Quarterback Lion: A Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance

by Lilly Pink

  When they arrived back at the pride’s caves, he went into what would become his and Olivia’s home and allowed her to climb down off of his back. Greg shifted and took Olivia in his arms. After a few moments, he pulled back just enough so that he was able to take her face in his hands and bend to place a light kiss on her lips.

  “I was so scared, Greg,” Olivia said after he pulled his lips off of hers. “I thought they were going to kill you.”

  Greg wiped away the tears that had begun streaming down her cheeks at her admission. “Oh, baby, don’t cry,” he said. “Everything is okay now. No one got seriously injured, and I am sure that any injuries incurred by anyone else have also healed up by now. We are very capable of protecting ourselves, so you don’t need to worry about us.”

  Olivia just stared at him. It would take time for her to learn all of their strengths and abilities, and Greg knew that he was going to have to be patient with her. He wasn’t the first in his pride to take a human as his mate, so he had learned a few things over the years. He knew that having a human mate would mean having patience, and being open to teaching them everything a lion shifter mate would already know about their lives.

  “Let’s go check in with everyone else and then we can come back in to rest for a while, or I can take you back home if you wish. Whatever you want to do, okay?”

  “Alright,” Olivia said, so he took her hand and laced their fingers together, then he led her back outside where the rest of the pride had congregated around a fire, and were waiting on Greg and Olivia to join them.

  His mother saw the worry and fear on Olivia’s face and quickly shifted into her human form. She came over to them and pulled Olivia into a tight hug.

  “Oh, honey, are you alright?” she asked. She pulled back to look Olivia over and check her for any signs that she may have been hurt during the attack.

  “I am alright,” Olivia replied. “I’m just glad to see that everyone made it through. Those things were nasty and I didn’t know how you all would be able to come out alive, given how many of them there were.”

  Olivia and Jane hugged once more and Jessica joined them as they all three hugged and shared in their relief that no one had gotten seriously hurt. Greg left them to it and went over to discuss perimeter checks with the other males in the pride.

  A short while later, with a patrolling schedule set up for the pride, Greg headed back over to Olivia to see where she wanted to stay for the night. When he approached Olivia with his mother and Jessica, he was surprised to see excitement and happiness in his mother and Jessica’s faces. Olivia was smiling at them both and his mother hugged her tightly, and lifted her off of the ground in her own excitement. He had no idea what could have made all three of them so happy and excited all of a sudden, but the sound of Olivia’s laughter when his mother lifted her up was one of the greatest things he had ever heard.

  When Greg reached the three women, his mother sat Olivia back down and released her from her embrace. Greg looked at the three women, all were still smiling from ear to ear, and raised an eyebrow in question.

  “So, who is going to tell me what has gotten ya’ll so excited right now?” he asked.

  He put his arm around Olivia’s waist from the side and looked down at her, waiting expectantly. She smiled and glanced back at his mother for a moment. Greg looked at his mother as well and watched as her smile got even bigger and she nodded at Olivia.

  Olivia turned her body so that she was standing in front of him and put her arms around his waist, and he followed her lead and did the same to her and he was looking down at her expectantly.

  “I want to be your mate,” she said.

  Greg blinked in confusion. They had talked about it enough that he had already been certain Olivia planned to become his mate officially before his three-month time frame was entirely gone. Therefore, he wasn’t sure what made her say this right now, and why his mother and Jessica looked like they were going to jump right out of their skin they were so excited.

  “Right now.”

  Greg’s eyes flashed back to Olivia and away from his mother and Jessica. When he looked back at Olivia she was smiling, and he could have sworn her eyes twinkled up at him.

  “Are you serious?” Greg asked her. His voice was barely audible, but Olivia had heard him.

  Olivia leaned up on her toes and kissed him. When she released his lips, she said, “Absolutely.”

  Greg didn’t waste any more time before he grabbed her hand and quickly pulled her into their private cave. Just as he turned around to face Olivia, nearly ready to rip her clothes off of her body in a frenzy, a thought occurred to him.

  “Wait, what made you suddenly decide to go through with this right now?” he asked Olivia.

  Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body into his as she said, “I just realized I don’t want to waste another moment not being with you in every way.”

  He stared at her trying to decide if she was telling him the whole truth or not. Greg knew that she felt the same mate bond for him as he did for her, but was still skeptical about the timing and suddenness of her decision for them to mate that night.

  “Does this have anything to do with what happened tonight?” he asked her. “With the Diochantis attacking us?”

  Olivia sighed, and he knew that was his answer.

  “Greg, there were a few things that happened tonight that led me to this decision; I am not going to lie to you about that. Seeing you get attacked because you paused to check on me, then not having any power to help protect you or our family, was terrifying and frustrating. I know you think it should always be you who protects me, but if I was already your mate when we got attacked tonight I could have helped, and you wouldn’t have gotten hurt at all.”

  Greg rested his forehead against Olivia’s and sighed. “Baby, you can’t mate me because you want to fight beside me. When we mate, I want it to be for the right reasons; not just because you were scared into it.”

  She took his face in her hands and held his face up so that Greg had to look at her. Olivia searched his face for a moment and then she smiled.

