ROMANCE: LION - In His Claws (New Adult, Paranormal, Shapeshifter, Alpha Male, Short Story)

by Celia Styles

  He took a couple big deep breaths before walking to the bar to get a drink. The little hellcat always had to have the last word in. He downed the shot of whiskey, then another. After the third shot he was finally starting to settle down. He would make her pay tonight. He would have her begging for him if it was the last thing he did. It was time to go to work. He mingled with the staff in the club and then started to talk to the visitors.

  He found out that the club owner Devine was deep into debt. The money he was making wasn’t holding up to the spending he had done over the last few years. Now it was just time to catch him in the act. The lights dimmed even more and he turned to see the object of his thoughts strut on stage.

  “Now introducing all the way across the country our headliner, Ms. Jewel.” He then walked off the stage.

  A few seconds later, lights shot up on the sides and smoke filled the bottom of the stage. He smiled as he heard the music to “The Witches Dance” from Merciful Fate ring through the speakers. Jewel strutted out wearing a see through black dress that came right below her pelvic bone. Under it she wore a black G-string and black bra. On top of her head was a black witch hat. He watched her as she commanded the attention of everyone in the room. She was mesmerizing and he gawked as she flung her hat backwards to tip her head forward. After the second time she pulled her dress up with her and tossed it away as well. She twirled around the stage shaking her hips and rolling her body like a belly dancer. Damn she was hot and she had them all eating out of her hands. She rolled her hips to the men in the front and smiled as they stuffed the string with money. He didn’t know why but he was pissed when she looked down at them and smiled. What they hell was making him get so pissed? She wasn’t his. She chose that moment to look up at him. As she did so she winked and licked her top lip. He watched her little pink tongue stick out to slip across it and almost moaned out loud. He gave her a nod and tight smile.

  She spun around to circle the pole and wrapped her body around it and was soon upside down with her legs spread wide. As she slid down the pole she wrapped her legs around the pole and came down to crawl across the floor in his direction gyrating against it to the beat. He would definitely make her beg. He was so hard he though his pants were going to pop open. Jewel stood as the song came to the last notes and did the splits resting her head on the ground. With legs still outstretched on either side of her body, she raised her head to look straight in his direction.

  He saw her eyes turn yellowish orange as she stared at him. He knew he was the only one who saw it and felt special for some reason. She left the stage. Jewel came out from the back and was instantly bombarded. All the men wanted to meet her. He quickly pushed them and made his way to her side. She looked up at him and smiled. He led her around as she mingled with the men.

  “So how did you like the dance? Did I pass your little test?” She smirked at him when they walked outside towards the truck.

  “I’ll show you when we get to the hotel.”

  “Hmmm. We’ll see.”

  They got back to the hotel and she quickly ran and jumped into the shower before he could get hold of her. She did intentionally leave the door cracked. He slowly stripped from his clothes as he made his way to her. Stepping inside the shower he brought her back against him and reveled in the feel of her wet skin slide against his. He bent and licked around the shell of her ear then bit gently.

  She turned in his arms and kissed him deeply. Their tongues mated with each other as his hands reached down and massaged her ass. He leaned back to look at her yellow eyes as she smiled with a smile that had an evil look to it. She suddenly dropped to her knees and looked up at him wearing the same smile. She wrapped both of her hands around him and slowly slid them down to the tip.

  Gently, she looked down and stuck the tip of her tongue out to lick the head. He gasped and slapped his palms against the shower walls as he moaned deep. She slowly slid the head inside her mouth before popping it back out and rimming the ridge at the base of the head with her tongue.

  “Woman!” He tried to sound fierce but failed with his panting. She looked up and gave him another smile before she took him in her mouth until he reached the back of her throat. Still watching him she swallowed so he could feel the tightness. He growled slowly and she could feel herself getting wetter not knowing which liquid was from the shower and which came from her. She slid him in and out of her mouth gripping the base with her hand. He kept his left hand against the shower as the other twined into her hair guiding her mouth on him. He could feel the liquid heat building in his balls.

  “You need to let go. Now! I can’t hold back.”

  She looked up at him and her eyes sparked with desire. With a little shake of her head she began to move faster and gripping him tighter in her hand. He finally roared a growled as he emptied himself inside her mouth. He felt like he needed to double over when he was done but just stood there looking at her as she sat back on her heels and smiled up at him. Without another thought he gripped her under the arms and hauled her up into his arms. Not bothering with drying her off, he carried her to the bed.

  “You’re going to get the bed wet!”

  “Oh the steam from your body will dry it.” He laid her flat on the bed, and before she knew what he was doing, he had wound his belt around her wrists and strapped to the headboard. She looked up at him in shock. He grinned at her and looked down at her body. He slowly slid his hand over her hip and up to caress her breasts. At her moan he leaned down to grasp a nipple between his teeth lightly. He gave her no time to pause or think as his hand went to her folds.

