Daniel paused for one moment, catching his breath and weighing up the scene in front of him. Frasier was fighting the last of his opponents, the others lying bloody and broken on the ground. But over at the truck, the two hyenas had changed back to their human forms and were wrestling at the door with Lottie.
He leaped forward, changing from beast to man in mid-air, and ran to the truck, pulling the first guy off the door, and punching him in the face. The other guy jumped on him, raining blows down on his back. This wasn’t so easy, they were big men, not small pack animals. But the rage inside him grew. The sight of Lottie holding a sobbing Lea to her chest as they cowered in the truck was almost too much.
With one last effort, he used his strength to punch one guy unconscious and then grabbed the other by the shirt and hauled him over his head. Once he hit the floor Daniel kicked him viciously in the ribs over and over, until Frasier pulled him off.
“Enough. He isn’t getting up any time soon.” Frasier wiped his cut lip. “Damn, that was unexpected.”
Lottie slid over to the door and opened it, practically falling out into his arms. “I’m so sorry,” she said, sobbing as she repeated the same phrase until she became incoherent.
“It’s not your fault,” Daniel said.
“Why would it be?” Frasier asked. “You’re new in the Prime. They aren’t likely to be hunting you.”
“Are you sure? Are you sure they haven’t been sent from the other side of the border?” She lifted her head, her face red and swollen with tears.
“I doubt it,” Frasier said.
“I should go, just in case, I should leave you and Lea here to live in peace. I can’t be responsible for bringing danger into these pride lands.”
“Now, wait a minute. Before you go jumping to those kind of conclusions, let’s ask one of these animals,” Frasier said, lifting one of the guys off the ground and holding him up against the truck in his big bear fist. But before he could continue, there was a sound in the distance, and Frasier looked over his shoulder. “Cavalry’s arriving.”
“What do you mean?” Lottie sounded scared.
“We should go if more of them are coming,” Daniel said, not sure if he could fight through another wave of hyenas. Now the adrenaline rush had subsided he was tired and sore; his back was bleeding and his muscles ached.
“No, this is the good guys coming.” Frasier turned back and spoke to Daniel. “This is your brother coming to help.”
Daniel squared his shoulders. “I don’t need his help.” And then he realised that was what had been bothering him about coming here to the land of his pride. When he started this journey, he thought of himself as running away from danger, like running home with his tail between his legs. Now, he had proved himself, if only to himself; he had proved he could protect those he cared about. He was ready to go home.
Frasier put his free hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “No. But Kane might need your help. And your mom, she needs to see you, to know that you are OK. Although don’t let the tough new pride leader know I told you that.” Frasier winked at him with his one good eye; the other was swollen shut.
As the forest moved and about ten lions came charging through, Daniel let go of his past and his feeling of inadequacy. He had made it to his home lands, to the Talamo Pride Lands, and he was strong.
Lea came forward out of the truck, looking in awe at the pride of lions in front of her. “Wow, so many lions.”
And then one shifted, a man, so familiar it was as if Daniel had always known him, and maybe he had. They were brothers, after all, linked by blood and a bond within the pride. He only hoped it would go deeper than that: he was ready to be part of this family, part of this pride. If they would accept him.
Chapter Twenty-Three – Lottie
“Know anything about these, Kane?” Frasier asked, indicating the hyena he was holding against the truck, who was still dazed, but slowly coming to.
“No,” Kane shook his head.
“I think they’re here because of me,” Lottie said.
“I doubt that,” Kane answered gently and then said to Daniel, “You must be my brother.”
She felt Daniel tense and placed a hand on his arm, squeezing it to give him strength.
“We certainly do look alike,” Daniel said, taking hold of Lottie’s hand and reaching for Lea, who slid over, eyes wide with fear.
“You have a daughter?” Kane asked.
“No. This is Nora’s daughter, Lea.”
“It’s good to meet you, Lea,” Kane said. “My mom has told me all about your mom. That makes you Daniel.”
