Living a Lion: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Sleeping Lions - Shifters Prime Book 1)

by Harmony Raines

  Chapter Ten – Amara

  She was going home. She … was … going …home!

  Amara tried to keep calm and not alert anyone to what was happening. Darius had been waiting for them after they left the boat house, and when Kane had told him his decision to leave, his uncle had seemed both relieved and terrified.

  “I will do everything I can to help you, Kane,” Darius said.

  “What about you, Darius, why don’t you leave and come with us,” Kane asked.

  “For now, my place is here. I can’t walk away from everything I have built. I know it’s hard for you to understand but there are many people like me, sleeping shifters they call us.” He smiled. “Stupid name. But apt, considering all my lion has done since I came here is sleep. I think he has been dormant for so long he doesn’t know how to wake up. The moon no longer calls me.”

  “One day you will return, though. Won’t you?” Amara asked, sensing the deep sadness in Darius.

  “I hope so. And that day may be sooner than we all think if this goes wrong. Kane, you must do as I say: keep to the story I have given you until you are well inside the Prime. If anyone sees you, or recognises you, then you might not even get as far as our pride lands.”

  “Great, you mean I’m about to put myself in a whole mess of danger.” But even as he spoke, Kane seemed different somehow; he might be resigned to what he had to do, but he also looked committed. Amara hoped that commitment would not wane when things got rough. And they would get rough, right about the time he finally took the bracelet from his wrist.

  “Not just that, Kane,” Darius said, a hitch in his voice as he finished, “You are about to live. For the first time in your life, you will find out what it is like to truly be alive.”

  Amara’s lioness moved in the corners of her mind and she knew if she could see her, she would be roaring in agreement. “We should hurry.”

  “Yes, come on. I have everything arranged, so go to your room and pack as if you are going on a business trip, because that is the pretence of your journey into Shifters Prime. I have all the paperwork ready, your visa, and a meeting set up. When you pass through the border, it will look as if you are a normal businessman.”

  “You mean they won’t test my blood?” he asked.

  “No, the guards on this side only test those coming from Shifters Prime. Once you reach the other side of the border, I have made arrangements for you to be met by someone loyal to me. He will take you to a safe place, where you can hole up for a few days while you get used to the new you.” Darius nodded. “I am so very proud of you, Kane.”

  “I still think you should come with us,” Kane said,

  Amara moved towards the house. “Enough trying to persuade him. We all have our paths to walk, and for now ours is separate from Darius’s. Don’t make it harder on him.”

  “You know, the hardest thing in all this is going to have be putting up with being bossed around by a woman who only yesterday was a servant,” Kane said, but his words now held a spark of humour.

  “Well, you had better get used to it, Kane. She is the one who will keep you alive, who will help you learn who you need to be,” Darius said.

  “You’re sure she won’t just run off on me once we are across the border?” Kane joked.

  Amara froze and turned back to him. “I will keep you alive, Kane. You have to trust me.”

  “I do,” he said, his eyes meeting hers. “I don’t know why, but I do.”

  “Good, then let’s get packed.” She turned away, hiding the look of desire she knew was plastered all over her face. Listening to her mate talk, seeing him so strong, yet vulnerable, stirred her craving for him. But that had to wait. She wanted him to see it for himself, wanted him to recognise her as his mate rather than being told how he was supposed to behave, how he was supposed to feel towards her.

  Perhaps it was because the collar muted her thoughts and feelings, and she was scared she had made a mistake. After all, she was just a lowly lioness; she certainly would never have dreamed that she was destined to be the mate of the leader of one of the oldest and strongest prides in the Prime.

  She walked into the house, trying to act normally. Darius was going to go to the kitchen and explain to Mrs. Bower what was happening. He planned to make it sound as though there was a big emergency, and that was why Kane was taking Amara with him, rather than anyone else. Because, let’s face it, she wasn’t exactly the best choice to help. She had no idea about the Reinier Corporation or its internal workings.