  Encircling her clit and rubbing it lightly he stated. “I won’t stop until you beg me.” She lightly shook her head and he smiled as he continued to stroke her body lowering his head to suck her other nipple into his mouth. Jewel didn’t know how long she could take the torture. She didn’t know how long she would be able to take the torture before telling him to take her. He slowly slid his mouth down her right side all the way to the curve of her ankle. He then moved up the inside of her thigh as his fingers still worked on her nipples and clit. She was writhing as he crept closer to her core and then just as quickly reverted back down the other thigh. She moaned deeply and her breathing was coming in short quick rasps.

  “Are you ready to beg me?”

  “No.”

  He lightly pinched her clit and her hips flew up from the bed. Moaning again she looked down at him in pleading. He smiled back at her and continued the torture. He finally made his mouth to her core and gave one long slow lick.

  “Oh god.” Her head was rocking back and forth. She kept moaning over and over. He took his hands completely off her except his tongue that slowly inserted itself inside her. He stroked her over and over.

  Jewel leaned her head back as she felt the velvet feel of his tongue inside her. It was pure torture.

  “Oh god. Ok please. Please. I beg you.”

  “Yes. What was that my dear?”

  “I beg you to fuck me. Please! Now!”

  He was up and above her before she could blink thrusting inside her in one quick thrust. They swallowed each other’s gasps as he closed his mouth over hers. He began to stroke faster inside her as she wrapped her legs around him. She needed to feel him, to touch him. “Hands please.” She whispered.

  “I kind of like you helpless my little witch.”

  “Fine. I’ll do it myself.” The laugh died in his throat as he watched the belt untie itself from around her wrists and fly across the room.

  “We said no magic.”

  “We didn’t say anything about it in bed. Now fuck me harder and faster. Make me come.”

  He growled deeply as he raised onto his knees and gripped her by the hips slamming into her over and over and pulling her up to meet him. He continued incessantly, relishing the feel of being inside her.

  “Yes. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

  “Never baby.”

  He wasn’t going to last much longer.
He reached his hand down and lightly flicked her clit then rubbed it keeping up the pounding rhythm inside her. Finally she bucked underneath him and exploded. He slammed into her a couple more times before he shook and emptied inside her as well. He slumped down on the bed next to her and tried to control his breathing. He couldn’t get enough air in. They both fell asleep quietly.

  Jeremy woke up in the middle of the morning and covered them both with the covers. Jewel felt the absence as he went to the bathroom and came back. As he lay down she snuggled up to him. He looked down at her and smiled as he moved the hair from her face. He laid his arm across her and realized suddenly something had happened between them. Somewhere between her first performance for him and her stage appearance he had begun to care about her. It was the first time in his life he wanted a woman around him. And not for just one night.

  “Why didn’t you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  “Untie yourself if you could the whole time.”

  “Well, sometimes when my emotions are running high I don’t know what I’m really doing. I could have blown something up instead.” She smiled sheepishly.

  “But you did later and we were still in the middle of things.”

  “Yes, but I focused all my attention on touching you. Besides I kinda liked you having control for once. Or at least letting you think you do.”

  “Hmmm. Ok my little witch next time I will just blindfold you.” He knew by her look that he found out a way to make her focus and manipulate her magic. Grinning he felt proud of himself.

  Jewel woke to feel Jeremy against her and his arm over her. She moved closer against him and smiled. They had awoken again and he had made love to her slowly once more. She felt him kiss her ear as he started to rouse.

  “Tell me about you.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything.”

  She went on to tell him of her childhood. Always hiding her secret. She had never known her father because he had skipped town when her mother told him she was pregnant. Her mother was a witch but didn’t possess the powers that she had learned at 13. She kept to herself mostly until she got older and grew into her powers. When she found out the good she could do with them she had joined the academy and then made detective.

  Jeremy told her of his family and the chaos they had been through in the last few months. His oldest sister had been kidnapped and brutally murdered. He had two other sisters and three brothers who had accompanied him in the hunt for the one responsible. In the end it had been another shape shifter. He never told her what had happened when they caught up to him, and she could only imagine.

  When it got late enough and their stomachs started rumbling he left to get them something to eat.

  They pulled up to the club and he helped her out of the truck smiling down at her. She was in short black leather shorts and knee high boots with a small brazier that came just above her belly button and dipped low enough to show the swells of her breasts. She looked good enough to eat.

  “What?”

  “You are looking at me with a look.”

  “And what kind of look is that?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Can’t I admire your assets?”

  “Don’t you think you got enough last night?”

  “I could never get enough.”

