“I see you have an appetite.” He admired her huge platter of food.
“I do. It is my one constant.” She didn’t add that she normally had to wait until her father and brothers ate their fill. The rarity of hot food was not lost on her, and she quickly ate everything on her plate.
She had barely finished her coffee when Nia was at her side grabbing her cup and filling it with a wink.
Jim’s pancakes seemed to evaporate, but his bacon was tempting. Taking her courage in her hands, she snuck a piece of bacon off his plate and received nothing more than raised eyebrows in response. Her grin of triumph as she nibbled at the crispy treat was unmistakable.
She stared at him with unabashed interest. In the light of day, his cheekbones were not as harshly cut as the shadows had made it seem.
He flicked her a look. “Most lions are tawny, your hair is dark.”
Lee smiled. “It is a recessive gene. Not a lot of my family have it. Thankfully, it has caused a delay in my father finding me a mate. One of my younger sisters is already married.”
“So, no one wanted you because of your hair colour?”
She shrugged. “More or less. I stood out, and in a pride, no one but the male is to stand out.”
“Bastards.” He finished off his pancakes and bit through the bacon viciously.
“You won’t find me arguing. My brothers are beginning to show attitude, and it hurts me to think that they will turn into their father if they survive to adulthood.” She shuddered at the mental image of the two oldest fighting and stopping when they sensed their father approaching in lion form. Both of her oldest brothers now wore the scars that their father had imprinted them with, just like Lee’s.
The price of being noticed was pain. It was something that her father drummed into them from the time they were cubs. The bits of affection that her mother had been able to provide her with had made Lee what she was today, hiding in a pocket dimension and trying to find a man.
Lee exhaled sharply. “Well, I suppose I should resume my hunt. Where do you think likely men are going to be at this time of day?”
He jerked as if he was struck. Jim paused and smiled slowly.
Lee knew that smile. It was the smile of a hunter. She could even see a little bit of fang.
“I will show you where they are likely to be hiding at this time of day. Most won’t be up, but there is an area where you can shift and have a run if you like.”
Lee fought tears. “Really? Could we do that first?”
Jim got to his feet and nodded to Nia. “Yes, Lee, we definitely could.”
Lee slid from the booth, her icon clicking on the surface. “I think I have to pay.”
“Breakfast is on me. It is the least I can do for what you did for Sara.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and steered her out of the café.
“I wanted to do it. I am rarely allowed to offer help unless I am at work. When she said no, it was all I needed.”
She could tell that Jim was altering his stride to match hers. It sent a warm spiral down her spine. His arm around her waist increased the sense of warmth.
“Where are we going?”
He chuckled. “There is a field behind the bed and breakfasts that borders on the forest. We can run there and enjoy the sunlight.”
“I can’t remember the last time I shifted.” She sighed and tried to remember, but the memories struck pain and humiliation, so she receded.
“You do a remarkable partial shift if I may say so. I have rarely seen a woman who can stay upright with claws and paws.” Jim waved at two men who were busy at work building a structure using nothing but hand tools.
“What are they building?”
“It’s an adjunct to the Meditation Centre. You have to keep the beavers busy or they start ripping down the older buildings and starting all over again.” He smiled brightly.
“How many beavers are here?”
“Four family groups. There are a few of us that do not fit into the human world anymore, like Chuck. His eyes are fixed, and he has embraced his Naga heritage. He still manages an active creative life, but his future is here.”
“The serpent eyes. Can’t he just use contacts?”
“His second lids pop them off.”
They were on a charming walk through morning at the Crossroads. A few wobbly couples were making their way to the Meditation Centre and others were heading for the café.
An open path behind the Victorian B&B’s led to a strange structure. “What is this?”
“It’s a change room, literally. You can leave your clothing and shoes here in complete safety. The charm that you use for purchases will shift with you so keep it on.”
She broke free of his grip and lunged for the first open kiosk. A shimmering veil dropped into place the moment she was inside. Curious, she stepped toward it and the veil lifted. “Cool.”
Her clothing came off in seconds, and she folded them, putting them on a shelf at the back of the kiosk. Lee breathed deeply and reached inward for her lioness. There was no need to reach, she came roaring to the surface and wrapped herself around Lee in a way she had never been allowed to before.
Lee bounded out of the change room and bounced into the meadow. She shook her fur out and twitched her tail.
Jim streaked out of the change room next to hers, and as he cleared the doorway, the gauzy film closed it. The enormous tiger ran to her and stroked his head against hers. She returned the greeting, scent marking him as he had her.
His eyes were closed for a moment before he opened them and jerked his head. She followed his lead, and before she knew it, she was running.
Her muscles extended and bunched as she felt the green of the grasses collapsing under her paws. It was glorious.
She jumped at the butterfly that passed her and followed it through the meadow.
The huff came a moment before Jim tumbled her through the grasses. She rolled free and shook her head. She crouched, her head and shoulders low while her hind legs prepared to spring.
