by Celia Kyle
He heard Ricker do the same, the two of them tossing their discarded clothing onto the truck’s floorboard.
The man’s gaze met his. “You’re really going at it this way? Expecting trouble?”
Grayson shrugged. “It’s obvious the two of you expect to shift and come at my ass. I’m the pride’s Second. I’m not about to let you two beat on me without getting my own.”
Plus, it’d been a while since he’d sparred. His cat constantly wanted to hunt Honor. The only way to keep the lion in check was to exhaust the beast. So, he usually got together with another Tracker or two when in Chicago and worked off his excess energy in the gym.
As long as the males weren’t trying to kill him, he’d enjoy himself a little.
Grayson shoved the door closed with a resounding thunk and strode toward his Prime. Alex stayed in place with his arms crossed over his chest. It wasn’t until a handful of feet separated them that his leader moved. He allowed his arms to relax and rest at his sides. Grayson didn’t miss the way the other lion wiggled his fingers. Alex loosened his muscles and his nails darkened ever so slightly.
Great.
“Prime.” He tilted his head, acknowledging Alex’s dominance and power.
“Grayson.” Alex held Grayson’s gaze, not blinking, not releasing him. Damn cats were the best at staring someone down. How often had he done that to others at the council headquarters?
“Is there a reason I’m here instead of home?” Might as well plow ahead. The Prime’s gaze flicked to Ricker and then the male’s claw-tipped fingers gripped Grayson’s upper arms. He tugged against the tiger’s grip, testing the ex-Tracker. “Not much of a fair fight, is it, Alex?”
“I need you to remain calm and I don’t want this to get bloody.”
Shit. Gray opened his mouth a fraction and pulled in the afternoon air. Heat flowed over his tongue and with it came the scents surrounding him.
Ricker was resigned; his smells indicated he did as he was told, and he didn’t feel passionately one way or the other. Yes, now that they were with Alex, he was calm.
But Alex… Unease, worry, and concern with a hint of anxiety.
“Whatever it is, just say it, Alex.” He narrowed his eyes at his Prime. “We’ve been through too much together for you to turn into a pussy on me now.”
Alex glared at him, and his leader flexed his hands again. Fur slid free of the man’s skin, telling Grayson without words that the male was ready for the coming fight.
Grayson tugged on Ricker’s hold, but the massive tiger didn’t release him.
Dick.
“I’m putting a three-mile air and land ban surrounding the pride house.”
He furrowed his brow. “Okay.” He tugged on his captive’s grip. “What does that have to do with me?”
“Everyone, Grayson.”
“Okay.” Confusion still plagued him. “Why? If there’s someone at the pride house who’s so important, why don’t you want the guards at the house? Did they bring their own protection?”
Alex approached him, and Ricker’s grasp tightened. His Prime cupped his face, blackened nails digging into his skin near his ears. A reminder he was at his leader’s mercy. “They don’t have any protection. Right now, I’m what’s standing between her and whatever demons are after her. She needs everyone,” the dominant lion shook him slightly, “everyone to stay away.”
She…
“Who is it? Why?” the cat growled, knowing the answer already.
Bright amber eyes bored into him. “Honor. I don’t know what happened to her, but it’s enough for her to quit school and come home. She refuses her parents, her brother, everyone. Right now, the only thing between her and insanity is me.” Those deadly claws dug into his flesh, and the ache slid into him. “You will not ruin that.”
“But she’s mine. Mine.” Fur burst from Grayson’s pores, shoving beyond his skin and coating his arms. It slithered over his flesh, moving to his shoulders, skating over his neck and traveling to his jaw. “What happened to her?” He yanked against Ricker, but the tiger was unmovable. “Mine.”
“Listen to me, Grayson.” His Prime’s voice was commanding and cold. “I don’t know, but I’ll never find out if you don’t stay away. The entire pride is banished from the house.”
A rolling growl formed in his chest. There was no way he could have suppressed the sound if he’d tried. Then again, he hadn’t tried to quiet the beast. The two males were keeping him from his mate. If she was hurt, she needed him.
