by Serena Vale
Sebastian gently scooped her up off the couch, walking the short distance to his giant four poster bed, and laid her down, being careful not to jostle her ankle.
“That makes me so glad to hear you say that. Because, darlin’, I’ve wanted you since the moment I first laid eyes on you.” He heard her breath caught as his raspy words tickled the side of her neck, just below her ear.
He leaned in, unable to resist the temptations of the curve of her neck, kissing sweetly with gentle pressure and then a sharp nip that had her gasping and writhing beneath him.
She was incredible. The way Tabitha responded to the slightest brush of his lips on her skin made him crazy, made him desperate to hear the sounds she would make when he was buried deep inside her.
Without waiting for another moment to pass, Sebastian had his shirt, boots and pants off, leaving him only in navy boxers. He made just as quick work of Tabitha’s clothes, and soon both of them were writhing against each other, the air ripe with sexual tension that left no room for teasing touches.
With a brutal kiss, Sebastian claimed her mouth for his own, leaning his hard body against all of her softness, but being careful to avoid her ankle. He couldn’t wait another minute to be inside her, filling her. He felt like an inexperienced cub, but this woman drove him crazy with the insistent tug of her fingers and husky moans tickling his ear.
They were both out of patience, not that they had much to begin with, and they kissed, pressing their bodies against each other in a desperate attempt to get closer. Feeling his control start to slip, Sebastian grasped the edge of her tiny lace panties and tugged, feeling them rip and then throwing the material to land somewhere on the floor with the rest of their clothes.
The head of his thick erection nested at her opening, and he panted, striving to go slow when all he wanted, all the beast inside him wanted, was to ravage her. Tabitha had other ideas. Sensing his intention to move slowly, she wrapped her thighs around his hips, and pulled him closer with her arms around his shoulders, simultaneously moving up to meet him.
That was all it took. Once he felt the sweet heaven of her hot pussy, he was completely lost, completely wild. Tabitha moaned in short gasps every time he thrust deep. He loved the way her soft skin felt wrapped around him, his hip pistoned in a wild rhythm he couldn’t control. His body was on fire, the lion inside him roaring for his mate as the friction of her tight heat brought him to the breaking point.
Suddenly, Sebastian pulled out of her snug center, a groan ripped from his chest at the amazing feeling. But before Tabitha could protest he had sat up, and wrapping his hands once more around her waist, had her flipping over onto her stomach, before rising up to kneel in front of him.
He thought he whimpered, but he wasn’t sure. The sight of her ass curved up at him, begging for him, made him loose the little sliver of control he had left. Just as
Tabitha arched her back, he lined up behind her, smoothing hot hands over each hip, and gripping with a gentle but firm touch.
In one swift move, he was seated all the way inside her, as deep as he could go, and he was rewarded by another one of Tabitha’s deep, husky moans of pleasure. He was lost. The line between man and animal faded completely and the only thing running through his mind were the words mine, mine, mine, over and over with each thrust.
Some emotion caught in his through as a wave of something darkly possessive swept through him. He leaned forward, curving his body around hers, touching as much as he could as he felt her entire body tense as she released a scream of ecstasy that had him howling in satisfaction.
Her sweet, wet pussy clenched down on his thick cock and triggered his own release, unable to hold back any longer. He groaned low and load as he came explosively, every ounce of pleasure ripped from his body. Tabitha collapsed bonelessly beneath him, but before he could follow her he felt a sudden shift under his skin.
He jumped up in surprise. Really. Now! After almost two years of trying to shift into his lion form, it decides now of all times to cooperate, after the best orgasm he had ever had. And he wasn’t near finished with this incredible woman.
He leaned down to touch his lips gently to Tabitha’s warm cheek, her eyes still closed in bliss, and she just mumbled incoherently at him. Quickly grabbing his coat, he flew out the door of the cabin and into the storm just as the change overtook him.