When Jim turned toward her, she lunged and caught him in the centre of his ribs, knocking him to his back. She didn’t stop. She kept moving past him and turned to crouch in attack posture again.
A very human giggle was rippling through her thoughts. This was fun, plain old fun with no other purpose than enjoyment. She was getting ready to pounce again when another butterfly passed her nose. She batted at it and snapped. It was wily.
Across the meadow, another butterfly flitted, and she took off after it, seeing the huge bulk of Jim’s furred form where she had just been sitting.
She chased butterflies around the meadow for an hour. Jim lazed on a warm rock in the sun, and she occasionally brought him flowers or grasses that she found interesting.
He covered his eyes when she carefully dragged a beaver over to him and it shifted form when she let it go. She sat and watched the man stalk back to the forest where she had caught him, and he returned to his beaver form.
Lee settled in the grass and sighed. The sun was warm, her body was tingling with the ability to run free, and Jim was watching over her.
She blinked and sat up when that thought occurred to her. She shook her head and looked warily at Jim.
He merely gave her a lazy glance and got to his feet. He left the warm rock, settled on the grass and curled around her.
She put her chin on his back and closed her eyes. There was time enough to examine her peculiar feelings for him later.
Chapter Six
“What the hell is this?” Jim was awake under her, his human body was pressed to hers and his hand was on her lower back.
“A scar. Well scars. It was my father’s favourite strike zone when I was shifted.” Lee blushed and then yelped as he sat up, flipped her so that she was lying across his lap and examining her back.
“He scarred you. Why?”
“To make us aware that we were his. All of my siblings are marked this way when we start to change. If we survive the in
fection, we know better than to show teeth around him. Come to think of it, that was the last time that I shifted fully.”
“There are three layers of claw marks here.”
She shrugged. “I suppose I was a slow learner.”
His fingers delicately traced her spine. “Your father does not deserve to be one.”
“I know, but at the same time, I am glad to be here.”
Jim sighed and continued to stroke her back, idly running his fingertips to her buttocks and back. She squirmed a bit and tried to leave. “Well, I think you have seen all there is to see.”
He sighed. “No, I haven’t, but it is enough for now.”
His erection was pressing against her belly, so she gingerly moved away from it before rolling in the grass to face him.
Jim was lovely as a tiger, but he was breathtaking as a naked male. Every inch was sculpted, honed and taut. She blinked, blushed and moved her gaze upward with a jerk when his cock flexed.
Embarrassed, she shifted back into her lioness and bounded across the meadow to the change rooms. Her bra fought her, the panties fought her, and by the time she had slithered into her jeans and shirt, there was a shadow waiting for her on the other side of the veil. Muttering under her breath, she stomped into her shoes and stalked toward the glittering expanse of the veil.
Jim was dressed and leaning casually against the wall. “Shall we continue the tour?”
Lee blushed. “Yes. That would be nice.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist again and pointed out the large houses. “Those are the homes where the majority of the staff at the Crossroads live. The B&B staff do the housekeeping. Since our hours fluctuate with the amount of clients here, we need someone to tidy up after us.”
Lee chuckled. “Men usually do.”
He shrugged. “Well, sleeping in the meadow and bathing myself with my tongue was considered gauche.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, imagining his rough tongue on her skin. She blinked and shook her head. “I can see their point.”
He chuckled. “We never did formal introductions. My full name is James Aloicious Barnes.”
She laughed. “Leandiir Aflai. The name was chosen so that I could not run and try to get a bank account on my own. It made it impossible to get any funding if I approached a bank.”
“Pleased to meet you, Leandiir. How did you manage to get an education if you couldn’t get a loan?”
Lee sighed. “It was a plan generations in the making. My great-great grandmother went to a seer and asked who would be able to break free of the prides, the name was produced, Leandiir Aflai. My great-great grandmother’s father set up the account. He set it up as a trust that would exist with that name on it.”
“He wasn’t a fundamentalist?”
“No. Great-great gran was stolen while her family was passing through on their way west. They looked for her, but her husband held her until she was pregnant, by which point, her family could no longer legally claim her.”
A low growl came out of Jim’s throat. “How can you live in that situation?”
She stopped and forced him to a halt. “I can’t live in that situation. If Carloth touches me again, I will rip his throat out and my own people will put me to death.”
“I am sorry. My words were thoughtless.”
She nodded. “Yes, they were, but you have to understand that I have been taking every opportunity presented to me and making a few of my own in an effort to live my own life. In another six months, I would have had enough saved up to take myself and three of my sisters to a city, and in doing so, I would have given three more lionesses a chance at a normal life.”
“Why three of your sisters?”
“They are already adults. It will only take one of my father’s friends to ask for one or all of them and they will be trapped.” She sighed, turned away from him and walked back toward the café.
“May I ask you more questions?”
She blinked back tears of frustration. “Why?”
He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. He cupped her jaw and wove his fingers through her hair. “I want to know what I am getting in to.”