“It does.”
Lottie held her breath during the strained exchange; it was like two big beasts circling each other. “Maybe we could continue this somewhere else?” she said, trying to break the tension.
“Of course. Frasier, can you drive and we’ll accompany you.”
“You think there are more of them out there?” Lottie asked quietly. “I told you I should leave.”
“You aren’t going anywhere,” Daniel said firmly. “We are in this together.”
“Lottie, I don’t know your story, but my guess is these vermin were sent by Serif, he used to run the Pride Lands. I thought we were finished with him now he’s in jail, but maybe he has a longer reach than I thought. We’ll find out, this one will tell us.” He turned to the other lions and said, “The sheriff will be on his way. Five of you wait here for him, the rest come with me.”
“Shouldn’t the sheriff do the interrogating?” Lottie asked, looking at the man Frasier still held in his grip.
“This one needs medical attention. We can patch him up at the house,” Kane said, and Frasier bundled him into the back of the truck. Kane jumped in and sat looking at him menacingly, and the guy cowered in the corner.
Tired and overwhelmed, Lottie climbed back into the truck, with Daniel and Lea, then Frasier drove on, taking them to what she hoped was safety, but she still felt responsible for the attack. She only hoped Kane was right and this Serif was responsible for the attack. She didn’t want to spend her life running, always looking over her shoulder; she simply wanted to rest somewhere safe and be with Lea and Daniel.
The sight of the valley bathed in the evening sunshine, even if it was so very beautiful, couldn’t cheer her up. The three of them, Lottie, Daniel, and Lea, were huddled together, needing to feel each other’s presence. Lea looked white, her face so pale that Lottie worried she might faint.
“Don’t you have a dolly?” Lottie asked, remembering how she used to have a doll for comfort when she was a child.
Lea shook her head. “They took it.”
“Well, I think the first thing we ought to do when we get settled is buy you a dolly,” Lottie said.
“I don’t think I want one,” Lea said quietly.
“Why not?” Lottie asked as they headed down onto the open grassland that led to a sprawling house.
“I just don’t.”
“Lea was very upset when they took it.”
“Who’s they?” Frasier asked, his voice tinged with emotion.
“We got captured,” Daniel said. “On the other side of the border, after Lea’s mom died.”
Frasier didn’t ask by whom. “What was your dolly like, Lea?”
“She had long yellow hair, and blue eyes. Her dress was long, like a princess would wear, and it was blue, with sparkly bits on it.” She smiled as she described it. “My mom got it for me.”
“I remember, we went to the store and you chose it because you wanted to be a princess, and blue was your favourite colour,” Daniel said.
“Well, if ever I see a doll like that, I’ll make sure to bring it to you,” Frasier said. They had reached the big house, and a small group of people stood waiting outside. “Here we go, a welcoming committee. Better get ready to be hugged to death. Your mom has been waiting for years to see you, Daniel.”
“No pressure then,” he said.
“She’ll love you. Just like
I do,” Lottie said, kissing him.
“And I love you too, Daniel. You won’t leave me now we’re here?” Lea asked.
“Never. We’re a team right?” he said, hugging her. “I love you both and we will always stay together.”
Frasier parked the truck, and behind them there was a thud as Kane got up and dragged the hyena out of the back. “What are they going to do to him?” Lottie asked.
“Depends on whether he talks or not. Kane has had a lot of growing up to do since he arrived, and he has had to make some hard decisions. He’s a good man, but Serif hasn’t let this go like Kane hoped.”
“Daniel?” A woman approached the truck, her face a picture or hope and fear. “Is that you?”
Daniel looked at Lottie, pleading for help, but she had none to give. He had to face this alone. “Go to her.”
He opened the truck door, getting out as if he was about to jump into shark-infested waters.
“Is it really you?” the woman asked, coming forward, as scared as Daniel.
“You must be my mom,” Daniel said. “Nora had a picture of you.”
