The Lion and the Unicorn (Lionsville Shifters Book 1)

by Dara Fraser

  “How are you and the cubs doing?”

  She wished he would get to the asking. She wanted to know all the details so she could go ahead and give in to the mating call. She didn’t even know about unicorn mating, so she knew that waiting was the right thing to do, even if the end result was going to be the same.

  “I’m so glad.” He started to walk. Standing still didn’t seem to be his strong suit. “Is he letting you do the dishes yet?”

  Samantha wanted to kick herself for being so impatient, but she wanted to tap her foot and point to her watch like in the old sitcoms.

  “Yeah, well, we can be stubborn.” Samantha heard a snort through the phone. It sounded like Zara had a sense of humor. Yay! “So, I actually called for another reason. Are you going to be around for a bit?”

  Finally, he was getting around to it. Samantha crossed her fingers Zara would be.

  “Oh, what time do you think you’ll be back?” he asked very nonchalantly, but Samantha could see the tension in his shoulders. Crap on a cracker. She was going to be gone.

  “No. Nothing serious.” Leo took a dramatic pause. “I just found my mate is all.” Squeeing was heard loud and clear. It was nice to know his sister was happy for him, even if she didn’t have all of the facts yet.

  “You will do no such thing. If you miss a midwife appointment, your mate is going to kick my ass.” Another snort through the phone. Her mate must be interesting.

  “You know I’m right.” Another snort. Zara seemed to find this all hilarious.

  “See you around three, then?” Good. Not a no, just a delay. “I’ll bring pie.” Samantha looked at the clock on the desk. It was almost lunchtime. Not that long to wait, considering how long it took to find him in the first place.

  “Yes, banana. I love you, too, bye.” He put his phone back in the pocket.

  “Trying to bribe my mate?” Samantha looked behind her to see a nerdy-looking guy with all kinds of muscles. It was an interesting look.

  “Why, yes I was, Dylan.” He walked over and man hugged the man behind her. “This, Dylan, is my mate, Samantha.” Pride filled his voice.

  “Well that explains the clothes, doesn’t it?” Dylan winked, humor dancing in his eyes. “Hot damn, Alpha. Congratulations. About time fate took care of your lonely ass.” Dylan looked to her. “Sorry. I’m not so good with my language. Zara told me I best fix it before the cubs come or I’m not allowed near them.”

  “Samantha, this is my beta and my sister’s mate, Dylan.” Dylan reached his hand out and she shook it. “He speaks the truth. Believe it or not, that language was church worthy compared to what he used to speak like.”

  “My man speaks the truth, but once you meet Zara, you’ll see that she doesn’t fool around, so have no fears, my language will be squeaky clean before next month.”

  She had to laugh. Big and, from what she had heard, overprotective beta, was running scared from the threats of his mate. Samantha had a feeling she was going to like Leo’s sister…a lot.

  “Laugh if you will, but you will see. Mating changes you.” He looked to Leo and back at Samantha. “So if I may…” She nodded, unsure what he was going to say but figuring it was best out there in the open. “You are not a lion.”

  “No, I’m not.” She wasn’t sure how much Leo wanted her to say so she left it at that.

  “I actually don’t smell shifter on you at all.” He leaned in a bit closer as if to make his point.

  “She’s a unicorn.” Leo’s voice was firm and left no secret that he was the alpha. From the way Dylan leaned back, Samantha guessed the tone had more to do with Dylan scenting her than her heritage.

  “Holy fuck! You have got to be kidding me. Like in the story?” Dylan’s eyes fixated on hers and she saw his power for the first time. She was glad her mate had a strong beta. A strong beta made a stronger alpha.

  “Dylan, you do realize we are seeing your mate in a few hours, right?” Leo teased. Samantha guessed he was trying to move past the “she was a unicorn” thing.

  “Aw, come on. You wouldn’t really tell her…would you?” The power she’d seen in Dylan only moments ago fled as he looked like a kid waiting for his teacher to call his mommy about missing homework. Samantha couldn’t wait to meet Zara.