Lee leaned up to meet him halfway, holding onto his shoulders as his lips tasted hers. She felt safe, warm and cherished as his lips stroked over hers slowly. She shivered and leaned into him, wrapping her in his scent.
He released her head, wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. Polite applause broke out, and it made Lee back her head away with a jerk.
The person applauding was Chuck, and he gave her a salute before he turned and walked off toward the bar.
Jim was staring at her, his eyes hot and the erection confined by his jeans pressed against her thigh. Her feet were dangling about a foot off the ground, and his height was far more obvious when he overlapped her on all sides. He licked her taste off his lips, and she felt a hot surge of something in her belly.
She mimicked him and watched his skin tighten over his cheekbones and his jaw flex. His cock tapped gently against her through the separation of their clothing.
He swallowed and sighed. “I think we need to get some lunch.”
Lee’s hands didn’t want to let him go as he slowly lowered her to the ground. The friction between them warmed her, and the gleam in his eyes told her it was not one-sided.
He held her tightly against him as they made their way back to the café and the lioness within her roared in triumph. He was hers now. They only needed to finalize the details.
“So, you like chasing butterflies?” Jim smiled as Nia bustled away with their order. His feet bracketed hers under the table.
“They are just so fascinating. I am going to have to find that beaver and apologize.” She winced and fidgeted with her cutlery until Jim grabbed her hand.
“Don’t worry about it. You were exceptionally careful with him. He was more inconvenienced than anything. Why did you grab him?”
She shrugged at him through her lashes. “It seemed like the thing to do.”
He stared at her before he chuckled. “I think you were bringing your kills to your alpha.”
Lee blushed. “I think I was, too. At this particular point and time, though, I will settle for a cheeseburger.”
His smile showed a bit of fang, and she suddenly realised that his lack of control over his physical appearance was probably his reason for being at the Crossroads. “That we can manage. So, where do you want to live? There are several homes here for staff members but not many of us are mated.”
Lee blinked. “Um. I hadn’t given it that much thought. What would I do here?”
He grinned, showing her that his fangs were growing exponentially. “Funny you should mention that…”
Chapter Seven
“A nursing station? You want me to run a nursing station at the Crossroads?” Lee couldn’t stop the laughter ripping through her. Nia slid her food in front of her and Lee went about the mundane tasks of putting ketchup in a puddle next to her fries and putting mustard on her cheeseburger.
“Yes. You are perfect for it, and it is the project that the beavers were working on this morning.” He smirked.
“You discussed this with someone.”
“Several someones. We have a ruling body here at the Crossroads. One representative from every establishment is on it, as well as one rep from the hostels and the other lodgings. We usually make do with medical treatment, but it would be much easier for all of us if there was a first aid station available that the patrons and locals could make use of for stitches and such.”
“You are serious.” She frowned and nibbled at a fry.
Nia paused on her rounds. “He is deadly serious. Last year, Tomas burned himself, and it was hours before he was able to get through the portal to a healer. Having a medic on hand that we would be able to locate in a hurry would be a very handy thing.”
Lee paused with her next fry halfway to her mouth as the beaver shifter continued her busy work as the
café was filling for lunch.
“Does everyone here know?”
Jim was tearing through his burger with his teeth back to human. “About the medical outlet? Yes. About me and you? Yes, again.” He waggled his eyebrows and continued eating.
Lee exhaled and answered her stomach’s growl. Shifting took a lot of energy, and it was part of a shifter’s life to keep her inner creature ready to emerge.
She watched the lithe form of an elegant woman as she entered the café. The woman came directly toward them with a smile. She stopped next to their table. “James, please introduce me.”
Lee’s senses were going wild. She had no idea what this woman was aside from a very powerful shifter.
“Of course. Dira, this is Lee, my mate. Leandiir, this is Dira the proprietor of the Open Heart Bed and Breakfast.” He was very formal when he said it, but Dira seemed to call for older formalities.
Dira extended her hand, so Lee quickly wiped cheeseburger off her hand and clasped it. “Pleased to meet you.”
“May I join you for a few minutes? I have an offer to make.” Dira smiled politely.
Jim shrugged and scooted over.
Dira sat next to him, but it was as if there was a wall of energy between her and everyone around her. Lee didn’t even feel a frisson of jealousy now that the woman was closer.
“What is it, Dira?”
“Well, the beavers have been after me for an expansion, and since you are soon to be the Crossroads most recently mated couple in residence, there is a need for you to be close to the new medical outlet. My plot is the closest, so I was wondering if you would like to move in after it is completed.”
Lee cocked her head. “Does it connect to the meadow?”
Dira smiled. “It does. The meadow will never be developed, it is too important to our society. Everyone needs a place to stretch out now and then.”
James chuckled and sipped at his lemonade.
“Be quiet, James.” Dira dismissed him like she would a naughty kitten. “Now, Lee, would you like to live in a new home with your mate?”
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