The Lion and the Lamb

by Jenika Snow

  “Yeah.” Tatum didn’t want to admit how much that whole situation scared her. It hadn’t felt right, not in the least. “You okay to drive?”

  “Girl, that was a sober-me-up kind of situation. Come on, I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night.” They got in the car, and Kiki pulled out onto the strip. “How do you know that guy anyway?”

  “Saw him at the club a few times.” Tatum rested against the seat and stared out the window. Hordes of people walked up and down the streets, drinks in their hands and smiles on their faces.

  Tatum wanted to think about something else. “You still mad at Beau?”

  Kiki sighed, and Tatum noticed the way her hands tightened on the steering wheel.

  “I love him, Tater, but I just don’t know what’s going on with him. Things have been going so good… well, up until the weird way he’s been acting.” She sighed loudly again. “I just don’t know.”

  “Go home, Kiki. Talk it out with him. Tell him how you feel.”

  “I tried that.”

  Tatum leveled an incredulous look at Kiki. “I know how you ‘try to work things out.’ They usually end up with you screaming and swearing in-between throwing shit.”

  Kiki laughed. “Yeah, well I’m going to have an adult conversation with him this time. No throwing shit.”

  “Tell me how that goes.” Kiki slapped her on the knee, and Tatum grinned.

  Kiki turned onto her street, and Tatum’s heart sped up when she saw a gunmetal-gray Corvette in her driveway.

  “You are so freakin’ lucky.”

  Tatum snorted and opened the car door. “Text me when you get home so I know you’re okay.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  Kiki sped off, and Tatum found herself staring at the back of Leo’s car, her feet moving extra slowly. When his large frame folded out of the car, everything inside her heated. Her pussy became wet, her nipples beaded, and she became overly warm. It didn’t matter that she had a crazy-weird night; just seeing Leo made everything else fade into the background.

  God, she was so in love with him, a revelation that freaked her out more than anything else.

  23

  Like every time Leo saw Tatum, his heart stopped. She wore a pair of shorts that were too fucking short, and her top barely held in her tits. He clenched his hands at his sides, reining in the possessive need to pull her to him and stake his claim.

  He had put Frankie on detail tonight and told his guy to watch her and Kiki when they went out clubbing. But then Frankie called him and said the girls had gone to Stripped. He had freaked the fuck out. The way Slade departed suddenly left no doubt in Leo’s mind that the shifter had known Tatum stepped into his club. He should have known the fucker had been gunning for his girl.

  When she was close enough to him, the wind decided to pick up, and he inhaled. A snarl left when the scent of his enemy came off of her. He had been on his way to Stripped when Frankie called him again and said the females were leaving. He had hauled ass to Tatum’s and waited until she showed.

  “It’s late.”

  Blood would be shed when he confronted Slade. That fucker had put his hands on her. He nodded, his tongue tied as he stared at her. He didn’t know what had gone down, but he sure as fuck was going to find out.

  The scent of her unease hit him like a damn brick to his chest.

  “Want to come in?” She didn’t wait for a reply, just moved past him to the front door. She was turned on too. He could smell the sweet scent of it. His animal wanted to take her, right there, prove to her that she was his and no other male could put their fucking hands on her.

  Leo followed her inside and shut the door. “You weren’t where you said you were going to be.” It sounded like an accusation, which wasn’t what he was going for, but damn if he could help himself. She turned around, her eyes wide, her lips parted.

  “Kiki changed her mind at the last minute.” Her brows lowered. “Wait. How did you know I went somewhere else?” For a solid minute, they did nothing but stare at each other. The way her eyes slid to the living room window and stared across the street knew he needed to come clean. Clearly, she had an idea of what he had been doing anyway. “You’ve been having me followed, haven’t you?” The hurt in her voice pierced his heart.

  “Yeah, I have.” There was no point in lying, and he wasn’t about to feel bad about doing it. “I wanted to make sure you were safe.” He took a step toward her and stopped. “At first, it was because I didn’t like the neighborhood you lived in, but then Slade started sniffing around, and I knew it was best to keep a detail on you.” She shook her head and looked away. “I did it to protect you.”

