I'm Not Lion To You_Soulmate Shifters World

by Krystal Shannan

  He tromped around the building and entered through the front double glass doors of the grocery store. Henrietta was nowhere to be seen. Her daughter, Tara, was unloading produce in the back-right corner. “Morning, Kann.” Her long red braids swung as she turned and waved at him.

  “Morning.” He waved back and continued to scan the store. It wasn’t like he thought the wolves would be just hanging around inside, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

  A door in the back opened and closed with a metal thwack. Moments later Henrietta’s heart-shaped face and bright blue eyes framed with bright pink glasses popped around from behind a shelf. “You finished already, Kann?”

  “Yes, ma’am. The whole cord is done and stacked.”

  “Wonderful. I’ve hated that I didn’t have any firewood to sell. Charles usually took care of it and…well…”

  Kann’s heart squeezed in his chest. The woman’s mate—husband—was ill. Naomi had explained that cancer was a disease that often killed people in this world. It wasn’t something he’d ever heard of. Reyleans didn’t get sick—injured, yes, poisoned, yes, wounded, of course—but sick…that didn’t happen. Some women were sick during pregnancies, but he was pretty sure that wasn’t the same thing.

  “It’s no trouble. I’m glad to help, especially if it lets Naomi get a few extras on the grocery order.” He patted his stomach and flashed a big smile. The distraction worked. Henrietta beamed then nodded toward the counter. “I got some of the things she requested last week. They finally came in.”

  “She will be pleased. Thank you.”

  “Did she enjoy her trip down to Anchorage? Douglas was telling me he’d arranged for Carl to fly them down and back.”

  “She was thrilled. As you say, it earned Col many points.”

  The older woman laughed and gestured for Kann to follow her to the checkout counter.

  “What did she get?”

  Naomi loved the Jenkins store, but she was always talking about the huge stores in her hometown of New York and how sometimes she wished for just one giant store. Col had surprised Naomi last week by flying her down to a city called Anchorage on the coast and letting her shop to her heart’s content. Douglas Curtis—the man whose cabin they were renovating in exchange for living quarters—had helped him arrange it with a pilot buddy of his who flew supplies into Mystery for the Jenkins.

  First time Col had been in the air without wings.

  Kann chuckled and shook his head. Col had later described the experience as truly frightening, but the joy his mate had received from the trip made it well worth it. Naomi had practically been beaming when they’d gotten back the next day. He and Saul and Tor had all pitched in the money from odd and end jobs to pay the pilot. Naomi was the only female in the Tribe and she deserved the best they could give her. That was how a good tribe functioned back home.

  “Blankets mostly,” Kann finally answered. “Lots of bedding. Some curtains for the windows.”

  “It’s nice to be able to pick those out in person, but you let her know if she ever wants to order something online she can use the store address, and have it shipped to me.” Henrietta lifted a couple of paper bags from beneath the counter and set them on top.

  “Thank you. I will.” He wasn’t sure what she meant by online, but he assumed Naomi would know.

  Henrietta smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling with the energy he’d missed seeing in her since the break-in…since Charles had gotten ill. She’d been a little better since Tara had gotten back to town. “I still can’t believe how all of you pitch in together. Or how you all manage to live in that cabin together and remain friends.”

  “We’re Tr—just really close.” He hoped she wouldn’t notice his flub. “Like family.” And they were like family, even though he and Saul were the only ones who knew each other before coming through the portal. It didn’t matter. They had bonded. Naomi had brought them together. Kept them together.

  The bells chimed and Kann turned toward the doors at the front of the store.

  His mouth dropped open and he watched, frozen in place as a woman entered the store. A woman he’d never seen in town before…and she was glowing.

  All over.

  Every exposed inch of skin was luminescent like the lightbulbs hanging on the ceiling above her. It was a soft glow though, not a blinding light. It was more like she’d swallowed pure magick and it was seeping from every pore on her body. He’d seen magick used by the magick-bender who lived in the Lowlands. This soft yellow glow was magick—Reylean magick. Soul magick.

  He took a deep breath and tried to focus his bouncing brain. His heart pounded against his ribs like the war drums of his tribe and his stomach fell like he’d tossed it over a cliff.

  Mate. Mate. Mate.

  His lion roared inside his head and pushed to make him approach her. But Kann couldn’t move. Not an inch. Not yet.

  It was real.

  The soul call was real.

  It was happening right now. To him.

  “Welcome to Jenkins Grocery & Hardware,” Henrietta called. “I have to go get a few things from the back, but I’ll be right back.” She turned to him a moment and smirked. “Kann close your mouth before you catch a fly.” Then she scuttled off snickering about boys.

  Kann snapped his mouth closed, not even a little embarrassed. He was staring. Anyone would be. Such beauty made his heart threaten to stop beating right then and there.

  He’d seen beautiful women…but this…this creature was beyond his wildest dreams. Her dark hair was tucked up beneath an old plaid Sherpa-lined hat, but several strands stroked her cheeks. He wished his fingers could be where that hair touched. He wanted to see if her skin was as soft as it looked. He wanted to know what she tasted like. He breathed in deeply, settling her scent deep into his lungs.