  “Amara,” Misty’s voice called out to her, and she groaned inwardly. Lying to Misty was going to be hard. “I was worried, where have you been?”

  “Misty. Mr. Reinier had something to ask me.” She kept walking; she needed to pack quickly.

  “Oh, like what?” Misty asked, running to catch up.

  “He wants me to accompany Kane Reinier to the Prime.” She winced at Misty’s sharp intake of breath.

  “Why you?” Misty accused. “Not that I’m not pleased for you … but why not me, I have only two months left! I could go with him.”

  Amara shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe because I have more current information about the Prime. You know, things are changing over there all the time.”

  “That sounds like a lame excuse,” Misty said.

  They had reached Amara’s room; it was in the servants’ quarters, a small room, sparsely furnished, and the bathroom was shared. Amara had not brought many of her belongings, so it wouldn’t take her long to pack, but she needed to get rid of Misty.

  “I’m sorry it’s not you, Misty. But it’s not my decision, I only hope things don’t go wrong. I would hate for my contract to be lengthened because I made a mistake while we are over there.”

  Misty looked concerned. “Surely that wouldn’t happen. If nothing else, you should have your contract shortened.”

  “Do you think?” Amara lifted her hand and stroked her collar. “I think it will be like torture over there, if I am not allowed to remove my collar.”

  “Oh, yuck, to be in the Prime and still have to wear that. Maybe I don’t envy you at all. When I return, this thing will be off my neck before my feet touch the ground over there.” Misty seemed satisfied, although Amara did feel guilty at the lie.

  “Listen, when we both are back in the Prime, let’s get together. OK?” Amara asked.

  “Sure. I never asked, by the way, what are you? I mean, I don’t usually like to talk about it; it’s like some unwritten rule, but so I know where to find you.”

  “I am a lioness, from the Satoma Pride.”

  “Ah, a big cat. Well, I am a horse, I thought the long hair might give it away,” she said, swishing her long, blonde hair. “I live out on the Carmpatha Plains. I’m not sure how my herd will feel about a lioness among them, but you will be welcome.”

  They hugged each other, and as Misty pulled away, Amara said, “Thank you for being there for me, Misty. I don’t think I would have survived a day here on my own.”

  “Yes, you would. You’re strong; I can see that. Hey, you have to be, you’re a lioness.” Misty hugged her again. “Now, you take care, and if you ever get in trouble over there with Kane, you head over to my people and they will protect you.”

  “I have claws; I should be able to protect myself. But thank you, Misty. May we meet again.”

  “We will meet again,” Misty said. “Although if I don’t go down and help Mrs. Bower with dinner, I might not survive the night.”

  “I’m not sure if they are eating before we leave,” Amara said, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

  “I’ll go see. You go pack.” Misty disappeared down the stairs, leaving Amara staring after her. Then she quickly went into her room and began to pack, making sure she took everything with her, because she wasn’t coming back. Ever.

  Chapter Eleven – Kane

  “Here is your passport and visa,” Darius handed some papers to Kane. “And this, Amara, is your contract. I have marked it pai
d, and signed it.”

  “Thank you,” Amara said, taking it from Darius and tucking it in her purse. She looked beautiful, as though the sun had come up, bringing her back to life. The collar glittered around her neck, but he thought that, sometimes, he glimpsed her lioness, lurking, ready to be freed as soon as the metal band was removed.

  “Now, you know the story; it’s imperative you both stick to it for as long as possible. I need a couple days to make sure the arrangements are made if I need to run,” Darius was saying quietly as they walked towards the checkpoint.

  “If you need to run?” Kane asked. He hadn’t fully thought through how this was going to reflect on Darius. “You mean if it gets out I am a shifter; they will come looking for you?”

  “I have enough enemies that they won’t just come looking, they will hunt me down. And most likely shoot me as a lion and hang my hide on their wall.” Darius made light of it, but Kane wasn’t fooled.