  Samantha couldn’t help herself, and a giggle erupted as she pictured a short pregnant woman giving this big powerful beta a what for. The scene in her head was hilarious, and she wondered if Zara looked anything like the girl she had in her vision.

  “Great. You have a mate with your sense of humor.” Leo’s rich laughter belted through the office as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. It was a subtle sign of trust for a shifter to allow his mate to be closer to a male as powerful as she suspected Dylan to be, and that made her smile. “Seriously, though. You’re not going to tell her, right?” Leo’s laughter began anew. Samantha hoped life with her new mate meant that she was privileged to hear that glorious sound often.

  “I don’t know, Leo,” Samantha began, watching the beta as she spoke. “I mean, as a future mate, I don’t think I would like people keeping important things from me.”

  Dylan smirked. He saw her teasing for what it was.

  “Eh, screw it. She’ll know anyways. She always knows.” His eyes lit up as he spoke about his mate. She hoped she and Dylan would get to that point eventually. Right now, it was all mating-call attraction and getting to know you.

  “Fair point.” Leo’s breath hit the back of her neck as he spoke. Just when she thought he was getting control of this whole mating call, he had to go and do that. “So we have things to do today.”

  “I see that.” Dylan took a step back as he said it, as if preparing to run. These two acted like brothers.

  “Wise ass,” Leo mumbled.

  “Watch it or I’ll tell your mate.” Yep, brothers. “Mates don’t like it when you have a potty mouth.” He couldn’t even keep a straight face as he said it.

  “Yeah,” Samantha began. “It pisses me the fuck off when you spew shit like that around a fucking lady.”

  The room filled with laughter. It was nice to have a carefree silly moment after the horrible week she had just had.

  “Maybe I’ll see you guys back at my house later?” Dylan asked, walking toward the desk she now knew to be his.

  “Most likely. We have errands to do while Zara is at the midwife’s, so the timing should work out well.” Dylan’s inflection changed as he mentioned the midwife.

  “Thanks, man. I owe you.” Dylan looked relieved. “She told you not to tell me, didn’t she? Testing me to see if I would forget.”

  “You did forget.”

  “She made all of the appointments the first time she saw that woman. Who could possibly keep track of all that?” He pulled open the drawer and pulled out a tape measure.

  “Anyone with a phone, a date book, or a calendar?” Samantha piped in.

  “Har har.” Dylan smiled as he rose. “Okay, I’m off to measure for blinds for our offices. Hopefully, we can get back into them in the next few weeks. I love ya, but a man needs his space.”

  “I hear that.” Leo turned to face Dylan who was at the door, taking her with him. That was so much better than letting her go, she mused. “Thanks for taking care of the rebuild. I appreciate it.”

  “Anything to get away from your grumpy butt.” With that, he was gone, shutting the door behind him.

  Samantha turned in Leo’s arms to face her new mate. “So that is your sister’s overprotective mate? It kind of seems like she is the one running that household.”

  “They pretty much control each other. It is actually sort of cute in a sickeningly sweet way, but it gives me plenty of things to torment Dylan about.”

  Leo pulled back the tiniest bit and fearing he was leaving, Samantha put her hands around his neck. It was odd being so forward with someone she hadn’t even known a couple of days, but at the same time, it was nice and natural.

  “So what is the plan, Stan?” Pl
ease let it be kissing.

  “The plan is get you some clothes, grab some lunch, pick up a pie, and then visit my sister. Not necessarily all in that order.” Oh yeah, they actually did have a plan. Darn it. “Was there anything else you wanted to do?”

  She answered him by stepping up onto her tiptoes and pressing her lips against his. It was far from the romantic moment she saw in movies, and filled with more awkward than grace, but all of that was forgotten as she felt a roar vibrate in his chest as he took control of the moment. One taste of his lips and the power of the mating call seemed to amplify by 1,000 percent. Her body was practically singing for him at that one taste. She could only imagine what giving in completely would feel like.