“Grayson, listen to me.” Alex gripped harder and more of his blood flowed from the wounds. “Do you think she quit school for no reason? Do you think she abandoned her master’s degree on a whim? Something sent her running with her tail between her legs. I can’t find out what that is if I have to worry about you. You need to stay away.”
Away? Away from his mate? True, he hadn’t scented her after she’d gone through her first heat—without him—but it had to have happened by now and there was no doubt she belonged to him. Even before her heat she’d carried the flavors that told the cat she was theirs. She just hadn’t ripened. That’s when he’d begun spending more time outside Ridgeville than in it.
The cat pushed against its mental cage, pounding the steel bars with its body, and reached between them to claw and scratch Grayson’s mind. The lion wanted to be free, to burst from their holds and race to Honor’s side. Alex was wrong. She needed him, his protection. He’d kill whatever frightened her, and then she would come to him, stay with him.
Grayson merely had to get through Alex first.
He tried tugging against Ricker while jerking his head away from his Prime. Neither male moved though the action did force his leader to sink his claws deeper into his flesh. He imagined a good bit of blood would be spilled by the time all was said and done.
He cracked the door on the lion’s pen, allowing it to ease through the doorway. First its dark nose emerged quickly followed by its muzzle. Then shoulders and the cat’s body burst free in a rush.
The transformation from human to beast was just as fast. The remainder of his skin was replaced by fur and his animal’s form forced him to four feet. The speed of his shift tore him from Ricker’s and Alex’s grasps. Deep furrows were carved into his flesh as he ripped out of their hold, but they were inconsequential.
Grayson took two massive strides and burst past them, putting distance between him and Ricker and Alex. He’d run, race into the forest and straight to the pride house, but he couldn’t turn his back on those two. They’d pounce the moment he bolted for the tree line.
He had to subdue them first.
“Damn it, Grayson,” his Prime snarled, and his name ended with a giant lion’s roar as Alex’s shift rippled through him.
Like Grayson’s clothing, the lion’s shorts were now tatters. Movement to his right drew his attention, and he noted Ricker’s shift. The large tiger quickly dropped from two legs to four as orange and black stripes replaced skin.
Grayson flexed his claws, digging them into the soft soil, and then he spread his toes, stretching the tendons. He hadn’t had many opportunities to shift when he traveled to Chicago—sparring had been in human form—and his lion gloried in the freedom.
Alex shook his head, golden mane fluffing with the action. Grayson acknowledged the lion was stronger and larger than him. He let his attention drift to his other opponent. The tiger was bigger than them both, but its expression wavered between annoyance and boredom. With that attitude, he wouldn’t be a fierce adversary, not like the Prime.
Grayson’s lion didn’t understand Alex’s motivation.
Honor needed her mate. Her mate could keep her safe and put her at ease.
His Prime was keeping him from her.
That couldn’t happen.
As futile as the fight may be, Grayson refused to cease. He needed to get to Honor, and these two males blocked his path.
Grayson circled left, internally smiling when Alex matched his steps. Gray
A groaning chuff reminded him of the tiger, but the animal remained still, not joining the impending fight. Good, it’d be even for a little while.
Grayson spied two vehicles in the distance, only Alex’s SUV and Ricker’s truck occupying spaces in the lot. Maybe he could simply make a run for it. Dash across the few hundred feet and slide behind the wheel before either man could stop him. He’d race to Honor’s side without interference.
Alex leapt at him, forcing him to focus on the fight at hand. One moment the lion was twenty feet away and then he was atop Grayson, Alex’s massive weight holding him down. Those deadly claw-tipped paws were solid on the ground, nails digging into the dirt. He hadn’t hurt Grayson. Not yet, anyway.
His Prime brought his muzzle to Grayson’s ear, releasing a deep, threatening growl. He recognized the warning, but refused to acknowledge it. He had something to fight for. Honor wouldn’t be safe if he wasn’t with her.
