Marking Melody

by R. E. Butler

  “In King or here in the store?”

  “I don’t know. Both, I guess. But is Ashland any better?”

  Micah hugged her a little tighter, and she snuggled into him with an unhappy sigh. Tristan growled. He didn’t like seeing her upset. He and Micah had both spoken to the members of the Ashland Pride throughout the week. Wesley, Ray, Chase, Dylan, and Hunter wanted Micah, Tristan, and Melody at the boarding house, and so did Alek, Lachlyn, and Jericho. The older adults were guardedly welcoming her into the boarding house, but Tristan wasn’t entirely sure if they were really going to be happy for her to live there or not.

  Micah said, “It’s not right for them to try to run her out of town.”

  Daniel leaned into the doorway and folded his arms over his chest. He looked at them carefully, his gray eyes flitting from him to his brother to their mate. “You were really raised away from the females?”

  Melody nodded.

  “Do you think that just being away from them made you into what you are, or do you think they do something to each other to make them the way they are?”

  Tristan narrowed his eyes. “What are you getting at, Daniel?”

  Daniel shook his head. “Sorry. Just thinking out loud, I guess. My wife is talking about having kids, and I was a little worried about having a female. Even though there’s a good chance the baby would never shift, I’m still a bit worried about her having any bad traits. I’ve never met a female who cared about anyone but other females. I’ve stood outside of this office for a half hour and watched her act unlike any other female I’ve ever known. She didn’t know I was watching and wasn’t trying to act a part.” He paused, exhaling loudly. “I’m damn sorry. Do you want to press charges against Jeffrey and Wyatt? I had Griffin grab them at work and take them to the station.”

  Griffin was another cop in King and also Daniel’s brother.

  Melody looked at Tristan. “What do you think?”

  They’d caused her back to be scratched, and blood marred her shirt. Her wounds had healed quickly, thanks to her accelerated healing, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been in pain and scared. “It’s up to you, baby,” he said.

  She looked at Daniel. “Will they leave me alone?”

  Daniel nodded. “I’ll make sure of it. I think you surprised them. There haven’t been any females in King in a year. A lot of males want it to stay that way.”

  “Then I don’t want to press charges.” She shivered slightly and wrapped her arms around Micah’s neck, burying her face. Tristan moved to stand next to her and rubbed her back, avoiding the places where she’d been hurt.

  “I’ll talk to some of the pride members and spread the word that Melody is to be left alone. If anything else happens, let me or my brothers know immediately. I think in their own, deluded way, they were trying to keep the rest of the pride safe. I don’t believe they meant any real harm.”

  Tristan nodded tightly, angry that it had happened at all. If he and Micah had been with them, the males wouldn’t have gotten close enough to hurt her. It was of little comfort that they’d be left alone now.

  Micah and Tristan sat with Melody in the back of Dana’s car, and Tom followed them home. He and Micah took Melody straight up to their room and locked the door.

  Tristan pulled her shirt off and inspected her back. There was no trace of the few small cuts, but he could still see them in his mind’s eye. He leaned forward and kissed the places where she’d been hurt.

  “I never want to see you hurt again, baby.”

  His hands touched the soft skin of her waist, his thumbs kneading in small circles. Her answer was lost in a kiss with Micah, and passion overrode everything between them, erasing, for now, the memory of the day’s events. As they made love together, he was reminded again how badly he wanted to keep her safe and how much he wanted to find a place where they could be free and happy, together.

  Later that evening, as Melody sat between him and Micah at a large table in the dining room with their dad and uncle and her uncles across from them, Tristan was glad to know that their families supported them. Her uncles shared that several males had come to them, asking questions about her and their mating. The pride seemed mostly incensed that she had been kept a secret all these years, especially the males who had lost their daughters to whatever it was that the females did to the young to cause them to turn away. They were all beginning to think the females did something physically to the young girls, but no one knew for sure what it could be.