  Samantha could see why most mates got straight to the mating part pretty much at first sight. It was a heady feeling, and when he sought entrance to her mouth with his tongue, she knew that once she opened, what little self-control she had left would dissipate. Letting him in would end in them mating here, in his shared office. It took all of her willpower, but she pulled away instead of giving in, practically whimpering as they broke contact.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I didn’t mean…I didn’t think—”

  He was out of breath when he interrupted her, clearly as affected by the kiss as she was. “I didn’t, either. Can you even imagine…”

  “I only pulled back because…well this is your office and…I…” She was practically stuttering as she tried to form a coherent sentence. Fate didn’t mess around, that was for sure.

  “Because if you didn’t, we wouldn’t have stopped.”

  He got it. Good. No more explaining needed. She needed to get out of this office before she decided to let the pheromones take over again. Without saying a word, she grabbed her bag and left the building, Leo following closely behind her.

  Chapter Six

  Lionville

  Once the air hit Samantha, her senses returned. She had no idea just how intense the mating call could be. Fate didn’t just present you with the perfect mate, she practically made it impossible for you not to accept her gift. Samantha sat on the steps outside the town hall and Leo joined her moments later.

  “That was intense.” Samantha wasn’t sure all what she wanted to say, but she knew she wanted to put it all out there. “I didn’t realize it would be like that when I kissed you. I wasn’t trying to be… I don’t know, a tease, I guess. I just wanted to kiss you and then…boom, hormones and pheromones and need. It just felt wrong to go into this all like that. Do I make any sense at all?”

  Leo’s hand touched the side of her face and gently guided her to look at him. “I had no idea, either. I knew from stories it would be like something I never experienced before, which is why I have been so hands-off, but the intensity in there was insane.”

  His thumb caressed her cheek and she contemplated saying “screw it” and going back to the kissing.

  “It was. Who am I kidding? It still is. Even here, with fresh air and a probable audience, all I can think about is kissing you again.” She pulled out of his touch. Just having his hand on her face was too much. “So what should we do first?”

  “I say we walk around town.” Yeah, getting into the enclosed truck was not a good plan right now, to be sure. “Maybe stop at the diner to eat. There’s a secondhand clothing store and a general store so you can grab a couple of changes of clothes, or we can drive to the city to hit the real stores after lunch. Either way, we should have plenty of time. Zara said any time after three, so if we need extra time, it’s not a problem.” He stood up and held his hand out to her. “Shall we?”

  “Sounds like a plan.” She took his hand and stood up, holding his sweats tightly around her to keep them from falling down. “I’m sure I can find something here. Shirts are one thing, but your sweats are not going to cut it.” They started toward the sidewalk. “So what is the name of the town anyways?”

  “Lionville.”

  She chuckled at his joke.

  “No, it really is.”

  “What? That’s crazy.” They took a right onto the walk. “Ohhh, hiding in plain sight.”

  “Yeah, back when the town was founded they figured if they told the world who they were, no one would think twice about it. After all, a lion would hide, right?” They passed a small florist slash monument business. It was creepy, but the combo made sense.

  “Is everything here a combo?” She pointed to the florist.

  “Pretty much. Not a big enough population to have things separate. The post office is also the general store and the secondhand shop is also the coffee shop and bakery.” They stopped at the corner and looked both ways before crossing. No traffic lights. No walk signals. It was refreshing to be out of the bustle of city life. “The diner is on this block.”

  Not that she needed him to tell her. She could smell the yummy goodness. They worked their way to the entrance, and Samantha started planning out her meal according to the magnificent aromas spilling into the street. She barely registered that they were walking into the cute little restaurant when a series of gasps, followed by a squee, filled her ears. The door hadn’t even closed behind them yet, but from her quick glance around the room, everyone’s eyes were on her.

  “They see you in my clothes,” Leo whispered in her ear. “That and my sister was probably bored and called all of her friends to gossip.”

  Small-town living was going to take some adjustment. She was used to trying to blend in, running when she stopped being invisible, but here she was, one day in her new town and already the center of attention. He pulled her toward the back of the restaurant and she gladly followed.