  “That’s a sneaky thing to do, Leo. It’s not right, no matter what your intentions were.” She turned and tossed her keys onto the counter. Resting her hands on the Formica, her head dropped between her shoulders, and she inhaled loudly.

  He moved forward until he was right behind her. Fingers itching to touch her, Leo refrained and inhaled. Pushing away the stench of Slade, he found what he had been looking for. It was the sweet, subtle scent that was all Tatum. The lion inside him purred, and he grew instantly hard.

  “Tatum, look at me.” She shook her head, and he clenched his jaw. Her act of defiance had the dominant part of him rising to the surface. “Look. At. Me.” Voice low, his cock jerked to attention when she turned around and looked up at him with her smoky, dark eyes.

  “You shouldn’t have had me followed.” Her voice was soft, but the scent of her arousal was stronger.

  He took a step forward until they were chest-to-chest. “Is that what really has you acting strange?” And she was, and he knew it had to do with Slade, but until she was ready to tell him, he’d wait her out. Besides, he’d find out eventually, meaning when he left her house, hauled his ass to Stripped, beat down Slade’s fucking door, and kicked the living shit out of the shifter for even thinking it was okay to speak to his mate.

  He looked at her mouth. The fact that she needed him took his common sense away. He hauled her to him and slanted his mouth on hers. The taste of her exploded along his tongue, like apples and honey and everything good. Hands cupped her ass, and Leo squeezed the mounds. He couldn’t help himself from grinding his cock into her belly.

  Tatum moaned into his mouth, and he swallowed the sound, loving that it was because of him she made those sexy little noises. Wrenching away from her, he tore at her clothes until tatters of material fluttered around her body and landed at her feet. She stood in nothing but her bra and panties, and his cock jerked fiercely against his zipper.

  “I liked those clothes, Leo.” The words fell flat from her lips as she pressed her breasts against his chest. Ignoring her comment, because he didn’t trust his voice, Leo slipped the straps of her lacy bra off her shoulders. The creamy swells looked pale in the darkened room. Cupping a full mound, he massaged the globe. The sounds that came from her were deep and throaty and had him impatient for more. He wanted inside her, wanted his cum filling her up and marking her as his, irrevocably.

  “I’ll buy you more, baby, a whole fucking closetful.” Yeah, he’d do that, then he’d tear each piece off her luscious body. Taking her waist in his hands, he spun her around and pressed her upper body forward with a palm to the middle of her back. The sight of her bent over the breakfast counter, balancing on her toes, her ass high in the air, had him fumbling like a damn teenager to free his cock.

  When he finally took his shaft out, he stroked himself a few times and let his eyes zero in on her ass. It was round and full, perfect for fucking, which was what he wanted, so damn bad.

  Smoothing his hand on one cheek, he bent forward until he felt his cock press between the crease. The G-string she wore left little to the imagination, and he was thankful that she had decided to wear the miniscule piece of fabric.

  “Fuck, baby, what the hell are you doing to me?” He had never felt so out of control before, but then again, he’d never had a mate. “Tell me he didn’t to
uch you.” His words were a growl. She didn’t answer, but her increased breathing and accelerated heartrate answered for her.

  His lion growled and clawed, demanding that he take what was his. He wanted the scent of Slade off of his mate. Ripping the clothes off of her had been a start, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted her smelling only of him. Tonight wouldn’t be about romance and going slow. He needed her now. Leo needed to mark her in every possible way. And by the way she ground her ass against him, made sweet little sounds of need, and smelled so fucking hot, he knew in his mind she would give it all to him.

  “Please, Leo, please. I need it.” Arms stretched out in front of her, she gripped the edge of the counter and moaned.