  Dark eyebrows highlighted eyes the color of the sky, blue like his, but clearer like a perfectly cut gemstone. A serious mouth with full lips and high cheekbones with a hint of pink. The tip of her nose was red from the cold, and instead of sun-tanned skin like his, hers was creamy white.

  The hat she wore looked too big and smelled familiar. It wasn’t hers. The gloves she was pulling off and shoving into her pockets were also too large and for a male. He couldn’t quite place the scent yet, but he hated that she had any other male’s scent on her.

  She was his.

  The woman—his shuarra—picked up a red basket from beside the entrance and walked to the dry goods area. He shook his head. He wasn’t going to call her that. He needed to fit in with the humans. With Naomi’s help, he’d worked hard to sound more like them. He could do this.

  Kann took a few steps closer, leaving Naomi’s groceries on the counter. She disappeared around an aisle, out of his view.

  He continued forward, but still couldn’t see her. He took a couple more steps and entered the aisle he’d seen her go down. She wasn’t there either. No one was. The aisle was clear. He went further, past the cereal and crackers.

  “Ma’am?” he called out. Naomi had taught them all the correct way to politely approach a stranger. It did usually put people at ease, especially women. He’d only had one woman get angry at him and say that she better not look old enough to be a ma’am. He’d apologized to the woman, and Naomi had shrugged and said not to worry about it when he’d told her about it later.

  Find mate.

  His lion paced and pushed and tried to growl in frustration. He tamped it down and told him to be patient. Scaring his mate wasn’t the goal. She was human after all.

  He walked down the rest of the aisle and turned.

  She looked up. Concern pulled at the corners of her eyes and mouth.

  “Hi, I’m Kann.” He extended his hand, hoping to chase away some of the obvious discomfort.

  “Hi.” Her voice was level and without enthusiasm. She didn’t take his hand either. “Did you need something?” She stood and studied him, a bright glitter of distrust flashing through her beautiful blue eyes.


  “I was being friendly.” He was unsure why she was reacting to him like he was…stalking her. That’s how she was behaving. Like prey. He took a step back to give her more space, and then smiled confidently. Naomi was always saying he had a nice smile, though it was usually when she was trying to tease Col. “Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. You are just breathtaking. Can I help you find anything?”

  “Breathtaking?” She cocked her head to the side just a hair, as if whatever she was thinking would work better if she looked at him from a different angle.

  “Stunning. Gorgeous. Beautiful.” He grinned at the rising pink coloring her cheeks. Being more like a human male wasn’t hard. He could do this, he could be smooth. He could convince his soulmate that he was the right guy for her without freaking her out. “I could go on if you like.”

  The woman gulped a breath but didn’t speak. Obviously, she was completely enamored by him. Her chin lifted, and he felt the heat of her gaze run over his body.

  Kann yanked his hat off his head and stepped forward, quickly removing her Sherpa one and tugging his own knitted one down over her ears before she could react. “This one is too big for you.” He kept his voice soft and brightened with amusement. Humor always helped break tension. At least it did in the TV shows he watched with Naomi. He shoved the hat into his coat pocket.

  Then he tucked a wayward strand of silky hair behind her ear and let his fingers drift along the line of her perfect cheekbones. She was stunning, and his. Fate had brought her to him and now it was his purpose in life to woo her to his side.

  His lion purred in his chest.

  The woman leaned into his touch. Only for a moment. But that moment gave him hope.

  “I can’t take your hat.” Her tone was defensive and dismissive, like she was trying to get rid of him. She stepped backward, far enough that they weren’t touching, but not so far that he couldn’t still reach her.

  He shook his head and tapped the tip of her cold reddened nose. “You need it more than I do.” Kann smiled broadly, hoping it would disarm her and relax her. It didn’t work. In fact, she continued to rile and freak out as Naomi would call it. The pulse in her neck beat faster and faster. Her stress manifested itself in little drops of perspiration on her forehead. She was scared. Of me?

  “That’s Carl’s hat,” she snapped, her words biting like the lash of a whip. “I have to give it back to him.” She’d meant to scare him away with the harshness, but he didn’t scare easily.

  “Carl? The bush pilot?” Disbelief inflated his words and Kann worked hard not to curl his lip into a snarl. Carl was married. Had a family. What the hell was Carl doing with this woman? His woman.

  Mate. His lion growled again. Protect mate.

  Something was going on and he needed to know what before he made any blunders that scared his mate away. He couldn’t protect her unless he knew what was upsetting her. It couldn’t be him. He hadn’t done anything but introduce himself.

  “You didn’t tell me your name.” He hoped the question would distract her whatever was making her pulse rise and her breathing sporadic. He didn’t like seeing her stressed. “Can I help you find something in the store? I’m here a lot, so I know it well. Or I could introduce you to Henrietta. She was the woman who spoke to you a moment ago. She and her husband, Charles, run the Jenkins Grocery & Hardware. Where are you staying?”

  “I—well—what about Carl’s hat?”

  “I know Carl. I’ll make sure he gets it back, don’t worry. How can I help you?” He punctuated the last sentence with more emphasis.