  “We said we’d be back to work in another week,” Micah pointed out. “If we go back to Ashland and Melody isn’t comfortable with how the pride behaves, then we’ll buy a house of our own in town. I like Ashland. I don’t want to move back here to King.”

  “Because of how everyone is acting?” their uncle asked.

  Micah shook his head. “Not necessarily. When I thought the Ashland Pride was going to shut us out, I thought coming back here was the answer. But this place is just bad memories. I don’t know how you can stand it.”

  Melody put her head on Micah’s shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her.

  Their dad’s lips curled up in a small smile at the sight. “Because this is all we’ve ever known. We miss you both terribly, but I don’t think it’s wise to stay here any longer than you’d planned. Ashland seems to be more welcoming, and I want you all to be happy.”

  Tristan already knew that he was happiest with Melody. Their future home had seemed, at first, an inconsequential decision. But now he knew it was vital. He stroked his finger over her cheek, and she looked at him with her pretty blue eyes. In the depths he could see the answer, and maybe he’d known it all along.

  “We’ll go back to Ashland.”

  Chapter 11

  Micah and Tristan kept Melody close on Saturday. They spoke with the Ashland Pride several times, even using Tom’s computer to Skype with the males so they could speak to Melody. She hadn’t minded talking to them, but Micah was tired of her needing to prove herself. As far as he was concerned, her actions in Ashland were proof enough and no further proof was needed. She was clearly different from the females and that was all that mattered.

  Saturday evening, Tom asked Tristan if he’d help clean the outdoor furniture on Sunday morning in time for their annual Fourth of July party. Micah was glad to have some alone time with his mate. She and Tristan had spent an afternoon together earlier in the week, and Micah had been chomping at the bit for his chance. In the morning, Tristan tugged on his jeans and said, “Are you guys coming down for breakfast?”

  Micah tightened his hold on Melody’s waist, keeping her from sitting up. “We’ll be down later.”

  Tristan’s brow rose, and then he smiled and leaned over to kiss Melody goodbye. Tristan hung up the Do Not Disturb sign and shut the door.

  “You’re mine, sweetheart,” Micah said, kissing her ear.

  “Oh?” She turned to face him, smiling. “You’re mine, too.”

  “I know.” He kissed her, inhaling her naturally sweet scent.

  Their mouths met and he kissed her slowly, not wanting to rush things. She slipped her arms underneath his and pulled herself closer to him. Her fingers played up and down his back. Their tongues danced and slid together and he moved one hand from her hip down her leg before sliding it up between her thighs. She moaned softly as he neared the apex of her thighs and he leaned forward, pushing her slowly to her back. Her legs fell open and he nipped at her lips and then kissed across her cheek to her ear. His fingers ran along the seam of her pussy, finding her wet and hot. He traced the curve of her ear with his tongue and bit gently on the lobe. His fingers slipped between her silky pussy lips, and he stroked upwards, swirling the tips of his fingers over her clit before dipping downwards. Her hands clutched at him, one gripping his neck and the other clenched around his bicep.

  Her head tipped to the side, and he kissed his way down the column of her neck, licking her thundering pulse. He circled her clit with his fingers, slowly an
d deliberately. He kissed her neck and her shoulder before devouring her mouth in another kiss. Although he wanted her to come, he wanted it to be the most fantastic orgasm she’d ever had.

  He increased the pace of his fingers on her clit, turning his attention to her beautiful breasts and the tight nipples that begged to be tended. She whimpered in her throat as he sucked on first one and then the other, moving back and forth between her breasts as his fingers continued their pace. Her hands dug into his flesh, but she never asked him to make her come and seemed content to let him do what he wanted with her. Which was everything. There wasn’t enough time in the universe to give her all the pleasure that he wanted to share with her.