“Nora,” His mom said, looking past him to the truck. “She isn’t with you?”
He shook his head, the sorrow filling him, easily picked up by his mom. “She died a couple of years back.”
“Oh, I so wished to see her, to thank her for looking after you.”
“She has a daughter, though,” Daniel said, and held out his hand for Lea.
“It’s OK,” Lottie said, helping Lea down.
Daniel turned to help Lea, lifting her up, hugging her tight to let her know everything was OK. “This is Leanora.”
“Oh, oh,” his mom moaned, collapsing to her knees.
“What’s wrong?” Lottie asked Frasier who was watching the whole thing, misty eyed. “You are a soft old bear.”
“If you knew what she’s been through, living with the man who killed your mate, just to try to stop him going after your kids.” He shook his head. “Anyway, her name is Leandra. It seems Nora named her kid after both of them.”
“Why?” Lottie asked. Were they that good friends?
“Nora never told Daniel she was his aunt? Lea is Daniel’s cousin.”
“I don’t think so. I wonder why didn’t she say?” Lottie asked.
“Beats me.” Frasier got out of the truck and went to the back to help Kane, leaving Lottie unsure of what to do.
Leandra was kneeling down, holding her arms out to Lea, who clung to Daniel. And then slowly she let go. They hugged each other, and Lottie could hear Leandra sobbing loudly, making a lump rise in her throat. What a mess this all was. So many ruined lives, so much suffering; it mirrored her life in so many ways.
But it shouldn’t be like that: they all had time to heal old wounds and be a family. And Lottie desperately wanted to be part of that family. So when Daniel turned to her, holding out his hand for her to take, she went to him, holding him tightly.
“Is this your mate?” Leandra asked, her eyes red from crying.
“Yes. This is Lottie. The bravest woman I know,” Daniel said.
“That’s not true,” Lottie said, embarrassed.
“Yes it is. If it wasn’t for you, we would still be stuck in cages, with no hope and no future.” He kissed her and then cupped her face, staring into her eyes. “I love you, Lottie.”
“Cages?” Leandra whispered, horrified. “All of you?”
“No.” Daniel said. “Only me and Lea. Lottie helped us escape.”
“So you aren’t one of us?” Leandra asked, but it wasn’t an accusation.
“She wasn’t…” Daniel said, and couldn’t meet his mother’s eyes.
“You turned her?” Leandra asked.
“I was in trouble, at the border,” Lottie replied. “It was the only way.”
“Oh, Lottie. I am so pleased he did. I am so pleased you are together. There is nothing as bad as losing somebody you love,” she said, looking down at Lea. “I will always be grateful to you for helping bring my family back to me.”
“I’m hungry,” Lea said.
“Then let’s go and find you something to eat. Amara is inside cooking, it smelt wonderful as I left. I’m sure there is plenty to go round.”
They headed to the house, Daniel and Lottie holding hands, while Leandra held onto Lea as if she was scared the little girl might disappear on the breeze. Every other step she would turn and look at Daniel, and smile to herself, fresh tears running down her cheeks that she quickly wiped away.
This wasn’t how Lottie expected their arrival to be. She had expected them to be treated like outsiders, but she already felt at home, as if she was being enveloped into a big family; and she knew it was what she wanted, what she had missed. But could she dare hope Daniel would be happy here?
Chapter Twenty-Four – Daniel
“He wants to talk to me,” Daniel said.
Lottie tied the towel tighter on her head, massaging her wet hair under it. “What about?”
“I don’t know.” Daniel had a feeling they were supposed to trade life stories, buddy up over a beer and become friends.
“It would be good for you to get to know each other,” she said.
“Would it? Just because we’re blood-related, doesn’t mean we have to get on. Don’t brothers argue?” Daniel asked.
She went to where he sat on the edge of the bed, and climbed up behind him, putting her arms around his shoulders and kissing his cheek. “You both need some kind of closure, and if we are going to stay here, you need to know where you stand.”