  They both looked at each other for a couple minutes before he smiled pecked her on the cheek grabbing her hand and leading her through the door. She didn’t know what just happened but she had butterflies in her stomach. She left him at the bar and walked into the back where the girls were. They had decided to come early tonight so she could have a couple drinks to loosen up. As she was heading to the back she saw that Devine’s door was open. She snuck to the crack and listened. “I told you I have the merchandise. Just make sure you are there. I can’t leave this place for too long without raising suspicion. Yes, 10:00 at the target point. Fine.” She quickly headed back out to the bar when she heard the chair squeak indicating that he was getting up. She had to get to Jeremy and let him know what was going on.

  “Jewel! How pleasant to see you my dear.” She turned slowly knowing she was caught. Before thinking twice she froze him on the spot. Running out to the doors she slowed her breathing before calmly walking through them to the bar where Jeremy sat.

  Jeremy looked up and instantly became alert that something was wrong by the look on Jewel’s face. He met her across the room.

  “Come with me. I need your help.”

  “Back there.” He said it with a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. She knew he was saying it for the onlookers. Making them think they had something in mind. He followed her back and stopped when he saw Devine frozen in mid stride. Looking at her he just shook his head.

  “You never do anything easy do you?”

  “Look just help me get him inside his office. He was on the phone with someone about a target point. Well don’t stand there looking dumbfounded. Help me.”

  He quickly came and watched as she picked Devine up with the wave of a hand. Devine may have been frozen but his eyes weren’t and he frantically looked fearfully between them. She floated him into the room and stood him in front on his chair. Unfreezing him, she tried to hold back her laugh when Devine jabbed his knee into the desk and howled with pain. With a flick of the wrist she deposited him in his chair.

  “So what did you need me for?”

  “Thought you would want to be a part of this. So Mr. Devine, who were you on the phone with?”

  “Nobody.” He was now shaking with fear. “What the hell are you anyways, some kind of witch?”

  “Something like that. Where’s the weapon?”

  “What weapon?”

  “You know what we are talking about. The nuclear weapon you are selling.”

  “Oh god. You have it all wrong! I’m not the seller, it’s my bouncer Max. Look, he has my daughter and told me if I didn’t play along I would never see her again. IT’S MY DAUGHTER!”

  “Ok so who were you talking to?”

  “Max. He got hold of some lab guy’s badge but he doesn’t fit his description. He said I did. He had me go inside and slip some liquid stuff from this guy’s lab.”

  “Do you have it?” Jeremy asked. He could tell by the guy’s eyes that he was telling the truth.

  “Yeah. I’m supposed to meet him tonight and do the exchange.”

  “Your daughter for the weapon.” Jewel made the statement as she looked at him sadly. Hopefully this turned out alright for him in the end.

  “Ok this is what we are going to do. Jewel is going to hide in the back of your truck. I will not be far behind you. We will get your daughter back but first we have to make another concoction that looks like the weapon and get it safely away. Where is it?”

  Devine took the key from around his neck. Pulling out a book on the bookshelf they watched as it slid aside. He stuck the key in a safe in the wall and punched in a couple numbers. The door slid open. He then pulled out a metal black box and handed it to Jeremy.

  “You will keep my daughter safe right?”

  “I promise we will get her out.” This came from Jewel as she laid her hand on his shoulder. He nodded and turned away so they wouldn’t see the tears well into his eyes.

  When he composed himself he turned back around. “So what do you need from me?”

  “We need you to make the trade.” Jeremy pulled out his phone and dialed Darrell’s number. He talked to Darrell a couple minutes and looked at Jewel.

  “He’s coming in as a customer. He will be here in twenty minutes. Devine if you want us to help save your daughter then you will act normal. Understood? Then I will meet you at the bar in an hour and give you the fake to switch with Max.”

  “Got it. What about Jewel? She can’t go on if she is with me.”

  “Jewel has the flu.” He looked at her with a grim face.

  “Who are you people?”

  She stuck out her hand towards Devi
ne. “This is Sheriff Jeremy Stevens and I am NCIS agent Jewel Banks.”

  Jeremy saw Darrell as soon as he walked through the door. He slowly made his way to the bar. Sitting on a stool Darrell sat beside him and swapped the tubes under the bar. Darrell nodded to him as he took his drink and went to go sit down at a table towards the front. He sat through two dances then got up and left. Jeremy went to go find Jewel. After finding her he told her about Darrell and they got ready to leave. She snuck out the door and made her way to Devine’s truck hiding underneath the blanket he said he always kept back there. Jeremy got in his truck and drove to the edge of the park. Parking, he slid out of his clothes and transformed.

  Devine got in the truck and looked into the glove box where Jeremy had put the vial. Starting the truck he headed to the meeting spot. He pulled up and only had to wait a few minutes before he saw a black van pull up. It pulled long ways in front of him. Two guys jumped out including Max and the driver who came around the other side of the van. All four men had guns pointed in his direction. He looked inside the van to see his daughter with her hands tied behind her back. There were tear tracks down her cheeks. Her ankles were also bound and there was a gag across her mouth.