they will put you down. I’m here to help for now, but I have to move on eventually. As much as I enjoy your company, and I like you, I still have my own life to live.” Lissa told him and leaned over to soften her words with a kiss on his cheek. “Just think about it okay? Warm sunshine, gazelles to chase, water to frolic in, it may just be what you need.”
“I will think about it. I just haven’t had a vacation in a long time. I’m not sure I even know what to do with myself on one of those,” Jonas told her, raising an eyebrow as he tried to picture the African savannah.
“You relax, soak in the sun, socialize with sexy women. Drink some alcohol and have fun.” Lissa said laughing and rubbed his naked chest with her hand. “I think you’ll be able to figure it out once your there, and my friend Amanda who owns the resort with her family is very good at what she does.”
“And what is that exactly?” Jonas asked, raising his brows.
“Helping shifters. Not like me, I do it… dirty style.” Lissa winked at him. “Amanda is all about Zen and the Asian arts of mediation. She’d make a monk go insane with how calm she usually is, and she’s been very successful in her endeavors to help shifters who are extreme cases.”
“You think I’m an extreme case?” Jonas asked her, feeling shocked.
Lissa shrugged, “I think that you are a high-stress person, who is more emotional than he realizes, and he is very in touch with his animalistic side. That’s not a bad thing, but as a lion shifter, can be dangerous.”
“So you’re saying I’m a danger?”
“I’m saying you have the potential to be a large, out of control animal if you lost control and gave into your lion before you realized what damage you were causing. I would hate to see you be put down. I think you need to learn to meld your lion and your human side together, so your human side is ultimately always in control.” Lissa told him. “You have a lot of potential J, I want to see you reach it.”
“And why would this retreat help me more than you?” Jonas was confused, but he could understand her concerns. He’d had plenty of them on his own and knew that he often felt like a walking time-bomb waiting to explode.
“I don’t even think it’s so much that I can’t help you, but the amount of time that it takes. Amanda can invest more time in you than I can. I get the itch to wander. I need to leave soon Jonas, and if you’re not ready by the time I go… well you’re a liability to yourself.” Lissa told him softly. She searched his face, hoping it sunk in.
“I get it, but I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” Jonas said gruffly, then changed the subject, “didn’t you say I owed you an orgasm, or five?”
Lissa laughed, and nodded. She squealed when he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom.
Chapter 3
Jonas had his arm curled around Lissa, she was asleep, her head on his shoulder. He’d spent the whole night pleasuring her, and woke up tired. He’d managed to give her a few orgasms before he got so excited he shifted again, and then he’d managed to shift back, screw her brains out, and keep from shifting after sex. He was feeling all proud of himself because of his self-control.
He woke her up before his alarm went off for him to go to work for the day, nibbling on her arm. He worked his way down on her belly, and she moaned softly, still half asleep. He spread her legs and buried himself between them. Jonas used his tongue to caress her lips, skimming across the top of her clit. A soft moan escaping her throat in her dream addled mind. She spread her legs opening herself to his attention. He used his lips to suck her clit between his teeth and held it there while his tongue flicked across the head. Her hips twitched towards his mouth every time he made contact. He sucked the sensitive nub between his teeth and lips, letting his tongue roll around it like he was having the best ice cream cone of his life. Bringing his hand up under her ass, he supported her, so he could get a better angle. Jonas brought his other hand up to insert two fingers inside her now swollen, wet mound. Her pussy was tight and he could feel her squeeze his fingers as he massaged her insides gently. He brought her to the edge of a climax and then backed off and licked her thigh, letting her climax fall back down without ever cresting the top. He wasn’t ready for her to cum, just yet.
As soon as she relaxed at bit, he would suck her clit back into his mouth, his fingers digging into her. Her hips were pumping his fingers like a small cock, trying to get more of him into her. He’d quickly learned how to bring her close to the edge of climax, without letting her fall over the edge. He wanted her to explode, but only when he was ready. She was so responsive and her little noises encouraged him. He pulled his fingers from inside her, and grabbed her knees, pushing them up to her chest giving him access to her cute rosebud. He swirled his tongue around it, feeling it pucker from the excitement. He pushed his tongue into her ass, while his nose mashed into her swollen pussy. Jonas used his nose to flick her clit and keep his tongue pushing into her ass. Her hips were bucking, but he used her knees to keep her firmly pinned to the bed. She was nearing an orgasm again, so he pulled back to let her calm herself. She’d shift her body, be vocal, and tell him what she liked or didn’t like. He liked communication in a partner, and she didn’t play games.