  He fingered her faster, her clit wet with her arousal and the bud slipping past his fingers as he drove her to a higher peak. He watched her eyes start to close and slowed the pace. She tensed for a moment and then relaxed, and he stopped watching the play of his fingers against her pussy and looked at her. Her eyes were dark with arousal, almost navy blue, and mesmerizing.

  He swirled his thumb around her clit, and she held his gaze. “Yes, Micah,” she whispered.

  “I want to watch you come, sweetheart,” he said as he plunged his fingers into her as his thumb continued to work her faster and faster. “I want it to be good for you.”

  “So good,” she groaned and bit her bottom lip.

  Her breathing became faster and her legs moved restlessly on the bed as he fucked her with his fingers and thumbed her clit. Her eyes blazed brightly for a moment, flickering from blue to amber as her body locked up in pleasure and she cried out his name.

  “More, more!” she cried out, and he leaned over and sucked her swollen clit into his mouth, bending over her body and spreading her soaked pussy lips for his questing mouth. She shrieked and spread her legs, lifting her hips high against his mouth. He fingered her pussy with three fingers and licked her tight little bud until she fell apart on a keening cry, the bed shaking as she thrashed under him.

  With a growl, he flipped her onto her stomach and lifted her ass in the air, slamming his cock into her wet pussy as she moaned throaty and deep. He buried himself to the hilt inside her, the ripples of her hot channel gripping him and driving him crazy. He held her up with his arm around her waist and leaned forward to grip the headboard. She rested one hand on his arm and gripped the pillow under her head. Her face was flushed with passion and her lips were swollen from where she’d sunk her teeth into them. Their bodies were slick with sweat, and her hair was matted to her face and neck, but she’d never looked more beautiful. He took her hard, pounding into her, not caring that the headboard was smashing into the wall with each thrust. She spread her legs further apart and gave herself to him. When his orgasm tightened his balls, he came hard deep inside her. Her body was pressed tightly to his, and he roared out his pleasure. He came and came, his cock spasming and twitching inside her until there wasn’t anything left. Collapsing to the side, he brought her with him and cuddled her close, burying his face in her neck and hugging her.

  “My sweet, perfect mate,” he whispered, kissing the mating mark on her neck.

  “You’re mine, too, Micah,” she said with a rough voice.

  After lounging in bed for a while, he decided to take Melody to the park. Although he loved lying in bed with her, he wanted to get out of the house. Tristan and Tom were still busy with a power washer and several scrub brushes, and Micah definitely wanted to take advantage of any extra time to spend with his sweetheart. Maybe he was feeling nostalgic for his childhood because he was back in King, or maybe making love to Melody was making him think of children, he didn’t know. But taking her to where his dad had taken him to play when he was young seemed like a good idea. Not only could they get away from the B&B, but he could share another part of his life with her.

  The park was off one of the main roads in King. It consisted of a large sandbox, a plastic jungle gym complete with tunnels and kid-size picnic tables, several sets of swings, picnic tables scattered around the grassy area, and a basketball court near the parking lot. After parking, they perused the park and decided to sit on the swings. The park was mostly empty, most likely because people were busy with holiday parties. A young couple watched their small children play in a large sandbox, a few older ladies practiced yoga on a grassy area, and two young brunettes sat at a picnic table talking quietly. Melody nudged her swing back and forth with her feet and looked at him, leaning against the chain.

  “Tell me your favorite fairy tale,” she said.

  “What?” He laughed at the out of the blue question.

  “You’re looking pretty serious, so I thought I’d ask you a question you’ve probably never been asked before. So?”

  His mind blanked for a moment and then he said, “Would you laugh if I said ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’?”

  She smiled. “No. Why would I laugh?”

  “My dad used to say it was ‘Goldilocks and the Three Male Mountain Lions.’ I guess he didn’t realize how close to the truth he was going to be.”

  She laughed, her eyes twinkling. “I think if it were true, Goldilocks would be really, really tired.”

  “Oh, you’re not tired, are you?” he teased.