He pulled his lips back, exposing his fangs, and released his own snarl.
When that didn’t cease Alex’s sounds, he bunched his muscles, flexing and tightening. In one great heave, he exploded into a mass of motion. He threw off his leader, roaring with the effort of shoving aside hundreds of pounds of muscle and fur.
The Prime flew left while Grayson rushed right, skidding over the grass. Alex rolled back to his feet, shaking off bits of the lawn and dirt. The male roared, exposing every lethal tooth in his mouth.
Grayson could be just as fatal.
His Prime rushed forward, rising to his back legs, and Grayson did the same. In the middle, they clashed. Fangs and claws reached for the other, hunting and searching for a bit of flesh to tear and damage. If he hurt Alex badly enough, he could get away. He had to leave, had to get to Honor. That thought had him fighting harder, had him turning from angered to raging.
The scent of blood filled the clearing, his and Alex’s combined, while Ricker had yet to enter the battle of fur and claw. Smart tiger.
Nails dragged down Grayson’s shoulder and along his right foreleg. He snarled in response and did the same to Alex, slicing through flesh like butter. Their mouths collided, fang against fang, and neither managed to land a strike. Not that it mattered; their claws were still engaged, still attacking.
A swipe to Alex earned one in return. A scrape along his belly and then he repeated on his Prime. They remained even in their damage, the blessing and curse of being the Prime’s Second.
He went after his leader with fangs again, fighting to find an opening to injure the other male. He spied an opportunity, a chance to sink his teeth into the lion’s shoulder. He opened wider, intent on his goal, and then…
Ice cold water descended, drenching him in freezing liquid. It clung to his fur, burrowed beneath the protective layer and coated his skin. It flooded his wounds, washing away dirt and blood and forcing the chilly fluid even deeper. He broke away from Alex with an echoing roar. His Prime did the same, and they focused their wrath on the source of the frosty liquid.
At the sight of their watery attacker, Grayson calmed, shutting off every sound escaping him.
Alex, on the other hand, did not. No, he actually approached the attacker, his fangs fully exposed as he neared… the Prima. With each step, more of his Prime’s human body was revealed and wounds healed. The lion slowly went from walking on four legs to two, his body straightening further, until he resembled a fur-coated man once again.
Maya stood still, clutching the handle of a cooler, the orange and white container dangling from one hand. Her free hand was propped on her hip and for the first time, Grayson realized Maya was pissed. Thankfully, her glare remained centered on Alex.
The Prime stopped when he neared his mate. “Maya?”
“Uh-huh?”
Alex cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. “Is there a reason you interrupted a fight between two males? Males who could have injured you since they were engaged in battle.”
The Prima snorted. “I thought you were having a rather bloody pissing contest.”
“Maya… What did you think you were doing?”
She rolled her eyes and lifted the cooler. “You make me watch football all the time.”
Alex raised his eyebrows, and Grayson found he was as confused as his leader. Then again, considering Maya tended to have most of a conversation inside her head, it was a pretty standard feeling.
“God,” she huffed. “Well, depending on the reason for that lovely display, I was either celebrating Grayson’s return a la the end of a kick-ass football game where they empty a cooler on the coach’s head—best part of a game, by the way, with all that wet hotness—or breaking up a cat fight. I, however, vote for a celebratory water dumping. Really, wet man is pretty sexy.” She grinned, and Alex’s shoulders slumped.
The woman completely ruled that male.
Alex tried again. “Maya—”
“Of course, you’re celebrating, right? Fighting Grayson and keeping him from his mate is so wrong, and you would never do that.” She shook her head. “It’s illegal, even.”
“Maya…” More of the Prime’s fur receded until he was fully human and totally annoyed.
Grayson scented the frustration and anger pouring off the male, and the longer Maya smiled, the more those emotions emanated from his leader.
“Alex, it’s not right.” Maya dropped the cooler, and she stroked the Prime’s chest.
Suddenly Grayson felt he was intruding; this was a conversation meant to happen behind closed doors. Especially when Alex shuddered, and the tension he’d held since Grayson stepped into the clearing fled.