He placed her knees over his shoulders and lowered his mouth back to her super-heated lips. He licked her lips softly as he brought his fingers back to her opening. He pushed two fingers into her hot soaked opening. He found the spongy flesh deep inside her vagina and pushed with two fingers, stroking at it until she started quivering. He knew she’d squirt on his hands if he pressed hard and wiggled with his fingers, so he took her to the brink. Switching his movements he held her at the verge of orgasm for
a bit. Moans tearing from her throat, her head thrashing from side to side. She was ready, and he was willing to let her have this one. Right before she came, he pulled his mouth away from her clit, pressed hard, so he could watch her squirt all over his hand and wrist and then bit the inside of her thigh. She liked it a little rough and he bit her just hard enough to leave a red mark.
She screamed, her orgasm tearing through her. Her juices flowed freely and her hips bucked up hard. Juices sprayed forth from her clit to coat his wrist. Her orgasm so strong that she splashed her fluids across Jonas’s face, as well. Her muscles clamped down painfully around his fingers. Pulling his hand out, he grabbed her and pushed her down, spreading her legs with his knees. In one deep thrust, he took her. Burying himself to the hilt, he moved fast and hard, pounding his cock deep into her. His head was bashing into her cervix, causing her to moan loudly when it hit. Her eyes snapped open and locked to his when his hand circled her throat. His grip held tight as he pounded his hips into hers. She was thrusting her own hips to meet his, moaning louder which each thrust. She wrapped her legs around Jonas and used them to pull him deeper into her. She started to quiver and thrash about on the bed, impaled on his cock. Screaming out another orgasm, she squirted again covering his lower stomach with her hot sticky juice. He slammed his cock into her, a growl rumbling from his throat as he fucked her and bringing himself to his own climax. He released her throat and sat up, his cock was being gripped by her muscles milking his cock. Right before he came, he pulled out, and grabbed his cock. His fist pumping the shaft as he let his orgasm take over. Jonas watched his seed spill all over her flat stomach.
She giggled as he let his cock hit her flesh and lay there against her as he recovered his breath. Watching her cum made him hot, and hard. After a few minutes, they both stared at each other. They realized he hadn’t shifted. He stayed human.
He got off the bed and did a little jig, making her laugh harder. She propped herself up on her elbows to stare at him, surprised.
“You didn’t shift!” She said, praising him.
“I didn’t even think about it, I was so busy on what I was doing with you, I didn’t even have time to think about being a lion.” He told her.
“Maybe that’s your problem, you can’t ever let go of the fear of shifting, and it turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy.” She told him, musing. “I’m going to take a shower. Your task is to shift into a lion on purpose, then shift back to a human, and join me in the shower before work. Chop, Chop!”
Jonas nodded, watching her go naked into his bathroom. She really did have the nicest ass he’d seen in a while. Her long legs and red hair with her pale white skin really made her stand out in a crowd. She was gorgeous and though he knew their arrangement was temporary, he was grateful for the experiences he was having with her.
Getting off the bed, he focused on his lion, trying to shift. After a few minutes of standing there, he was puzzled. He couldn’t shift. He tried again, his lion was silent, the magic felt gone. He tried for a good twenty minutes and nearly broke out in a sweat as he tried to force himself to change.
Walking out of the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around her hair, Lissa looked curiously at him.
“I thought you were joining me?”
“I can’t shift.” Jonas said, and felt perturbed by the situation. First, he shifted nonstop and couldn’t control it, now he couldn’t shift, and couldn’t make it happen.
“Well, something is getting in the way of it. Or maybe, you don’t really want to shift.” Lissa shrugged. “Either way, take a shower, go to work. You will be late if you don’t hurry.”
Jonas looked at the clock and nodded, “We can talk about this when I get back home after work tonight. Not being able to shift when I want isn’t normal, is it?”
Lissa followed him into the bathroom to answer him as he got into the shower. They talked as he bathed, but he was quick and in and out in just a few short minutes and went into his room to get dressed.
“Well, like shifting when you don’t want too, this is in the same vein. Shifting has to be fluid, authentic, and natural. If you’re fighting your shift too hard, you could also keep from shifting when you want too. Just like if you can’t control it yet, you’ll shift when the instinct takes over. The instinct not to shift can also prevent you from being in control. It can go both ways. This again is why I suggest you consider that vacation with Amanda at her African lodge.” Lissa told him. She walked over to his closet where she’d hung some clothes up and found some jeans and a tank top to put on. “By the way, I got a new reporting job, and I need to go follow a lead. I have until Friday to help you, after that, I have to do my day job now that I have a new assignment.”
“I’m not ready for you to leave,” Jonas said as he buttoned his work shirt. “I still need you Lissa.”