  Name and place. He could protect her much better if he knew what to call her other than mate. And he needed to know where she planned to stay. How could he watch out for her if he had to hunt her down? Plus, that would probably scare her more. She needed to trust him, needed to want him to be around.

  He couldn’t force this. He couldn’t be like Col and get all growly and just tell her how everything was going to work out. She was already scared. He needed to be someone who helped her feel safe, someone she could ask for help.

  “I—” she started to talk but stopped herself. Why couldn’t she have just gotten a few snacks without being stalked by a guy? Now he wanted to know her name. But if he worked for Jake, then he already knew. He probably had a picture of her and had been waiting this whole time. If Jake knew which plane she’d gotten on…gotten the flight plan. Oh God.

  She gripped the handle of the basket on her arm tighter and glanced down the aisle. How long would it take her to get to the door? Or to the counter? She couldn’t possibly get around this huge guy if he tried to stop her…unless she drew her weapon.

  No. That was the last thing she wanted to do in a tiny town. Jake would find her in no time if she caused a problem.

  Unless he already knows and I’m just fooling myself.

  This guy had asked where she was staying. What kind of person did that? Except a crazy one. Or a stalker-y one.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you.” The stranger spoke again, taking another step backward. His voice was kind and genuine and comforting, different from the suit-types that typically surrounded her like a school of sharks. “I just…I saw you and it surprised me.”

  “What surprised you?” She couldn’t help it. The question just popped out, disregarding her current fear and mistrust of possibly every human on the planet.

  “How I felt,” he said in a soft-not-soft voice, almost like he was surprised by what he’d admitted.

  “How you felt about what? You don’t know me. I’m not telling you my name and I want you to leave me alone.” She tried to speak the words harshly, but it came out shaky and trembling instead. Penny hated being afraid. Hated feeling trapped. Alone.

  She’d been alone for so long.

  The light in the man’s teal blue eyes actually dimmed. His shoulders slumped. Penny couldn’t help but want to pat him on the shoulder and tell him everything would be fine.

  She couldn’t. He was a stranger, who was coming on rather strong in her opinion.

  Although, it wasn’t like she had a lot of practice. Men didn’t usually hit on her. She was all about getting down to the brass tacks of a situation. Stripping the barrel and making sure everything on the inside was in perfect order. Relationships were messy, and most men didn’t like that she was independent. Smart. Capable. All of the above.

  Still. She cared. It was new to her. She was attracted to him also. More than any other man she’d met in her life. It was unsettling, and she really just wanted it to stop. She just wanted to lay low. Stay off the radar. That’s why she’d come to a town called Mystery. Population less than a thousand.

  “You don’t feel anything?” He asked, his tone hopeful. The way he looked at her made her insides melt and for a brief moment she wondered what it would be like if she’d met him outside of her current circumstances. Would she be more apt to consider his advances favorably? Or was she—as her female office colleagues always said—completely oblivious to the race of men.

  “Now is not a good time,” she finally answered.

  “So that’s not a no then.” His voice rose, picking back up some of its original energy. He sidestepped and reached for the basket she was carrying. "Let me help you get your groceries. Then we’ll talk again another time.”

  “You’re not going to follow me out of the store?”

  “I would follow you to the end of the earth and back. But, if you don’t wish it, then I will find a way to respect your request, even if it causes me pain.” He gestured to the cereal boxes and crackers. “Anything from this aisle? Personally, I’m quite fond of the honey graham crackers.

  Causes him pain? “Does that line ever work on anyone?” This guy was ridiculous. Surely, he didn’t think she was going to fall for dribble like that…except she had to admit, it was rather romantic to hear someone say it, even if it was a line. No one ever said stuff like that which made her even more suspicious.

  “Line?” He tipped his head t
o the side. His blue eyes sparked again, and she could’ve sworn she saw flecks of metallic gold in them, stunning, really, and the intensity in his gaze. One look and she was warm, from her heart all the way down deep into her belly.

  “Following me to the end of the world. You don’t know me. I don’t know you. We’re strangers.” She pointed to the animal crackers. She preferred them over the ones he’d mentioned.

  “Animal crackers it is.” He grabbed her a box. “I find it amusing the things humans do to their food.”

  Humans?

  “To answer your question, I’ve never offered to follow any other woman to the end of the world. Only you.” He turned and performed an adorable flourish with his hand and a bow.

  Who was this guy?

  Only me?

  Her luck with people was just shitty. She didn’t read people well. She just saw problems and fixed them. But with people…people confused her and took advantage of her.

  But none of those people in the past looked like this guy. Sounded like this guy. Made her feel what this man did. Ever. She’d never once truly wanted to reciprocate flirting, but right now she wanted to touch him. She wanted to feel his body next to hers. He looked strong and safe and good grief she was being ridiculous. Daydreaming about a stranger, who could be stalking her for Jake at this very moment.

  “I don’t suppose I have earned the knowledge of your name yet.” He gave her a coy cat-like smile. She was his saucer of milk. That she could read quite clearly, not that he was trying to hide it. “I could just continue calling you beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, my destined soulmate.”

  “Soulmate.” An unladylike squeak slipped between her lips. “That’s not a thing.”