  “I’m sorry,” Kane said uneasily.

  “Don’t be. Not at all. I knew this day would come; it’s what I raised you for. Remember all those mixed martial arts classes I made you go to. All those strategy meetings I made sure you sat in on, even though you were bored to death.” Darius grinned, lifting his head and taking a breath. “This is the closest I’ve ever been to the Prime since I left. I can smell it on the air.”

  “Darius,” Kane said, but his uncle had turned abruptly away.

  “I have to go,” Darius said, his head down, his eyes averted. “You can do this; I know you can. I might see you soon.”

  And then he was alone with Amara, their luggage at their feet. “Cars don’t go across?” he asked.

  “No. You would have to pay too much tax on it. The governor of the Otherworld does not like Shifters Prime to have anything shiny and new.” She looked up at him, and he wanted to bend his head and kiss her. “You are beautiful.”

  “Shh. You are my boss and the owner of my contract. If they hear you say things like that, they will think we are eloping to the Prime.” She picked up her luggage, and his.

  “Wait, no. I can carry them,” he said,

  “You hand over the papers. Make sure you are condescending enough that they won’t ask any questions,” Amara said.

  “I don’t think I have ever been condescending in my life,” he said.

  “Really? You are the nephew of one of the richest men in the city, and you have never used the words, do you know who I am?” she asked, a smile glinting in her eyes.

  “No, my uncle brought me up to see everyone as equals,” Kane said, feeling the sudden urge to thank his uncle for everything he had done to give him the best possible start in life. And to make sure he had a life at all. He still shuddered to think what would have happened if Serrif had caught him or his brothers.

  Kane stopped and thought of the brothers he didn’t know. Where were they, what were they doing, had they had a good life? Or had Serrif already secretly found them and murdered them? There was so much he didn’t know, so much that scared him about this new life.

  “Don’t stop, they are looking at you,” Amara said out of the side of her mouth. She took his hand briefly and squeezed it, giving him that same electric shock that always sparked him into life.

  “Let’s do this,” he said and strode forward, conjuring up the image of Mr. Belvedour, one of his uncle’s adversaries, who came from one of the oldest families in the city. The amount of times he had spoken to Darius as though he was something unpleasant stuck to the bottom of his shoe because he classed him as new money. That was who he had to be now.

  “Papers, sir,” the border guard asked.

  “Here,” Kane said, taking them from his pocket and handing them over to the guard.

  As the guard leafed through them, looking at the picture and then at Kane, studying his face intently, Kane looked at the gates that lay ahead of them. They were big wooden gates, ornate, but he guessed they were reinforced, built to keep shifters on the other side, in Shifters Prime.

  “And why are you travelling across the border?” the guard asked.

  “Business.” Short one-word answers didn’t get you in trouble. At least that was what he hoped.

  “What kind of business?”

  “None of yours,” Kane answered.

  “It is when you are travelling with a contract,” The guard looked at Amara, with dislike.

  Kane thought his uncle had said this was an easy border to cross. He hoped Darius had it right, because any moment now he expected to be taken to an interrogation room.

  “Her contract is paid, and she has agreed to be my guide. Some idiot on that side has been screwing up orders. Countless telephone calls have failed to get the problem sorted out, so I have no other option than to go there myself.” Kane sighed deeply. “Believe me, it’s the last thing I want to do. But you know what these creatures are like.” He inclined his head towards Amara, hoping she would forgive him for the way he spoke about her.

  “Bloody bunch of animals. That’s what they are, how can you expect them to behave intelligently when they have small brains?” the guard said.

  Kane clenched his fist and then relaxed. So this was what it was like to be one of them, a shifter, disliked by the pure humans. But he forced himself to relax. He had to get through the gate and across into Shifters Prime.

  “Right. We just need to take this one’s blood so we can cross-match it with the contract. Don’t want to let the wrong one go free.” The guard moved over to Amara. “Sleeve.”