  Yeah, he’d give it to her, all right, give it to her until she screamed his name over and over again. Leo reached between their bodies, gripped the elastic of her panties, and tore those from her. The scent of her desire was like a punch to his cock. He felt the damn thing swell even more between his thighs. When he felt the hot, wet center of her at the tip of his dick, he surged forward. A gasp left her, and he grunted as her muscles clamped down, drawing him deeper inside. Hands on her hips, Leo started pounding in and out of her, faster and harder, trying to get as deep as he could.

  “I want all of you, Tatum. All of you, dammit.” He growled and thrust into her. Her ass shook from the force, and the sounds she made… fuck, the sounds she made had his balls drawing up tight to his body. He didn’t want to come yet, not until she screamed his name, not until she knew who she belonged to.

  “I’m yours, Leo. Oh God, yes….” Sweat dripped down from his hairline, and he felt her come around his cock. The extra lubrication had his dick sliding in and out of her slick pussy with so much ease he couldn’t stand it.

  He pulled back, watched his cock sink in and out of her, her cream coating the length. Seeing his erection glisten with her pussy juice was hot as fuck, and he worked himself deeper, harder inside her. She came again, incoherent words spilling from her mouth as the pleasure stole her.

  “That’s two, baby. How ‘bout we go for three?”

  She shook her head, but he knew damn well she wanted more, would take whatever he gave her. His orgasm rushed forward fast, and he let it take him over the edge. He fucked her like his life depended on it, and roared out when she came once again. Yeah, this was what it was about and how is was supposed to be.

  When she milked him dry and he pulled out of her with a groan, little aftershocks of her climax rippled around his dick before he slid free. The image before him had his cock hard again, ready to go for round two. Her legs spread, her cunt pink and swollen and dripping wet with her cream and his cum, was a sight that he would never get rid of.

  The image would be burned into his damn brain, and he was fine with that.

  More than fine.

  24

  The smell of her sweet fucking pussy filled Leo’s nose, and his skin tightened with the threat of shifting. Oh, hell no. Moving behind her again, he palmed her tight ass. Spreading her cheeks, he looked down at the hole in the center. The rosebud of her ass beckoned him, and his cock swelled further, filling with blood until he thought it would explode.

  He ran his tongue up her back, licking the saltiness of her sweat off her spine. When he reached her ear, he gave the lobe a tug with his teeth.

  “I want to fuck your ass, baby.” He nipped at her again, and she shivered. “You’re gonna let me have it, aren’t you?” Snaking one of his hands around, he found her clit and rubbed it back and forth.

  “Yesss.”

  “Yeah, you’re going to let me do all kinds of things to you.” Leo ran his finger up and down her slit, gathering her moisture until his fingers were drenched with their combined fluids. He pulled back, kept one hand on her ass cheek, spreading it wide so he still had a good look at her hole, and swiped his slicked-up fingers over it. Using his foot, he kicked her feet farther apart until she was spread good and wide for him, not hiding anything from his view.

  Leo worked first one then two fingers into her ass. The hole was tight and sucked at the digits fiercely. Letting go of her ass cheek, but still keeping his fingers buried inside her, he gathered more of her cream and spread it over his cock. When his dick was lubed, he removed his fingers and pressed the tip of his dick to her anus.

  “Bear down for me, baby.” As soon as she did, his dickhead popped through the tight ring of muscle and slid home. He was careful to go nice and easy, but damn she felt good. “Fuck, Tatum. Fuck yeah.” Buried balls-deep inside her, he pressed his chest to her back and kissed her shoulder.

  “Oh God, Leo. Move. I need you to move.” Her ass clenched around him, and he grunted. He didn’t want to disappoint his girl.

  Pulling out until only the head of was erection pressed at the entrance, he pushed back inside. Over and over, he slid his shaft home. He felt his balls slap against her wet pussy, having her cries of ecstasy fill his ears. He started moving faster, feeling his second orgasm of the night rearing up fast. He wanted her to come again, especially while he was buried in her tight, hot ass.

  Reaching in front and finding her clit, he stroked it fast and hard. She cried out again before her back bowed and she came on a long, loud moan. That was it, all it took for him to get off. The instinct to mark her ascended until it consumed him and couldn’t be ignored.