“And I need my job. I still have bills to pay and a retirement to put money into so I can retire.” Lissa said and smiled at him, “you’re going to be fine, and if not, you have a backup option. Let’s just see how you do over the next couple days.”
“What happens if I can’t shift on command?” Jonas asked her as he grabbed his keys and wallet and his subway card, to get ready to head in to work. His alarm was now blaring at him, warning him that he was going to be late.
“Then we go from there. Right now, focus on the next couple of days and let’s see what happens. Go about your normal routine. I have faith in you Jonas, just have a little bit in yourself.” Lissa told him, then shooed him out the door so he wouldn’t miss his train.
Chapter 4
Today was Friday, the day Lissa was leaving. She’d promised to stay long enough to say goodbye to him after work before taking off for the weekend. He’d been troubled all day in his office, unable to concentrate. He hadn’t realized how worried he was about being alone before he had full control over his shifter side.
She’d done a good job helping him function on a basic level, and not destroy his entire apartment every time he shifted on accident. But now he was having trouble controlling the shift when he wanted to shift on purpose. It’s like the lion in him was messing with him, showing him who was boss. That human nature couldn’t trump animal instinct. It was frustrating and he felt like he was fighting with himself. It was making him a little crazy.
He got onto the subway, and the train was mostly empty. It was just him and some old hobo at the end, who looked like he’d passed out from whatever was in the paper bag he was holding. A woman got on, and the hobo stirred. Then she got off at the next stop, leaving the two of them alone again.
Jonas had his back to the man, not paying him any heed, when suddenly, there was a knife pressed into his back.
“Give me your money and I won’t shank you,” the voice told him, it was raspy, as if he didn’t use it often, and it reeked of alcohol.
Jonas was stunned. He went to reach for his wallet then stopped. Why should this man get his wallet, or his money? He was a drunk on a train looking for an easy target. Jonas was not an easy target. Not anymore.
He was a lion. He could shift. He could tear this man apart, without breaking a sweat. Trying to call upon his lion, he tried to use it to defend himself… and nothing. Panicking, Jonas couldn’t figure out why his lion wasn’t listening to him. His life was in danger and his lion was eerily silent. No magic tingle, nothing. What’s the use of being a shifter if he couldn’t control it when he needed it the most?
“Didn’t you hear me; you stupid fucker? Give me your wallet, or I’ll take it and make you a few liters of blood lighter.” The man said and poked him harder with the knife, digging the tip into his back just hard enough for Jonas to feel it cut his skin.
“Back pocket,” Jonas finally told the man, feeling completely humiliated. He should be awesome and know Kung-Fu, or be able to turn around and shift mid-air and take the guy down. He should have been able to do something besides realize that with a knife pressed against his kidney, all he could do to survive w
as hand over his wallet. He felt completely humiliated by a man that smelled like he hadn’t bathed in months.
The man slipped his hand into his back pocket, and took his wallet, without removing the knife. He flipped it open, took his cash out, and threw the leather at his feet. The train stopped, and the hobo slipped away from him and off the train-car as other people came onto the train completely unaware of what just happened to Jonas.
Bending down to pick up his wallet, Jonas was seething inside. He pushed past the people and followed the bum off the train. He couldn’t see him, but he could still smell him. It was like his nose was leading him in the direction the man went. Jonas felt like he was on the prowl, or the hunt. His footfalls were silent, and he moved with a steady purpose. He stalked his prey, wanting to find the man who accosted him and set him straight.
Following the smell, Jonas kept his eyes swiveling through the crowd. He saw the man laughing with another, as he showed the bills he’d stolen from Jonas. He paused mid stride, with his nostrils flaring. The laughter rang in his ears, causing the anger and shame to flare and encompass all his thoughts. Jonas saw red, his heart rate shooting up, and his breath hissing between his teeth. Before he knew what he was doing, he shifted. In front of all the people in the subway. He settled on his haunches and lunged at the bum. The roar escaped his throat as he came at the man. The hobo dropped the cash, and jumped out of the way narrowly missing the cat’s claws. He scrambled away from the lion. Jonas finally regained his sense, realizing what a mistake he had just made.
Screams started to echo as people ran in all different directions, trying to get away from the lion that was suddenly in the middle of a highly populated area. Jonas groaned inwardly, his anger evaporating immediately. This was the worst time for his lion to decide to come out. He panicked, and he ran. He bolted into the nearest restroom using his head to butt the door open wide, and luckily it was empty. It took him a few tries to shift back to his human form. Finally succeeding, he hid in a stall. His clothing ripped in his shift, he was naked and cold while he waited, trying to figure out how to get out of this mess. Eventually, someone came in to use the restroom, laughing on a cell phone.