  Amara placed one of the suitcases down on the ground and rolled her sleeve up. The guard took a thing that looked like a gun and placed it against her skin. She flinched as it made a popping sound, but the guard took no notice or offered no apology for the pain. He simply looked at the small gun and then, when it beeped, cross-checked it with the contract.

  “OK. You are clear to go. The DNA matches.” He stood back and they walked forward, Amara struggling with the cases, but Kane didn’t stop and offer to help. He simply looked in front, as if he had done this a thousand times and he didn’t have a voice in his head telling him to turn around and run as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

  The huge gate opened and they went through. Into an empty courtyard.

  “What’s this? There’s nothing here,” he said.

  “This is no man’s land. Don’t turn around, but there are two big guns trained on us; it’s to stop anyone from the other side making a run for it. What they don’t know is that no one in their right mind would choose to come through these gates. There are other ways those in the Prime can come and go unseen.”

  The gates shut behind them, a hiss as they were sealed, shutting off his old life, while in front of them, a small door stood ajar. He stopped, waiting for someone to come through and check their papers, but no one came.

  “Just go through,” Amara said.

  He ducked under the doorway and entered a small compound.

  “OK, stop there,” a voice said, and a man appeared, a gun hitched over his shoulder.

  “I am Kane Reinier, I have been sent…”

  “I know who you are. And I still need to see your papers.” The guard, if that’s what he was, because he wasn’t wearing a uniform—unless jeans and a black T-shirt were it—took his papers.

  “I think everything is in order. My uncle said there would be someone here to help us,” Kane said.

  “There certainly is. But first I have to test your DNA. I want to be sure you are one of us.”

  “I thought you were told not to,” Kane said, getting increasingly worried.

  “Don’t worry, this is an informal check. I know what’s at stake, but I also know how many times they have tried to infiltrate us,” the guard said.

  “Infiltrate you?” Kane asked.

  “Yep. You know, this whole border thing works both ways. We don’t want them walking all over our land and spying on us, just as much as they don’t want us. So we check.” He pressed the gun agai
nst Kane’s neck.

  “Ouch,” Kane said. It was as if he had been stung by the mother of all mosquitoes.

  “Well, I don’t have anything to match it to, but you are one of us.” The guard put the gun back in a side holster. “I am pleased to welcome you to Shifters Prime.”

  “Can we move away from the gates?” Amara asked nervously. “I keep thinking they will pull me back.”

  “Not without trespassing on Shifters Prime soil. And anyway, they are too frightened of us.” He took the suitcases from Amara. “I am Frasier, and my job is to take you somewhere safe. So let’s go.”

  Still dazed at being on the wrong side of the border, Kane followed Frasier. His new life was here now, but he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t prefer to run back and tell them he had made a mistake. Yet the scent of Amara, and the look of happiness on her face at being in her homeland, was enough to keep him here.

  Chapter Twelve – Amara

  Frasier ushered them into a beaten-up old truck. “Sorry it isn’t anything better, but humans do like to keep us in the dark ages. The only vehicles over here are those that were left behind when the border went up. We’ve started to manufacture our own, but no new vehicles have made it this far south yet,” he told them.

  “Really? You mean no vehicles at all come through to Shifters Prime?” Kane asked.

  “No, big deliveries are done by freight train. There are stations along the border where goods are dealt with. It’s not so bad; you have to remember, for traveling, we can all shift into our animal and move that way. Unless you’re a mouse of course, then it gets mighty tiresome. Little guys hitchhiking, you should see them,” Frasier said.

  “He’s joking,” Amara said, watching the expression on Kane’s face. “He’s a bear, bears have this weird sense of humour.”

  “Only those who work the frontier,” Frasier said. “Goodness knows you need a sense of humour to cope with what we see.”

  “Where are we headed?” Amara asked as he started the truck and they began to bump along a road that didn’t look as if it had been resurfaced for years.