Chapter 6
Tabitha turned over, searching out the warmth that was missing on the bed next to her, but found nothing but rumple sheets and the smell of sex. She cracked an eye open and saw that it was quite dark in the cabin now, the candles blown out. She sat up, searching the darkness for Sebastian.
She must have fallen asleep after their bout of lovemaking. And, oh my god, that was incredible. She had never felt that sort of explosive reaction with anyone before, not even the man she was going to marry. She shuddered at the thought. In a way, she felt relieved, especially now knowing what true chemistry felt like.
She tried to deny she felt anything more, but Tabitha had to be honest with herself. What she had experienced had been more than just lust, that she knew, but the feelings were too new, too fragile, to put any title to.
Curious now as to where Sebastian had gone to in the small cabin, she got up and lit a few of the candles, but the space was empty save for herself. His jacket was missing, though the rest of his clothes were still laying haphazardly around the floor where they had been discarded earlier.
Where the hell was that man! She caught a flash of something big outside the window and moved closer to see what it was. She stood absolutely breathless as she watched the most beautiful creature she had ever seen running outside in the snow.
The large animal had fur the color of straw, but more luminous, and a giant tawny mane that ruffled with every leap through the snow. The tracks it left behind were massive wherever its paws travelled.
Tabitha finally released her breath. She didn’t realize there were any lions out there, and it seemed so out of place in the winter wonderland setting. She was caught off guard again as she realized it was playing. Pouncing in the snow, shooting up clouds of the powdery white stuff. He leapt trying to catch snowflakes in his giant muzzle.
She couldn’t help the delighted laugh as it crouched as if to pounce, and then leapt up into the air reaching for a drooping pine branch, pregnant with pinecones. He knocked one loose, and batted it about like he was an oversized kitten. Tabitha was enchanted.
She wondered briefly why she wasn’t the least bit afraid of this dangerous creature, but shrugged it off. It was almost like she knew him, he was almost familiar to her. The way he sat in the snow, tongue lolling as he panted, and the look on his feline face seemed to be grinning out at the forest.
A charge of trepidation surged through her as the enormous beast sauntered closer to the cabin. And kept getting closer. She gasped as he walked right up to the door, but she lost sight of him as he passed out of view of the window.
The sounds of something rubbing against the wood panels of the door had her breath suddenly coming in short gasps as she hurriedly looked around the cabin for something to defend herself with just in case the creature decided to try and come inside.
All she could find was the heavy pan that Sebastian had made dinner for her in the night before, and she held it up above her shoulder like a baseball bat, ready to swing.
Another scratching sound, and then a soft whine preceded the door handle being jostled. Lions didn’t use door handles did they? They didn’t even have opposable thumbs!
Tabitha felt panic and adrenaline rush through her as she started backing away. Suddenly, the door flew open and there was…Sebastian. He stopped as soon as he saw her standing, leaning her weight against the couch to avoid stepping on her hurt ankle just a few feet in front of him, breath labored, holding his cast iron pan like a weapon. And she looked ready to use it.
“Hi, Tabitha.” Sebastian looked around uncomfortably, shifting nervously as he stood in nothing but a
coat thrown over his broad shoulders.
“Hi, Sebastian.” She still hadn’t put down the pan. “What the hell is going on?
“Just, put that down, okay?”
“No. I don’t think so.” She shifted her hands to get a better grip.
“There was a lion outside. I saw it.”
Sebastian’s face went completely blank, an expression that looked so unnatural to her. Grinning, teasing, yes, but not this emotionless mask.
“Are you sure? There aren’t really lions out here.” He tried to chuckle but it sounded forced, and he gave up with a sigh. “What else did you see?”
“Well, there was a lion. He walked up to the door, and then.” Tabitha had to pause so she could swallow past the lump forming in her throat. “And then, you were here, opening the door.”
She finally let the weight go as she lowered her arms.