  Feigning a yawn, she said, “Who me? Nah. I love only getting three hours of sleep a night because of these two horny cats in my bed.”

  He reached for the chains and pulled her towards himself, kissing her. “Sleep is for the unmated.”

  “It’s highly overrated.” She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck and they kissed.

  He released the chains, and they separated, their swings moving lazily. His heart pounded in his chest, and he opened his mouth to tell her that he was in love with her. But then he closed it. What if it was too soon for her? They’d only been together a week. He knew the truth of his feelings, but he didn’t want her to feel rushed. And they were having such a beautiful day together. If he made her uncomfortable by telling her about his feelings and she didn’t feel the same way yet, then the day would be marred. Choosing instead to keep the words hidden for now, he turned his attention to his sweetheart as they continued to swing lazily.

  * * * * *

  Tanya watched the male and female. They swung on swings like children, making googly-eyes at each other and smiling. So much fucking smiling. It was positively nauseating.

  Claire scratched at the dark wig that covered her blonde hair. “It’s so gross. Why does that female like the male? I don’t understand.”

  Tanya didn’t know what the deal was, but something was very off about the female. Ever since Jillian had reported on Monday that the Harrison males had returned to King and brought an unidentified female — possibly a lioness — with them, the females had been on high alert. During the last several days, the females had been scouting more in King, paying careful attention to the Harrison males, including the father and uncle, and the Whitman brothers who had greeted the female. It hadn’t taken much on the females’ part to figure out who the newcomer was by asking the humans around town about her. She was definitely a lioness. One who was clearly different from their kind because she was mated to the Harrison brothers. Marked with scars on her neck. Bite marks. Tanya shivered with revulsion. Marking was the same as being branded like cattle. It was primitive. And unacceptable.

  Tanya texted their location to Layla who responded that she was on the way. The females had considered several options in regard to the newcomer, eventually deciding to follow the female and the Harrison brothers and, when an opportunity presented itself, to cause an accident and grab the female. Although extreme and physically risky to their own females, they’d learned recently from gossip in town that the trio was leaving King. They needed to take her soon.

  Claire squinted and looked at the couple.

  “Stop staring,” Tanya admonished.

  “If they’re leaving town, I don’t know why we have to do anything. It’s not as if she’s sticking around and going to cause t
rouble.” She didn’t hear Tanya snarl in warning and continued talking. “And we want to have purity within our species and they’re all mountain lions, so what’s the problem?”

  Tanya pinched Claire’s arm until she squeaked in pain and jerked her eyes away from the couple. Rubbing at the dark spot with a pouty lip, Claire whined, “That hurt.”

  “First of all, stop fucking staring. And second, the female is some kind of abomination. We need to know why she’s the way she is. If she was brainwashed, then she needs help.” Not that Tanya really thought she was brainwashed. She figured that the female had been stolen away at birth by her biological father. After figuring out that she was related to the Whitman brothers through a male named Bradley who had disappeared many years ago, the females decided that Bradley must have stolen her away so she wouldn’t become like the females. If news of how she had come to be so different — clearly craving affection and the formation of a relationship with males — then other males might try to take away the young females, so they, too, would be different.

  Not that the females were having children of either sex with the males. After the pride split a year earlier, the males had steadily chased away any females who tried to come into King. If they were going to continue the species, then they would have to capture some males and force them to impregnate females. Which would potentially lead to more males the females could teach to be proper males. But that was something to think about another time.

  The male and female were kissing again. Revolting! After a long moment, an eternity in Tanya’s mind, the couple stood and headed for their truck. Tanya texted Layla, who reported that she was waiting down the dirt road that led from the main street into the parking lot. The dirt road was wooded and had a few side roads that led to maintenance buildings.

  “Let’s go. We don’t want to miss the show,” Tanya said as she stood, motioning to Claire.

  “Show?” Claire’s blue eyes widened in confusion.