  His cum shot out of him, filling her body at the same time he opened his mouth and clamped down on her shoulder. His lion rose up, and his canines elongated. The taste of her blood hit his tongue, and he went crazy.

  She was his. All. His.

  His dick filled her, his cum bathed her insides, and now his mark would cover her flesh. It was a testament to all who saw, all who were his kind, that if you fucked with her, you fucked with him.

  He sagged against her, spent yet deliriously happy. There was no going back. She wouldn’t push him away, and there would be no one else.

  “Mine.” Leo kissed the center of her back and heard her sigh. He pulled out of her, scooped her limp body into his arms, and headed down the hallway to her room. There were only two doors, one being the bathroom, so finding it was easy enough.

  When he had his girl on the bed, he got a wet, warm washrag from the bathroom and went back to Tatum. He cleaned his mate up, then himself, and settled in next to her. With the blankets over them, Tatum curled right around him. It was a good feeling, one that made everything right in this fucked-up world.

  He wanted to ask her a lot of things, but the sound of her deep, even breaths told him she fell asleep. So, letting himself relax into the only woman he had ever loved, Leo fell asleep with a smile on his face for the first time in his life.

  25

  Leo paced his office, his rage rippling across his skin. He was on the verge of shifting, so close to letting his beast free that he could feel his muscles stretch in preparation for it. The morning after he had fallen asleep with Tatum beside him, she told him everything that happened.

  Slade touching her on the dance floor, him forcing his mate into his office, the offer he made her. Just knowing she had been alone with him had Leo seeing red. There were so many things that could have happened to her, and he wouldn’t have gotten there in time to save her. That thought had a cold sweat covering his skin and his pulse racing.

  “You wanna go take care of business now, boss?” Tryck leaned against his door, picking at his fingernail with a blade. Tryck was human, but he had been loyal to Leo since the very beginning and knew pretty much everything, including his shifting abilities. Tryck also knew about Slade, about all the shit between him and Leo, and knew that what was going down was bad.

  Leo had left Tatum right after she spilled it all. It had still been early, but he wouldn’t have been able to stay in her bed a moment longer, even if his dick complained otherwise. He had wanted blood on his hands and needed to form a plan so this shit with Slade ended, like yesterday.

  He stopped pacing and looked at Tryck. What he wanted to do
was go alone, but he wasn’t stupid enough for that. Slade fought dirty, and Leo needed to be smart about this.

  “I want to go talk to him, alone, but I want you there hanging back in case I need you.”

  The sound of Tryck sheathing his blade seemed louder than it should have, or maybe Leo was just overly perceptive right now, seeing as some fucker tried to move in on what was his.

  Slade never made it a secret that he wanted to control the territory, but Leo wasn’t having any of it. He had been here first, had been around years before Slade showed his ugly fucking face, and wasn’t in the business of illegal fucking shit.

  But Slade had a lot of men on his side willing to do some dirty fucking shit, stuff that made even Leo wince. So, that being said, a lot of people were afraid of him, letting Slade get away with a lot of shit, because they thought it best when concerning their survival.

  “All right, boss. Just tell me when and where and I’m there. You wanna take more than just me?”

  “Bring Rocker and another.” Rocker, one of the muscles he had behind The Lion and the Lamb, would come in handy for some damage control if and when Slade decided to dispatch his goons. Rocker was good with a gun, whereas Tryck knew his way with a blade.

  Shit. Tatum didn’t even know the kind of man he was. Guns and knives were just the tip of the iceberg when it concerned making sure his business ran smoothly. Leo wasn’t all about illegal shit, like prostitution and killing just for the sake of it, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t, on occasion, have to rough a few people up to make his intentions clear. What would she say if she knew that? Tatum had to know that nothing was as it seemed.

  Life was an illusion, and it just depended on whether you opened your eyes and saw through the haze.

  Tryck nodded once and left his office. Leo grabbed his phone from inside his pocket and punched in Slade’s number. The asshole only let it ring once before he picked up.