  “Well it is a good thing I said that there were a few things that happened tonight which lead me to my decision.”

  Olivia paused and Greg stared at her, begging her to go on with his eyes. “You told me that you loved me. I didn’t realize how badly I wanted to hear those words from you until that moment. I hadn’t realized that those three words were what I had been waiting for all along; what I needed to help me make my decision.”

  Greg had stopped breathing. This was really happening. Olivia really wanted to be his mate, and not just because of some big scare that made her feel like she didn’t have a choice. She accepted his love, and wanted to become his for life.

  “I love you too, Greg Wilds, and I do not want to wait another moment to become your mate.”

  He didn’t need to hear anything else. Greg kissed Olivia hard, and coaxed her mouth open so that he could massage her tongue with his own. When she moaned into his mouth he nearly lost it right then. He pulled away long enough to remove all of her clothes.

  “I need to see you, baby,” Greg said as he pulled off Olivia’s bra and panties.

  He sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of her stripped down for him for the first time.

  Greg lifted her up and Olivia wrapped her legs around his waist. As he carried her over to an area in the cave that was lined with plush grass and hay for more comfort, Greg sealed their mouths back together. He lowered Olivia to the ground slowly, keeping his arms underneath her to cushion her back as he laid her down. Greg pulled away from Olivia’s mouth and trailed kisses down her jaw to the side of her neck.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said softly into her ear as he was kissing and nibbling her neck. “I can’t wait to make you mine.”

  Olivia panted and moaned as he traveled down her body. He used his mouth and tongue to worship every inch of her body, and when he pulled back fr
om her core between her thighs, Olivia sat up and reached for him.

  “Greg, please,” she said in a husky voice that drove Greg wild and had him ready to explode in an instant.

  He kissed his way back up her body and held himself up over Olivia on his forearms. He kissed her passionately as he slowly pushed his hard length inside of her.

  “Gggrrr,” Greg growled as he slowly entered Olivia’s wet heat. He had never experienced a pleasure so great. “Oh, baby, you feel, agh…” Greg’s words were cut off as Olivia shifted her body, grinding upwards as she took him deeper inside of herself. “Olivia, you feel so amazing.”

  Greg made love to Olivia slowly at first, but when he felt her body begin to heat up and saw her body begin to glow bright like sunshine, he knew that her change was upon her. It was more beautiful than he ever imagined and he couldn’t hold back anymore. Olivia was digging her nails into his back and matching his thrusts with her own.

  “Oh God, Greg. Ohhhh!” Olivia was crying out in pleasure, and her skin was glowing so brightly that Greg was forced to close his eyes when he leaned down to capture her lips with his.

  When Olivia arched her back and Greg felt her back-pleasure ripple through her body that was all he needed for him to reach his own climax.

  “Grrr, Olivia!” he growled out his mate’s name.

  As they both took time to allow their breathing to calm down, Greg laid down beside Olivia and pulled her against his chest.

  Her body was warmer than it had been before, and her skin still had a slight glow to it. Her hair appeared to be glowing a little as well, and when she opened her eyes and looked at Greg he was stunned by her eyes. Her hazel eyes were now gold, and like the rest of her, they glowed slightly as she looked at him.

  “You’re gorgeous,” Greg told her and he planted a soft kiss to her lips.

  Olivia smiled at him. “I love you, Olivia,” Greg told her as she looked at him.

  She smiled brightly and said, “I love you too.”

  Greg pulled Olivia to his chest and closed his eyes, and for the first time he fell asleep holding the woman he loved as his mate.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Olivia

  When Olivia woke up, she felt stronger than ever. She looked around and was amazed at how clear everything was despite the fact that it was still dark inside of the cave. She could hear the others moving around outside as if they were right next to her, and she could depict every lion’s distinct scent; no two smelled exactly the same. She sat up and looked down at herself and gasped when she noticed that her skin was glowing.

  Greg woke up and grabbed her hands in his own when she gasped.

  “Baby, are you okay?” he asked her.

  “I’m glowing,” she said, and she looked up from her body to look at Greg.

  Her new mate just smiled at her and nodded.

  “Yes, you are. It is beautiful.”

  “I don’t remember meeting anyone else who glows, Greg. Did something go wrong?” She was beginning to panic, but Greg’s smile never wavered.

  “Nothing went wrong, Olivia. You are perfect.” Greg said. He wrapped his arms around her as he continued, “You are amazing. I’ve only ever heard stories of a true queen lion, until now.”

  Olivia thought she must have heard him wrong. “What are you saying, Greg? Are you trying to tell me I am special somehow?” she asked.

  He kissed her forehead and said, “Yes. That is exactly what I am saying. Every few hundred years a true queen is awoken within our pride. A queen will glow bright as the sun. You, Olivia, are definitely as beautiful and bright as the sun. Your skin, hair, and eyes are all putting off a beautiful golden glow, just like sunlight. I have never seen anything like this.”

  “Wait! You said that my hair and eyes are glowing, too?” she asked Greg. Her words came out rushed and edgy. She was trying to not panic, but she wasn’t doing a good job.