“What does that even mean, Sebastian?” She just looked at him, confused and a hint of fear shining in her big, dark eyes. He hated seeing that fear, knowing that he had caused it.
“Ouch!”
Sebastian rushed forward at her sound of pain as she accidentally put weight on her injured ankle without realizing it. He scooped her up, ignoring her protest, and laid her in the bed again. Their scent still lingered, distracting him for a moment as he tried to figure what to say, how to explain. How to tell this woman he found himself falling so unexpectedly for that he was a lion.
She stared up at him with those dark chocolate eyes and he wished he could just undo the last few minutes. But for all of that, he still felt the joy of the shift surging through him, filling him with happiness and a sense of peace that he had been missing for almost two years. And it was all because of her.
Sebastian took a deep breath.
“I’m a were lion.” He looked at her under lowered brows, but continued when she didn’t say anything. “I am half man, half lion. I can shift into my lion form, which is what you saw outside.” He paused, giving her a chance to take it in, to say something, anything. But she remained silent, just staring at him.
“It’s actually kind of a miracle. You see, I haven’t been able to connect to my shifter form in almost two years. Too long keeping it hidden, pushing it away, and then, when I saw you at the pond, I could feel it. Him. My other half.” He slowly took a step closer and sat on the edge of the bed, his hip next to her calf. His amazement turned his eyes a burnished gold, shining with sincerity as he tentatively took her still hand in his.
“I know it’s a lot to take in, but you saw it, with your own eyes.” His gaze was glued to Tabitha’s face.
“You…saved me. You made me whole again,” he stopped, overwhelmed by the emotion.
“I can never repay you for that.”
Sebastian was startled by Tabitha’s quick chuckle, more an exhalation of pent up breath than a true laugh.
“You carried me back here, and took care of me when I hurt my ankle, made me dinner with candle light,” she grinned a little at that, some of the tension in her shoulders easing.
“And made me…the way you...I’ve never,” Tabitha paused, her blush running like fire over her cheeks, trying to get the right words out.
“What I mean to say, is you made incredible love to me, and I’ve never felt that way with anyone. That is a true gift.” Tabitha shrugged, “I think we can call it even.”
Sebastian grinned as he crawled up the bed towards her.
“Sooo, you’re not freaking out about the whole lion shifter thing?”
“Oh no, I am definitely freaking out. We are going to have to talk about that. A long talk. And you’ll have to show me. I want to see it happen, so maybe I can make sense of everything. But first…” Tabitha grabbed his shoulders, pulling him down on top of her, “First, I have something else in mind.”
Sebastian’s grin somehow widened, became more sensual as his lips brushed hers in the softest, sweetest kiss.
“I like the way you think, Ms. Jones.”
Chapter 7
Tabitha drove down the winding gravel road with her big, dark chocolate eyes as wide as they could go. Drinking in the gorgeous mountain views that peeked through the snow-dusted evergreens lining the path. She cracked her window just enough to breath in the crisp, crystal clear air tinged with the scent of pine that was exactly like she remembered as a little girl.
The pine boughs were heavy with last night’s snow fall, making everything look perfect and clean, almost pristine. She could just make out the tiny foot prints of small woodland creatures that had been out scampering in the early morning and it made her smile to herself.
As she continued up the icy road, she slowed as the White Mountain lodge peeked into view. It stood solid, cheerful, and beautiful. As much a part of this wilderness as the trees of the mountain itself.
Tabitha pulled her red SUV into the parking spot with her name on it and parked. Getting out of the car, she grabbed her oversized tote from the back seat and took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet pine scent that always permeated the air around the lodge.
After a year, she still couldn’t believe that she had found this place. Or that it had found her. The lodge had become her new home, offering her a beautiful space to stay, and permanent position teaching five to ten year olds how to ice skate.
It was a dream come true, and when she thought back to where she had been a year ago, she almost didn’t recognize the stressed out, hyper tense person she used to be. She was so much happier now, sometimes she had to pinch herself just to make sure it was real.