“And if we don’t get on? If I don’t like him, or he wants me to join him in some takeover of another pride?” Daniel asked sourly.
She laughed. “From what I see, there are enough problems keeping this pride together, without him going after another one. Those hyenas were sent from the old leader, this Serif. What if he’s stirring up other kinds of trouble?”
“That isn’t my problem. This isn’t my pride, it’s Kane’s.”
“It was your father’s pride. And we belong here; Lea belongs here. Don’t make her choose.”
He looked up at the ceiling and then back down at the floor. “Things were so much simpler when I was stuck in a cage.”
She laughed. “This is what being part of a family is all about.”
“What happened to yours?” Daniel asked, knowing she usually shied away from talking about it.
“My dad was investigating a firm that dealt with the disposal of chemicals. There were rumours they were moving the stuff on, by ship to China or something. Pocketing the difference. Whoever was running the scam was making a lot of money and didn’t want it to stop.” She moved to sit down next to him, her head on his shoulder. “So they threatened him.”
“And he didn’t stop.”
“No. He always thought the truth was the most important thing, especially when innocent lives were at risk. If the chemicals were dumped, then people would get sick.”
“And so someone decided to shut him up permanently.”
She nodded. Daniel felt her tears on his shoulder and said, “I’m sorry. It’s painful for you to talk about it.”
“I want you to know. I want us to be open and honest with each other. I’ve only known you a handful of days, but this is it, we will always have each other. But I think we both need more than that, and Lea certainly does. She needs to grow up feeling safe.”
“Did you see those hyenas that attacked us?” Daniel asked.
“And if you work together with Kane, you will be able to stop them.” She scooted round to look at him. “You know if I could stop the men responsible for my parents’ death, I would. The thought that he is out there, walking around enjoying his money and his freedom while I have lost my family, rips me apart. The men who went to jail pulled the trigger, but only because they were paid. That’s why they want me dead, a loose end.”
“Revenge won’t make it better.” Daniel had come to terms with having no parents. It
was hard for him to be angry about the death of a man he never knew.
“I know. But it doesn’t make it right. Or fair.” She kissed him. “How many more people will have to suffer because of Serif?”
He got up. “We should go downstairs.”
“Why, because you think your mom is going to steal Lea away?” Lottie asked.
His mom and Lea had hit it off straightaway. Now they were making brownies, just like Daphne taught her to. He smiled. “I’m pleased. Really pleased. Nora loved my mom, now I know why. Although I wished she had told me she was my aunt. I think Lea and my mom need each other. I’m happy they get on so well. I thought Lea would be clingy. You know, after everything.”
“She’s come out of everything remarkably unscathed. You both have,”
“That’s because we’re lions,” he said and she laughed softly. “I mean it. We have this strength. Maybe that is what I saw in you. What made us right for each other, you have the same inner strength.”
“You know, I’d like to stay in this room and see a little bit of your inner strength,” she said, her voice sexy and low.
“You don’t think we should check on Lea?” he said, but he wanted to stay here with her, in this tiny oasis where he could forget all about his brother and what might be expected of him. He had come to Shifters Prime to find a quiet life, not be caught up in a war.
“She is safe, she’s happy, and I haven’t really had you to myself since we met,” Lottie said, pulling the towel off her hair and dropping it on the floor. “And this room is so hot.” She pulled her robe open a little, revealing the swell of her breasts, hinting at what was underneath.
And, damn, he wanted more than a hint.
“Lottie, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” he said, going back to her, and pulling her robe open to reveal her breasts. Lowering his head, he kissed them reverently, knowing how lucky he was to have her as his partner through this crazy life.
“That bed looks awfully inviting,” she said a gasp escaping her when his mouth sucked one of her nipples inside, his tongue rolling over it.
Freeing A Lion: BBW Paranormal Lion Shape Shifter Romance (Sleeping Lions - Shifters Prime Book 2) Page 10