He wanted that with Honor, the closeness and trust, the way a simple touch would brush away his day.
“I have to adhere to her wishes. I vowed to keep her safe and keep others away. You know that.” Alex’s voice was low, but he easily picked up the words.
“I know, but…”
Grayson realized he no longer wanted to be a passive, nonverbal observer. He prodded the lion, and it immediately stepped back, allowing his human body to reform. It knew that since the battle was at an end, they couldn’t get what they desired when shifted.
It took a handful of seconds, and all conversation ended as he transformed. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted Ricker followed his lead.
“I won’t pressure her, Alex. I won’t even speak to her. But if she’s this upset, if she’s as afraid as you make it sound, then I have to be there to protect her.” Everything in him demanded he rush to Honor’s side. If she denied him, he could at least reside in her shadow.
“I promised her a three-mile ban on the area.”
“What protections did you put into place to enforce it?”
Alex raised a single brow. “My word is law.”
Grayson smiled, but it didn’t reach his heart. Nothing could while his mate was hurting. “Funny, I think I went a little deaf. Not sure if I heard you correctly. Didn’t hear a word.”
Maya caught the joke first, her smile blossoming and then quickly falling.
“Grayson, if…” She glanced at Alex, and the Prime didn’t voice a word of objection so she focused on him once again. “If you want to try and do this, get near her, then there are a few things to discuss.” She sighed. “Though, amazingly enough, if someone had let me handle things, there would have been less blood and more clothes.”
She huffed and spun on her heel, stomping toward the waiting cars.
“Prime?”
Alex nodded. “There are times when it’s best to let Maya handle things. Not often, but this is one of those occasions.” He tilted his head toward the parked vehicles, Maya’s SUV now sitting alongside Ricker’s and Alex’s vehicles. “Go with her. Listen. But for God’s sake, put on some pants. I don’t want your bare ass on the leather seats.” Then the Prime curled his lip. “And cover your junk. I don’t want you flashing my mate.”
Maya’s ringing laugh filled the air. “Do you know how many dicks I see in a day? One more added to Penistown isn’t gonna make much difference.” Alex’s growl filled the clearing and the Prima turned, flashing her mate a wide smile. “Oh, but yours is the biggest and thickest and bestest penis there is, darling.” She fluttered her eyelashes and then resumed her stomping travels.
Grayson quirked his lips in a small grin and followed in Maya’s wake, unsure if he wanted to hear what she had to say. Then again, his wants didn’t matter, not when it came to caring for Honor.
Everything was for Honor.
Chapter Two
“To survive in life, you need three bones: a wishbone (gimme that turkey, you bitch), a backbone (like assholes, everyone has one), and a funny bone (I’m freaking hilarious).” — Maya O’Connell, Prima of the Ridgeville Pride and woman who has this whole life thing handled.
Honor refused to look out the window, any window. If she did, she’d see him. Him. She wasn’t ready, not yet. Maybe never.
At least, that’s what she told herself until a movement at the tree line would catch her attention and she’d see a familiar lion lurking in the shadows. He’d pace for a while, spend some time lazing beneath the shade of a tree, or disappear and then return with some dead animal or another.
At first, he’d leave it, placing it carefully along the edge of the woods. Then he’d nudge it with his nose, as if telling her he’d caught and killed the animal for her. He’d wait another fifteen minutes before he tore into it, flashing her pained looks with each bite.
She refused to acknowledge he’d hunted for her, that he was trying to care for her. Three times a day for over two weeks, he’d been caring for her.
But she never looked out the window, right? Yeah, she still lied to herself.
“Honor?” Maya’s raised voice reached her, traveling up the stairs and through her bedroom door.
If she didn’t respond quickly enough for the Prima, the twins would come hunting her. Though sometimes being the focus of a child’s hunt did have its merits. She found she could laugh when she was tackled by East and West, when their tiny bodies wiggled against hers and sometimes flashed from a six-year-old human to a lion and back again.
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