Tabitha walked inside and saw Bea standing in her usual spot behind the massive wooden counter that served as a front desk. Bea looked up as Tabitha neared, beaming at her, her robin’s egg blue eyes shining merrily in welcome.
“Lovely!” Tabitha always smiled when Bea used her nickname for her.
“How are you, dear?” There was a warmth that emanated from the older lady that never ceased to amaze her. Especially after finding out the truth. As it happened, Bea had been the same woman working there when Tabitha was a little girl. As a dragon shifter, she had a much longer life span that humans, or even other species of shifters.
It took Tabitha a long time to get over the shock of that discovery, but as she continued to work at the lodge she soon realized that Bea was the most kind-hearted person…er, dragon, that she had ever met. She always had a nice word and a hug for everyone, and the work that she was doing at the lodge was astounding.
The shifters who came to White Mountain Lodge needed sanctuary, and peace. And Bea always knew what to say, or how to act, to make everything better. It was a skill Tabitha hoped she could pick up on.
“I’m doing great!” Tabitha set her big bag down behind the counter with a clunk as her skates rattled together inside.
“I was hoping to get a little time in on the ice before the little ones get here.” She checked her watch, she had just over an hour before her first class started arriving.
Bea stepped closer, a knowing smile on her face as she patted Tabitha’s rounded belly, just starting to show under her tight athletic long sleeved shirt.
“And what about this little one, huh?” Bea’s voice softened as she whispered to baby, “how are you doing, sweetie?”
Tabitha rolled her eyes, albeit good naturedly. Ever since she had announced her pregnancy, Bea had made this her daily morning ritual. Whispering words to the little baby growing inside her. In six short months, Bea would get to ask the baby itself, instead of talking at her stomach.
She grabbed her skates from her bag, waved a goodbye to Bea, and set off for the pond. Walking the now familiar path up the small incline, she took a moment just to stare at the beauty of this wild, magical place.
There was nowhere else like it, and Tabitha loved the fact that it was unique, and that she had finally found her place here. Spying the bench on the other side of the pond, she trudged through the freshly fallen snow, and scoped out the ice on the pond. But it looked like someone
had already been there to clear it off, and now the ice was smooth and shiny, glistening in the mid-morning sunlight.
Tabitha sat, taking off her boots, and replacing them with ice skates, the leather warn from use but soft and molded perfectly to her feet. She thought back to that first day here, so long ago. She had tried to go skating, but it had been too early in the season and the surface had cracked, causing the blade to stick. She had twisted her ankle and Sebastian had been there instantly, carrying her around like some he-man.
The memory made her chuckle, and she cupped her arms around her burgeoning middle. Before long she would have to take a break from skating, but for now, the ice looked perfect.
She slid gracefully onto the ice, not trying any complicated tricks or jumps, simply enjoying the feeling of freedom and exhilaration that always came over her when she was skating.
The bright morning sun made everything look hazy in the beams of light, like she was still dreaming. She looked over at a noise, but didn’t see anything. Tabitha continued skating in lazy circles before calling out.
“I know you’re there Sebastian!”
He appeared from behind some trees and sauntered towards her.
“How do you always know when I’m there? I’m the one who’s supposed to have animal hearing.”
“You’re not very graceful?” Tabitha tried with a shrug. It was a blatant lie and they both knew it. He moved with all the grace his king of jungle side had. Which was a lot. It took her breath away sometimes, watching him move, the gleam in his golden eyes when he looked at her. Just like he was looking now.
“What are you doing out here by yourself? I thought you promised you would be careful.” He walked onto the ice, the tread of his boots providing enough traction that he didn’t slide as he moved towards her. When he reached her, he wrapped his big arms around her, hugging her from behind so his hands rested on the swell of her belly.
“We have a little cub to take care of now.” The pride and joy in his voice was unmistakable, and warmed her to the core despite the chilly morning breeze.