  “Will they always be so…interested in me?” she quietly asked as they sat down in the furthest booth.

  “I have no idea, quite honestly.” Not the answer she was hoping for. “Never brought a date around, much less a mate.”

  “Never?” That seemed wrong. He was gorgeous and had to be close to thirty. Surely he dated.

  “I moved here when I took over as alpha after Frank stood down. Before that, I would visit often, but I lived a few towns over.” Ahh, so dating yes, but not here. Why did that feel so…yuck? “My mom thought it would make me a stronger alpha if they didn’t remember me as a snotty kid. She was probably right. And no, never. What alpha would date someone who was not his mate?”

  “You never dated?” Not that she was a dater. A fling here or there, sure, but she never allowed herself to have more than that. It was not safe or fair for anyone involved.

  “Not since I became alpha two years ago.” He handed her a menu. “You are new to the pack-type structure of a clan, but being an alpha is a complicated place to be, and allowing anyone close like that who is not your mate isn’t the best plan.” So he was dateless because of his job. She felt bad for his loneliness but happy for her. This mating call was turning her into a possessive creeper. “Besides, Frank told me you were coming the year before he stepped down.”

  “You knew I was coming?”

  “You? No. I didn’t know that you were you until we met. Frank never let on that you were the same person he told me about back then.” His foot brushed hers under the table. They were worse than some hormonal teens. “Back then he told me to get my act in gear and ‘become a man worthy of a mate’ and then hinted that I didn’t have a lot of time. He was like that. Giving half the info and letting you figure out the rest.”

  Samantha could hear the sorrow in his voice. She’d only known Frank for a few months and she loved and missed him. She could only imagine the loss Leo was feeling.

  “Coffee?” The waitress pulled them from their oh-so-deep thoughts.

  “Iced tea?” Leo asked, looking at Samantha. She nodded. That sounded perfect. “We’ll have iced tea today, Mindy.”

  Samantha turned toward the waitress. “Unsweetened, please.” Mindy looked to be in her mid to late twenties and, if Samantha was correct, she was a wolf. That relieved Samantha a bit. It’s one thing to hear that her inabili
ty to sense what Leo and the others were was due to their lion nature, it was another to have proof that her senses were still working.

  “I’ll get right on that.” Instead of leaving to do just that, the waitress just stood there as if she wanted to say something and was unsure if she should.

  Leo broke the silence. “That’s a great idea, Mindy.” With that she bounced off to get their tea. Weird.

  “Am I expected to act like that around you?” If that was what respect to your alpha looked like, she going to have to take a big old pass.

  “Oh, no. No one is.” He leaned in close and whispered, “She is new to the clan. Her old pack was…well, not like ours. She is still adjusting.”

  “I didn’t…” She had no idea how to even finish that sentence and was relieved to be interrupted by two large glasses of iced tea.

  “Ready to order?”

  Samantha hadn’t even looked at the menu, but she knew what she wanted.

  “May I have a cheeseburger, medium with all the fixings, and a side of onion rings, please?”

  Mindy’s eyes went wide. Samantha had thought she was being polite, but the woman looked at her like she was picking her nose while meeting the president in a shirt that says “A blowjob is better than no job”.

  “I’ll have what my mate is having,” Leo added and Samantha could feel the tension break. Suck, was he supposed to order first?

  “Oh…” Mindy began to write furiously on her little pad. “Anything else, Alpha?”

  Leo looked up at her. His eyes were kind but firm. “Mindy, call me Mayor.”

  “Sorry, Mayor.” Mindy started to investigate the floor below her. “I still forget. I will try harder.”

  “You’re fine, Mindy.” His voice was still as firm as before, but it had a different feel to it, almost like a hug.

  “Thank you…Mayor.”

  “When you put the order in, can you see if you have an extra banana pie back there we could bring to my sister?” His voice was lighter and more conversational, and she could see Mindy perk up at that. Samantha would need to ask him about all of this. Did they just hear his voice and respond according to tone, or was he like in the story books of her childhood where they actually felt his power?