  “Olivia, babe, you need to try to calm down. Nothing is wrong, trust me. If anything, you’re probably the strongest lion in our pride right now. Hell, the strongest lion currently alive, actually.”

  Olivia sat still and stared at Greg while she tried to wrap her mind around what he had just said. “So, you’re saying I am stronger and faster than even you?”

  Greg smiled wide. “Maybe.” He drew the word out like it was merely a possibility instead of something he knew for sure.

  Olivia jumped up and accidentally knocked Greg backwards in her haste. “Shit!” she exclaimed and she instinctively held out her hand to help him stand up. “I’m not even sure how I was able to knock you over like that.”

  Greg laughed and wrapped his arm around her waist as he used his other hand to brush her hair back from her face, and tuck it behind her ear. “You are a lot stronger now than you were yesterday. Don’t worry, you will learn to control it soon enough.”

  Olivia stared at Greg for a minute, absorbing his words. After a moment, she remembered why she had jumped up in the first place. “How do I shift?” she asked Greg, and there was no hiding the excitement in her tone.

  “You just think lion, and you will change,” Greg answered her. “Go ahead and give it a try.”

  Greg backed up to give her some space and Olivia took a deep breath. Olivia pictured herself as a lion and felt a rush of heat go through her body, and then she was standing on four legs instead of two. Overjoyed at her new form, and the strength she felt flowing through her, she roared loudly at Greg, hoping he would understand what she wanted from him. Apparently they were on the same page because he shifted, and in a flash they were both lions and she took off running out of the cave with Greg right behind her.

  She had planned to head straight out for a run to see if her new “queenly” form was faster than that of her mate, but when they made it out of the cave the entire pride was there. As soon as they laid eyes on her she heard them in her head as they all made one collective mental gasp.

  Jane, her new mother-in-law, so to speak, was the first to let out a loud roar but the rest of the pride followed suit very soon after her. As their collective roar came to an end, Olivia watched as each member of her new family, of her lion pride, kneeled down before her and Greg. She decided they must be kneeling to Greg, who was officially their new lion king now that he’d officially taken her as his mate.

  No sooner than that thought crossed her mind, she heard Greg’s voice in her head. “No, Olivia. They aren’t bowing for me. They are bowing for their new queen.”

  Olivia couldn’t believe that this was her life, that she was now the queen of not just her own lion pride, but the queen of all of the lion shifters. If a lion could cry, then she was crying now. When she felt Greg gently push his head against the side of her face in a sign of support, her nerves calmed down.

  This was her family she thought, and she smiled to herself. She had a family now, and it was one that she knew would stand by her side through anything. Feeling a sense of happiness rush through her at that thought, Olivia stood tall and roared for all to hear. Then she took off running and for the first time she was going to explore the pride lands on her own, and not have to miss a thing on Greg’s back. The rest of her new lion pride let out one more unified roar and took off right behind her. Olivia had been terrified of what it would mean for her to become a lion-shifter for the past few weeks, but now that she had made the change, she had no more reservations. She knew deep inside that this was what she was born for. She was right where she was supposed to be, and now that she’d made the change and become Greg’s mate, she was exactly who she was meant to become.

  ***

  Over the next few weeks, Olivia was busy learning about her new self and all of the new skills she had gained with her change, like perfecting the mind speech the lions communicated through, and blocking her thoughts when she felt the need. After her initial change, and all of the excitement that followed, it had suddenly hit Olivia that she had never gotten around to tying up all of her loose ends in her human life.


  She had been expecting at least a few more weeks to get her things in order, but when the moment came, she’d known that she didn’t want to wait any longer to officially join Greg and the pride. Unfortunately, that meant she had left certain things up in the air, including saying goodbye to Jimmy. When she went to Greg to discuss her concerns, she was happy to find that he’d already been preparing for what would have to be done.

  Apparently, he had started looking into things for both of them since right after the pride’s run the morning of her change.

  Greg had called in the help of the Whytes to alter the memories of the people they knew in their human lives and give them closure. This was to make sure neither of them wound up on missing persons’ flyers. The Whytes, Olivia learned, were magical creatures with tremendous powers. Like the Diochantis, they possessed the powers of sorcerers, but their powers were used for good instead of evil.

  They made her think of fairies, with their flawless pale skin and soft features, and especially because they could fly. They didn’t have wings like the fairies in human folklore, but they were very small; none of them taller than twelve inches.

  Olivia was discovering that lion shifters and sorcerers were only a very small piece of the magical world she was now a part of. It was a lot to take in, but she was keeping an open mind. Olivia had enjoyed herself since her transformation, but she and Greg barely had any alone time together. They did have a home together now, a family home that had been passed down through Greg’s family that was located in the woods near the pride’s caves, but they had really only used it as a place to crash, so far.

  Since their mating, they had spent nearly every minute with the pride as Olivia learned about her new family and her new self. Thankfully, as she had recently learned, lion shifters lived longer lives than humans. They were not immortal, but they lived up to five hundred years on average. That meant she had plenty of time to learn all about her new self, and to live out her life with Greg.